30/7/10 Tough going

There's a very fine line between success and failure in  mullet fishing.Sometimes just one fish is enough to make a good session,especially if the odds are stacked against you, as they were  today.With so few fish showing downriver yesterday,I headed up to the mudflats for a LW session for about 2 1/2 hours, after finishing work this morning.
As usual plenty of (Inaccessible)mullet were showing on the walk down, and some serious lip marks on the exposed mud at the top flats but, when I reached the lower flats there was nothing.Stone dead, and it felt like it too.Sometimes you can just sense when things aren't right.Not only that  but the wind had suddenly kicked in big time -enough to bend the rod! I'd misread the tide,dithered a bit a home,and probably arrived a bit too late as the water was pushing in very fast,no doubt assisted by the wind.
Without as much as a sniff of action and,not wanting to be cut off ,I moved up to the middle flats after an hour or so, and fished the drop off.Again, very little evidence of  fish except, perhaps, the odd swirl in the ,by now, quite murky water.
I was beginning to think I would blank-fortunately a rare occurrence SO FAR this year but,I talked myself out of it and persisted..........and, after another hour or so, a  bite.......I think.Difficult to tell with so much surface disturbance, but I was pretty sure it was 'fishy' movement on the float.
Another positive bite confirmed something was there and then,on the next cast the float buried itself,and I was IN.Lucky hit really as, being dog tired,there was some considerable delay in my strike .Trying to avoid the line running on the rocky ledge,I probably bullied the fish a bit too much as, after beaching , I noticed a tear in his lip but,  he turned out to be a pleasing catch at 4-04.
Rather obligingly,and probably knackered  due to my uncompromising playing style,he decided not to swim away immediately once I'd set him back in the water,but instead, sat quietly between my feet until I literally pushed him off.
With my mood lifted and brimming with confidence,I moved up to the top flats to avoid getting wet,fished on for a while, but to no avail.I don't think I've ever fished the float here at this state of tide,but it was easy going being completely out of the main flow.
Although the wind had dropped off a little,tiredness got the better of me and I'd had enough so made my way back to the van feeling pleased that my stubbornness had paid off.
One thought for the future-It now turns out that this venue could be fished around a whole tide,possibly with a bit of raking of the top flat at LW and perhaps treading in some mash.

29/7/10 Tesco's

Bit of a change of venue this time with a first crack for the season at the tesco's stretch, fishing LW up from 10am-1pm.I started half way along the flood bank upstream of the mud bank and was soon getting bites but NOT hitting them in the virtually still water.I've always found that the mullet manage to spit the bait out 'lightning quick' in these circumstances and I must have fumbled nearly a dozen takes  before eventually hooking up to one of 2-12.

As the water flooded getting a safe foothold in the rocks became tricky,so I moved down to the bottom of the stretch where,again,it took no time at all to get bites.An extremely slow take was connected with-a small mullet-but it was off in a few seconds because I hadn't actually struck home.First lost fish with the new Preston rod but in exceptional circumstances so I wasn't too worried.

I later bumped off a fish at distance as the flood proper set in and apart from 2 bass that was it.A little frustrating-I feel as if I should have banked three at least! There weren't actually that many fish about,despite the weather conditions being pretty good,and Andy catching three evening fish here a few days back.I suspect they were elsewhere in the river.

Anyway 17 down,33 to go.

25/7/10 Hamble in the boat.

Took Jan and Bill ,our mutt, in the boat to the Hamble today, arriving at about 1-30p.m for an afternoon/evening session.I probably only visit the venue a couple of times each year in the boat nowadays,though it was a regular haunt in early days and has provided Jan with her P.B.It's an easy launch and,as long as the wind behaves,a fairly easy place (logistically ) to fish.

Today, the  wind was proving a bit problematical and first port of call,with the tide just beginning to ebb was alongside Brooklands a short hop from the Swanwick slipway.Jan opened the account with a bass and then a small thick of 2lb before i managed a bass and then decided on a move across the river to the corner of Hackett's marsh dead opposite the slip.Fish were showing in the shallows and literally on the first trot I was into a really dogged fighter which bitterly disappointed me by only making 3-15.What was also surprising was that it was probably the scruffiest mullet i've ever caught-a real old campaigner.I'd had my eye on this spot for a long time having seen fish here every time i'd visited it, including last years boat session with Robin (Fishyrob).

The wind direction proved even more of a problem in this location and,as the fight seemed to kill the swim, we decided to move again, up river, beyond the M27 road bridge, to find shelter in the picturesque country park area.

