3.30 am and my dreams of Norwegian cod are shattered by the sound of the alarm clock.
A quick coffee and I am on the beach.
Target species is thornback ray.
I used my soft zziplex 2500 rods, a 4oz lead and a little finger sized strip of bluey, mounted on a 4/0 up and over rig.
A very gentle pendulum cast saw the baits land about 100yds out to sea, just about where the middle of a gully should be.
Twenty minutes later and a bite was signalled.
Fish on.
Heavy at first as fish and lead headed up and over a sand bar, then a bit of a fight as another gulley was crossed, then heavy again as another sand bar was crossed and so on until target species was flapping at the waters edge in front of me.
Only small at 3Lb 6ozs, but it was a start.
Next cast had been out for about 10 minutes when the lead was tripped and the line fell slack. Fish on!!
This one felt a bit heavier and was giving a good account of itself right up to the point of the line parting company
Not under any real pressure, no snapping, just slack. I can only guess that the line had been cut by a shell. It does happen at this venue, but you are very unlucky to experience it.
I quickly cast out to where I thought the fish/rig would be, in an attempt to snag it. No such luck.
The next two hours were very quiet, except for a small seal patrolling the shoreline and the occasional fish jumping. (Mullet or sea trout would be my guess)
Time was ticking away and with plans made for the rest of the day, at 9am I decided to pack up.
And thats when fish 3 came along. Another skate, this one going 6Lbs.
Sod it, 1 more cast!
Alas no more fish.
At least I managed my target species this time!
A quick coffee and I am on the beach.
Target species is thornback ray.
I used my soft zziplex 2500 rods, a 4oz lead and a little finger sized strip of bluey, mounted on a 4/0 up and over rig.
A very gentle pendulum cast saw the baits land about 100yds out to sea, just about where the middle of a gully should be.
Twenty minutes later and a bite was signalled.
Fish on.
Heavy at first as fish and lead headed up and over a sand bar, then a bit of a fight as another gulley was crossed, then heavy again as another sand bar was crossed and so on until target species was flapping at the waters edge in front of me.
Only small at 3Lb 6ozs, but it was a start.
Next cast had been out for about 10 minutes when the lead was tripped and the line fell slack. Fish on!!
This one felt a bit heavier and was giving a good account of itself right up to the point of the line parting company
Not under any real pressure, no snapping, just slack. I can only guess that the line had been cut by a shell. It does happen at this venue, but you are very unlucky to experience it.
I quickly cast out to where I thought the fish/rig would be, in an attempt to snag it. No such luck.
The next two hours were very quiet, except for a small seal patrolling the shoreline and the occasional fish jumping. (Mullet or sea trout would be my guess)
Time was ticking away and with plans made for the rest of the day, at 9am I decided to pack up.
And thats when fish 3 came along. Another skate, this one going 6Lbs.
Sod it, 1 more cast!
Alas no more fish.
At least I managed my target species this time!
