CKB
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2020
- Messages
- 272
- Reaction score
- 1,785
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Channel Islands
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
I can remember back in about 2014 or 2015, when I was out fishing the isle of Purbeck coastline with excellent rod builder, Gary Allner. I had 2 rods cast out for black bream, baited with squid strip and I was insistently telling him that he needed to get his bream rigs out or, he'd miss them running through, but, Gary was in is own world pottering about with an LRF rod. At the time I couldn't understand his preoccupation with it and, minutes later I had hooked a PB black bream of 3lb 12oz. Gary scrambled for his bream rigs, while I reeled in a smaller sub 2lb bream and by the time he got cast, they'd been and gone. He regretted not putting the bream rigs out but, I wholeheartedly admit I didn't understand or 'get' the LRF thing at all.
In spring 2016 I cheekily borrowed Steve Harder's LRF rod, which was left in the porch of our accommodation in Satlstraumen, Norway. The second cast I hooked a 2lb 7oz Coalfish which raced off with his 4lb braid, I was there in -10C sweating that I might just have lost tons of his braid but, eventually I got the fish in, despite it racing under the pontoon in the current. After a safe landing, I popped Steve's rod back in the porch and thought; that's the last time I am risking that. In 2018 I got my first LRF rod and realised I'd been missing out, particularly hooked fish like mackerel and experiencing the exhilaration of them racing off with tiny metals. As time has passed, I have found this type of fishing more and more addictive and I Think my adventurous side just loves it. There is also the sheer pleasure of carrying a very light rod and reel and being able to store enough lures or jigs for a session in a jacket pocket. I have had so many nights trekking uphill and down dale with 3 rods, leads, cameras and everything else and it takes the fun out of fishing sometimes. So the prospect of nipping out for 2-3 hours with an LRF setup is a refreshing one and just as much pleasure can be attained, as going out with the big kit and hauling double figure fish.
I was back at the cottage milling about, the predicted weather was showing showers on and off all day or just general drizzly conditions. I hadn't particularly enjoyed the squid session the night before, when I'd also lugged a beach caster down to the breakwater with a live bait setup, the hill on the way back had left me a bit disenfranchised with fishing. So, I decided to dedicate the afternoon to LRF, as it wouldn't involve much effort or carrying weight. I got down to the idyllic Creux harbour at around 2:30pm and began to chat to some islanders who were fishing the local comp, they'd had bream and gars, which I could see on the masonry behind them. I had rigged the rod up at home, as well as a lure rod which I thought I'd use if I had the enthusiasm to stay after dark for squid jigging. I made the classic error and thew my first cast out without sorting the small LRF drop net first and guess what? First chuck a black bream nailed my pink jelly worm on an Owner 3.5f jig head with a size 8 hook and it was peeling line off my drag. There inside of me was that love and addiction to fishing again, it was wonderful sport, I had to play the fish to the steps behind me in the absence of the tangle up drop net. I landed it safely and remember looking at the greens on the nose of this bream, they were quite striking in the already fading afternoon light.
I released the bream and off it darted without any encouragement at all. Within a couple more chucks I had another, this time I guided it into the net safely. Next cast I hooked a garfish, which to be honest, I wasn't all that confident I'd get it in the net, it was doing circus acrobatics all across the surface and they are often not hooked properly and sure enough, it auto-disgorged itself at the crucial moment. I would have kept it for bait, so it was his lucky day. Almost every cast had hits or attacks on the small pink worm.
I decided before last light that I'd have a look at Maseline harbour too, as there is a bit more depth and possibly a greater plethora of species, though, with the light, fast fading, I didn't know what to expect. One of the issues with the strong winds of late is that they catch your braid and pull your lures or jigs sideways, which doesn't help them sink or help them have a natural action. I was pleasantly surprised that the wind wasn't doing much at Maseline and first chuck I was into a fish immediately. It felt like a bream the way it raced off taking like, it wasn't until I saw it rising through the water column that I began to realise it could be a very welcome visitor. My first clue was a vivid blue on the tail fins followed by an ever-increasing intensity of shimmering red as it approached the surface, could it finally be a Couches bream for me? So far my pursuit of these creatures with bait has been fruitless but, it appeared my luck was in and what were the chances of finding one on an LRF setup? I lowered the net hastily, making sure it was in prime position and carefully guided the Couches bream into it. After hauling it up to the surface of the breakwater, I was bloody elated, they surely have to be the coolest looking bream with their fiery eyes, tones of a £50 note, punctuated with flecks of blue and even a little purple, natures design is simply magnificent.
Next chuck, as the jig head was falling, I remember thinking I won't see one of those for a while, knowing the proliferation of black bream, which are absolutely abundant and, making it statistically almost a certainty the next bream won't be a Couches. But, like busses, as the saying goes, the next fish is another couches and after it was done tearing line of my little reel, it was landed.
For the hat-trick, I cast out again and, again hooked up and to my astonishment, 3 casts and I had 3 Couches bream, absolutely baffling.
The next chuck, I was into another black bream, again a pretty fish.
