Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 19,168
- Reaction score
- 66,175
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
I haven’t been wrassing in Cornwall at all this year. Plans to make multiple trips were deterred by life getting in the way or shitty weather - the North Cornwall coast is no place to be when huge swells are smashing in.
Sunday was a daytime comp and although I had the feeling hounds would probably be a more viable target (and indeed was advised so by those in the know), I had a wrasse itch I wanted to scratch.
It was a mahoosive tide, one of the biggest of the year and with high about 8.30am, the options were to either leave at stupid o clock or wait a bit.
My original plan for an early start was revised by being bloody knackered after hiking down to the beach on Saturday, so eventually I was on the road about 10.45, deciding to fish low water up instead.
Really not the best time to be driving the coast road into Cornwall, still plenty of tourists about, not to mention the creepers and idiots trying to kill me (see my Banter thread!)
But I knew it would be like that. Eventually got to the car park about 1 and after some faffing trying to get a space, set off on the hike to the mark.
As expected the tide was ridiculously low and the side I prefer to fish was shallow with exposed kelp and boulders - definitely needed a bit of flood there before dropping a line into it!
So I tackled up high then carried down my set up gear and cool bag and rucksack down to a lower seaward ledge, leaving a few bits up on the high rock.
Despite concerns about only wearing trainers and not spiked boots for once (they’re just too bloody hot!) the footing was pretty good.
Out went some spider crab legs into a reasonable depth of water, even with such a low tide, and it wasn’t long before the rod was nodding and I’d missed my first bite.
Encouraging anyway!
The second bite wasn’t missed and a hard fighting wrasse of about a pound and a half was soon on shore.
Lovely colours on it but apologies for the crappy picture - it was being quite bashful so rather than have it flap around on the jagged rocks I got a quick pic and flipped it back.
A second much smaller drab green/brown wrasse followed, then a third.
I missed a screaming bite and then a few smaller bites, before hitting another screaming bite and striking into… a dogfish
Then it all went a bit quiet. A few knocks and pecks that were clearly smaller wrasse but no more action.
The flood had started and the swell… oh yes, the swell - what looked like a calm sea at first glance was actually seething at times, surging up several feet before dropping back.
The surges came through in sets, eight or 10 seriously powerful swells rising the level by a few feet then nothing, all calm again until the next lot.
You can bet I had a beady eye on it and although I got sprayed a couple of times (let’s hear it for warm weather and swimming shorts!) I definitely didn’t want any gear (or me!) being swept off.
So back up to the higher area and then down onto another platform that was still a decent height above the water.
The weed and features were now covering nicely and out went fresh spider crab, but it was all a bit dead for a time.
I was also feeding leads to the rough ground at a scary rate! I’d started with 13 (all I could gather together, must contact Dustybin soon!) and was down to about five.
I really thought there might be some nice fat early autumn gars around and the desire to try the float won out over the urge to really focus on the wrasse.
I quickly set up the float rod and it was soon cutting a nice left to right drift that wasn’t too quick either.
It bobbed under a few times in what looked like garfish bites, but the bait was taken.
Next cast it did it again and I reeled in… a tiny pollack. Hmmm.
I didn’t hook any more but got a few more of their little bites, before setting the float rod aside and vowing to really focus on wrasse for the last hour or so.
My plan had been to fish until 6, but there is absolutely zero signal there and any fish pictures needed to be sent in by 7.30 at the latest.
Not that I had any fish that qualified for the comp, until… the spider bait I’d just cast out had been in the water all of a minute or two when the rod doubled over. This looks better!
Sure enough it was a decent fish and gave me a few hairy moments as it snagged in weed and went to ground in rocks on the way in, but steady pressure got it moving again.
Normally I’d net a bigger fish but no way was I getting that close to the water in that swell, so gritted my teeth and swung it up.
It looked HUGE! Had to be my pb surely?
Apparently not! After zeroing the sling on the scales, it went 4lb 1. Really need to check those scales, although they’re not old, but beginning to wonder about them…
Anyway, they were what I had and were probably correct - I think I had ‘sight of big fish after several small fish syndrome’, a common angling complaint!
Apologies for the gurning! I have shaved now, you’ll be pleased to hear!
Despite the blood it was only lip hooked. I’m hoping it’s err, prolapse popped back in after
I do try not to hurt the bloomin things
Well, obviously had to have another cast and that one was barely in the water before the rod went over again.
I thought it was another better one but only went 2lb 12 as it turned out.
By now the water was slapping up a little gully and giving me the occasional dousing, plus I realised if I was going to get this fish pic through before 7.30 I needed to scoot.
Packed up as fast as I could, suddenly realising to how totally knackered and aching I was!
And sunburnt!
At the top I managed to get a tiny bit of signal and get a text out to say I had the fish, but pics weren’t sending.
Enroute back down to the car they suddenly went through, with minutes to spare!
Turned out I needn’t have worried
Several hounds took the top three spots, best 12lb something, and I got sixth.
