Mukiwa
Well-known member
Good afternoon guys,The best fisherman i know try not to make the same mistakes over and over again, instead they strive to make new and interesting mistakes and to remember what they learned from them; John Gierach
Fishing 2020
Sitting on the sofa, warm and cosy, with the sounds of staggered traffic out side, brought about by our new normal, grasping a hot coffee keeping my hands warm, i started to think of the sessions from 2020. It was a year that started in the normal way, Christmas meet then meeting up with mates to chase flounder and what ever else might be swimming in the cold waters. The banter and good company to warm the sole, as we planned the sessions and targets for the year ahead. Spring being a long way off, but a glimmer of hope of good fishing to come............ so we thought.
With some luck, as lockdown was eased, the desire to get out fishing was the equivalent of a dam bursting, as we pour out onto the beaches to targets that now had started to establish themselves uninterrupted.
Sitting here with a grin on face as I resinise, Loving our sessions at Lepe, a barbeque, fishing over night with a full English breakfast as dawn breaks in colours that reflect the passion for the natural world . One session that shall remain as one of best ever was targeting hounds. From the start fish after fish graced the beach, often both rods having hounds on. Turning round to Merryleggs shouting in panic as the tripod and rods were being pulled over while landing another fish. Keeping up was exciting, but the first time ever we had to limit the amount of rods fishing. Merryleggs laughing and struggling at the same time as the hound made its pressence felt. Happy memories
Weekends after a hard week at work, were so welcome. A chance to escape the the daily infection and death rates as we all tried to understand this " new normal". This bought about the desire to travel a bit, so a plan hatch to start fishing the mighty beach. Picking Hive as the starting point. Well that added a whole new meaning to fishing over night, and the just encase extras that weighted down the two trollies, engraving two sets of tyre tracks with smoothed over bumps in between as we snaked or way along the beach. A black cloud following me, with words that should not be spoken, but used encouragement to arrive at the spot chosen. What a night, not much was caught but the feeling of freedom, far from home was just wonderful. The glory of the milky way being drowned by the twilight of dawn, a steel blue sea, the sighting of blue fin tuna breaching adding to the wonder of nature. Merryleggs now converted to the feelings i felt when fishing Chezel for the first time, brought forward the excitement to fish Cogdon breach.
Cogdon, was a session that remindered me of the first visit to the mighty beach with the usual fish caught but adding rays and gar to the list. driving back home was sad, looking into the rear-view mirror for any last glimpse, a feeling of meeting a new love and having to leave the next day, stopping at a view point to admire and in awe of such a wonderful place.
Sadly between work and the second lockdown put pay to the fishing, only for us to look forward to the new year were we might be able to get out to the beaches that we love and respect.
Lure Fishing
The lure fishing was like no other this year. the lessons learnt, now being exercised produced some staggering sessions. often finding myself chest deep in the flowing tide with storm force winds and driving rain in the early hours of the morning. A feeling that I looked forward to each time I could get out with a lure rod. Learning where the fish are and when played a big part of the numbers, averaging 15 bass of 40cm to 60cm. Another memory was when fishing the last 2 hours of the ebb tide, low water arrived, and the fish started to disappear, my back and arms sore as the excitement started wearing off like an anaesthetic, form the best session ever of 32 hard fight bass.
Finest moment was, within a few casts each fish, a 7lb, 8lb and 10lb bass graced the net, as the tide started to ebb. Stunned as this was huge for me, with the numbers but the sizes too. Not to claim that I know what I am doing, but as someone learning, I was very pleased to say the least, and wishing for spring to return again.
Fly Fishing
The Fly fishing for Bass and Mullet was on the cards. With a few sessions to start but all drawing a blank, going home with my tail between my legs. Success came one cold, wet, windy evening. Fine misty rain as the wind made casting a huge task. I remember with adjusted eyes watching the line being pulled round down tide, the fly breaking the surface, followed by a bass that was having a go, but kept missing the fly. The fly moving further down stream suddenly disappeared, lifting the rod in to a Bass taking off at speed down tide, leaving me trying to tidy loose line so that nothing could go wrong apon landing this wonderful fighter. Finally in the net, well i had no words, this Bass was not big, but the achievement was huge, the same as landing a trophy fish if not more. Another wonderful memory.