We quickly had fish moving on our mash and Jan hooked another 2lb fish which annoyingly broke the line on the boat hull.Fortunately, her disappointment was short lived, as she soon hooked,and this time landed another thick of just under 2lb.

By this time the tide had turned, was flooding slowly, and although it appeared that there were plenty of fish in the area, I suspected that they were mostly very small,or even coarse fish running back with the tide.We left for a final try back at the Brooklands swim and Jan landed another ,this time her first ever goldie of about a 1lb in about 2ft of water.

A couple more bass made it to the boat and we left the river at about 8p.m- no bigguns this time but she out fished me numbers wise-clever girl!

On returning home I found several WSF anglers on the beach out back, after hounds.Unfortunately,they weren't really playing only two of note caught -a double to Andy and 13 to one of Rob's clients.Bit disappointed by this as I'd hoped to tempt Dave down to get his first hound and it was this set of tides last year that I had my 'Bonanza' session with Lib and Rob.

On Monday night (26th) I couldn't resist having a couple of casts depite being dog tired and badly in need of an early night.Predictably,nothing showed but there had been a few taken at Climping so there are still hounds in the general area.Hopefully they'll still be around 'out back' on the next set of tides

23/7/10 Two In One

Dave's been pre-baiting a swim at Washingham for a few days in an attempt to get some bream.He fished it yesterday but could only manage small roach rudd and dace although his fishing mate, Gary ,did get a 1lb 4oz roach and a small pike which took a shine to a roach he was reeling in.The pike caught my attention,and Dave had invited me along this evening for another go.I did suggest a hounding trip out back because the 'grapevine' had reported some local hound action,but we decided that as Dave had Invested so much vitalin,hemp and corn in the river, we'd opt for that. In any case, I wanted another crack at the pike.

In the meantime,I had a couple of hours to kill between finishing work and meeting Dave so I headed up to the A259 west bank with mullet trotting gear.There were fish showing, but the tide was ebbing hard making life a little tricky.First fish 3-00 came, after missing a few ridiculous bites,from the top straight in about 2ft of water. I then moved much closer to the bridge and a deeper section 4ft close-in produced a 2-04,all in about an hours fishing.

On the walk upstream I'd passed a couple of friendly Polish chaps who were struggling to catch and complaining how difficult the mullet were.They appeared to be free lining.I told them to stick on a float,chuck in some ground bait and showed them how to pinch on some flake.At the same time I caught my second, they had one themselves and were chuffed to bits.

Finishing the mullet session I headed up to meet Dave at Washingham.Unfortunately, the bream never materialised-just some more tiny R,R,and D. Two of the biggest went on my pike rig but again,despite seeing a small pike leap out of the water,there was no show.Somehow it didn't seem right watching a pike float in the middle of summer anyway.

It seems, at the moment, the mullet are the easiest fish to catch on the river.I never thought i'd hear myself saying that but, I'm having a nice little run with them recently.Be nice to up the size a bit though-need to get the boat in.

20/7/10 Lightning Quick session.

It would have been the perfect morning, and tide to put the boat in and that's what i had planned (again) but, after last night's kayak session I couldn't get out of bed in time and I had a couple of jobs to do anyway.A missed opportunity.
In the end I just finished my work by lunchtime and had a couple of spare hours before going on night shift.Conditions couldn't be better and I knew it.I had to go mulleting.Tide was small and at the end of the ebb,water quite coloured and weather was cloudy and close.I was brimming with confidence as i walked towards the flats and ,as usual, there were plenty of fish showing In the Inaccessible 'flood bank straight' swims ( i must get up there in the boat)
Started at the lower flats but the mullet down there were conspicuous by their absence.A few ,very few, were showing in the coloured water and it almost felt a bit 'dead'.However,I persisted and, after a whelm came the only bite, and a 3-10 was the result.I got the feeling that this was the only mullet in the stretch and I was lucky to get it so , a move was in order.
I took a quick look down at the sluice, but there was nothing there so I moved up 200 yds to the middle flats- an area I'd managed to miss out on the last trip.Excellent-several fish were whelming in  three feet of water and, as time was running out, I said to myself 'once i've got one i'm going' and it really was as easy as that-a scrappy fish of 2-14 on about the fifth trot down.If only it was always like this.Probably only fished for about an hour with all the moving about.Job done-went to work one happy man.
)

