Just one last cast
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2023 yearly Report
So first post in a long time as often not much to report & got lazy with my write ups. Anyway I’m still out there and here’s how it went, think I already posted the first few apologies if you’ve already read & responded to them.
Chesil 21/1/23 One of the best yet!
A gap between the frosts, 3 days till spring tide a new moon & early evening high what are the chances of that I thought!
Arrived 4pm, sea flat slight breeze.
Well as it got dark & my recently purchased squid & mackerel sat in a tray on top of my mug reluctant to defrost & not quite sure how to best present my lugworms, perhaps a photo frame as you don’t get many of those to the £ & the first few baits coming back untouched plus my pinkies frozen I was starting to wonder.
Undeterred back on went the gloves & imax bib & braces (cheers Santa) then as often seems to be the case an hour or so after dark the bites started.
Mainly dogs but descent sized ones along with a few nice whiting & a smaller fish which has since been identified as either a shore or 5 bearded rockling.
Squid & worm seemed to be favourite and as the baits got bigger & more ridiculous in hope of something bigger even the third rod was bringing in dogs on half a mackerel or a tiger prawn & squid combo often two rods going at once.
Arms aching & sweating my balls off & with the tide heading way out I stopped around 11 for tablets & food just leaving out half a mackerel.
A few rattles but nothing major.
Tried to get going again for low tide but too knackered & more than happy with the evening’s entertainment packed up and headed home before the frost set back in.
February
Lots of planning of which little prevailed guessing I didn’t get out much or blanked as nothing written
March
Seaton Devon 27/3/23
Managed to get out Monday night last minute during a predicted lull in the weather, as is often the case it was blowing a hooley.
Frozen squid & sardines for bait on pulley rigs.
A few bites as it got dark then again around high tide at 11pm accounted for half a dozen dogfish.
Anyhow throughout the evening often found the lead was plugged? after casting. I’m not a big caster. There was a lot of line being blown out as the lead was in flight & I was casting uptide. (6oz grip lead)
Had read there are sandy patches out past the gully. No weed on retrieving.
By applying steady pressure with the rod upright the lead would come free however this released the wires & lost grip.
Did try slowing the lead before impact but think that sometimes stops the bait from unclipping.
Typically just before packing up around 1ish had a good bite, hit into something descent which shot off before I eased the plugged lead out despite constant pressure bugger was hoping a big fish would have lifted the lead out.
Gave it one last cast but to no avail & it looked like I was the last one there again It won’t be like that for long I hate the summer.
As always it was good to be out
April
Fri 21/4/23 bexington
Well now & again the draw of the big beach gets the better of me and all logic goes out the window.! Reports of poor results in matches and even a departing angler informing me that they only caught 2 fish in 6 & 1/2 hours doesn’t deter me.
After all it’s my birthday and after a failed 1st planned spinning session earlier in the week saw me getting up at 4 only to spend the allotted time driving up & down the 303 due to a cancelled train, today I was going fishing!
So after a few early visitors (1 being the evri delivery man & the other 2 being Jehovah witnesses (nothing against them) any birthday cash was now diesel & car park money & I was on my way.
The plan was to arrive at bex or Cogden by 3pm fish up to high at eight ish then down to low & be gone by 2.30am targets were perhaps a plaice during daylight then maybe an early Huss ray or maybe even a hound bait sandeel rag squid & mackerel.
Rigs flatfish, up & overs, pulleys & clipped down flappers.
As predicted for this spring tide the sea was unusually flat.
Weather cold & wet early on & despite having fished all winter I made the school boy error of getting cold & wet early on & had to change plus had arrived with my phone on 10% (idiot)
Well despite trying every bait, rig & range not even a bite by 11pm then a few knocks & pull downs but hitting nothing then cruel as she is chesil sends me in a plastic bag & it’s even shaped like a bloody fish! Come on really.
Well after many last casts & the title big birthday blank bonanza rattling around in my mind eventually a dogfish slid up the beach, I was more than happy to see those shiny eyes headed up the shingle towards me, still slim
pickings for me tonight as usual of late It seems. there were quite a few out still going for it when I departed.
