Lure fishing – Page 5 – Hooks, Lines & Sinkers

Slow start continues…

Second trip of the Spring down to Dorset yesterday – more, as it turned out, for a recce and refresh of what this particular area was looking like after the Winter break. It was a solo trip with my pal Nobby deciding against it after looking at the benign weather and in fairness, in that respect, he was 100% right! Still, I had the opportunity so wasn’t going to waste the chance of having a go and at the very least having a stroll along the coast checking things out.

The first thing to get back used to was the alarm going off early and dragging myself out of my pit at 2:45 am! Once I’m up I’m OK it’s just that initial step of pulling the covers back that’s the hard part – madly I do love being up this time of day and it’s great for getting anywhere quickly with no one else on the road.

Arrived, kitted up and set off just as the light was beginning to change. Unfortunately, the short cut to the place where I would normally have made my way down to the coast had the gate closed off due to land slippage…. luckily I was aware of this before I set off so had already resigned myself to taking the tougher shoreline route round. Only a minor inconvenience and it wasn’t long before I was fishing though the conditions were not encouraging – as forecast it was fairly flat and water was almost aquarium-like in clarity.

Nothing was happening early doors with little sign of life in the water if I’m perfectly honest but nevertheless I continued to walk and fish. What was noticeable was the amount of land slippage and cliff fall there has been over the Winter in this area of Dorset – parts of the cliff do look a lot more precarious in places than I’ve seen before so something I’ll be aware of when fishing here over the rest of the year.

There were some decent, fairly fresh clumps of kelp washed up underneath the cliffs but there were no flies present so no maggots either….

Moved on further round the coast with not a sniff on either the hard or soft plastics I tried ranging from Feed Shallows, Gunfish, Komonos to Sluggos, Wave worms, Flash J Shads or the Black Minnows. One good thing about the clear water on these early season sessions is it gives you an opportunity to see the action of the lures underwater which was great for me with some of the new soft plastics I’ve acquired recently. In particular I like the colour and action of the Flash J Shads – hopefully they’ll be fish catchers – they look like they should be…

I’d almost given up on the fact there were any fish in the sea when I had a knock on the Black Minnow which had the tell tale signs of a wrasse. Next cast out confirmed it with this small fish…

It saved a blank I guess but whilst I always respect them they just don’t give me the buzz that catching a bass does! Returned safely I moved on and cast out again and immediately got hit again by a wrasse…this one could have been the twin brother of the one I’d just caught…

At this point I decided to turn and fish my way back. The tide was turning and the wind had swung around a bit creating a nice chop on the surface but it was still very clear water. This did look slightly better though and encouragingly I started to notice the odd mullet or two cruising around so no doubt there would be a few bass in amongst them I suspect. Alas, there was no further fish action to report though and by lunchtime I was back at the car ready to head home.

We could do with a run of south westerly winds now in this part of the world just to create a bit of swell and fizz the water up a bit… might get those bass moving inshore? Hopefully, after the next set of spring tides they will be there!

Finally, this was a second outing for the Maxpedition Sitka sling bag which you’ll notice I’ve ‘pimped’ with a pouch and Hampshire badge!! I’m liking this bit of kit a lot – plenty of storage, comfortable, doesn’t feel bulky with easy, quick access to everything I need when fishing. Thumbs up so far!

Until next time…

A head banging experience…

Well, the first session of the season did not turn out quite as planned though it had it’s moments even if there were no fish to report… and yes, first session equals first blank!

Nobby and myself had been in a bit of a quandary where to fish but the temptation of Dorset was strong and so we decided to head that way despite not hearing of any bass being taken from the shore there to lures so far this season. It was a lovely morning and place to be come what may so a useful early season recce at the very least was to be had.

Arrived, got our clobber together and marched off to the coastal path which had changed somewhat since the last time we visited this venue with one of the infamous Dorset landslips taking account of an area of the path down. Slight detour required but no other dramas on the way down… what we could see was gin clear water with very little movement which was not ideal. At the shore, after a few minutes deciding which direction to head, we decided on due east towards a prominent headland.

