Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 22,788
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- 79,095
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- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
After some mass debating over the weekend I decided to open my estuary flounder campaign for the year.
Usually start before now but dire weather last weekend and various things got in the way.
Usually I’d dig the bait the day before but since I didn’t decide to go until midnight last night, I had to wing it.
That meant a relatively easy to get to spot, not my preferred mark but have had good days there, but more importantly I knew I’d be able to poke up a bit of worm.
Was finally down there digging by 9.45, having dumped my gear on a spot. And I soon remembered why I hate digging for worm, it’s messy, your back aches and you’ve got to pick through the stinking estuary mud to find them.
In the end I had the real bare minimum, but it would have to do. Worst case, I could poke a few more worms later...
So traps were set...
And very little happened. ??
????
Couple of mates were a little further down and they had a couple of small ones each. Some guys up towards the bridge were pulling in the odd smallish one, nowt for me.
The tide, finally, began to flood and my god, I knew it was a small tide but this absolutely crept up at snails ? pace.
Usually after an initial creeping it wooshes up river like a steam train. Not today, don’t think I’ve ever seen it that gradual.
This shows you how much I moved. The tide was just below the ledge when I started. I didn’t move from this spot after that.
I’d been watching a bit of a trembling bite and sure enough, when I brought it in, fish on!
He might have gone back but he was deeply hooked and at bang on a pound, certainly keepable.
Sorry about the gore! The water was to keep the fish a bit fresh, not keep it alive.
I thought maybe things were picking up, but it went dead again. My mates packed up and went back to their cars to head off down river.
I knew I probably should too, but really had only planned a shortish session and moving location beyond walking up and down the river bank just didn’t appeal.
Turns out they had a whack of fish elsewhere, albeit nothing huge but a damn sight better than me.
I persevered and had another about 12oz, which went back, but god it was slow.
I moved downstream 100 yards or so (in flounder fishing, even a small change can produce results) but it wasn’t to be...
Stayed at this new spot for about 45 minutes and then at 4pm called it a day. The worm had just about lasted and I’d really had enough.
The guys up by the bridge had continued to have a few here and there but still nothing decent, it was all very slow.
Turns out other club members also did very well elsewhere, with fish up to 1lb 15, decent flounder for our river.
They were where I would have gone, had I some worm and a bit more energy.
Will plan a bit better next time!
As an aside, I had fished braid on the river for a few years but it’s a micro weed attractor in the estuary and I decided to go back to 15lb mono straight through.
Had spare spools so just swapped it over - these reels are Lidl £13 specials from about 4/5 years ago when they were doing fishing gear.
Actually a decent amount of metal parts and although they’re obviously not top notch, they’re not actually too bad at all for a £13 reel, especially after about four flounder seasons!
Usually start before now but dire weather last weekend and various things got in the way.
Usually I’d dig the bait the day before but since I didn’t decide to go until midnight last night, I had to wing it.
That meant a relatively easy to get to spot, not my preferred mark but have had good days there, but more importantly I knew I’d be able to poke up a bit of worm.
Was finally down there digging by 9.45, having dumped my gear on a spot. And I soon remembered why I hate digging for worm, it’s messy, your back aches and you’ve got to pick through the stinking estuary mud to find them.
In the end I had the real bare minimum, but it would have to do. Worst case, I could poke a few more worms later...
So traps were set...
And very little happened. ??
????Couple of mates were a little further down and they had a couple of small ones each. Some guys up towards the bridge were pulling in the odd smallish one, nowt for me.
The tide, finally, began to flood and my god, I knew it was a small tide but this absolutely crept up at snails ? pace.
Usually after an initial creeping it wooshes up river like a steam train. Not today, don’t think I’ve ever seen it that gradual.
This shows you how much I moved. The tide was just below the ledge when I started. I didn’t move from this spot after that.
I’d been watching a bit of a trembling bite and sure enough, when I brought it in, fish on!
He might have gone back but he was deeply hooked and at bang on a pound, certainly keepable.
Sorry about the gore! The water was to keep the fish a bit fresh, not keep it alive.
I thought maybe things were picking up, but it went dead again. My mates packed up and went back to their cars to head off down river.
I knew I probably should too, but really had only planned a shortish session and moving location beyond walking up and down the river bank just didn’t appeal.
Turns out they had a whack of fish elsewhere, albeit nothing huge but a damn sight better than me.
I persevered and had another about 12oz, which went back, but god it was slow.
I moved downstream 100 yards or so (in flounder fishing, even a small change can produce results) but it wasn’t to be...
Stayed at this new spot for about 45 minutes and then at 4pm called it a day. The worm had just about lasted and I’d really had enough.
The guys up by the bridge had continued to have a few here and there but still nothing decent, it was all very slow.
Turns out other club members also did very well elsewhere, with fish up to 1lb 15, decent flounder for our river.
They were where I would have gone, had I some worm and a bit more energy.
Will plan a bit better next time!
As an aside, I had fished braid on the river for a few years but it’s a micro weed attractor in the estuary and I decided to go back to 15lb mono straight through.
Had spare spools so just swapped it over - these reels are Lidl £13 specials from about 4/5 years ago when they were doing fishing gear.
Actually a decent amount of metal parts and although they’re obviously not top notch, they’re not actually too bad at all for a £13 reel, especially after about four flounder seasons!
huge well done mate, may have been slow, but a totally awesome report
, still a good read, well done again MrFish.