June 2023
Once in a blue moon
After making little progress on the big beach for along time & after hearing good reviews of seaton I decided to focus my efforts there for a few weeks.Free parking after 6pm on the seafront ( if you’re lucky) & no roadworks.
That said took my parents & family down on a weekend & the place was rammed, with people fishing outnumbering the usual beach goers, swimmers & paddle boarders doing their thing between the tightly packed anglers not my cup of tea & the spinning rod stayed in the car! The fish & chips were bloody good though.
Fortunately I was able to get down there during the week when it was quieter.
Have got lazy with my reports lately not recording them (a couple of blanks not helping)and whenever I fished seemed to make little odds (always at night) high to low or vice Versa. Obviously the water has been clear of late though seaton is not as sheltered as you might expect & the wind rips through there.
On the night in question Having used up the majority of my frozen bait & no signs of any mackerel it was again pretty windy & rough. High came & went as it got dark & I set about eeking out my last frozen mackerel & some twice refrozen squid to last me as long as possible, I’m always happy to be out fishing and rarely leave early.
Tried a few rigs dropping back to fairly short pulley rigs to avoid tangling.
Out of the blue a couple of taps down I & over the rod arcs a bit of a tussle in the waves before my first ray is on the beach.
Chaos followed on how to handle & photograph the awkward beast no one told me that they are spikey on the edge.
I am not the fastest moving person & opted not to prolong its time out of the water by trying to weigh it as well.
Probably just as well as in what seemed like no time the other rod was off for a second one.
Well they do say they often come in pairs. Packed up & headed home beaming with the evening’s entertainment.
Since then it’s been business as usual last trip producing a dog & 2 eels & a blank on my first full lure session.
Gave it another go last night from low at dusk till high at dawn this morning hoping the building tide may produce.
A fair few bites during the
But there you go once in a blue moon I catch something descent roll on the next time.
2023 continued July/September
Well since the blue moon rays many weeks ago it’s been back to business as usual Julys activity was largely focused on a weeks holiday to Lyme yet for all my planning fishing wise I failed to sort out my medication & ended up without some of my main tablets. which it soon became apparent I need far more than I realised let’s just say Once again Lyme got the better of me & the fishing stuff was sent home early before I was!
Sick of Lyme I was soon drawn back to the big beach away from the majority of dog Walkers and their squid eating hounds pissing on my rucksack.
But back to sitting it out on Mack & squid for an August Eel festival. I started using whole joey mackerel on the third rod after a biggie as I was getting up to 25 eels a session the largest was 5 1/2lb not massive but a new pb lfor me.
I am still yet to catch anything on hardback crabs.
September now and as I put my specified £13 pound of diesel in, cos that’s all I got, next to a guy filling up his Ferrari I smile to myself and think nice car maté but I m going fishing and you won’t get much gear in there.
The eels seem less abundant this week as did everything else I did however make use of some ragworm a departing angler kindly donated to me even resorting to 2 & 3 hook flappers to get a bite which turned out to be small pouting.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Thinking a change of venue may do me good an opportunity arose where I would be in blue anchor minehead just befogre the evening high. After a frantic rush around to grab some bait I arrived at the beach end a couple hours before the high of 9.9m along with many other anglers.
Baits of squid and or frozen blacks were launched out on a variety of rigs. Then brought back in again untouched until the water disappeared again. Hmmmm.
The golden month for fishing is not going well
October 16/10/23
Coming off the back of a couple blanks & some very near blank sessions in recent weeks I decided if I was going to catch nothing then chesils the place to do it.
A late dash to west bay angling centre to grab some bait & onto west bexington.
First real cold spell of the autumn. A strong offshore wind & drop of a few degrees cloudy but no rain predicted.
Arrived 5.30pm car park almost empty as the last of the day anglers headed back to their cars i wondered if their £15 for the day had been worth it.
Of course I didn’t really think I was going to blank & as the first rod baited with squid on a pulley rig was cast well uptide of the strong cross current cod were on my mind.