Up close water clarity was as clear as I have ever seen it down here and several shoals of mullet could be seen cruising around…. shame there weren’t any bass amongst them though. Started with the old faithful lure’s like Feed Shallow’s and Zonk’s but not a sniff for either of us… it had the feeling of being an unproductive day so I decided to switch to soft plastics and in particular some new one’s for me. First up was the Wave Bamboo Stick Worm rigged on a hitch hiker hook – this is a weedless and weightless set up so ideal for shallow ground rigged like this – it bounces along nicely in and out of the rocky gullies – liked it and it casts superbly for a soft plastic worm with no weight… think this will be a winner (famous last words!). Next up was The Arrow Flash J shad which again I rigged with the hitchhiker hook and that too had a superb action in the water… I see no reason why that won’t catch over the course of the year either.

All said and done though we were not getting any interest from bass, wrasse or even small pollack whatsoever and a quick dunk of the hand in the sea told you all you need to know about reasons why the fish aren’t that active yet…. water temperature is still damn cold!

So, we marched on round the coast and then the main event of the day occurred. Nobby was probably 50 yards ahead of me so I was walking to catch him up when climbing over the rocks I lost my footing and I was over… stupidly using my head to cushion my landing! Yes, there was claret and I’m nursing a nice bruise as I write this for my efforts. Thankfully, I always carry a first aid kit with me so we were able to deal with it easily…. a valuable lesson though and a reminder that it’s probably the most important bit of kit you can take with you. Here’s the cleaned up head this morning – doesn’t look much but the bruise is smarting a bit today… excuse the greying hair!

More disastrously, once we’d sorted the head wound I thought I’d snapped the tip ring off my rod but on closer inspection it had just popped off. Luckily we were able to slide it back on 90% of the way and it was a good snug fit meaning I could carry on fishing – was lucky there! Repair required but nowhere near as bad as it could of been and a quick text conversation with Richard at Dorset Fishing Rods has since pointed me in the right direction.

We carried on fruitlessly along the shore but it was beautiful out there so I wasn’t complaining…. it was just nice to be out and trying out some new lures and other kit.

On that note a quick word on the Maxpedition Sitka sling bag… this was it’s first fishing outing and early impressions are terrific. Was exceptionally comfortable to have on all day and was great not having to take a bag off my shoulder every time I wanted to change lure or such like. It’s spacious and rugged too and all in all I think I may well have found my ideal solution for a fishing lure bag. We’ll see…

That pretty much was it it for the day apart from a steep hike back up the cliff face and a trudge back to the car in the sun. All in all valuable lessons learnt once more and nice to get back in the swing of things after the long Winter lay off….. just need the bass to show up now!

Until next time…

Stocking up…

Until recently I’d only given cursory thought to fishing this year what with the inclement cold weather and other commitments, but gradually things are starting to tick again. At this time of year, for me, that usually means checking over my kit from the end of last year and then thinking about what I might need to kick off the new season and beyond.

I’m pretty good at looking after my kit and all the major things were sound such as rods, reels, waders, etc. along with all the hard plugs which all seem in good shape. I did need to replenish the soft plastics though – I used them more last year and anticipate that trend to continue this season… there’s certainly a lot of variety and methods of rigging them to try out so something I will be endeavouring to do more of for sure. Purchased are some old favourites like Lunker City Sluggo’s, Megabass Xlayers, Savage Gear Sandeels and Fiiish Black Minnows but I’ve also gone for some I’ve yet to try like the reputable Do Live Sticks (below) and the Savage Gear Real Eels which look promising.

Braid is also something I like to replace each year so that has been on my shopping list as well. In the past I’ve been a fan of Stren Sonic just because it casts well into the wind and is pretty good abrasion wise but unfortunately it looks like it is being discontinued which is a shame although, luckily, I have managed to get hold of 300m at a decent price. To compliment it this year I’ve decided to give Sunline Super PE Braid a go on one spool in addition to the Stren Sonic on the other spool. Will be interesting to see how they compare. Aside from that it’s been mainly hooks, clips and a few single lure holders.

