cap'nhaddock
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2020
- Messages
- 1,012
- Reaction score
- 2,560
- Points
- 113
- Location
- South Coast
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
I met up with @Goateeblank for a long session in search of species in the harbour and along the Stone Pier, he was early as usual and was fishing nearby.
Greetings were exchanged and then he rushed off to stock up on food, he likes food, lots, he reported slow going on the fishing.
It was a lovely day.
Different baits and rigs were tried but there were very few bites, I managed to find a whiting to add to my species tally.
We decided to move, to the 'yellow welly'* mark which is down towards the Stone Pier, or out on to the pier itself.
We decided to fish in the sun out on the pier and fish the other mark when we returned and fish into darkness.
There were plenty of bites from down the side and we caught Corkwing Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse, Pout and Tompot Blennies
It was pleasantly warm, quite a rare treat in early January. The concrete seats form a nice windbreak and sun trap.
That part of the pier holds many species but it's a snag pit, generations of lost crab nets, prawn traps, string, rope, weed, rocks and lost rigs are down there to snatch any new rig . Once my rig was firmly stuck, pull as I might it wouldn't come free, I left it a while then determined to pull for a break but it came up easily, with a nicely coloured Goldsinney and a Tompot attached; Goatee mumbled something about my luck and parentage.
We tried float fishing but the current along the pier meant constant recasting, we noticed that the end of the pier had become vacant so we moved; there you can cast a float out into the current and it will fish itself hanging in the water flow while you concentrate on bottom fishing.
Fishing was as good, plenty of small fish and Goatee was catching his favourite Scorpions, one after the other just to taunt me as I couldn't find one, not even when jumping into his spot when he left it to re-bait.
I was catching Pout regularly but Goatee couldn't find one, it's odd when you are fishing same tactics, rigs and bait within yards of each other.
I noticed that the tip of my float rod was arching over so I grabbed the rod and felt a fish on ...but it was quickly off, I was hoping for a Mackerel or Gar, they can be caught this time of year. People, who don't fish for them will tell you they can't be caught, they are wrong. I've caught a mackerel in every month of the year and had one of each there just before Christmas.
There was a very colourful sunset, Goatee was wandering about trying to frame a perfect shot, muttering 'arches' 'steps' 'clouds' lovely colour'; like a movie director; perhaps he'll post a pic or two.
We moved down to the 'yellow welly' mark to find a Conger for Goatee when it got dark. Plenty of pout there and Goatee managed his target; it was a tense few minutes as the Conger decided to head upstream and Goatee was determined that it should come downstream so that it could be landed at water level on the slipway. The Shakespeare Flattie rod is probably not the rod of choice for double figure congers but it coped well and the fish was subdued enough to draw it within reach. My camera was set for close ups so I used by phone camera to get a record of the struggle, using head-torch light instead of flash, I didn't fancy the risk of falling in, my balance isn't too good in the dark.
You can just make out the tail of the beast as it dived again, it was probably five feet long, 15 to 20 lbs maybe however the hooklength line gave way as a lift was attempted by holding onto the trace body.
I can't say that I was sorry to see it swim away, dealing with grumpy Congers is not what I call fun. Far easier to catch a strap, there are plenty about.
There were plenty of pout but nothing else.
We moved back to the area where we started in the morning, a couple of anglers were fishing there, 'we've had Gobies, Pout and Whiting' they said. We set up nearby hoping to find a Goby, we hadn't seen one all day. Try as we might, no goby showed up, not a one, you'd bet money on catching a Black Goby there, Goatee did land a 60cm flat metal bar which put a good bend in the rod. The anglers moved on so we went down to the 'goby spot', nothing, hardly a bite. I did manage a very nice Pollack, about 50cm, perhaps two and a bit pounds, a good fish but I'd rather have had a Goby to add to the list.
We packed up some time after eight, a ten hour session, my shoulders and back ached, it was a good day out, sun, fish, banter all very good, four new species to add to my score, but I'm getting too old for day long sessions.
