Stormtrooper
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2020
- Messages
- 292
- Reaction score
- 2,717
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Herne Bay
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Hi all!
I’ve not posted for ages for which I apologise but where have I been? The shortest answer to that is where haven’t I been!!
Since my last notable fish, a 2lbs 14oz ray from Dover in November, I’ve continued to fish consistently at least 2-3 times a week and in short, it’s been dire!!
Possibly the worst winter’s fishing I can recall. Sure, there’s been plenty of whiting, a fair few dogs and the odd dab amongst the sessions but absolutely nothing of note and certainly nothing to bother reporting that would hold a readers interest.
My ultimate low came about 2 weeks ago, I found myself working near Horsham in Sussex and decided to take the rods to head down to the coast after work. Well the job went swimmingly and by 14:30 I was happily setting up my gear on a relatively empty Hove beach.
As I fished on and the tide started to ebb, the beach began to get busy with dog walkers, couples on a stroll and some weird girl flinging a couple of orange balls around on pieces of string. There was also the addition of a few kite surfers careering about on the waves.
The fishing was poor to say the least and I was hunkered down in the bivvy scrolling through face ache when I heard an almighty crash! I looked up to see my tripod rolling down the shingle, my Century T900 laying on the stones and my J-curve rapidly disappearing toward the sea!!! For just a brief second, I thought Jaws was real but my illusion quickly evaporated when I clocked the kite surfer hurtling along the shore line.
I bolted down the beach as fast as my fat little unexercised legs would allow and thankfully managed to grab the rod moments before it disappeared into the drink. At this point, the idiot fell off and untangled himself, waving and laughing before gliding back to his pals who were more sensibly, further out.
At this point I began to discover the damage he’d caused, firstly that my reel no longer had a handle and wouldn’t wind in properly!!
Meanwhile, the rest of my gear was still spread across the beach, I was literally speechless except the occasional foul mouthed verbal outburst!!
I eventually got everything back together and sorted but he’d smashed 7 of the 9 guides on my J-curve and completely obliterated my Abu TSR. Potentially £750 worth of damage.
Unfortunately in the melee, I didn’t clock exactly which of the 8 or 9 sh*te surfers it was but I did speak to one as he returned.
He was obviously very defensive and told me “it’s a council sanctioned kite surf area”…. I did ask if that affected eyesight but a row was going to get me no where. In hindsight, I should have said that I expect the council require public liability insurance to use their ‘area’.
I came away and sulked in my bivvy until they had gone… the culprit never did identify himself or apologise which would have been something!!
The rod is currently with Ron Hemple being rebuilt for around £150 and I’m yet to find out if the reel is irreparable. Several of the cage studs have sheared clean off amongst other issues.
Anyway, me being me, I didn’t give up but the total blank that day/night was probably the lowest point in my fishing ‘career’.
Thankfully, things have started to show improvement however and my 1st ray of 2022 came up from Sandwich bay last week. Only a small male just under 4lbs but I’ve not been so happy to catch one in ages!!
This has reignited my passion for fishing and have since had 2 more from north Kent marks, a really spiky 3.4lbs female and on my last session an actual proper one came in at 8lbs 12oz! Both were the only fish of their respective sessions though, and both came in first cast.
Fingers crossed spring has sprung now and the dire months are behind us…. Bring on the hounds!!
I’ve not posted for ages for which I apologise but where have I been? The shortest answer to that is where haven’t I been!!
Since my last notable fish, a 2lbs 14oz ray from Dover in November, I’ve continued to fish consistently at least 2-3 times a week and in short, it’s been dire!!
Possibly the worst winter’s fishing I can recall. Sure, there’s been plenty of whiting, a fair few dogs and the odd dab amongst the sessions but absolutely nothing of note and certainly nothing to bother reporting that would hold a readers interest.
My ultimate low came about 2 weeks ago, I found myself working near Horsham in Sussex and decided to take the rods to head down to the coast after work. Well the job went swimmingly and by 14:30 I was happily setting up my gear on a relatively empty Hove beach.
As I fished on and the tide started to ebb, the beach began to get busy with dog walkers, couples on a stroll and some weird girl flinging a couple of orange balls around on pieces of string. There was also the addition of a few kite surfers careering about on the waves.
The fishing was poor to say the least and I was hunkered down in the bivvy scrolling through face ache when I heard an almighty crash! I looked up to see my tripod rolling down the shingle, my Century T900 laying on the stones and my J-curve rapidly disappearing toward the sea!!! For just a brief second, I thought Jaws was real but my illusion quickly evaporated when I clocked the kite surfer hurtling along the shore line.
I bolted down the beach as fast as my fat little unexercised legs would allow and thankfully managed to grab the rod moments before it disappeared into the drink. At this point, the idiot fell off and untangled himself, waving and laughing before gliding back to his pals who were more sensibly, further out.
At this point I began to discover the damage he’d caused, firstly that my reel no longer had a handle and wouldn’t wind in properly!!
Meanwhile, the rest of my gear was still spread across the beach, I was literally speechless except the occasional foul mouthed verbal outburst!!
I eventually got everything back together and sorted but he’d smashed 7 of the 9 guides on my J-curve and completely obliterated my Abu TSR. Potentially £750 worth of damage.
Unfortunately in the melee, I didn’t clock exactly which of the 8 or 9 sh*te surfers it was but I did speak to one as he returned.
He was obviously very defensive and told me “it’s a council sanctioned kite surf area”…. I did ask if that affected eyesight but a row was going to get me no where. In hindsight, I should have said that I expect the council require public liability insurance to use their ‘area’.
I came away and sulked in my bivvy until they had gone… the culprit never did identify himself or apologise which would have been something!!
The rod is currently with Ron Hemple being rebuilt for around £150 and I’m yet to find out if the reel is irreparable. Several of the cage studs have sheared clean off amongst other issues.
Anyway, me being me, I didn’t give up but the total blank that day/night was probably the lowest point in my fishing ‘career’.
Thankfully, things have started to show improvement however and my 1st ray of 2022 came up from Sandwich bay last week. Only a small male just under 4lbs but I’ve not been so happy to catch one in ages!!
This has reignited my passion for fishing and have since had 2 more from north Kent marks, a really spiky 3.4lbs female and on my last session an actual proper one came in at 8lbs 12oz! Both were the only fish of their respective sessions though, and both came in first cast.
Fingers crossed spring has sprung now and the dire months are behind us…. Bring on the hounds!!