So, there you have it, there will be a few new bits of end tackle to try out along with the more major items I have acquired over the Winter months…namely the new 9’ 6” DFR rod and the Maxpedition Sitka bag.

The important thing is that going through the process of preparing for the new season has really whet my appetite to get out there again….. just need the weather and the water to warm up a bit. Really can’t wait though I suspect, until that water temperature does rise, there will be a few early season blanks to report on… but you never know!!

Until next time…

Looking back over 2012…

Thought it would be interesting to choose three good and three bad things I found with fishing last year… all in my own opinion and simply things that have stuck most in my mind. There are always other plus and minus points but these are my choices… I think?!

The three bad first…

In first place… the weather!

(Above) Chesil Beach on a stormy day…

I just can’t remember such a bad year for fishing weather-wise in recent times. Whether it was gales with deluges of rain resulting in coloured water to make lure fishing near on hopeless or northerly and easterly winds putting the fish off completely, it just didn’t seem to click in 2012. There were very few decent summer days where conditions came together with autumn not much better. It has to get better in 2013 surely?

Second has to be – hard lure quality.

(Above) Bass on a poorly finished Tackle House Feed Shallow

Others have said it in the past and I have noticed it a lot this year. There are an awful lot of lures out there priced in the UK at circa. £20 a go which are really shabbily put together in my opinion. My biggest problem is the finish on the lures – it’s just not durable enough. A prime example is the Tackle House Feed Shallow which to it’s credit is a proven bass catcher but the finish on them is poor and deteriorates quickly unless you take to slapping a coat of clear nail varnish on them for added protection. The trebles for such a pricey lure are not the best either so all in all it would be nice to see some better quality for the price tag some of these lures command in the UK.

Third – not lure fishing the Isle of Wight.

(Above) the Isle of Wight – missed opportunity in 2012?

It was one of the things I promised myself I would do last year but didn’t get round to doing which I’m a bit disappointed with myself about. It will be on my 2013 ‘to do’ list again probably in the form of at least one long weekend – I am confident there are some decent bass to be had on lures from the coast there. It’s on my doorstep – I must do it!

… and the three good are…

No. 1 – the Cornwall trip!

(Above) The Cornish coast – fishing in some stunning scenery

Second year in succession my pal Nobby and I have ventured down to the deepest depths of Cornwall and although we’ve not hit the bigger bass we have had plenty of smaller fish with decent pollack and mackerel to throw into the mix. I just love the place and with stunning backdrops to our fishing, plenty of walking, and great Cornish hospitality what’s not too love?! A real highlight of the fishing year for me.

Second – the Fiiish Black Minnow

(Above) The excellent Fiiish Black Minnow

Been much lauded elsewhere in the lure fishing world over the past twelve months and with good reason in my book. Had my best bass of the year of 6lb+ on one and several other fish on them using the 90, 120 and 160 sizes. Definitely one to stock up on over the winter.

In third place -the Shimano Rarenium 4000

(Above) The Shimano Rarenium 4000 – the middle reel of these three

For a couple of years now I’ve played around with a few spinning reels in the sub £200 bracket and finally in 2012 I got my hands on the Rarenium. I’d been trying to find something a bit different but have now realised why the Rarenium is so popular for lure fishing. For sub £200 in my opinion it is the best lure fishing reel out there. I’ve tried a Daiwa Fuego spinning reel from the US which runs it close but it is just not as smooth on the retrieve, the line lay is not as good and it does not cast quite so well. The Rarenium is a safe bet if you’re in the market for a new spinning reel in this price bracket.

So, there you have it – all a bit of fun but maybe some of you concur or disagree totally?! Will be interesting to look back on 2013 and see what was good and bad…. hopefully not the same things – roll on Summer!!