* Yellow Wellies, a historic bollard from when large train ferries berthed opposite, painted up to look like RNLI wellies, complete with a do gooder health and safety notice warning of the danger of climbing it. It's by the sailing club slipway.
Greetings were exchanged and then he rushed off to stock up on food, he likes food, lots, he reported slow going on the fishing.
It was a lovely day.
Different baits and rigs were tried but there were very few bites, I managed to find a whiting to add to my species tally.
We decided to move, to the 'yellow welly'* mark which is down towards the Stone Pier, or out on to the pier itself.
We decided to fish in the sun out on the pier and fish the other mark when we returned and fish into darkness.
There were plenty of bites from down the side and we caught Corkwing Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse, Pout and Tompot Blennies
It was pleasantly warm, quite a rare treat in early January. The concrete seats form a nice windbreak and sun trap.
That part of the pier holds many species but it's a snag pit, generations of lost crab nets, prawn traps, string, rope, weed, rocks and lost rigs are down there to snatch any new rig . Once my rig was firmly stuck, pull as I might it wouldn't come free, I left it a while then determined to pull for a break but it came up easily, with a nicely coloured Goldsinney and a Tompot attached; Goatee mumbled something about my luck and parentage.
We tried float fishing but the current along the pier meant constant recasting, we noticed that the end of the pier had become vacant so we moved; there you can cast a float out into the current and it will fish itself hanging in the water flow while you concentrate on bottom fishing.
Fishing was as good, plenty of small fish and Goatee was catching his favourite Scorpions, one after the other just to taunt me as I couldn't find one, not even when jumping into his spot when he left it to re-bait.
I was catching Pout regularly but Goatee couldn't find one, it's odd when you are fishing same tactics, rigs and bait within yards of each other.
I noticed that the tip of my float rod was arching over so I grabbed the rod and felt a fish on ...but it was quickly off, I was hoping for a Mackerel or Gar, they can be caught this time of year. People, who don't fish for them will tell you they can't be caught, they are wrong. I've caught a mackerel in every month of the year and had one of each there just before Christmas.
There was a very colourful sunset, Goatee was wandering about trying to frame a perfect shot, muttering 'arches' 'steps' 'clouds' lovely colour'; like a movie director; perhaps he'll post a pic or two.
We moved down to the 'yellow welly' mark to find a Conger for Goatee when it got dark. Plenty of pout there and Goatee managed his target; it was a tense few minutes as the Conger decided to head upstream and Goatee was determined that it should come downstream so that it could be landed at water level on the slipway. The Shakespeare Flattie rod is probably not the rod of choice for double figure congers but it coped well and the fish was subdued enough to draw it within reach. My camera was set for close ups so I used by phone camera to get a record of the struggle, using head-torch light instead of flash, I didn't fancy the risk of falling in, my balance isn't too good in the dark.
You can just make out the tail of the beast as it dived again, it was probably five feet long, 15 to 20 lbs maybe however the hooklength line gave way as a lift was attempted by holding onto the trace body.
I can't say that I was sorry to see it swim away, dealing with grumpy Congers is not what I call fun. Far easier to catch a strap, there are plenty about.
There were plenty of pout but nothing else.
We moved back to the area where we started in the morning, a couple of anglers were fishing there, 'we've had Gobies, Pout and Whiting' they said. We set up nearby hoping to find a Goby, we hadn't seen one all day. Try as we might, no goby showed up, not a one, you'd bet money on catching a Black Goby there, Goatee did land a 60cm flat metal bar which put a good bend in the rod. The anglers moved on so we went down to the 'goby spot', nothing, hardly a bite. I did manage a very nice Pollack, about 50cm, perhaps two and a bit pounds, a good fish but I'd rather have had a Goby to add to the list.
We packed up some time after eight, a ten hour session, my shoulders and back ached, it was a good day out, sun, fish, banter all very good, four new species to add to my score, but I'm getting too old for day long sessions.
* Yellow Wellies, a historic bollard from when large train ferries berthed opposite, painted up to look like RNLI wellies, complete with a do gooder health and safety notice warning of the danger of climbing it. It's by the sailing club slipway.