The bream then seemed to go off the feed and with barely any light I popped my torch on and had a cast down the side of the harbour structure, only to have a good solid pull down and a little run on my reel, this fish immediately felt different and I was a little fortunate it didn't get down in the structure. After carefully walking it left, it was in the net and after a quick pic, a red and white polka dot ballan wrasse was released back into the now dark green water.
It was a sensational 2.5 hours fishing on the lightest gear and in conclusion, it turns out Couches bream like a pink lure, slow retrieved. Until the next session (tomorrow). Thanks for reading.
In spring 2016 I cheekily borrowed Steve Harder's LRF rod, which was left in the porch of our accommodation in Satlstraumen, Norway. The second cast I hooked a 2lb 7oz Coalfish which raced off with his 4lb braid, I was there in -10C sweating that I might just have lost tons of his braid but, eventually I got the fish in, despite it racing under the pontoon in the current. After a safe landing, I popped Steve's rod back in the porch and thought; that's the last time I am risking that. In 2018 I got my first LRF rod and realised I'd been missing out, particularly hooked fish like mackerel and experiencing the exhilaration of them racing off with tiny metals. As time has passed, I have found this type of fishing more and more addictive and I Think my adventurous side just loves it. There is also the sheer pleasure of carrying a very light rod and reel and being able to store enough lures or jigs for a session in a jacket pocket. I have had so many nights trekking uphill and down dale with 3 rods, leads, cameras and everything else and it takes the fun out of fishing sometimes. So the prospect of nipping out for 2-3 hours with an LRF setup is a refreshing one and just as much pleasure can be attained, as going out with the big kit and hauling double figure fish.
I was back at the cottage milling about, the predicted weather was showing showers on and off all day or just general drizzly conditions. I hadn't particularly enjoyed the squid session the night before, when I'd also lugged a beach caster down to the breakwater with a live bait setup, the hill on the way back had left me a bit disenfranchised with fishing. So, I decided to dedicate the afternoon to LRF, as it wouldn't involve much effort or carrying weight. I got down to the idyllic Creux harbour at around 2:30pm and began to chat to some islanders who were fishing the local comp, they'd had bream and gars, which I could see on the masonry behind them. I had rigged the rod up at home, as well as a lure rod which I thought I'd use if I had the enthusiasm to stay after dark for squid jigging. I made the classic error and thew my first cast out without sorting the small LRF drop net first and guess what? First chuck a black bream nailed my pink jelly worm on an Owner 3.5f jig head with a size 8 hook and it was peeling line off my drag. There inside of me was that love and addiction to fishing again, it was wonderful sport, I had to play the fish to the steps behind me in the absence of the tangle up drop net. I landed it safely and remember looking at the greens on the nose of this bream, they were quite striking in the already fading afternoon light.
I released the bream and off it darted without any encouragement at all. Within a couple more chucks I had another, this time I guided it into the net safely. Next cast I hooked a garfish, which to be honest, I wasn't all that confident I'd get it in the net, it was doing circus acrobatics all across the surface and they are often not hooked properly and sure enough, it auto-disgorged itself at the crucial moment. I would have kept it for bait, so it was his lucky day. Almost every cast had hits or attacks on the small pink worm.
I decided before last light that I'd have a look at Maseline harbour too, as there is a bit more depth and possibly a greater plethora of species, though, with the light, fast fading, I didn't know what to expect. One of the issues with the strong winds of late is that they catch your braid and pull your lures or jigs sideways, which doesn't help them sink or help them have a natural action. I was pleasantly surprised that the wind wasn't doing much at Maseline and first chuck I was into a fish immediately. It felt like a bream the way it raced off taking like, it wasn't until I saw it rising through the water column that I began to realise it could be a very welcome visitor. My first clue was a vivid blue on the tail fins followed by an ever-increasing intensity of shimmering red as it approached the surface, could it finally be a Couches bream for me? So far my pursuit of these creatures with bait has been fruitless but, it appeared my luck was in and what were the chances of finding one on an LRF setup? I lowered the net hastily, making sure it was in prime position and carefully guided the Couches bream into it. After hauling it up to the surface of the breakwater, I was bloody elated, they surely have to be the coolest looking bream with their fiery eyes, tones of a £50 note, punctuated with flecks of blue and even a little purple, natures design is simply magnificent.
Next chuck, as the jig head was falling, I remember thinking I won't see one of those for a while, knowing the proliferation of black bream, which are absolutely abundant and, making it statistically almost a certainty the next bream won't be a Couches. But, like busses, as the saying goes, the next fish is another couches and after it was done tearing line of my little reel, it was landed.
For the hat-trick, I cast out again and, again hooked up and to my astonishment, 3 casts and I had 3 Couches bream, absolutely baffling.
The next chuck, I was into another black bream, again a pretty fish.
The bream then seemed to go off the feed and with barely any light I popped my torch on and had a cast down the side of the harbour structure, only to have a good solid pull down and a little run on my reel, this fish immediately felt different and I was a little fortunate it didn't get down in the structure. After carefully walking it left, it was in the net and after a quick pic, a red and white polka dot ballan wrasse was released back into the now dark green water.
It was a sensational 2.5 hours fishing on the lightest gear and in conclusion, it turns out Couches bream like a pink lure, slow retrieved. Until the next session (tomorrow). Thanks for reading.