Until next time…

No bass….. but wrasse of many colours

Today was quite possibly my final fishing foray of the year what with work and then the festive season approaching but it didn’t yield a late bass as I had hoped. Location was the Purbecks again but truth be told conditions were not ideal with light northerlies and a flat sea though water clarity was decent enough. It was a beautiful morning though and I just love being fishing early doors and seeing the sun come up…

As I say, I was hoping for a late bass and I thought my best chance would be as the light changed but it was pretty dead to be honest – not a sniff on hard lures or even soft plastics so not much to get excited about at all.

Stopped fishing for a coffee and then moved round the shore to a different section and finally I had my first bite and a fish on – not a bass but a chunky wrasse on a Fiiish Black Minnow 120…

I’m not a great wrasse fan but they are colourful nonetheless and I picked up a further three of them during the course of the morning all on the Fiiish Black Minnow 120.

Here’s one in green…

Another red one…

And a more orange one…

A change to the Black Minnow in 160 once again seemed to reduce the wrasse attacks but didn’t entice a bass!! I was probably fishing for about 4 hours in total and although the wrasse were not what I had hoped to catch, it was a lovely day to be out with some great light and colour to take photos in if nothing else!

That was pretty much it though here are a few more pictures I took today…

Better start thinking about Christmas I guess – wonder what Santa might bring me fishing-wise?? Just in case I don’t post again until 2013 I’ll take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until next time…

Fiiished!

Had the opportunity to get out today to try for an autumn bass but to be honest the winds weren’t looking very favourable with light northerlies usually meaning flat seas and little or no movement in the water. But with only maybe a handful of opportunities in the coming weeks to get out I couldn’t pass up this chance so I was up early doors and heading down to Dorset in the dark. I was really unsure where to go and it was only on the way down I finally decided on a rockier mark than I’ve tried of late and it turned out not too bad a decision.

After arriving at the car park I headed off but on seeing the sea it confirmed my worst fears that conditions might not be conducive to bass fishing at all – it really was flat with little movement in the water…

It did not exactly scream fish and so it proved all the way through until daylight. In the dark I tried a Komomo II in Akakin worked slowly which I’ve done OK on in low light in the past but that was fruitless, then as light hit I went for a Gunfish on the surface but it just wasn’t happening.

I moved on round the coast and found a slightly deeper channel between some rocky outcrops but before I fished I had five minutes out to grab a quick drink and a bit of sustenance for breakfast. I pondered during this time and decided it was time to bring out the Fiiish Black Minnow. Now, I’ve spoken about these in a previous post but today I was well armed with them and had made sure that they were properly rigged. When I say well armed I had the 90, 120 and even 160 versions all with shore jig heads. The only problem with the 160 version is that fully rigged the lure is 53grams – my rod has a casting weight of 10 – 50g…. I decided on a few tentative casts not putting any undue pressure on the rod. I would not be doing this on a lower rated rod believe me!

The lure cast fine with a good action in the water and on the third cast, on a very slow retrieve, no more than 20 feet out, the Black Minnow was hit…. fish on! It felt a better fish than I’ve had recently with a couple of decent head shakes and dives for cover but with minimal drag set on my reel it didn’t get too far and soon enough a nice fat 60cm+ bass was on the rock roughly around the 5lb mark though it was a very fat fish so it may have been a bit more…

It was hooked pretty well through the scissors of the mouth, it had certainly nailed the Black Minnow. I had a few more casts at this spot but no more takes came so I fished on round the shoreline… again with no further action. A slight change was needed so I decided to scale down to the 120 Black Minnow version and almost immediately I was getting hit by wrasse – that was not what was needed …

Changed back to the 160 and the annoying wrasse hits stopped – this 160 version is just big enough that it seemed to put off the wrasse – the small one’s at least! Fiiish do a 140 version of the Black Minnow as well which might be the answer to my casting weight issue and keeping the wrasse away…. if, that is, they can sort out a shore jig head which at the moment I don’t think they do? I stand to be corrected on this!

By now the morning was getting on and it was very pleasant in the sunshine, I met one other angler but he had not managed anything so far during the morning. I had no further joy either so after fishing all the way back, changing back to hard plugs for a while, I called it a day and decided to head home.

