Action Man
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2020
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 969
- Points
- 94
Hey all. It’s been exactly 2 months since my last post on here, that’s because it’s been 2 months of awful fishing with nothing to talk about!
Back in Feb I finally found a ray after a long cold winter, I then went and told you all about it (light at the end of the tunnel) and how things were looking to improve etc etc. Well I must have jinxed myself, never before have I experienced anything like the last 2 months, just incredibly frustrating sessions with nothing but whiting, doggies and well fed crabs to show for it. What made it harder to accept was that others were doing seemingly better and bagging up on the rays. A bad case of green with envy and self-doubt was consuming me, even my wife accused me of having an affair showing her frustration with me disappearing for the night and no skate wings in the freezer to show for it!
Last night had all the hallmarks of a good session to be, nice tiny tide for our north Kent venue, warm air temp and plenty of colour in the water. I met up with stormtrooper and a few of his pals with the plan to fish one up and about 3 down and get as many rays as we could. I set out with the target of just securing 1 ray, as just 1 would be enough to reset my system. Fishing began and in true Stormtrooper fashion, he already had 3 rays on the shingle before my rod tips had even registered a crabs fart. The frustration was starting to build again inside, and more self-doubt was creeping in and then suddenly my right had rod took a few solid pulls, I sprang into action and wound in the slack line, only to find nothing connected. Should have sat on my hands…..
Another long 20 mins passed by with my eyes firmly fixated on the rod tips, this time the left hand rod took a nice exaggerated pull down then sprung back up, I waited a few seconds before it pulled again and confident as I was I shouted ‘fish on’. It was great to feel a bend in the rod again and soon enough I had a nice (if not a little too thorny) female on the shingle. A few cheers and photos and I released her back and sat down relieved that I had finally made some progress. Thank god for that!
As the tide started to ebb, I began to notice some tell tale rattles on my rod tips, and yes, wasn’t long before I was bringing the dreaded whiting up the shingle. Have to say at this time of year they are all a decent size, one of them even gave a slack line bite!
I kept on persevering as others in the group were still catching rays, and wasn’t long until I had number 2 on the shingle, then number 3 and finally number 4 on my final retrieve! I was totally made up and my fishing system fully rebooted and given a fresh lease of life! Even better to have 2 pairs of wings in the freezer, one of my favourite fish to eat.
Now that’s out the way I can start to focus on the bass season
Until next time
Alan
Back in Feb I finally found a ray after a long cold winter, I then went and told you all about it (light at the end of the tunnel) and how things were looking to improve etc etc. Well I must have jinxed myself, never before have I experienced anything like the last 2 months, just incredibly frustrating sessions with nothing but whiting, doggies and well fed crabs to show for it. What made it harder to accept was that others were doing seemingly better and bagging up on the rays. A bad case of green with envy and self-doubt was consuming me, even my wife accused me of having an affair showing her frustration with me disappearing for the night and no skate wings in the freezer to show for it!
Last night had all the hallmarks of a good session to be, nice tiny tide for our north Kent venue, warm air temp and plenty of colour in the water. I met up with stormtrooper and a few of his pals with the plan to fish one up and about 3 down and get as many rays as we could. I set out with the target of just securing 1 ray, as just 1 would be enough to reset my system. Fishing began and in true Stormtrooper fashion, he already had 3 rays on the shingle before my rod tips had even registered a crabs fart. The frustration was starting to build again inside, and more self-doubt was creeping in and then suddenly my right had rod took a few solid pulls, I sprang into action and wound in the slack line, only to find nothing connected. Should have sat on my hands…..
Another long 20 mins passed by with my eyes firmly fixated on the rod tips, this time the left hand rod took a nice exaggerated pull down then sprung back up, I waited a few seconds before it pulled again and confident as I was I shouted ‘fish on’. It was great to feel a bend in the rod again and soon enough I had a nice (if not a little too thorny) female on the shingle. A few cheers and photos and I released her back and sat down relieved that I had finally made some progress. Thank god for that!
As the tide started to ebb, I began to notice some tell tale rattles on my rod tips, and yes, wasn’t long before I was bringing the dreaded whiting up the shingle. Have to say at this time of year they are all a decent size, one of them even gave a slack line bite!
I kept on persevering as others in the group were still catching rays, and wasn’t long until I had number 2 on the shingle, then number 3 and finally number 4 on my final retrieve! I was totally made up and my fishing system fully rebooted and given a fresh lease of life! Even better to have 2 pairs of wings in the freezer, one of my favourite fish to eat.
Now that’s out the way I can start to focus on the bass season
Until next time
Alan
