Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 21,323
- Reaction score
- 73,848
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Competition weekend again. The plan was to try a mixed sand/rock beach that can throw up double figure hounds at this time of year, plus good bass too.
Arrived at half tide in daylight to find (as @Christurner had already advised me) the sand hadn’t got the memo and it was more rock than anything.
It was also dank, chill and with a heavy sea mist - not quite the pleasant early summer hound session I’d had in my head, but hey ho.
After surveying from high up for a few minutes, I selected a middle gully that at least had more sand than the rest and I thought (hoped) I could get two rods out through it.
Well, kind of…
First thing I noticed was the big surf and swell. No real wind the last 48 hours so something out in the Atlantic I guess.
Second thing I noticed is it was Mickey Mouse night
Went to cast out the first bait, a whole squid, realised I had somehow threaded the leader UNDER the multi cage.
So back to the rest, cut the trace off, re-thread the rod and start again.
The second Saltist 30 had new 20lb line on. 25 or 30 would have been preferred but either Veals sent the wrong one, or Mickey chose the wrong strength.
Either way it was moot - first cast was a snap off and pitiful distance to boot
That particular reel, unlike its good brother, can on occasion be temperamental, so rather than fight it all evening during what was already an awkward trip, I swapped it for the spare, a Fathom 15 magged which tends to behave itself.
Brought in the squid bait so I could move everything down and reset - and also brought in the lost trace and leader, which made a massive tangle but at least I had the gear back.
(Did I mention I was a bit short on weights and leader line too?
)
FINALLY Mickey was put back in his box and I had two rods out loaded with the now defrosted spider peeler and I was feeling more confident.
Except… it was so bloody AWKWARD! The big surf made wading out through the gully very difficult, the ground is uneven and I didn’t particularly want a wader full.
It’s not so much for distance, as to get past the worst of the rocks and place the lines exactly where I want them, instead I was trying to stand and cast in a washing machine.
The aim was to have one leftish of centre, one rightish, but what happened was the angle of the line kept catching on the rock fingers, or the weed, then when retrieving both got tangled up.
The only and obvious option was go down to one rod, so I did, but as the tide turned and started to push me back, I still hadn’t had any bites and wasn’t really feeling the love.
The mist made everything very dank and dreary too…
Misty by moonlight…
Eventually I had a good pull down on the crab, but only one strong bite, no run like a hound.
It didn’t come back and looked more like a bass hit and run to me.
I waited 10 minutes but sure enough the crab was mangled and twisted.
Given how bassy the surf looked, I gave up on dreams of a double hound and put a whole squid down the pipe of the gulley instead.
It can’t have been out more than 10 minutes when I had a series of good pull down bites and lifted into something lively.
But what? It was going well but obviously not huge, assisted by the shallow water and fingers of rock I was trying to drag it over.
Smaller hound? Bass? Even an eel maybe?
It slid into the light and sure enough, it was a bass.
Nothing at all to get excited about and looked just over size - usually that would go back but this one was pissing dark blood and I’m not wasting a keeper sized fish on the crabs, so it developed a headache.
It weighed 2lb 11 after being washed off, so certainly dinner size.
Another squid went out, but no more bites and the tide was starting to push me into an awkward neck of the gulley that was more weed and rock than anything.
It did look as if on the high tide mark up on the pebbles it would be a viable fishing spot, but my mojo had gone and I didn’t fancy staying until 2/3am, so packed up at 11.30 and called it a night.
Arrived at half tide in daylight to find (as @Christurner had already advised me) the sand hadn’t got the memo and it was more rock than anything.
It was also dank, chill and with a heavy sea mist - not quite the pleasant early summer hound session I’d had in my head, but hey ho.
After surveying from high up for a few minutes, I selected a middle gully that at least had more sand than the rest and I thought (hoped) I could get two rods out through it.
Well, kind of…
First thing I noticed was the big surf and swell. No real wind the last 48 hours so something out in the Atlantic I guess.
Second thing I noticed is it was Mickey Mouse night
Went to cast out the first bait, a whole squid, realised I had somehow threaded the leader UNDER the multi cage.
So back to the rest, cut the trace off, re-thread the rod and start again.
The second Saltist 30 had new 20lb line on. 25 or 30 would have been preferred but either Veals sent the wrong one, or Mickey chose the wrong strength.
Either way it was moot - first cast was a snap off and pitiful distance to boot
That particular reel, unlike its good brother, can on occasion be temperamental, so rather than fight it all evening during what was already an awkward trip, I swapped it for the spare, a Fathom 15 magged which tends to behave itself.
Brought in the squid bait so I could move everything down and reset - and also brought in the lost trace and leader, which made a massive tangle but at least I had the gear back.
(Did I mention I was a bit short on weights and leader line too?
)FINALLY Mickey was put back in his box and I had two rods out loaded with the now defrosted spider peeler and I was feeling more confident.
Except… it was so bloody AWKWARD! The big surf made wading out through the gully very difficult, the ground is uneven and I didn’t particularly want a wader full.
It’s not so much for distance, as to get past the worst of the rocks and place the lines exactly where I want them, instead I was trying to stand and cast in a washing machine.
The aim was to have one leftish of centre, one rightish, but what happened was the angle of the line kept catching on the rock fingers, or the weed, then when retrieving both got tangled up.
The only and obvious option was go down to one rod, so I did, but as the tide turned and started to push me back, I still hadn’t had any bites and wasn’t really feeling the love.
The mist made everything very dank and dreary too…
Misty by moonlight…
Eventually I had a good pull down on the crab, but only one strong bite, no run like a hound.
It didn’t come back and looked more like a bass hit and run to me.
I waited 10 minutes but sure enough the crab was mangled and twisted.
Given how bassy the surf looked, I gave up on dreams of a double hound and put a whole squid down the pipe of the gulley instead.
It can’t have been out more than 10 minutes when I had a series of good pull down bites and lifted into something lively.
But what? It was going well but obviously not huge, assisted by the shallow water and fingers of rock I was trying to drag it over.
Smaller hound? Bass? Even an eel maybe?
It slid into the light and sure enough, it was a bass.
Nothing at all to get excited about and looked just over size - usually that would go back but this one was pissing dark blood and I’m not wasting a keeper sized fish on the crabs, so it developed a headache.
It weighed 2lb 11 after being washed off, so certainly dinner size.
Another squid went out, but no more bites and the tide was starting to push me into an awkward neck of the gulley that was more weed and rock than anything.
It did look as if on the high tide mark up on the pebbles it would be a viable fishing spot, but my mojo had gone and I didn’t fancy staying until 2/3am, so packed up at 11.30 and called it a night.
At least a meal was sourced.
back to van and drove home… what a twat