Here are a few more pictures of the day…

Komomo II Bora Mullet – not successful today!

Dorset coast…

Recent rockfall…

So, a decent bass and a few pesky wrasse to show for my efforts plus a few more things learned about the Black Minnow in particular. In all honesty it was far better session than I expected today given the benign conditions and proof that the bass can still be had as we approach the Winter months. Not sure when I’ll be out next but I remain hopeful I’ll get another opportunity before Christmas is upon us.

Until next time…

Another stroll along Chesil…

With a long weekend booked off to spend a bit of quality time with the wife it would have been wrong to have gone fishing… and so it was at 5 a.m yesterday morning on our first day off I was walking Chesil in the dark hunting my quarry! In fairness I had sown the fishing seed a while back and it was greeted with a favourable response – she’s a good lass really!

Conditions were good with a south westerly blow, clear water with a decent fizz in it and cloud cover – I was hopeful. On went the Zonk in Hot Shad but nothing was doing as daylight broke so decided to change tact and tried on the surface with a Patchinko and then a Gunfish but still not a sniff. The water by now was starting to get really white with the surf coming in so it was back on with a Zonk – the Pearl Rainbow one this time … half a dozen casts and 50 or so yards along the shore later and the first of two quick fish were accounted for. Again, only schoolies but good scrappers on the light gear and stunning fish nonetheless…

This, I thought, was encouraging but as quick as the fish arrived they were gone again, a fellow angler I spoke with later had much the same experience with a couple of fish then nothing.

The wind had increased and there was a decent swell coming in now which made it harder work but it still looked very tasty for bass…

I really did expect to see some fish running the waves and maybe catching a few but it was difficult to make out whether they were there with the amount of white water being thrown up now. Nevertheless, I tried surface and sub-surface lures again all they way back in hope but it wasn’t to be and I had to accept my quick fire double as the only fish of the day.

Here are a couple more pictures from the day…

Not sure if I’ll get out again this weekend, but hopefully I can get out again before the month is out – that will be work and weather dependant so I live in hope!

Until next time…

Lessons learnt…

Well, I had an unexpected bonus this morning with the opportunity to get some fishing in for a few hours so even though it would be a solo trip this time I was more than happy to oblige. The wind was forecast as a north easterly veering to easterly so not ideal but I was keen so set the alarm for an early doors start down in The Purbecks. With coffee consumed on the drive down I was raring to go.

It was pitch black when I arrived but I could hear a steady surf rolling in which was encouraging. I quickly got prepped and set off to my first mark. The first spot I chose was not too rocky so I was hoping I wouldn’t have too many problems getting snagged in the dark, especially with a favoured Komomo II lure working just below the surface. Drag set on reel and I cast into the darkness. After several more casts working this part of the shore nothing materialised so as the light changed I decided to move on to rougher ground but continued with the same lure…. after two or three casts the lure was hit no more than a rod length away from my rod tip and ‘fish on’…. the silver flash as it hit followed by a surface roll gave away it was a bass which was pleasing but it very quickly went pear shaped. School boy error number one – always remember to tighten the drag more when moving from open to rough ground….the fish made a dash for cover and in a split second I was stuck fast – no amount of coaxing could get it out and the inevitable happened with fish and lure lost. I hate losing lures but even worse when you know it could be still attached to the fish – hopefully the fish will lose it. In the course of all this I’d also managed to take a soaking as a wave slapped into the rock I was fishing from and covered me… I cursed slightly! At least the sunrise from this mark was worthy of a picture…

It was time for a change of tact and I moved to a new mark and decided on trying a new soft lure I’d purchased after hearing of it’s apparent appeal to bass. It was the Fiiish Black Minnow which originates from France but has been getting results in UK and Irish waters by all accounts. I had it rigged with a 12g shore jig head and the 120 Khaki body. This lure comes in three parts – the jig head, the ‘Krog’ hook and then the soft body. Apart from looking appealing the real benefit is how the hook conceals itself in a similar way to a Texas rig hence making it less likely to snag in weedy and rocky marks:

