Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 22,825
- Reaction score
- 79,235
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
With such dire weather and the North Devon coast lashed by northerly winds, I nonetheless wanted to get out fishing this weekend.
Aches and pains weren’t great, again, but I checked out a local harbour mark in the afternoon on Saturday and it was well sheltered, plus it was hardly any great walk.
So with comments of ‘you must be mad!’ ringing in my ears as I went out the door, I drove the 10 minutes to the mark around 8pm and made the short hike out to the rock platform.
First impressions, shit, the wind had changed. It was meant to be northerly but I’d swear it was more north west as it was blowing into the harbour mouth and in my face.
Great ?
I’d taken fairly light rods, my Penn Vendettas, and they were bouncing around a fair bit (Joe was right!)
My targets were whiting or dabs. It’s all pretty sandy here as long as you don’t hit a mooring chain and my theory was the stormy conditions would have pushed a few better fish inside the harbour after whatever was stirred up.
Never actually fished it in the winter so it was something in the nature of an experiment.
Baits we’re just small strips of herring, squid and bits of black lug, on a flapper and also a light pulley rig.
It was really miserable in the wind, everything was trying to blow away and my first retrieve revealed what looked like crab chewed baits plus great lumps of weed.
Wahoo ?
This persisted for a couple of casts and I figured I’d have maybe 4/5 casts with each rod and if it didn’t improve I was going to sack it off.
Next retrieve saw a tiny pout among the weed…
Not really encouraging as that was probably what was nibbling the bait and quite often they’re about when nothing bigger is.
Oh, and the other snood was caked in eel slime.
Deep joy ??
Then disaster!
My tripod blew over while I was rebating and the other rod bounced down two ledges and landed in the drink! ??????
I don’t really recall actually getting down the rocks, but next thing I was there and watched with a sinking feeling as it slid off the last bit of rock straight into the sea ???
It instantly began to drift off with the tide and in desperation I ignored the water and plunged a foot underneath it and lifted it towards me.
Amazingly it actually worked and I grabbed the dripping rod and reel to make sure it wasn’t going anywhere.
Then I thought, hang on a feckin minute, how did I even get down here?!
A bit of backwards scrambling feeling for footholds and eventually I hauled myself and my sodden gear back on to drier land.
That pretty much sealed the decision to leave but I cast out the other rod as it was ready and almost instantly had a bite that I actually saw.
Nothing fancy. A bigger pout about 10/12oz.
The wind was actually easing and on another night, especially after catching a larger fish, I’d probably have stayed but the decision to leave had been made.
Plus it occurred to me that I could probably continue on into town and catch the kebab shop before he shut, so that definitely sealed the deal!
Best catch of the night, a half pound cheeseburger! ?????
Still think that mark might do something on the right night, but it wasn’t tonight!
Aches and pains weren’t great, again, but I checked out a local harbour mark in the afternoon on Saturday and it was well sheltered, plus it was hardly any great walk.
So with comments of ‘you must be mad!’ ringing in my ears as I went out the door, I drove the 10 minutes to the mark around 8pm and made the short hike out to the rock platform.
First impressions, shit, the wind had changed. It was meant to be northerly but I’d swear it was more north west as it was blowing into the harbour mouth and in my face.
Great ?
I’d taken fairly light rods, my Penn Vendettas, and they were bouncing around a fair bit (Joe was right!)
My targets were whiting or dabs. It’s all pretty sandy here as long as you don’t hit a mooring chain and my theory was the stormy conditions would have pushed a few better fish inside the harbour after whatever was stirred up.
Never actually fished it in the winter so it was something in the nature of an experiment.
Baits we’re just small strips of herring, squid and bits of black lug, on a flapper and also a light pulley rig.
It was really miserable in the wind, everything was trying to blow away and my first retrieve revealed what looked like crab chewed baits plus great lumps of weed.
Wahoo ?
This persisted for a couple of casts and I figured I’d have maybe 4/5 casts with each rod and if it didn’t improve I was going to sack it off.
Next retrieve saw a tiny pout among the weed…
Not really encouraging as that was probably what was nibbling the bait and quite often they’re about when nothing bigger is.
Oh, and the other snood was caked in eel slime.
Deep joy ??
Then disaster!
My tripod blew over while I was rebating and the other rod bounced down two ledges and landed in the drink! ??????
I don’t really recall actually getting down the rocks, but next thing I was there and watched with a sinking feeling as it slid off the last bit of rock straight into the sea ???
It instantly began to drift off with the tide and in desperation I ignored the water and plunged a foot underneath it and lifted it towards me.
Amazingly it actually worked and I grabbed the dripping rod and reel to make sure it wasn’t going anywhere.
Then I thought, hang on a feckin minute, how did I even get down here?!
A bit of backwards scrambling feeling for footholds and eventually I hauled myself and my sodden gear back on to drier land.
That pretty much sealed the decision to leave but I cast out the other rod as it was ready and almost instantly had a bite that I actually saw.
Nothing fancy. A bigger pout about 10/12oz.
The wind was actually easing and on another night, especially after catching a larger fish, I’d probably have stayed but the decision to leave had been made.
Plus it occurred to me that I could probably continue on into town and catch the kebab shop before he shut, so that definitely sealed the deal!
Best catch of the night, a half pound cheeseburger! ?????
Still think that mark might do something on the right night, but it wasn’t tonight!
Good save tho mate well done on the pout ???I think ??
