Saturday 23 December 2017

A breezy trip aboard the Amarisa. 06-12-17

Fourth time lucky.
Having had 3 trips cancelled because
of bad weather,
we finally managed to get out.
We left a little early
and sailed out to a spot off the
Chesil Beach.
It was a lumpy ride out and pretty 
lumpy out there.
From the first drop
the Whiting were biting.
Good sized ones as well.
Coming in up to 
around 2 1/2lb.
Pouting, Dogs, Conger and a Skate
were also boated.
This juvenile Gull
had a really weird growth  
growing out from under its bill.
Everyone caught and and had 
Whiting to take home for the freezer.
In the end I 15 Whiting and 5 Dogs.
We started the long steam home
at 2.45, getting in at 4pm.
Smashing trip again
well done, Paul, the skipper.
Only downer was,
I cut my finger
early on,
which did't stop bleeding
till I went to bed.

Monday 11 December 2017

Some thing slightly different, 10-17012

Walking around Duchess Lake
I saw a dead Carp in the reeds.
I don't know what killed it
or what pulled it up the bank.
What I do know what is feeding on it.
A Water Rail can just be seen 
just beyond the Carp,
as were some of the resedent
Moorhen.

Thursday 7 December 2017

Cottage, Portishead. 06-12-17

Haven't fished this spot for a long time.
With only a short time to fish
and a 13.7m tide.
I decided to try it.
 So with a box of Squid 
I started at 6am.
There is about 40mtrs of rough ground
then sand/mud 
then a drop off.
So accurate casting distance
is a must.
To far and bye, bye rigs.
 Well, not a bit.
Then when the tide changed
I started snagging up,
but luckily I managed
to get them back on
subsequent cast.
Jammy or what. 
By 10.15 the tide was at the bottom 
of the rocks and I 
couldn't be bothered to chase the tide so headed home.

Tuesday 14 November 2017

Ladye Bay Ledges. 12-11-17

A chilly westerly breeze greeted 
me at 08.30.
I set up 4/0 pulley rigs
loaded with Lug / Squid
and
Mackerel / Squid
sausages.
I had half a dozen
mangled baits
which were hidden by weed blowing
up the line
or the wind its self.
At 11.30
this small conger took and
held on to the bait.
I had to cut the hook snood
because the conger had swallowed the
bait including the two hooks. 
 As the tide was getting higher
it started to get very splashy.

 There were more munched baits
until 14.16 
when this Conger took the bait
and and pulled the wet out,
this then swept over my other line.
I was lucky to get back both rigs 
as the first was one pulled in the 
second one as it was wound in.
I had to pull the second one by hand because
of a tangle.
That was that,
 with the tide dropping 
I packed up a bit earlier than planned.

Friday 3 November 2017

30-10-17 New Passage

 High water was 4.09pm and 11mtrs.
I started fishing from the 
ground in front of the promenade
using the usual rigs and bait.
half an hour into the session
this 21lb 5oz Conger gave 
a great fight.
 The Conger enjoyed spinning
and was a bit of a handful to release
but in the end it swam off rapidly.
 There were three other anglers
who caught some small Codling 
but noting very big.
In the end I also managed small Codling and Whiting,
as well as missing a few bites.
Chilly session with a south west breeze.
I finished at 6pm as the tide was 
at the bottom of the rocks.

29-10-17 Ledges Ladye Bay

Back to the Ledges for 08.30
same baits and rigs were used.
Well it was a much slower day
with hardly a bite.
Best of the day 
a small Conger.
Also caught was a a small Whitng and 
tiny Codling.
Weed was a really problem
for the whole session.
I packed up at 13.30 
just after high water as the bait had run out.