So, with the drag set and the Black Minnow rigged and ready to go (or so I thought) I cast out and literally within a couple of turns of the handle, on my first cast with this the lure, it took a great hit and line was starting to be taken as the fish headed out to sea…. this felt like a better fish and after I managed to get it back towards the shore the swirls on the surface and a sighting of the silver flank confirmed it….. then for the second time in no more than an hour things went pear shaped. The bass was only a few yards out now but made another surge for freedom, shook it’s head and the line went slack…. I was gutted but not as gutted as when I wound in to find the jig head and body in place but the just the hook gone. This was likely to have been my second schoolboy error – new lure, did I check it was 100% properly rigged – no I didn’t and I can only presume the fish took advantage of my shoddy rigging. Here’s how I think I must have rigged the hook and jig head:

… and here’s how I should have checked it was rigged:

You have to imagine the body part attached but I think the mistake is plain to see. I may have been extremely unlucky with the fish managing to shake the hook out of the correct position but I believe on balance of probability I contributed to my own downfall in this instance. So, once again I cursed myself – it’s a sickening feeling losing a decent fish in these circumstances but you have to take it on the chin and learn from it.

The positive note was that the lure was obviously attractive to the fish so I rigged up with another one – making sure the hook was set correctly this time – and had another go. There were no big takes again but I was getting tell tale nibbles from wrasse and one greedy one went for it…

That was as good as it got and at around 11 a.m I called it a day and headed back along the shore contemplating what might have been… there were some valuable lessons learned today for sure! It had been a lovely morning though so I mustn’t grumble… a bad days fishing is better than a good day at work after all!

Until next time…

A Welcome Dorset Foray

Firstly, an apology for the quality of some of the photos – schoolboy error on my part…. forgot to wipe the lense before I started!

Onwards and upwards though and today was my first chance to wet a line since the Cornish jaunt – this time it was a bit closer to home but it was still an hour’s journey down to Dorset. There was a trio of us fishing today – regular sparring partner Nobby and another pal Richard Cake of Dorset Fishing Rods fame. It was an early start as the weather was forecast to deteriorate as the day progressed so we wanted to make the most of the better conditions…. that meant the alarm going off at 2:45am and a large coffee to go. Arrived around 4:30 with Richard meeting us soon after though we were then slightly delayed as Mr Cake seemed to have a few problems deciding which of his many lures to pack….. anyone who knows Richard will understand why his own blog is called ‘Lure Addict!’.

Soon enough we were trudging the shore and before not too long we were casting out into the dark into a decent but not too challenging south westerly. I think we were all fishing Zonks to start with – I know I certainly was with the Hot Shad variety the choice I had plummed for given the conditions. There was not a lot to report until the light was upon us when Richard took a schoolie to get us off the mark . All the time the wind was steadily increasing so I changed tact and decided on something with a bit of punch and slim profile to try and cut through the wind – the choice was the Duo Tide Vib Slim 140 D-27…

This proved a good choice and coupled with Richard letting me try out one of his excellent 9’6” rods as opposed to my own 8’6” I was able to get better distance into the head wind and that put me on the bass. My first hook up I lost in the surf though I did see the fish and it was only a couple of pounds at best. Encouraging and it was looking ‘fishy’ now with good colour and a bit of fizz in the water as the swell and wind increased. A hundred yards along the shore and ‘bang!’ the lure was hit again and this time the fish was landed safely – a lovely conditioned bass again around the couple of pound mark…

Not long after that I picked up a smaller schoolie and that was it for a while but at least I hadn’t blanked!

We stopped for a few minutes to refuel ourselves at what turned out to be the furthest point along the shore we ventured. Here’s the lads taking a breather, with Richard once again sorting through one of his many lure boxes!

Once we started fishing again we had the ‘incident’ of the day with Richard having the misfortune of a juvenile sea gull snatching his brand new lure… this was not good! The bird was less than impressed but with a bit of gentle winding and coaxing we managed to get the bird under control…

And ready for treble hook removal…

All was well in the end with Rich practising his strict ‘catch and release’ policy…

We fished back as best we could with a few more schoolies to boot. Richard was getting up close and personal with one of them!