19/7/10 Kayak Bass and mackerel

The weed situation on the beach at the back of the house is dire.It something that occurs every year and restricts attempts at the smoothounds which I'm sure are there at the moment.
Jan suggested we go out in the kayaks for an hour or so ,after i'd got in from work,and take the spinning rods too, as the sea was particularly calm.Jan has her own kayak ,and I have free use of my mate Andy's, as he's storing it at my house for the time being.
After making our way out to clearish water about 500yds off, It was  evident that there were fish about, but not in great concentrations.I quickly hooked up and lost a couple of fish which i presume were mackerel on the small dexter,and shortly after Jan hooked and boated a nice little bass of about a pound and a quarter on her krill.
For the next half hour or so we drifted down tide to the swimming pool and Jan then decided that she'd had enough and we'd paddle back for tea.On the way back I noticed a concentration of gulls about level with the house and decided to investigate whilst Jan continued to shore.
A large shoal appeared and much more concentrated that we'd seen before that evening. It didn't take long to get into the fish and in half an hour i'd caught four or five bass to 2lb all returned, and three mackerel taken for the bait larder.It was quite easy keeping up with the shoal in the yak as in the extreme calm they were very visible obviously feeding on small fry which could occasionally be seen leaping out of the water.Terrific sport on the little baitcaster  outfit particularly the bass who gave a far better account than the fish I catch in the river when mulleting.Great bit of fun fishing.

16/7/10 Burton Mill-blank!

Today was going to be a trip with the boat to the Thames at Richmond targetting the bream.Time constraints put paid to that so,Dave and I planned to do an alternative boat trip to the Arun,after mullet.The strong winds put paid to that one, so we settled instead for a return to Burton Mill in search of tench-this time from the bank.5-00a.m to 1-00 p.m not a solitary sniff to our legered boilie and pellet baits that had worked so well on previous bank sojourns.'That's fishing'

Three anglers in boats out in the middle seemed to land a couple so it wasn't all bad on the windswept lake.

One thing of note..(something interesting always happens even when you blank)We had our rod licences checked by a couple of E.A officials.One of them was a keen tidal angler and reported that she'd caught a 9-02 mullet from the Adur last September.Dave Rigden mentioned something about this to me last year,about the same time, but it was reported as being an Arun fish.I suspect that they are one and the same fish.

Highlights

14/7/10 Back On Track.

After yesterday's blank i needed to get back on track.The original plan was to launch the boat later in the day at HW but the wind was howling so i decided instead to head up to the mud flats for a morning bank session over the last of the LW .With the wind riffling the surface, there was little indication that fish were there but,as I'd been in this situation so many times before, it didn't put me off.
First bite came quickly whilst i was gazing at something else,looked back at the float to see it just disappear and nailed one of 3-04.Deliberately kept the rod low when playing so i could keep the swim going, and after a short lull the bites returned.Missed a few (bit tired after a night shift is my excuse)but eventually connected with a 'thug' bass of about a 1lb.I'm sure the other bites, including a 'sail away' were mullet.Let's face it-who misses a bass bite on bread!
By now the tide was flooding fast(big tide anyway) and my route to the middle flats which is where i'd usually go at this time,was blocked.Instead i glanced down to the sluice at the bottom of the stretch and, in some calm water, there were some mullet showing.These sluices are a regular feature along the river but although I've seen mullet in many of them,most are difficult to gain access to,so I tend neglect them.
I think Paul F-J and Dave had had fish from here in the past but i can't remember trying it myself.In with a bit of mash and soon had a bite which i missed(still tired)After messing about with the line, which was regularly tangling around the reel in the strong wind,I nabbed one which went 2-05 and scrapped hard in the usual Arun manner.After unhooking the fish I checked my hook to find that it had opened up a bit.
The new Preston rod seems to be deceivingly powerful, as this is the second time i've done this recently.Andy suggested that I tended to bully my mullet having seen me play one last week-perhaps he has a point.Maybe I just need to get used to it. On a positive note,i've not lost one yet with this rod but, I won't draw any conclusions until the end of the season.
I've also been experimenting with heavier floats -11bb this time.They're easier to control and don't seem to be any less sensitive than my usual sizes.
Good session.Will I ever get tired of catching these fish!Even the tiddlers! 11 down 39 to go.

13/7/10 No Pike Here?

