Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
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- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Saturday night was a club comp on a local beach in memorial for a well liked former club member, with proceeds/donations going to a cancer charity.
Last year I hadn’t felt particularly great and the turn out was low anyway so I hadn’t walked too far from the car park and didn’t get a bite all night. The lads at the top end had a lot of fish.
This year I’d decided to do the longer walk and also as it was hot, didn’t fancy wearing waders all night, so opted for swimming shorts and neoprene beach shoes, lol, which I’d thought might be a good choice for some summer surf beach sessions. Or not, as it turned out…
I was late following the others up the beach as the buckle suddenly broke on my Sherpa strap and had to swap it for the chest one, which made carrying the seatbox more awkward but doable.
The end of the line of anglers was a fair way down and I wanted to get away from the lights, so got a bit carried away with my walk and when I stopped realised I was miles from any fucker
First cast went out with a big squid on it, sandeel on the other rod.
The comp was ostensibly for bass but any species counted, so I was thinking more ray than bass.
The beach is very shallow and the sea was pretty warm, so quite happy to wade out in it, however I soon saw a potential problem!
My shorts pockets had the usual things in - vape, remote phone camera switch, car keys.
Once I’d waded out to thigh height I realised I still had all these things on me, and the surf was threatening to swamp me to waist height.
Shit! Somehow managed to cast out while holding my shorts up like a skirt then, as Minstrel would say, minced back quickly to shore.
And emptied my pockets! Thankfully nothing got too wet.
Obviously more than one reason why chest waders with a pocket are a sensible choice.
Oh and of course if I waded above waist height my t shirt would get wet, which didn’t matter as I had a dry one in the car, but didn’t fancy standing there all night in a wet t shirt and it wasn’t THAT warm!
Still, it wasn’t cold and the neoprene shoes are pretty comfortable for a £6 pair bought from Lidl for a punt.
Oh the fishing? Slow. No bites. The sandeel got munched by crabs, that was it.
I was just exchanging messages with others on the beach commiserating how dead it was, when a ratchet screamed.
Line was tearing off the squid rod and I grabbed it and struck into it - and what felt like a good fish struck right back.
I was pretty sure it was a hound, all the signs were there.
Unfortunately I’d just relocated everything up the beach so was now some distance from the water line and had to inch down while recovering line and trying to stay in contact with the fish.
Which suddenly didn’t seem as big as I thought. A few kicks close in and I had to whack my light onto a brighter setting - and saw I’d already pretty much beached it.
Hound? Still not sure… oh, a half decent bass!
It looked a good size. Five or six pounds I’m thinking.
Then a real faff trying to get it weighed and the fish had plenty of life in it. I was going to keep it but it was lip hooked and kicking well so I thought sod it, I tend to return the first better one of the season, so a sacrifice to Poseidon. Or Neptune if you’re that way inclined.
Back in the water, it seemed a bit shell shocked and I was thinking I would have to knock it on the head, but it kept itself upright and the tail started swimming, so I followed it around the shallows for a bit then it seemed to disappear, so hopefully it went back okay.
It certainly didn’t wash up later.
The weight? Well. A quick zero of the scales with the sling and it went 3lb 8.
In the rush to get it back, I didn’t really think but something was nagging at me. It had felt heavier than that when I picked it up, surely?
Anyway, hopefully it was going to be a good night. I refocused on bass, putting out whole joey on one, double squid on the other and later also tried bluey and even spider crab (thinking hounds again).
But no more bites at all. Sometimes the baits had seen a bit of crab or scavenger action (surprising what prawns and shrimps can do with a bit of time), but nothing I could call a bite.
I was also regretting my choice of clothing. It wasn’t cold at all, even when wading out to sea regularly, but being unable to use any pockets was a pain, plus constantly wet feet get a bit tiresome and uncomfortable after a while! Probably not my best idea, in hindsight.
I started packing up 20 minutes before time, because I had a fair walk back and wanted to see the others at the car park, maybe a 3lb 8 bass was enough, it seemed like a slow night.
Wow, hadn’t realised how far I’d walked! I set a fair pace and the lights never seemed to get closer but after what felt like forever, I was finally making headway.
Some of the others were still there and the results were read out. A 3lb 10 bass was third. Shit.
A 4lb 1 second and a hound of 7lb something won it. Fair play but something was still nagging at me.
Anyway, once we’d said our farewells I squelched to my car and did the dance of seven veils with a towel to change into dry shorts and headed home, stopping only to pick up and eat a McDonald’s…
On Sunday I still had that nagging. 3lb 8? Didn’t seem right. I’ve caught plenty of bass and that fish had some weight to it.
Looked at the scales pic again. Hmm. The pic doesn’t really show it but with my Sherpa wrapped around the tripod and the bait bag hanging from it, I reckon those took some of the weight from the fish as the sling leaned against it. Doh! Idiot! Schoolboy error!
That’s what I get for rushing and not double checking!
Ah well, it’s done now. Even if I had cast iron proof it was bigger (which obviously I don’t), the decision was made and accepted by all on the night, so I’d never dream to try and reverse it after the fact.
What I should have done was quickly lift it by hand and weigh it that way, if I wasn’t sure, but hey ho.
Lesson learned! Anyway it was good to get out and back to a surf beach, though that beach isn’t my first choice, so will have to get out to a better spot soon, autumn bassing is upon us!
