My first attempt at sea fishing this spring took place on a gloomy, drizzly Saturday. I fished with my old pal Mr T and the day was as much about catching up as catching fish. The wind was from the north and as the trip was to be a social one I figured Radar beach would give us the most shelter. After an awkward walk through gorse we dumped our kit and immediately set about erecting shelter, for once this took place before any thought was put into getting a bait in the water. The drizzle was miserable but we were well wrapped up and from our camp could barely feel the wind.
Rigging up was slow because I hadn’t done this for months
but just before 1700 I launched a whole squid on a pulley rig. On the second rod I tried something
different; what I believe is called a ‘one up – one down rig’. Above the lead I fixed a plastic boom with a
size 1 Aberdeen on a twelve inch hooklength, this was baited with strips of
squid. Below the lead was a hooklength
of about two feet with a 2/0 hook to which I bound a chunk of bluey. The idea being the smaller hook and bait will
pick up pretty much anything while the bigger bait might get me something
special like a Ray. Mr T stuck to one
rod to which he attached his version of a ‘two up-one down’ rig with a
selection of baits. So finally fishing
we sat down and cracked open a beer, toasting a dear departed friend on what
would have been his birthday.
For a couple of hours we sat staring out at a grey expanse, chatting and chuckling, eating piles of chilli. The day had been miserable but by evening the cloud was breaking up and the drizzle mostly stayed away, we were warm, fed and comfortable but there was no sign of fish and in theses saltwater settings, catching always seems unlikely until you actually get a bite, which I did around 1900. It was the light rod with the ‘new’ rig and a proper bite too which of course I managed to miss. Minutes later I was still rebaiting when Mr T’s rod hooped over, he done a much better job and was into a decent fish. I concentrated on whipping on fresh bait until Mr T’s shout got me moving. I jogged down the beach just in time to see a bloody great Ray appear in the surf! I hauled it up the beach away from the waves and we stood staring at this awesome creature! Then we loudly cheered our success. Mr T had caught it but I was just as happy as he was. After a couple of photos we recorded a PB for Mr T and returned it to the sea. The trip was an overwhelming success and it wasn’t even dark!
From then onwards we had bites regularly although it was
never all go, the bites came steadily.
The fish came on all three rods and were happy to take any bait, mostly
Whiting with a couple of Dogfish each but Mr T also had a second, much smaller
Ray. With high tide just before 2200 we
fished into darkness which on this occasion didn’t bring any change in the
action. In many ways the evening was
perfect, regular bites but not the non stop, can’t sit down action we sometimes
experience, in between we were able to chill out and chat. When the tide turned the bites stopped which
often seems to be the case at this location and by this time we were both
thoroughly knackered, why is beach fishing so tiring? Back at the car it was good to unload and
then relax into a comfortable seat, home through dark country lanes, Marley on
the stereo hit the spot. It was great to
be beach fishing once more, now I can’t wait to get back.
For the next couple of months I will be doing more of the
same and judging by the last two springs I should see plenty of Whiting,
Dogfish and if I’m really, really lucky a Cod.
What I really want to catch are the bigger creatures, Rays to begin with
and Smoothounds later on, hence the multi hook rig. As a coarse angler presenting two baits on
the same rig feels almost wrong but I want to hedge my bets more with different
types of bait. The alternative is to
fish a third rod but I like the simplicity of fishing just two. To call beach fishing ‘simple’ would be an
insult to proper sea anglers who are every bit as skilled and inventive as any
other branch of our sport. But I don’t
want to be a proper sea angler, what I do is simple and that makes it all the
more enjoyable.
Bank holiday weekend, the coast would be busy with bored,
irritating people so my best chance of peace was to go early on a gloomy
Saturday morning. High tide would be
1339 so I’d be fishing the tide up which would do nicely for the place I had in
mind. I was on the road by 0730, the
country lanes were quiet but what traffic there was definitely wasn’t in a
hurry and the journey became frustrated.
Eventually I pulled the car over and had a long walk on solid ground
before arriving at the beach that boils.
The morning was gloomy with a light northerly wind which I barely felt. I’m a creature of habit so out went a whole squid on a pulley/Pennell and this was swiftly followed by the one up/one down rig baited with squid and bluey. I wasn’t expecting much to begin with so was surprised to have rattles on both rods from the off. By 0915 the first proper waves were breaking but the bites seemed to be slowing up. Twenty minutes later a proper bite slack lined the heavy rod and saw me winching in the first fish of the day, an average sized Dogfish saw land for a minute. Catching something is always a massive confidence boost when you’re sat staring at miles and miles of sea but that was the last time the rod moved in anger for a long while.
During the next few hours the most interesting things were two massive Crabs at almost the same time, one on each rod. These were removed very carefully using forceps at arms length. One of the brutes scuttled back down the beach and into the drink quickly and without fuss but the other was the world’s most inept crab. I mean it wasn’t very good at being a crab, it seemed to prefer being on land and actually seemed scared of the sea, twice it allowed a wave to flip it onto its back where it wiggled its legs in a hapless show of frustration until I flipped it back the right way up. Eventually the useless creature made it safely back to sea but even then it was doing backstroke.
Just into the afternoon the tips started to show promising
signs, tentative plucks and little rattles.
At 1315 the heavy rod finally hooped over but of course I managed to
miss the bite. For the next hour I had
sporadic nibbles which would get me out of the chair but by the time I reached
the rod all would be still again. By now
the wind had swung to the east blowing right into my chops and I had to don the
heavy jacket, which until this point had been hanging on the back of the chair.
By 1500 the sea was retreating again but the cheerful ramblers were advancing. I know they mean well but my patience is stretched after having the same conversation thousands of times. With a break in the foot traffic I gave it a little while longer but that wind was a cold one and I’d had enough. I tidied up the kit then packed away the light rod but glancing up I saw the over tip was bouncing, another unmissable bite and this time I didn’t. My second Dogfish was a little bigger than the first but didn’t inspire me to have another cast.
Just a few yards inland it was a much warmer day and the
tramp back to the car raised a sweat.
I’d expected more if I’m honest so a couple of doggies was a bit
disappointing but it’s a bit more learned and filed away. Next week will be an evening tide and there’s
no doubt the dark hours bring better fishing and the atmosphere is magic.
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