Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 21,350
- Reaction score
- 73,930
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Most of you know I’ve been having some health issues lately and it’s meant I have had to reluctantly limit the marks I fish, as too much walking or rock climbing isn’t proving too good for me.
But a good friend, Cory, was staying in North Devon this week and we wanted to get a couple of evening fishing sessions in.
He’s not on here but on the other side he’s ChallengeFish.
Anyhoo, I selected a north coast mark that I felt I could manage but also had the potential for some decent hounds.
We arrived at dusk and headed down the beach and set up. It wasn’t long before two other chaps appeared, slightly miffed maybe that someone was fishing the spot on the night of England’s last group game.
After a short chat they headed across the beach to another clean spot. More on them later ?
First fish fell to Cory, a dogfish on whole squid. His side of the beach was quite clean but I soon discovered I was in amongst quite a few rocks, so moved across 50 yards to another clean patch, with the agreement that we’d flash headlights like mad if either caught anything half decent.
Back to the other pair. My god, I thought the Lighthouse Family had arrived ???
Headlights on absolute full power the entire time. They were lighting me up at 300-400 yards away.
I thought maybe it was deliberate but noticed they were dazzling each other and lighting up the surf in front of themselves just as much.
No idea why anyone needs that much light? Scared of the dark, I reckon.
Anyhoo, just after the flood started I realised I was being frantically flashed and managed to scramble over the rocks to get a picture of the first hound of the night.
Not the best pic, somehow I managed to keep hovering my hand near the camera, causing that blurring.
We estimated maybe 6-7lb but didn’t weigh it.
It wasn’t long after that I had my first. More frantic flashing but we realised we’d moved too far back up the beach and the rocks were now dividing us.
After nearly breaking my neck twice while carefully carrying a hound, I decided I’d just have to get a quick snap as the fish needed to go back.
Not a great picture, sorry, but the best I could do in haste, plus the bloody things never sit still.
It was a little smaller than his fish so I went with 5-6lb.
It went quiet for a bit after that, but just as I was thinking maybe we should make it the last cast, my rod went over again and I began the careful process of steering another hound in between the snags.
The gripper managed to tangle itself with my other line so I unclipped the weight and got the fish to shore.
A bit smaller again, maybe 4lb? This one would not stay still at all.
As I suspected, when I brought the other rod in the tangled gripper led to it getting snagged, and I lost both, but that’s fishing.
We packed up and headed back, with the best hound and two dogs to him and two hounds to me.
Last night an easier session was called for, so we headed to Westward Ho! beach and met up with @BlackLugsMatter who is also on hols at the moment.
Must admit I wasn’t feeling too great, but forced myself out and met them there, albeit a bit late.
It was barely dark when I was flashed again, lol, turned out the hounds were about and they liked his whole squid.
We didn’t weigh it, but again I would have said around 7lb.
Cory’s other half Emily lost a better hound on her rod, meanwhile I was struggling hugely with the amount of weed out there.
First attempt the reel in resulted in a snap off as it just couldn’t cope with the weight of weed. Further investigation revealed an abraded stretch on the line.
I persevered but had huge trouble getting the rods in a second time, could barely shift the weed, it was like fighting an 18lb ray.
I managed to retrieve one after a messy weed covered tangle with my other rod, but when I retrieved the second rod, it pretty much locked solid with weed and there was a second snap off.
This is 19lb line! And I was easing it, not yanking it.
That was it for me, can’t fish in that. I went to let the others I was calling it a night and it seemed the weed wasn’t quite as bad where they were.
But it was 12.30 and they decided they’d begin a slow pack up too.
Meanwhile, Ash (black lugs) had a little ray, which maybe he’ll post later, followed in quick succession by two more even littler rays.
We decided they were clearly all thornbacks ?
In hindsight I probably should have moved earlier, but bringing in four clumps of man sized weed was enough for me for one night.
Good to catch up with everyone though and hopefully we can do it again next time they’re back this way.
But a good friend, Cory, was staying in North Devon this week and we wanted to get a couple of evening fishing sessions in.
He’s not on here but on the other side he’s ChallengeFish.
Anyhoo, I selected a north coast mark that I felt I could manage but also had the potential for some decent hounds.
We arrived at dusk and headed down the beach and set up. It wasn’t long before two other chaps appeared, slightly miffed maybe that someone was fishing the spot on the night of England’s last group game.
After a short chat they headed across the beach to another clean spot. More on them later ?
First fish fell to Cory, a dogfish on whole squid. His side of the beach was quite clean but I soon discovered I was in amongst quite a few rocks, so moved across 50 yards to another clean patch, with the agreement that we’d flash headlights like mad if either caught anything half decent.
Back to the other pair. My god, I thought the Lighthouse Family had arrived ???
Headlights on absolute full power the entire time. They were lighting me up at 300-400 yards away.
I thought maybe it was deliberate but noticed they were dazzling each other and lighting up the surf in front of themselves just as much.
No idea why anyone needs that much light? Scared of the dark, I reckon.
Anyhoo, just after the flood started I realised I was being frantically flashed and managed to scramble over the rocks to get a picture of the first hound of the night.
Not the best pic, somehow I managed to keep hovering my hand near the camera, causing that blurring.
We estimated maybe 6-7lb but didn’t weigh it.
It wasn’t long after that I had my first. More frantic flashing but we realised we’d moved too far back up the beach and the rocks were now dividing us.
After nearly breaking my neck twice while carefully carrying a hound, I decided I’d just have to get a quick snap as the fish needed to go back.
Not a great picture, sorry, but the best I could do in haste, plus the bloody things never sit still.
It was a little smaller than his fish so I went with 5-6lb.
It went quiet for a bit after that, but just as I was thinking maybe we should make it the last cast, my rod went over again and I began the careful process of steering another hound in between the snags.
The gripper managed to tangle itself with my other line so I unclipped the weight and got the fish to shore.
A bit smaller again, maybe 4lb? This one would not stay still at all.
As I suspected, when I brought the other rod in the tangled gripper led to it getting snagged, and I lost both, but that’s fishing.
We packed up and headed back, with the best hound and two dogs to him and two hounds to me.
Last night an easier session was called for, so we headed to Westward Ho! beach and met up with @BlackLugsMatter who is also on hols at the moment.
Must admit I wasn’t feeling too great, but forced myself out and met them there, albeit a bit late.
It was barely dark when I was flashed again, lol, turned out the hounds were about and they liked his whole squid.
We didn’t weigh it, but again I would have said around 7lb.
Cory’s other half Emily lost a better hound on her rod, meanwhile I was struggling hugely with the amount of weed out there.
First attempt the reel in resulted in a snap off as it just couldn’t cope with the weight of weed. Further investigation revealed an abraded stretch on the line.
I persevered but had huge trouble getting the rods in a second time, could barely shift the weed, it was like fighting an 18lb ray.
I managed to retrieve one after a messy weed covered tangle with my other rod, but when I retrieved the second rod, it pretty much locked solid with weed and there was a second snap off.
This is 19lb line! And I was easing it, not yanking it.
That was it for me, can’t fish in that. I went to let the others I was calling it a night and it seemed the weed wasn’t quite as bad where they were.
But it was 12.30 and they decided they’d begin a slow pack up too.
Meanwhile, Ash (black lugs) had a little ray, which maybe he’ll post later, followed in quick succession by two more even littler rays.
We decided they were clearly all thornbacks ?
In hindsight I probably should have moved earlier, but bringing in four clumps of man sized weed was enough for me for one night.
Good to catch up with everyone though and hopefully we can do it again next time they’re back this way.
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