Tinkering on lures
With lockdown bringing patience, understanding and respect to all the key workers, but wondering how you fill ones day. A Challenge was set to make a fishing lure. Parameters set, a lack tools and wood, I set about producing a few lures that i really enjoyed making. Not being able to go out and test them, a chance came later in the year at Hayling Island, when chasing Mullet and Flounder which was drawing a huge blank. Changing to my lure rod and clipping on a 36 gram lure with excitement, with quick drag though the clear water to see how the lure swims, I started to cast softly increasing power in each try, i was shocked to see how buoyant a 36g lure could be. Finally the work and testing paid off when the line locked up and a Bass started pulling back, gracing the beach a lovely bass. The next cast produced the same, low water left a shallow bay which was unfishable. challenge complete and new hopes for the new year.
What Did I Learn
Well a few things. I am sure many people have learnt the same and hope that other can comment on their experiences.
Navonics
I do find this useful to see what is in front of me at a chosen mark, from gullies to structure, or deep water contours or what I am casting to. Not to say its accurate. I also try to imagine how the tide will flow over the mark and where the fish might swim in from.
I now click on the dividers, which allows me to drop a pin on the shore, where i will be fishing from, and drag the other pin to the structure. the banner next to the pin tells me the distance between the two pins. That means as a average caster, i can now know what's possible.
Windguru
Often i look at the screen and see numbers and colours, not accurate but gives a predicted wind forecast and pattern to follow. But by clicking on the graph tab on the screen you get to see more from the biometric pressure, temperature, cloud cover rain etc.. I am more interest in the biometric pressure, giving me the chance to see when there is a drop in pressure or the reverse.
Finding Fish Highways
looking at google, bing etc i look for gullies, structure and pinch points or features that might hold fish, or to see how they might travel. The picture shows clearly the gullies that i would target and the pinch point, running off to deep water. Bass and other fish will travel along these highways to feed, but also use them to follow them on the ebb tide. Bass are clever as they will patrol the mouth of these gullies waiting for bait fish to be flushed off the mark into the deep water.
I do like pinch points, its where fish have to travel round from one feeding ground to another, or to trap prey in the leeward side, out of a strong tide where bass can feed at leisure.
The Second Sun
The moon creates the tides and affects how the fish feed. Some of the sessions that we did last year, I made the mistake of not noticing when the moon was coming up or setting. Beautiful calm nights, with diamonds twinkling on the water, watching motionless rod tips was amazing but sole destroying too. Soon as the moon started to set, the fish started to come on to the feed. it didn't seem to matter what the state of the tide was, just that moon up and set produced fish.
Fish Handling
This part is just as important as finding and catching fish. Its something that i am very mindful of, as these beautiful creatures have just fought for their lives and are oxygen starved. The sooner they go back the better. Its so easy when fishing with friends to unhook a photo is taken and released. but what happens when you are on your own! What i have learnt to do is put my phone onto video mode, and a quick show at the camera and release. That way i can get the perfect shoot without messing around. Sometimes things don't go to plan and i will for go the photo, being mindful of time.
Some say 30 seconds is the time from beaching to release. Its hard to put a true limit on time, but the sooner the better.
Also holding the fish is just as important, like in hounds, with no rib cage more care is needed.
loosing the slime and scales is bad, in that the slime and scales protects the fish from infection and the skin from being burnt from the salt in the water.
2021, is turning out to be another hard year with divisions in opinions over whether we should be fishing or not. I can only hope that it gets better for all of us, and that you all stay safe, and if you are going out fishing, please keep it local, but wish you all very tight lines
Thank you for reading my essay of not much happening
Cheers
Mukiwa
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