South Coast Conger and Rays Shoreham Beach 5/2/21

[Tommy Devorty]

After hearing of some rays coming up along the road at Eastbourne I thought it's about time I tried my luck locally after sitting around for a few weeks umming and ahing, started fishing Shoreham Beach around 3.30pm, with high at 5pm ... had squid, bluey and fresh blacks from Lagoon Bait, first chuck tipped blacks on a size 1 loop on one rod and 2 hook flapper on the other resulted in 2 double shots of small whiting, decided to switch the flapper for a 1/0 up and over pulley and squid and bluey wrap, this resulted in my first doggy of the year which, although can be pests at times, was a nice sight after the whiting on the previous chuck ... I'd had another double whiting again on the loop so ditched the blacks and stuck with squid and bluey wraps for the rest of the evening ...

pretty much bang on high I had a few taps and fish on ... I could tell it wasn't big but doubted it was a doggy, as I saw it's eyes reflecting in my headlight I was really happy to see a very welcome 3lb4oz Thornback on the beach, 2021 we had lift off!


the next couple of casts resulted in another doggy and the odd whiting when around and hour and a half down the tide I hooked in to my second ray of the night, this one a respectable 5lb14oz which was all the encouragement I needed to keep going ... I kept fishing down for a couple of hours with another couple of doggys and the odd whiting taking the wraps

My casting was pretty rusty to say the least, I've never been the biggest hitter on the beach, infact I've acquired some bad habits over the years I need to get out of but as the night went on I was finding my rhythm and was hitting it as long as I could ... about 9.20pm I hit a 2/0 up and over pulley baited with a fillet of bluey and squid head long, 10 minutes later I lifted in to a strong bite that preceeded to kite off to the left ... this felt decent, it kept going left and for a moment I thought it could be a bass ... a few seconds later it was on the beach, despite all my trips down to Dorset over the years this is one species that I've not had many of ... a nice shore caught PB Conger of 11lb9oz, what a result!


I fished on for a couple of casts then decided to call it a night, finishing with about 5 doggys, whiting, 2 rays and the eel ...a good session for February on Shoreham Beach and a great sign things are improving locally for everyone looking on in envy at others fishing to the East


thanks for reading

Tommy

 

[Had1]

lovely little trip well done

 

[chesilpete]

Couple of rays and the first double of your year! nice going!!

 

[fiveyardcast]

The markings on that fish....

 

[Radio Rental]

Nice outing Tommy well done on your PB,i`ve acquired some bad habits over the years too and my wife loves them ...Alan

 

[Thrasher]

Cracking report and pics Tommy, thanks for posting

 

[flappy]

What sort of Ray is that please..?

 

[Valleyboy]

What sort of Ray is that please..?

Thornback

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Excellent session, well done ?

 

[bananas]

Brilliant trip there, very well done on the fish and on the PB Conger , lovely patterns on that ray.

 

[century man]

Super looking thornie in that last pic. Well done on the p.b. conger

 

[CKB]

And just like that, he's back, as if he's never been away ...

 

[Mike hemming]

Nice one tom

 

[Magzy]

Top angling, congratulations on the PB.
Tight lines.

 

[Tommy Devorty]

lovely little trip well done

thanks mate

Couple of rays and the first double of your year! nice going!!

thanks mate, bit random you weren't formally Chichester Pete were you by any chance?

The markings on that fish....

beautiful looking Ray isn't it

Nice outing Tommy well done on your PB,i`ve acquired some bad habits over the years too and my wife loves them ...Alan

Thanks Alan, why doesn't this surprise me!

Cracking report and pics Tommy, thanks for posting

Thanks mate, used to really enjoy doing reports so it's nice to have somewhere to do them again ... hopefully the first of many with a few fish in!

Excellent session, well done ?

Thanks mate ??

Brilliant trip there, very well done on the fish and on the PB Conger , lovely patterns on that ray.

Thankyou

Super looking thornie in that last pic. Well done on the p.b. conger

Thankyou

Nice productive trip well done on the p.b ?

Thanks mate

And just like that, he's back, as if he's never been away ...

Ha thanks mate really appreciate that, felt really good getting back on the beach and finding sone fish ... have a lot of plans for this year along as the current situations allow

Nice one tom

Thanks Mike

Top angling, congratulations on the PB.
Tight lines.

Thankyou

 

[chesilpete]

Yes mr saltyd40 from wsf.... formally known as Chichesterpete

 

[Abu1]

Once again nice one tommy

 

[Timbc2]

A decent session, well done there.

 

[Mike hemming]

After hearing of some rays coming up along the road at Eastbourne I thought it's about time I tried my luck locally after sitting around for a few weeks umming and ahing, started fishing Shoreham Beach around 3.30pm, with high at 5pm ... had squid, bluey and fresh blacks from Lagoon Bait, first chuck tipped blacks on a size 1 loop on one rod and 2 hook flapper on the other resulted in 2 double shots of small whiting, decided to switch the flapper for a 1/0 up and over pulley and squid and bluey wrap, this resulted in my first doggy of the year which, although can be pests at times, was a nice sight after the whiting on the previous chuck ... I'd had another double whiting again on the loop so ditched the blacks and stuck with squid and bluey wraps for the rest of the evening ...

pretty much bang on high I had a few taps and fish on ... I could tell it wasn't big but doubted it was a doggy, as I saw it's eyes reflecting in my headlight I was really happy to see a very welcome 3lb4oz Thornback on the beach, 2021 we had lift off!


the next couple of casts resulted in another doggy and the odd whiting when around and hour and a half down the tide I hooked in to my second ray of the night, this one a respectable 5lb14oz which was all the encouragement I needed to keep going ... I kept fishing down for a couple of hours with another couple of doggys and the odd whiting taking the wraps

My casting was pretty rusty to say the least, I've never been the biggest hitter on the beach, infact I've acquired some bad habits over the years I need to get out of but as the night went on I was finding my rhythm and was hitting it as long as I could ... about 9.20pm I hit a 2/0 up and over pulley baited with a fillet of bluey and squid head long, 10 minutes later I lifted in to a strong bite that preceeded to kite off to the left ... this felt decent, it kept going left and for a moment I thought it could be a bass ... a few seconds later it was on the beach, despite all my trips down to Dorset over the years this is one species that I've not had many of ... a nice shore caught PB Conger of 11lb9oz, what a result!


I fished on for a couple of casts then decided to call it a night, finishing with about 5 doggys, whiting, 2 rays and the eel ...a good session for February on Shoreham Beach and a great sign things are improving locally for everyone looking on in envy at others fishing to the East


thanks for reading

Tommy View attachment 5235View attachment 5236View attachment 5237View attachment 5238View attachment 5239

There some realy big congers around ,lost one in the surf last year bent the rod double and dragged me down the shingle me and my mate looked in disbelief

 

[richtic]

Great report and pictures well done getting out and catching.