Andy 1965
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2020
- Messages
- 410
- Reaction score
- 3,705
- Points
- 93
- Location
- North Wales
- Favourite Fishing
- Lure
Having been forced by the weather to fish closer to home last week, I seized the chance last night to get back to the island. After the recent storms, the wind was forecast to drop briefly so I fancied my chances of more silver, and hopefully a ray or two. Conditions on my arrival couldn’t have been better, with a lighter wind than forecast but still a fantastic white surf roaring ashore, giving extensive flat tables of gin clear water 
. Once I had chosen my spot, I hurriedly set up my gear and the first rig out was a 3-hook plapper, armed with sharp 1/0s and baited with a combination of frozen black lug and squid. Next up, the second rod was rigged with a pennel pulley dropper and baited with half a squid.
After the recent turbulent conditions, it was a perfect evening to be out under the dark and starlit sky and I hoped for some good sport to go with it ?. As it happened, I didn’t have to wait long for some action and after no more than 5 minutes, the tip of one of the rods pulled over sharply and then sprang straight back ?. To begin with I wasn’t sure if it was caused by a fish or the waves plucking at my line, but it looked somehow different to the regular movement of the sea, so I picked up the rod and lifted it smartly and immediately felt some weight on the line. Hoping that it wasn’t weed ?, I reeled it in steadily but I could tell by the occasional much stronger pull, that it was definitely a fish and I was pretty sure I knew it’s identity too. After a minute or two I spotted a wing flapping in the surf tables, as I finally dragged my first small eyed ray in quite a while ashore. I could see that it was a half decent fish and at a very respectable 7lb 2oz, it was a very encouraging way to start the session ?.
After a quick pic, I slid her back into the waves, and as she glided off into the crystal-clear water, I couldn’t help but marvel at how superbly camouflaged she was against the clean sand ?.
Perhaps surprisingly, the ray had taken a lug and squid cocktail on the flapper, intended mainly for other species, but I wasn’t complaining. I immediately re-baited with the same combination, and cast out again into the slightly calmer water just behind the surf line.
Buzzing from such an excellent start, I had a quick look at the photos before turning my attention back to the rods, and when I did I couldn’t help but notice that the line on the second rod seemed further to the left than where I remembered casting it ?. I hadn’t seen any signs of life, so I assumed that it was simply down to long-shore drift in the waves but I decided to check it anyway, just in case. As before, I picked up the rod and lifted into it, and once again I could feel a decent weight on the line. Surely lightning couldn’t strike twice I thought but my suspicions were soon confirmed, when ray number 2 of the night was duly landed. Slightly smaller this time, at 6lb on the dot but I was chuffed to bits ?.
After such a great start, I was beginning to wonder just how many rays I might end up with, but I should have known better. As so often happens when you catch something decent on your first cast, the curse of the first catch lunker struck again ?.
For the next 4 hours I fished it hard but despite the sea looking as fishy as ever, no matter what bait or combination of it I tried, I didn’t see any more signs of a ray. In fact it was so quiet that all I could manage was a couple of whiting and another couple of missed bites.
So a session that began with so much promise, had finished on a proper downer but I wasn’t too disappointed, in fact I was more than happy with my night’s work and I’ve already made plans for my next visit to the mark. Bring it on!
. Once I had chosen my spot, I hurriedly set up my gear and the first rig out was a 3-hook plapper, armed with sharp 1/0s and baited with a combination of frozen black lug and squid. Next up, the second rod was rigged with a pennel pulley dropper and baited with half a squid.After the recent turbulent conditions, it was a perfect evening to be out under the dark and starlit sky and I hoped for some good sport to go with it ?. As it happened, I didn’t have to wait long for some action and after no more than 5 minutes, the tip of one of the rods pulled over sharply and then sprang straight back ?. To begin with I wasn’t sure if it was caused by a fish or the waves plucking at my line, but it looked somehow different to the regular movement of the sea, so I picked up the rod and lifted it smartly and immediately felt some weight on the line. Hoping that it wasn’t weed ?, I reeled it in steadily but I could tell by the occasional much stronger pull, that it was definitely a fish and I was pretty sure I knew it’s identity too. After a minute or two I spotted a wing flapping in the surf tables, as I finally dragged my first small eyed ray in quite a while ashore. I could see that it was a half decent fish and at a very respectable 7lb 2oz, it was a very encouraging way to start the session ?.
After a quick pic, I slid her back into the waves, and as she glided off into the crystal-clear water, I couldn’t help but marvel at how superbly camouflaged she was against the clean sand ?.
Perhaps surprisingly, the ray had taken a lug and squid cocktail on the flapper, intended mainly for other species, but I wasn’t complaining. I immediately re-baited with the same combination, and cast out again into the slightly calmer water just behind the surf line.
Buzzing from such an excellent start, I had a quick look at the photos before turning my attention back to the rods, and when I did I couldn’t help but notice that the line on the second rod seemed further to the left than where I remembered casting it ?. I hadn’t seen any signs of life, so I assumed that it was simply down to long-shore drift in the waves but I decided to check it anyway, just in case. As before, I picked up the rod and lifted into it, and once again I could feel a decent weight on the line. Surely lightning couldn’t strike twice I thought but my suspicions were soon confirmed, when ray number 2 of the night was duly landed. Slightly smaller this time, at 6lb on the dot but I was chuffed to bits ?.
After such a great start, I was beginning to wonder just how many rays I might end up with, but I should have known better. As so often happens when you catch something decent on your first cast, the curse of the first catch lunker struck again ?.
For the next 4 hours I fished it hard but despite the sea looking as fishy as ever, no matter what bait or combination of it I tried, I didn’t see any more signs of a ray. In fact it was so quiet that all I could manage was a couple of whiting and another couple of missed bites.
So a session that began with so much promise, had finished on a proper downer but I wasn’t too disappointed, in fact I was more than happy with my night’s work and I’ve already made plans for my next visit to the mark. Bring it on!
.
.