Thursday 26 October 2017

Ladye Bay ledges. 26-10-17

Started fishing at around 09.00.
The weather was foggy
with drizzle, no wind at all
and warm.
Squid / Mackerel,
Squid / Lugworm cocktails
and straight Lugworm were the baits used
on 4/0 OR 3/0 pulley rigs
and Wishbone rigs.
Again on the first cast
a small Whiting took the Lug on the
Wishbone rig.
 They even came in two at a time.
These two measured 32cm
and took 4/0 hooks.
in the end I had 10
little Whiting, a tiny Codling
2 small Conger
 and this 8lb 2oz Thornback Ray.
Smashing trip again.
There was a boat about 300m
out, I saw 3 Thornies landed and a couple of other
fish but it was to far out
to see properly.

Wednesday 18 October 2017

New Passage in the edge of a storm 16-10-17

Some Lug left over from Saturday
so headed down to 
New Passage
with Squid and Sandeel.
The wind was a wee bit strong but
using the sea wall as a wind break,
I started fishing at 15.30,
High water was at 17.38 
and I packed up at 19.30.
Both rods had 4/0 Pulley rigs
baited with either Squid / Lug or Squid Sandeel
baits.
 An hour into the session and
this little Conger took a
Squid / Sandeel bait bait.
My grandchildren were very
pleased to see me catch something,
as was I.
A few more drop back bites followed
but each time they dropped off.
Till 17.20
when this Codling  took a Squid Lug bait.
 Up till then there no sign of weed.
However as the tide topped the wetlands grass bank
it all changed.
The washing was really on the line,
so I had really trouble with the grass blocking
the shock leader knot from passing through the top eye.
When I caught another small Conger, taking Squid / Sandeel bait
I had to pull it up, hand over hand.
However it caught in the rocks below
and I never manged to land it.

Even a small Whiting took a look
at a Squid/Lug bait
as it was hooked through the stomach
 so it went back out as a live bait.
However there was no more action except for 
grass, so as the tide was at the 
bottom of the rocks and darkness
was close, as well as the bait running out.
I packed up and headed home
at 19.00.


 Very nice Codling for my diner.
We had it today,
that was the best tasting fish I,ve had for a while.


Low to high at the ledges.14-10-17

Got to the Ledges at Ladye Bay
at 08.30 just at the bottom of the tide.
 Using Squid, Lugworm, Mackerel
and Bluey.
4/0 Pulley rig loaded with either 
Squid / Mackerel, Squid / Bluey
or Squid / Lug cocktails
on one rod and
Wishbone rig with 3/0 hooks loaded
with Lug.
I caught the first of 13 small Whiting
 on the lug baits.
On that rock surrounded by water
was where my rod were in the photo above.
 An hour and a half later I was back up
on the top of the ledge again.
Having caught four Whiting.
Settling to a more comfortable
fishing platform, I was hoping for
some bigger fish showing up.
 But it was not to be,
this diddly Cat shark was the biggest
of 14 fish caught, even if it was
foul hooked.
High water was at 15.00.
I packed up at 15.30.
An angler to my left caught a Thornback Ray 
soon after he arrived ,
that was his only fish.

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Ladye Bay, Ledges. 03-10-17

Beating the traffic problems from a crash
on the M5 by leaving home at 5am, I
was fishing by 6am.
Two rods, one with 3/0 hooks
on a wishbone rig and
one with 4/0 on pulley rig.
The Wishbone rig was loaded with
Rag and Lug.
The Pulley with 
Squid and Mackerel cocktail.
First cast, first fish this 30cm
Whiting 
which fancied the lug worm
baited hook on the Whishbone rig.
First cast on the Pulley rig
was snatched up by a 
Dogfish /Cat Shark.

 
 Great I thought,
it should be a good day.
However apart from the lug worm
being scoffed and the Mackerel being nipped.
No more bites till I had climbed 
down the cliff,
When I finally got down to the
the low tide mark,
the bites started again.
At first they were small rattles.
Eventually there was a pull on the line,
this small Conger had the cocktail bait.
 More bites followed with Whiting 
hitting the lug
and
this tiny Doggie 
showed up.
 Over low tide the bites 
dried up again.
Once the flood tide
started the bites started again.
Trouble was,
I had run out of bait!
High water was at 6am
low at 12.45.