Still, it was good to get out and scratch my wrasse itch, as well as top up some much needed vitamin D!
Sunday was a daytime comp and although I had the feeling hounds would probably be a more viable target (and indeed was advised so by those in the know), I had a wrasse itch I wanted to scratch.
It was a mahoosive tide, one of the biggest of the year and with high about 8.30am, the options were to either leave at stupid o clock or wait a bit.
My original plan for an early start was revised by being bloody knackered after hiking down to the beach on Saturday, so eventually I was on the road about 10.45, deciding to fish low water up instead.
Really not the best time to be driving the coast road into Cornwall, still plenty of tourists about, not to mention the creepers and idiots trying to kill me (see my Banter thread!)
But I knew it would be like that. Eventually got to the car park about 1 and after some faffing trying to get a space, set off on the hike to the mark.
As expected the tide was ridiculously low and the side I prefer to fish was shallow with exposed kelp and boulders - definitely needed a bit of flood there before dropping a line into it!
So I tackled up high then carried down my set up gear and cool bag and rucksack down to a lower seaward ledge, leaving a few bits up on the high rock.
Despite concerns about only wearing trainers and not spiked boots for once (they’re just too bloody hot!) the footing was pretty good.
Out went some spider crab legs into a reasonable depth of water, even with such a low tide, and it wasn’t long before the rod was nodding and I’d missed my first bite.
Encouraging anyway!
The second bite wasn’t missed and a hard fighting wrasse of about a pound and a half was soon on shore.
Lovely colours on it but apologies for the crappy picture - it was being quite bashful so rather than have it flap around on the jagged rocks I got a quick pic and flipped it back.
A second much smaller drab green/brown wrasse followed, then a third.
I missed a screaming bite and then a few smaller bites, before hitting another screaming bite and striking into… a dogfish
Then it all went a bit quiet. A few knocks and pecks that were clearly smaller wrasse but no more action.
The flood had started and the swell… oh yes, the swell - what looked like a calm sea at first glance was actually seething at times, surging up several feet before dropping back.
The surges came through in sets, eight or 10 seriously powerful swells rising the level by a few feet then nothing, all calm again until the next lot.
You can bet I had a beady eye on it and although I got sprayed a couple of times (let’s hear it for warm weather and swimming shorts!) I definitely didn’t want any gear (or me!) being swept off.
So back up to the higher area and then down onto another platform that was still a decent height above the water.
The weed and features were now covering nicely and out went fresh spider crab, but it was all a bit dead for a time.
I was also feeding leads to the rough ground at a scary rate! I’d started with 13 (all I could gather together, must contact Dustybin soon!) and was down to about five.
I really thought there might be some nice fat early autumn gars around and the desire to try the float won out over the urge to really focus on the wrasse.
I quickly set up the float rod and it was soon cutting a nice left to right drift that wasn’t too quick either.
It bobbed under a few times in what looked like garfish bites, but the bait was taken.
Next cast it did it again and I reeled in… a tiny pollack. Hmmm.
I didn’t hook any more but got a few more of their little bites, before setting the float rod aside and vowing to really focus on wrasse for the last hour or so.
My plan had been to fish until 6, but there is absolutely zero signal there and any fish pictures needed to be sent in by 7.30 at the latest.
Not that I had any fish that qualified for the comp, until… the spider bait I’d just cast out had been in the water all of a minute or two when the rod doubled over. This looks better!
Sure enough it was a decent fish and gave me a few hairy moments as it snagged in weed and went to ground in rocks on the way in, but steady pressure got it moving again.
Normally I’d net a bigger fish but no way was I getting that close to the water in that swell, so gritted my teeth and swung it up.
It looked HUGE! Had to be my pb surely?
Apparently not! After zeroing the sling on the scales, it went 4lb 1. Really need to check those scales, although they’re not old, but beginning to wonder about them…
Anyway, they were what I had and were probably correct - I think I had ‘sight of big fish after several small fish syndrome’, a common angling complaint!
Apologies for the gurning! I have shaved now, you’ll be pleased to hear!
Despite the blood it was only lip hooked. I’m hoping it’s err, prolapse popped back in after
I do try not to hurt the bloomin things Well, obviously had to have another cast and that one was barely in the water before the rod went over again.
I thought it was another better one but only went 2lb 12 as it turned out.
By now the water was slapping up a little gully and giving me the occasional dousing, plus I realised if I was going to get this fish pic through before 7.30 I needed to scoot.
Packed up as fast as I could, suddenly realising to how totally knackered and aching I was!
And sunburnt!
At the top I managed to get a tiny bit of signal and get a text out to say I had the fish, but pics weren’t sending.
Enroute back down to the car they suddenly went through, with minutes to spare!
Turned out I needn’t have worried
Several hounds took the top three spots, best 12lb something, and I got sixth.
Still, it was good to get out and scratch my wrasse itch, as well as top up some much needed vitamin D!
