Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 21,370
- Reaction score
- 74,008
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Apologies, always seem to start my reports these days with a moan about pain and my low calcium condition.
Nonetheless, this past week or more I’ve had quite bad abdominal pains. Thought it was constipation related but recently it feels more like ‘waterworks’ pain.
Either way, probably due to the calcium supplements and meds I take - they’re not kind to kidneys etc.
ANYWAY, I had a 24 hour comp this weekend and wanted to get out, but the thought of climbing up and down my usual local rock marks filled me with horror.
Best I could think of was a local surf beach for ray, but that involves a lot of walking up and down too.
Then @Tatunka joe very kindly suggested a Chesil mark that didn’t require a great deal of walking.
I thought the easterly wind would be a problem but he said not (I’m not too clued up on what’s sheltered down on that coast).
I figured a two hour drive but much less walking and climbing would be preferable to a 20 minute drive but even more stomach upset, so after chewing it over, Chesil it was!
The comp didn’t start until 6pm so it meant I’d be fishing the ebb, which isn’t ideal but fish do still come and go in the tide there, so figured it was still worth it.
On arrival I chatted to an older chap who’d had some decent ‘channel’ whiting and a monster pout, as well as a just undersized codling.
He said as the tide turned those fish had gone and the straps and eels moved in, but undaunted I set up a bit down from him and got started.
The main rig for the night was a two hook clipped down baited variously with mackerel and squid strip as well as a bit of black lug.
The other rod had a 3/0 pulley with larger black lug n squid baits, then later I swapped it to whole squid.
I had bites on the two hook trace from the off, but kept missing the damn things, plus they were stripping the bait off.
After about 45 minutes I finally landed a keeper ting of 12oz plus a small pout.
The ting would have gone back but it was gut hooked so kept it.
I changed the hooks on that rig as wasn’t too happy with the sharpness of the older hooks on there.
A steady stream of small pout followed, then another keeper ting, also gut hooked.
The bigger bait was just getting chewed to pieces but no real bites I could hit, but I persevered with it.
Even with minimal walking the constant retrieve of small fish or stripped rigs and going down to cast was playing hell with my guts and I was gobbling codeine like they were going out of fashion.
Well okay, I had two! ?
As low water approached at about 11.45 the dogs came on and I had about four in succession, as well as a tiny strap. Urgh.
In between were more small pout and poor cod.
I did think of doing a livebait rig but felt my best chance for a comp fish was one of the bigger whiting or pout, so stuck with Plan A.
The two hook trace had been out a while and I was seriously thinking of cutting my losses and resting my aches.
When I brought it in, there was a fair bit of weight on it.
The first fish I saw was another three quarter pound keeper ting (gut hooked of course ?) but then I saw the other fish laying on the shingle….
Now THAT’S a better whiting!
It went 1lb 10. Over the comp 1lb 8 specimen rating and well worth having!
Pain, what pain?
Encouraged, I fished on a bit harder. Still kept missing the damn bites and was getting more small pout, but figured I’d give it until about 1.
I retrieved the whole squid rod only to find a fair weight on that too!
Dog? Nope!
Managed to cut my own head off! ?
When I weighed it, it also went bang on 1lb 10, what are the odds?!
Talk about peas in a pod!
Well, that gave me two specimen fish to weigh in and it was well past 1am, plus I had at least a 1.5 hour drive back, so decided it was definitely time to go.
Even the short walk back to the car left me feeling crap. I do hope they can get on top of this condition soon.
But it was worth sticking it out into some of the flood and a huge thanks to Tat for help finding a mark I could fish without being too fecked up.
Will find out this evening whether it was all worthwhile!
Nonetheless, this past week or more I’ve had quite bad abdominal pains. Thought it was constipation related but recently it feels more like ‘waterworks’ pain.
Either way, probably due to the calcium supplements and meds I take - they’re not kind to kidneys etc.
ANYWAY, I had a 24 hour comp this weekend and wanted to get out, but the thought of climbing up and down my usual local rock marks filled me with horror.
Best I could think of was a local surf beach for ray, but that involves a lot of walking up and down too.
Then @Tatunka joe very kindly suggested a Chesil mark that didn’t require a great deal of walking.
I thought the easterly wind would be a problem but he said not (I’m not too clued up on what’s sheltered down on that coast).
I figured a two hour drive but much less walking and climbing would be preferable to a 20 minute drive but even more stomach upset, so after chewing it over, Chesil it was!
The comp didn’t start until 6pm so it meant I’d be fishing the ebb, which isn’t ideal but fish do still come and go in the tide there, so figured it was still worth it.
On arrival I chatted to an older chap who’d had some decent ‘channel’ whiting and a monster pout, as well as a just undersized codling.
He said as the tide turned those fish had gone and the straps and eels moved in, but undaunted I set up a bit down from him and got started.
The main rig for the night was a two hook clipped down baited variously with mackerel and squid strip as well as a bit of black lug.
The other rod had a 3/0 pulley with larger black lug n squid baits, then later I swapped it to whole squid.
I had bites on the two hook trace from the off, but kept missing the damn things, plus they were stripping the bait off.
After about 45 minutes I finally landed a keeper ting of 12oz plus a small pout.
The ting would have gone back but it was gut hooked so kept it.
I changed the hooks on that rig as wasn’t too happy with the sharpness of the older hooks on there.
A steady stream of small pout followed, then another keeper ting, also gut hooked.
The bigger bait was just getting chewed to pieces but no real bites I could hit, but I persevered with it.
Even with minimal walking the constant retrieve of small fish or stripped rigs and going down to cast was playing hell with my guts and I was gobbling codeine like they were going out of fashion.
Well okay, I had two! ?
As low water approached at about 11.45 the dogs came on and I had about four in succession, as well as a tiny strap. Urgh.
In between were more small pout and poor cod.
I did think of doing a livebait rig but felt my best chance for a comp fish was one of the bigger whiting or pout, so stuck with Plan A.
The two hook trace had been out a while and I was seriously thinking of cutting my losses and resting my aches.
When I brought it in, there was a fair bit of weight on it.
The first fish I saw was another three quarter pound keeper ting (gut hooked of course ?) but then I saw the other fish laying on the shingle….
Now THAT’S a better whiting!
It went 1lb 10. Over the comp 1lb 8 specimen rating and well worth having!
Pain, what pain?
Encouraged, I fished on a bit harder. Still kept missing the damn bites and was getting more small pout, but figured I’d give it until about 1.
I retrieved the whole squid rod only to find a fair weight on that too!
Dog? Nope!
Managed to cut my own head off! ?
When I weighed it, it also went bang on 1lb 10, what are the odds?!
Talk about peas in a pod!
Well, that gave me two specimen fish to weigh in and it was well past 1am, plus I had at least a 1.5 hour drive back, so decided it was definitely time to go.
Even the short walk back to the car left me feeling crap. I do hope they can get on top of this condition soon.
But it was worth sticking it out into some of the flood and a huge thanks to Tat for help finding a mark I could fish without being too fecked up.
Will find out this evening whether it was all worthwhile!
