CKB
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2020
- Messages
- 273
- Reaction score
- 1,787
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Channel Islands
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
There was barely a breath of wind in the air, I was simply compelled to grab the LRF kit again and head down to the harbours for a mess about with that 3.5g jig head and pink jelly worm. After the couches yesterday, I wondered if I could find one of the other types of rarer bream species, or something else lurking amongst the structures of the harbour footings.
Conditions made for a very nearly flat calm sea on the east coast, particularly in the backwaters of the harbours of Creux & Maseline.
Right away I was missing what I think were garfish having a go and trying to tear my worm off the size 8 hook. The first fish was quickly on, a black bream zipped about, left and right, bringing back all of the feelings of joy from the day before.
Next up was a surprise visitor, a little out of season, but, very welcome indeed, though it was too thin for my larger drop net gage and created a problem landing it from 20ft up. About 12 or 13oz of mackerel was safely landed and popped in my bag for a conger session. I thought it's almost December, wish I could have found a few more.
Then I hooked another bream which zipped line off my little 2500 sized Daiwa BG and 15lb braid. Just like the previous day, as the fish circled through the water column, I began to see the vivid blues and shimmering reds of yet another Couches bream on LRF gear, magic. At some stage i'll get tired of catching these beautiful little fish, that's not going to be soon though.
I released it back and unlike the black bream earlier which dived off like a tuna, this one took a while to recover but, eventually swam down to my relief.
This session had been scintillating again and just as I was smiling to myself, reflecting on just how good this fishing is, another fish took off with my jig head and ran hard initially, then felt like a good weight of fish. A beautifully conditioned pollock rose out of the emerald green waters of Maseline harbour and with a bit of faffing about, it was in the net for lunch tomorrow. I absolutely love how pollock run initially.
Next up was a totally bizarre experience, I had a take, which raced about and it felt a lot like a mackerel again, then my first glimpses thought pollock, seeing its length and as it surfaced in the fading light, I couldn't believe my eyes, it looked like scad but, was far too long. I slipped it into the drop net and hauled it up some 15-20ft only to see it was the biggest scad I have ever seen, 1lb 6oz and 44cm in length. Certainly, an LRF PB for me and another welcome conger bait, to supplement my squid and mackerel. In LRF terms this is definitely a 'sportfish', feeling all that power through the thin blank.
I then had a couple of follows, as well as my eyesight could see, one was a pollock and the other a bream. I also dropped a second Couches right next to the net, for whatever reason the size 8 didn't hold. Then I hooked another trailblazer of a fish, a pollock with an even better weight than the one earlier and it fought pretty well but, pushed the rod pretty hard. This better fish was 2lb 12oz and I gifted it to the harbour master, who has been kind to me lately, chatting on my walks up the hill, an ex-Royal Navy man who simply loved and appreciates how great island life is. Initially, he declined as he doesn't usually eat fish but, he changed his mind and I showed him how to gut it and prepare for cooking, he was happy.
After that the light faded to nothing, I had 2 more casts and packed my gear, heading up the hill to the cottage. It had been another 2.5 hours of great fun, a new PB and some bait for the night sessions, which I have neglected over the past few days. Winds pick up again tomorrow, so I'll do a bit of that searching for an eel in darkness.
Chris Kennedy
Conditions made for a very nearly flat calm sea on the east coast, particularly in the backwaters of the harbours of Creux & Maseline.
Right away I was missing what I think were garfish having a go and trying to tear my worm off the size 8 hook. The first fish was quickly on, a black bream zipped about, left and right, bringing back all of the feelings of joy from the day before.
Next up was a surprise visitor, a little out of season, but, very welcome indeed, though it was too thin for my larger drop net gage and created a problem landing it from 20ft up. About 12 or 13oz of mackerel was safely landed and popped in my bag for a conger session. I thought it's almost December, wish I could have found a few more.
Then I hooked another bream which zipped line off my little 2500 sized Daiwa BG and 15lb braid. Just like the previous day, as the fish circled through the water column, I began to see the vivid blues and shimmering reds of yet another Couches bream on LRF gear, magic. At some stage i'll get tired of catching these beautiful little fish, that's not going to be soon though.
I released it back and unlike the black bream earlier which dived off like a tuna, this one took a while to recover but, eventually swam down to my relief.
This session had been scintillating again and just as I was smiling to myself, reflecting on just how good this fishing is, another fish took off with my jig head and ran hard initially, then felt like a good weight of fish. A beautifully conditioned pollock rose out of the emerald green waters of Maseline harbour and with a bit of faffing about, it was in the net for lunch tomorrow. I absolutely love how pollock run initially.
Next up was a totally bizarre experience, I had a take, which raced about and it felt a lot like a mackerel again, then my first glimpses thought pollock, seeing its length and as it surfaced in the fading light, I couldn't believe my eyes, it looked like scad but, was far too long. I slipped it into the drop net and hauled it up some 15-20ft only to see it was the biggest scad I have ever seen, 1lb 6oz and 44cm in length. Certainly, an LRF PB for me and another welcome conger bait, to supplement my squid and mackerel. In LRF terms this is definitely a 'sportfish', feeling all that power through the thin blank.
I then had a couple of follows, as well as my eyesight could see, one was a pollock and the other a bream. I also dropped a second Couches right next to the net, for whatever reason the size 8 didn't hold. Then I hooked another trailblazer of a fish, a pollock with an even better weight than the one earlier and it fought pretty well but, pushed the rod pretty hard. This better fish was 2lb 12oz and I gifted it to the harbour master, who has been kind to me lately, chatting on my walks up the hill, an ex-Royal Navy man who simply loved and appreciates how great island life is. Initially, he declined as he doesn't usually eat fish but, he changed his mind and I showed him how to gut it and prepare for cooking, he was happy.
After that the light faded to nothing, I had 2 more casts and packed my gear, heading up the hill to the cottage. It had been another 2.5 hours of great fun, a new PB and some bait for the night sessions, which I have neglected over the past few days. Winds pick up again tomorrow, so I'll do a bit of that searching for an eel in darkness.
Chris Kennedy