Thursday 31 August 2017

Out again next week

Having done what has to be done
for she who must be obeyed.
It's time for an escape chit.
So off to 
Weymouth next weekend
09-09-17
on board the
Amarisa.

THIS TRIP WAS CANCELLED DUE TO HIGH WINDS

Friday 11 August 2017

Lacock 10-08-17

6am in the morning is a wonderful
time of the day.
At long last I was back on the river.
I had my Barbel ledger rod,
loaded with marine pellets
and a float rod
with Maggots and Casters.
 The float rod caught small fish from the first cast,
Roach, Chub, Dace, Minnows and Perch,
all were feeding strongly.


 Some of the swims are really
stunning.
others look really fishy.
 But I failed to catch any thing
larger than 6 inches.
 I ended up with
a couple of hundred small fish 
on the float.
 Thankfully I love float fishing
and this really made my day.
I think I'll be back there
next week for more exploring.
There are a few tasty swims
I will try out next time.

Wednesday 5 July 2017

Ledges, Ladye Bay,04-07-17

Went back to the Ledges
but I intended to fish
low water to high.
Low water was at 10.15
and high water at 16.30.
So I was disappointed
to find it raining when I got there.
This makes the rock area where I
fish very slippery,
so I took a walk along the
sandy area then climbed back
up on to the Ledges.
So I didn't start fishing till 11.30.
Using my usual
baits and rigs
I was able to cast  to my full distance
as it was only a 10.5mtr tide.
The Squid/Mackerel, Squid/Sandeel
cocktail baits were not touched
till 13.50 when this little
Conger decided on a bit of  Squid/Sandeel
cocktail.
 Had to wait a while for my next
bit of action.
This time a 
Thornback Ray.
A male Ray / Shark
can be identified by the
claspers.
These are the two finger type appendages
sticking out to the left.
Females don't have these.
The photos show the underside of the fish.
 This is the upper side of 
the above fish.
 Just after the top of the tide
16.47
this stunning male
Thorny
fell again to the Squid/Sandeel
cocktail
 As can be seen from
the photos
the sun was out all afternoon.
Shortly before I
packed up
This "Snotty" 
more correctly called
Silver Eel or Fresh Water Eel.
took a Squid/ Mackerel bait.
It was on its way to the
Sargasso Sea
in the middle of the
Atlantic Ocean
to spawn.
So ended a very enjoyable trip.

Monday 3 July 2017

Ladye Bay 01-07-17

I intended to fish from
09.30 till 15.00
but weed became a real problem.
I had Squid, Mackerel and Sandeel
for bait, straight or cocktail.
From the off
the baits were not touched.
Not even a nibble.
Until this little
Cat Shark, Doggie
took a liking to 
Squid, Sandeel cocktail.
As can be seen
the weed was starting to
be a problem at 10.30.
 High water was at 13.30
and 11.5mtrs.
 
 There was a good deal of weed
which was making it difficult
to see bites.
 At about 13.00 I had 
a good pull down and drop back bite.
The rod pulled over, something was pulling line off the
reel.
There were hard lunging pulls 
 and it stayed deep.
Eventually I had it on the surface,
a large Conger surfaced.
It took another dive
which was a reel problem because 
of the rough ground in front
of me.
Fortunately I turned it round
and had it on the surface again
Eventually I got it to the Ledge,
but couldn't climb down because of 
the waves sweeping over it.
I grabbed the shock leader
and held on to it,
I knew I couldn't  lift it
out of the water
as the hook length might brake.
Well as I was trying to get my phone
out of my pocket the line broke
as a wave dropped back.
My guess was the Conger was around
the 20ld mark.
As the tide turned the weed problem
got worse, blocking the
top eye and pulling the leads round into the
rough ground.
So I packed up at 13.30.