Second rod in 3 hook clipped down flapper with sand eels frozen blacks razors was cast further out. Have been trying to use smaller hooks & flappers this year some what unsuccessfully & for now the ragworm stayed in the bag I hate them little buggers always biting me.
Fishing the high line as don’t trust this odd sea & to get over the surf, rods are getting battered by the wind.
Around high 7.45 first bite is a skinny whiting blank avoided here come the fish!
Or not as the tide heads out only 2 bootlaces to add to the tally despite the ragworm being stripped every time.
Tried a whole joey mackerel on a third rod at times down to holding the 1 rod during a particularly windy spell.
Well the last of the headlamps are heading back to the carpark & a few on the early shift arriving. The tide is now heading back in I’m knackered & should have packed up ages ago.
Last two pieces of squid are sent as far as possible for the final last cast.
Packing away the third rod when rod 2 arcs over, I grab it & tighten the drag it’s solid but moving holy shit this is a biggie.
The wind is whistling off the tight line as I gradually ease it towards the shore.I have my suspicions of what’s on there but trying to remain calm, back pedalling as it’s sucked back out with the wave. Surge. Trying again with more luck this time on the bigger wave & there it is beached what a beauty. I quickly turned the Rod & grabbed the leader then fish dragging it to safety.
Lip hooked so no messing, straight into the ikea bag for weighing it’s 13lb, okay for the cinical out there are some stores stuck to it but it was bloody heavy & I am not used to handling these this being only my third ray.
Unfortunately I todged up the video again but decided getting it back in the sea was more important than more photos. Managed to stay dry & as it headed back out to sea.
Never have I been so happy to catch a descent fish, I was absolutely buzzing as I packed up & headed home.
I paid for my Antics the next day & really do need to focus on a certain stage of the tide & stick to it.
November
Not touched the fishing gear for a few weeks still beaming from the last ray and knowing that’ll be hard to beat.
However a gap between the latest storm’s gave me the chance to get back to the big beach. The wind has dropped & an evening spring high about 8pm. Still setting up as it got dark.
The basic budget bait again whole sardines (pre rigged frozen) squid & half a dozen rag on pulley rigs or flappers.
A busy night followed, if I had to choose a title it would be “ who let the dogs out “.
Having barely seen any dogfish for ages they were out in force hoovering up every bait & smashing the sardines.
Lost count of how many the only other species were a pout & an eel.
Missed a lot of bites too & seemed to be losing fish as they came up over the shelf coming in oddly something seemed to be hitting the squid bait & ripping just t he heads off even though they were tucked behind the body & elasticated on. Did try adding a squid jig to the rig but it was a late half assed attempt.
The dogs were still coming out as low came & went but as the next spell of wind & rain was imminent I decided to call it a night more than happy to have been catching.
November 29
Back to bexington dark on arrival a couple hours before the high at 19.40. Sea unusually flat and a steep slope probably 45 degrees where the water has washed in& out.
Temperature 1 degree c
Same bait as last session & similar results only much slower.
Wind increased In strength making fishing from the high line more difficult as tide went out which is when the same thing happened as last session. Get a bite,strike,feels heavy but as soon as you get it to the edge goes light nothing on there.
Did end up with a few dogs & whiting
Left early am before the predicted snow arrived.
December 11th
Well possibly last trip out before xmas ideally would have got out during the day but ended up getting to bexington for low at 10.30pm aiming to fish up to high at 5.40 ish. Unfortunately missed the calm spell & it was blowing a hooley most of the night. Weather Mild but drier than predicted.
I’m sure you can guess the rest bait,rig & result wise.
Currently struggling mobility wise so will be avoiding the holiday season and hoping to continue next year but good luck to everyone out over the festive period & happy new year to you all.
So first post in a long time as often not much to report & got lazy with my write ups. Anyway I’m still out there and here’s how it went, think I already posted the first few apologies if you’ve already read & responded to them.
Chesil 21/1/23 One of the best yet!