Paul Holden is a colleague and competent match angler with Pulborough A.S.He happened to be at the station last night and excitedly told me about some pike trouble he'd recently been getting at Washingham.He and a mate had raked and pre-baited a swim with a view to bagging up on bream.By all acounts they hadn't done bad-I think around a dozen or so good fish were caught but also a (nuisance)pike of 13lb was landed on sweetcorn and another 'monster' had snaffed Paul's feeder-twice.Paul doesn't like pike.What's the matter with you man!
This was all too much for me so I hit the venue today for about three hours armed with a spinning rod and spinnerbait to attempt to locate the beast.Paul had given me the exact location of the pike as I phoned him from the bank.'The two posts at the top end of the fenced off bit'
 Conditions were good.The tide was bottoming out and the weather was dull and overcast-I thought i'd be in with a chance.
Dave and I have had very little luck with summer pike on the Arun and today was no different.I fished hard covering the stretch from Paul's swim down to the bottom corner without a sniff.
IF the pike were there,they didn't want to know,but being a river I suspect that they could've just as easily moved on and be anywhere (miles away).The other option is to try in the evening sometime.I believe Paul's 'trouble' came at this time of day........or perhaps baits might work.I'd prefer to try lives as they'd probably be easy(ish) to catch but somehow it doesn't seem quite right watching a pike float in the middle of summer!

Blog introdution- Diary of an Average Angler

The entries below are,unfortunately, in no particular  order and are merely picked from posts on here and WSF.If I can figure out how to shift them into order I'll do so but,from today the Blog will be chronological,and contain entries on ALL fishing exploits blanks included.

I've kept a fishing diary of a sort since starting back fishing seriously in 2000.My little black 'moleskin' book is a prized possession ,but merely contains numbers of fish caught,weights,and bare details.I've discussed setting up a blog with fishing buddy Dave and we both agreed that it would be a good idea.We've always enjoyed reading blogs by Mike Ladle,Fishyrob and Dave Lumb among others and although it's mostly for personal use,I suppose there is a certain element of vanity hoping that others will get enjoyment from these writings.

Hounds again 5-8-09 (Extract from Fishyrob's diary)

5th August - Thankyou West Sussex....!!

Filthy lens, and no tripod, but I think that this captures the excitement of hounding

The hound invasion of West Sussex does seem to be establsihing itself as an annual event. The only trick with it is reading the conditions, the environment, and the food sources. The hounds can turn up on the most unlikely beaches, even in broad daylight, if the food they are hungry for is there in great numbers. And it has to be in great numbers, because the hounds roam in huge packs at this time of the year, many thousands of fish sweeping across the sub-surface terrain, wiping clean beaches of all crustecean life in a few sweeps. Happy to go crabbing, hounds with roughed up noses indicates they have been turning their own rocks in their feeding frenzy. I just hope they remember to return them the right way up!! On a recent visit to my friend Jeff's house, we got into talking about the possibilities of hounding along his patch of coast. We circled a few possibilities, and when I heard of an increase in spider crab numbers a little further east, suggested it might be worth an exploratory chuck. Five crabs used by Jeff for four hounds to 14lb plus suggested we give it a full session. Arriving with a bucket of softies (cheers Roger!!) we were joined by Jeff's friend and colleague Lib, who hadnt previously caught a smoothie...........I think Jeff was the first away, still early in the tide. I just love the shot above, despite the obvious issues of wobble and dirt on the lens.

First hound of the night

From that point on it was consistent hounding, that increased to a frenzy on the ebb tide. It was very rare that there was time for a cigarette or a tea. But, its fair to say we werent moaning.

Lib's first hound. Check out the pure joy in his face. 10lb 1oz I seem to remember

Jeff's main aim was to see his mate enjoy the thrill of being attached to a big muscle, that is a smooth-hound. He neednt have worried. Lib managed it in style, with a 10lb 1oz fish. Not a bad way to break your cherry!!

Jeff n me, as they were coming thick and fast

Plenty more for Lib

My best of the night, a stunning common of 11lb odd.

Jeff, Lib n hounds.....

Best fish of the night to Lib. 14lb 4oz!!!!!

It wasnt the dawn that bought this session to an end, but the ebbing tide. Already we had been suprised at how many we had been catching in only six feet of water. But even that ran off, and we had to pack up. Tired, excited, glowing with the joy that a good session brings, it was one hell of a night. Final Statistics, I had 13 fish, Lib 12, Jeff 11 if my memory serves me correct. Had we been more switched on, two patting traces etc, I am sure we could have doubled that figure. But we were there to enjoy the fishing, and we most certainly did that!!