I think perhaps I’ll leave the swimming shorts and aqua shoes at home though…
Last year I hadn’t felt particularly great and the turn out was low anyway so I hadn’t walked too far from the car park and didn’t get a bite all night. The lads at the top end had a lot of fish.
This year I’d decided to do the longer walk and also as it was hot, didn’t fancy wearing waders all night, so opted for swimming shorts and neoprene beach shoes, lol, which I’d thought might be a good choice for some summer surf beach sessions. Or not, as it turned out…
I was late following the others up the beach as the buckle suddenly broke on my Sherpa strap and had to swap it for the chest one, which made carrying the seatbox more awkward but doable.
The end of the line of anglers was a fair way down and I wanted to get away from the lights, so got a bit carried away with my walk and when I stopped realised I was miles from any fucker
First cast went out with a big squid on it, sandeel on the other rod.
The comp was ostensibly for bass but any species counted, so I was thinking more ray than bass.
The beach is very shallow and the sea was pretty warm, so quite happy to wade out in it, however I soon saw a potential problem!
My shorts pockets had the usual things in - vape, remote phone camera switch, car keys.
Once I’d waded out to thigh height I realised I still had all these things on me, and the surf was threatening to swamp me to waist height.
Shit! Somehow managed to cast out while holding my shorts up like a skirt then, as Minstrel would say, minced back quickly to shore.
And emptied my pockets! Thankfully nothing got too wet.
Obviously more than one reason why chest waders with a pocket are a sensible choice.
Oh and of course if I waded above waist height my t shirt would get wet, which didn’t matter as I had a dry one in the car, but didn’t fancy standing there all night in a wet t shirt and it wasn’t THAT warm!
Still, it wasn’t cold and the neoprene shoes are pretty comfortable for a £6 pair bought from Lidl for a punt.
Oh the fishing? Slow. No bites. The sandeel got munched by crabs, that was it.
I was just exchanging messages with others on the beach commiserating how dead it was, when a ratchet screamed.
Line was tearing off the squid rod and I grabbed it and struck into it - and what felt like a good fish struck right back.
I was pretty sure it was a hound, all the signs were there.
Unfortunately I’d just relocated everything up the beach so was now some distance from the water line and had to inch down while recovering line and trying to stay in contact with the fish.
Which suddenly didn’t seem as big as I thought. A few kicks close in and I had to whack my light onto a brighter setting - and saw I’d already pretty much beached it.
Hound? Still not sure… oh, a half decent bass!
It looked a good size. Five or six pounds I’m thinking.
Then a real faff trying to get it weighed and the fish had plenty of life in it. I was going to keep it but it was lip hooked and kicking well so I thought sod it, I tend to return the first better one of the season, so a sacrifice to Poseidon. Or Neptune if you’re that way inclined.
Back in the water, it seemed a bit shell shocked and I was thinking I would have to knock it on the head, but it kept itself upright and the tail started swimming, so I followed it around the shallows for a bit then it seemed to disappear, so hopefully it went back okay.
It certainly didn’t wash up later.
The weight? Well. A quick zero of the scales with the sling and it went 3lb 8.
In the rush to get it back, I didn’t really think but something was nagging at me. It had felt heavier than that when I picked it up, surely?
Anyway, hopefully it was going to be a good night. I refocused on bass, putting out whole joey on one, double squid on the other and later also tried bluey and even spider crab (thinking hounds again).
But no more bites at all. Sometimes the baits had seen a bit of crab or scavenger action (surprising what prawns and shrimps can do with a bit of time), but nothing I could call a bite.
I was also regretting my choice of clothing. It wasn’t cold at all, even when wading out to sea regularly, but being unable to use any pockets was a pain, plus constantly wet feet get a bit tiresome and uncomfortable after a while! Probably not my best idea, in hindsight.
I started packing up 20 minutes before time, because I had a fair walk back and wanted to see the others at the car park, maybe a 3lb 8 bass was enough, it seemed like a slow night.
Wow, hadn’t realised how far I’d walked! I set a fair pace and the lights never seemed to get closer but after what felt like forever, I was finally making headway.
Some of the others were still there and the results were read out. A 3lb 10 bass was third. Shit.
A 4lb 1 second and a hound of 7lb something won it. Fair play but something was still nagging at me.
Anyway, once we’d said our farewells I squelched to my car and did the dance of seven veils with a towel to change into dry shorts and headed home, stopping only to pick up and eat a McDonald’s…
On Sunday I still had that nagging. 3lb 8? Didn’t seem right. I’ve caught plenty of bass and that fish had some weight to it.
Looked at the scales pic again. Hmm. The pic doesn’t really show it but with my Sherpa wrapped around the tripod and the bait bag hanging from it, I reckon those took some of the weight from the fish as the sling leaned against it. Doh! Idiot! Schoolboy error!
That’s what I get for rushing and not double checking!
Ah well, it’s done now. Even if I had cast iron proof it was bigger (which obviously I don’t), the decision was made and accepted by all on the night, so I’d never dream to try and reverse it after the fact.
What I should have done was quickly lift it by hand and weigh it that way, if I wasn’t sure, but hey ho.
Lesson learned! Anyway it was good to get out and back to a surf beach, though that beach isn’t my first choice, so will have to get out to a better spot soon, autumn bassing is upon us!
I think perhaps I’ll leave the swimming shorts and aqua shoes at home though…