A gap between the frosts, 3 days till spring tide a new moon & early evening high what are the chances of that I thought!
Arrived 4pm, sea flat slight breeze.
Well as it got dark & my recently purchased squid & mackerel sat in a tray on top of my mug reluctant to defrost & not quite sure how to best present my lugworms, perhaps a photo frame as you don’t get many of those to the £ & the first few baits coming back untouched plus my pinkies frozen I was starting to wonder.
Undeterred back on went the gloves & imax bib & braces (cheers Santa) then as often seems to be the case an hour or so after dark the bites started.
Mainly dogs but descent sized ones along with a few nice whiting & a smaller fish which has since been identified as either a shore or 5 bearded rockling.
Squid & worm seemed to be favourite and as the baits got bigger & more ridiculous in hope of something bigger even the third rod was bringing in dogs on half a mackerel or a tiger prawn & squid combo often two rods going at once.
Arms aching & sweating my balls off & with the tide heading way out I stopped around 11 for tablets & food just leaving out half a mackerel.
A few rattles but nothing major.
Tried to get going again for low tide but too knackered & more than happy with the evening’s entertainment packed up and headed home before the frost set back in.
February
Lots of planning of which little prevailed guessing I didn’t get out much or blanked as nothing written
March
Seaton Devon 27/3/23
Managed to get out Monday night last minute during a predicted lull in the weather, as is often the case it was blowing a hooley.
Frozen squid & sardines for bait on pulley rigs.
A few bites as it got dark then again around high tide at 11pm accounted for half a dozen dogfish.
Anyhow throughout the evening often found the lead was plugged? after casting. I’m not a big caster. There was a lot of line being blown out as the lead was in flight & I was casting uptide. (6oz grip lead)
Had read there are sandy patches out past the gully. No weed on retrieving.
By applying steady pressure with the rod upright the lead would come free however this released the wires & lost grip.
Did try slowing the lead before impact but think that sometimes stops the bait from unclipping.
Typically just before packing up around 1ish had a good bite, hit into something descent which shot off before I eased the plugged lead out despite constant pressure bugger was hoping a big fish would have lifted the lead out.
Gave it one last cast but to no avail & it looked like I was the last one there again It won’t be like that for long I hate the summer.
As always it was good to be out
April
Fri 21/4/23 bexington
Well now & again the draw of the big beach gets the better of me and all logic goes out the window.! Reports of poor results in matches and even a departing angler informing me that they only caught 2 fish in 6 & 1/2 hours doesn’t deter me.
After all it’s my birthday and after a failed 1st planned spinning session earlier in the week saw me getting up at 4 only to spend the allotted time driving up & down the 303 due to a cancelled train, today I was going fishing!
So after a few early visitors (1 being the evri delivery man & the other 2 being Jehovah witnesses (nothing against them) any birthday cash was now diesel & car park money & I was on my way.
The plan was to arrive at bex or Cogden by 3pm fish up to high at eight ish then down to low & be gone by 2.30am targets were perhaps a plaice during daylight then maybe an early Huss ray or maybe even a hound bait sandeel rag squid & mackerel.
Rigs flatfish, up & overs, pulleys & clipped down flappers.
As predicted for this spring tide the sea was unusually flat.
Weather cold & wet early on & despite having fished all winter I made the school boy error of getting cold & wet early on & had to change plus had arrived with my phone on 10% (idiot)
Well despite trying every bait, rig & range not even a bite by 11pm then a few knocks & pull downs but hitting nothing then cruel as she is chesil sends me in a plastic bag & it’s even shaped like a bloody fish! Come on really.
Well after many last casts & the title big birthday blank bonanza rattling around in my mind eventually a dogfish slid up the beach, I was more than happy to see those shiny eyes headed up the shingle towards me, still slim
pickings for me tonight as usual of late It seems. there were quite a few out still going for it when I departed.June 2023
Once in a blue moon
After making little progress on the big beach for along time & after hearing good reviews of seaton I decided to focus my efforts there for a few weeks.Free parking after 6pm on the seafront ( if you’re lucky) & no roadworks.