By now the head wind was making lure fishing extremely difficult with the swell getting up as well so we took the hint and trudged back to the car – not easy with the wind as it was and the shingle underfoot!

All-in-all though a smashing few hours fishing despite the weather deteriorating as it did and especially good to catch up and fish with Rich again – top man. Already thinking about opportunities to get out again in the coming weeks – prime time for some better bass as they feed up before heading offshore so I definitely need to manufacturer a fishing window or two!

Until next time…

Cornwall Trip… Day Five – The Last Hurrah!

So, final day of the trip and we had two extra bodies with us… Paul and a mate of his Steve who had not fished before! Paul had plenty of kit though and soon had him kitted out ready to rock and roll. It was to prove a slightly damp experience for Steve!!

We headed north of Newquay, grabbed a pasty along the way and then bobbed into a well known lure fishing shop in the area to pick up a few supplies. A short trip from there and we were at our chosen mark.

Conditions were bright but there was a fair westerly blow coming in which meant a hefty swell….. it did looked ‘bassy’ though with some nice gullies and white water swirling around. We would be fishing a flooding tide from low up so we were able to see some of the channels the sea would be reclaiming and it looked good. We split up with Nobby and myself heading a bit further round from the other guys and then down the rocks and as close to the waters edge as we dared. Here’s a couple of shots of the ground…

The swell coming in was getting progressively bigger as the tide flooded in and we both took a couple of waves to wake us up a bit! It wasn’t long before Nobby had a hit on the lure of the week the Savage Gear sandeel but it didn’t stick. Encouraging though and within a few casts he had a bass of around the 3lb mark to show for his efforts – the best of the week as it turned out – he really did have the best week on the fish front out of all of us! Next cast he had another hit and this time it ripped line from the reel, the rod was bent nicely and this seemed like it may well be a decent fish before ‘ping’ and the line went slack….. the air went blue. On retrieval the lure clip had given out so the trusty sandeel was gone! Me – same lure, same tactic – not even a sniff!!

By now the swells were getting pretty hefty and somewhat dangerous so we decided to head over the headland to a spot in the lea of the wind and prevailing seas… what a difference – it was near on flat in comparison! I’d decide to throw on a Tide Minnow and give that a bash and first cast ‘bang’ fish on… if only a small bass and it saved a blank at the end of the day!

This is where Steve had his fun and games! He had perched himself on a rock not far from the tide line but his inexperience probably told in that he misjudged the incoming tide and when he went to get off he took a dunking!! It was deeper than he thought! Obviously he learnt the error of his ways and took up residence on a much safer rock a bit further round the bay…. wrong!! He was again fishing away but it wasn’t his day and as he climbed down from the rock it was swimming time again I’m afraid! He was under the mis-apprehension that we had not seen his second episode in the drink but alas for him it was all duly noted and remarked upon with Paul and Nobby chuckling quietly on their fishing platform…

There were no more fish to show for our efforts and the time had come to put it to bed for the day and indeed for the this year’s trip. We headed back to Paul’s to wash the kit down, have a quick brew and then we were on the road home to sunny Hampshire.

All told it was another great trip – plenty of fish if not of any decent size – think we may have been a bit early for the bigger one’s in this neck of the woods. Nobby and his Savage Gear Sandeel definitely took the plaudits for the week that is for sure! Great company, lots of laughs and a real tonic after a summer when I’ve not fished anywhere near as much as I had hoped. Mustn’t grumble though as thoughts have already turned to next year and where we might turn to for our annual fishing foray… Cornwall again? Maybe, but perhaps the time has come to try somewhere a bit different – we’ll see. Hope you’ve enjoyed the write up of the trip… my thoughts have already turned to when I can get a decent session in somewhere in Dorset… it’s addictive this lure fishing lark!

I’ll leave you with some additional photos from the trip…

One of Nobby’s bass…