That said took my parents & family down on a weekend & the place was rammed, with people fishing outnumbering the usual beach goers, swimmers & paddle boarders doing their thing between the tightly packed anglers not my cup of tea & the spinning rod stayed in the car! The fish & chips were bloody good though.
Fortunately I was able to get down there during the week when it was quieter.
Have got lazy with my reports lately not recording them (a couple of blanks not helping)and whenever I fished seemed to make little odds (always at night) high to low or vice Versa. Obviously the water has been clear of late though seaton is not as sheltered as you might expect & the wind rips through there.
On the night in question Having used up the majority of my frozen bait & no signs of any mackerel it was again pretty windy & rough. High came & went as it got dark & I set about eeking out my last frozen mackerel & some twice refrozen squid to last me as long as possible, I’m always happy to be out fishing and rarely leave early.
Tried a few rigs dropping back to fairly short pulley rigs to avoid tangling.
Out of the blue a couple of taps down I & over the rod arcs a bit of a tussle in the waves before my first ray is on the beach.
Chaos followed on how to handle & photograph the awkward beast no one told me that they are spikey on the edge.
I am not the fastest moving person & opted not to prolong its time out of the water by trying to weigh it as well.
Probably just as well as in what seemed like no time the other rod was off for a second one.
Well they do say they often come in pairs. Packed up & headed home beaming with the evening’s entertainment.
Since then it’s been business as usual last trip producing a dog & 2 eels & a blank on my first full lure session.
Gave it another go last night from low at dusk till high at dawn this morning hoping the building tide may produce.
A fair few bites during the
But there you go once in a blue moon I catch something descent roll on the next time.
2023 continued July/September
Well since the blue moon rays many weeks ago it’s been back to business as usual Julys activity was largely focused on a weeks holiday to Lyme yet for all my planning fishing wise I failed to sort out my medication & ended up without some of my main tablets. which it soon became apparent I need far more than I realised let’s just say Once again Lyme got the better of me & the fishing stuff was sent home early before I was!
Sick of Lyme I was soon drawn back to the big beach away from the majority of dog Walkers and their squid eating hounds pissing on my rucksack.
But back to sitting it out on Mack & squid for an August Eel festival. I started using whole joey mackerel on the third rod after a biggie as I was getting up to 25 eels a session the largest was 5 1/2lb not massive but a new pb lfor me.
I am still yet to catch anything on hardback crabs.
September now and as I put my specified £13 pound of diesel in, cos that’s all I got, next to a guy filling up his Ferrari I smile to myself and think nice car maté but I m going fishing and you won’t get much gear in there.
The eels seem less abundant this week as did everything else I did however make use of some ragworm a departing angler kindly donated to me even resorting to 2 & 3 hook flappers to get a bite which turned out to be small pouting.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Thinking a change of venue may do me good an opportunity arose where I would be in blue anchor minehead just befogre the evening high. After a frantic rush around to grab some bait I arrived at the beach end a couple hours before the high of 9.9m along with many other anglers.
Baits of squid and or frozen blacks were launched out on a variety of rigs. Then brought back in again untouched until the water disappeared again. Hmmmm.
The golden month for fishing is not going well
October 16/10/23
Coming off the back of a couple blanks & some very near blank sessions in recent weeks I decided if I was going to catch nothing then chesils the place to do it.
A late dash to west bay angling centre to grab some bait & onto west bexington.
First real cold spell of the autumn. A strong offshore wind & drop of a few degrees cloudy but no rain predicted.
Arrived 5.30pm car park almost empty as the last of the day anglers headed back to their cars i wondered if their £15 for the day had been worth it.
Of course I didn’t really think I was going to blank & as the first rod baited with squid on a pulley rig was cast well uptide of the strong cross current cod were on my mind.
Second rod in 3 hook clipped down flapper with sand eels frozen blacks razors was cast further out. Have been trying to use smaller hooks & flappers this year some what unsuccessfully & for now the ragworm stayed in the bag I hate them little buggers always biting me.
Fishing the high line as don’t trust this odd sea & to get over the surf, rods are getting battered by the wind.
Around high 7.45 first bite is a skinny whiting blank avoided here come the fish!
Or not as the tide heads out only 2 bootlaces to add to the tally despite the ragworm being stripped every time.
Tried a whole joey mackerel on a third rod at times down to holding the 1 rod during a particularly windy spell.
Well the last of the headlamps are heading back to the carpark & a few on the early shift arriving. The tide is now heading back in I’m knackered & should have packed up ages ago.
Last two pieces of squid are sent as far as possible for the final last cast.
Packing away the third rod when rod 2 arcs over, I grab it & tighten the drag it’s solid but moving holy shit this is a biggie.
The wind is whistling off the tight line as I gradually ease it towards the shore.I have my suspicions of what’s on there but trying to remain calm, back pedalling as it’s sucked back out with the wave. Surge. Trying again with more luck this time on the bigger wave & there it is beached what a beauty. I quickly turned the Rod & grabbed the leader then fish dragging it to safety.
Lip hooked so no messing, straight into the ikea bag for weighing it’s 13lb, okay for the cinical out there are some stores stuck to it but it was bloody heavy & I am not used to handling these this being only my third ray.
Unfortunately I todged up the video again but decided getting it back in the sea was more important than more photos. Managed to stay dry & as it headed back out to sea.
Never have I been so happy to catch a descent fish, I was absolutely buzzing as I packed up & headed home.
I paid for my Antics the next day & really do need to focus on a certain stage of the tide & stick to it.
November
Not touched the fishing gear for a few weeks still beaming from the last ray and knowing that’ll be hard to beat.
However a gap between the latest storm’s gave me the chance to get back to the big beach. The wind has dropped & an evening spring high about 8pm. Still setting up as it got dark.
The basic budget bait again whole sardines (pre rigged frozen) squid & half a dozen rag on pulley rigs or flappers.
A busy night followed, if I had to choose a title it would be “ who let the dogs out “.
Having barely seen any dogfish for ages they were out in force hoovering up every bait & smashing the sardines.
Lost count of how many the only other species were a pout & an eel.
Missed a lot of bites too & seemed to be losing fish as they came up over the shelf coming in oddly something seemed to be hitting the squid bait & ripping just t he heads off even though they were tucked behind the body & elasticated on. Did try adding a squid jig to the rig but it was a late half assed attempt.
The dogs were still coming out as low came & went but as the next spell of wind & rain was imminent I decided to call it a night more than happy to have been catching.
November 29
Back to bexington dark on arrival a couple hours before the high at 19.40. Sea unusually flat and a steep slope probably 45 degrees where the water has washed in& out.
Temperature 1 degree c
Same bait as last session & similar results only much slower.
Wind increased In strength making fishing from the high line more difficult as tide went out which is when the same thing happened as last session. Get a bite,strike,feels heavy but as soon as you get it to the edge goes light nothing on there.
Did end up with a few dogs & whiting
Left early am before the predicted snow arrived.
December 11th
Well possibly last trip out before xmas ideally would have got out during the day but ended up getting to bexington for low at 10.30pm aiming to fish up to high at 5.40 ish. Unfortunately missed the calm spell & it was blowing a hooley most of the night. Weather Mild but drier than predicted.
I’m sure you can guess the rest bait,rig & result wise.
Currently struggling mobility wise so will be avoiding the holiday season and hoping to continue next year but good luck to everyone out over the festive period & happy new year to you all.
hopefully sane will happen this year 
little tip fresh blacks are a must on chisel sep October and November there out fish most baits dureing this time single black on a long ish snood is deadly as there seems to be a shortage of macs try chunks of anchovies next best thing to fresh bait and low ups the best time to fish squid baits first hr of the flood se rays love it on the big beach and don’t waste time with hard backs goid on wrasse or in channel waste of time on chisel much better off with rag or squid for hounds and if you don’t like there theeth just cut the heads off easier to bait up and let’s more sent out 