 

 

 

Rustington Hounds 4-8-09

I am extremely fortunate in that |I live within casting range of the beach,but am ashamed to admit that I don't give it nearly enough attention.Usually i'm up the river chasing the mullet or pike but last night .with conditions and tide as they were,I just had to get 'out back'
Fishyrob had provided the clues,and there was also some talk of hounds coming out locally on the grapevine.Today's posts confirm all that with some brilliant catches over Ferring way-well done lads.
Fishy had invited me 'out east' for some sole bashing,and mate Paul (LFSea on here) had also invited me 'out west' for some Selsey hounding.Having just done two night shifts I was knackered,didn't feel like driving,so decided to brave the weed 100yds from my back door for a couple of hours.
Things started badly with the first cast hauling in a ton of the plant stuff and having to break the line at the leader to sort it out.The first of only six baits that I had-wasted.
I decided that 25lb straight through(no leader) would be a better bet,so clipped on the 7000,moved to the next beach,which seemed a bit clearer,and lobbed out one of my remaining frozen peelers.
Five minutes later,whilst I was not paying proper attention,over went the tripod,and the rod was being dragged into the sea! Just grabbed it in time........and connected!.....and then............. disconnected.On for a few seconds and then it slipped the hook.Bugger!...the first time i'd hit a local hound(I assume it was) in four years and I'd bungled it.What a PILLOCK!
Next cast and a little tip rattler turned out to be a hound pup.At least I now knew they were about.
Next cast and a proper tug....YES I was IN!......and I suddenly remembered how much these babies can pull.....most fun you can have with a beachcaster.
Safely tailed in the shallows and quickly unhooked and weighed -i decided to show it to the missus who was at home in bed.I quickly made the 100yd dash to my back door,terrified the dogs,who were asleep in the kitchen,stood with said hound,a starry, dripping on the kitchen floor,and hollered up the stairs to 'she who IS obeyed' to 'come and have a look at THIS!
She was well impressed,took the photo with her garden in the background,and then I legged it back to the beach,startling some evening strollers in the process,and returned the hound to her proper domain ,where she immediately swam away strongly,safe and sound.She'd pulled the 'avons 'round to 12-12-my first 'proper' local smoothie for four years.
Next cast produced an 11-04 common,and then a 14-06 starry,on which I tried out the camera's self timer.Don't think i've quite got the hang of that yet.
Last bait ,and an ebbing tide,was ignored.I guess they were gone.
All in all great fun and nice to be back into the hounds but, as I say, my results were nothing compared to those Ferring boys.Well done again lads.
Guess what i'm doing tonight!

Arun mud flats 5-7-10

Took my mate Andy (Portslade Pollack on WSF) for a first time thick lip mullet session together at the lower and middle mud flats with strict instructions to keep this location secret....so I'm writing it up on here.Hopefully nobody will read this anyway and if you do,the spot's not that good , and you'll never find it.LOL

The tide was virtually bottoming out and the water had a nice colour to it,conditions that I favour because although the mullet can be more difficult to locate, they can't see you so easily which means you can get closer to them.

A few fish were swirling so, in went the mash, and I soon had some movement on the float.It didn't take long for another bite ,proper one this time,which I connected with and this turned out to be a 4-10 -good start,but i now needed Andy to get one- that was ,after all,the point of the session.He was getting a few bites but not connecting and, after a while, the swim went a bit quiet so i suggested a move up stream, as the tide had now turned.

New swim was the edge of a drop off where i've had several fish on the early flood and there is about 4ft of water right under the rod tip.Andy soon had a bite and connected but,it turned out to be a hybrid-roach/bream with maybe a little bit of carp thrown in. It weighed  about a pound and a quarter.I'd aready told him about the hybrids that occasionally occur this far down , so it was nice to for him to actually see one for himself, and although he was pleased, I still really wanted him to get a mullet.

A few minutes later, and after an uncharacteristically slow bite(I thought it was another slimy hybrid) ,I caught another mullet of about 3lb.Thankfully Andy got his own mullet shortly after,one of about 1 3/4lb , his first thick of the year, and after packing up,we both agreed that it had been one of our better sessions together.

Postscript- Andy went on a few days later,to take a good mullet of about 4lb from Tesco straight .

Burton Mill Tench 24-6-10

Burton Mill Pond is a beautiful unspoilt fishery owned by West Sussex County Council and,according to the chap who runs the fishing-David Hayler,it has never been stocked artificially.This means that only indigenous species are present the mainstay being pike,tench rudd,and eels.I did read a post on a carp forum saying that there were huge cypry type beasties present-though i've not heard of any caught myself Hmmmmmmm might be a red herring!
I'm unsure when it was created (200 plus years?),but it's basically a dammed tributary of the Western Rother,Initially built to run a mill.It's also a SSSI and a regular haunt of unusual feathered visitors.
Anyway Dave and I usually visit the pond a couple of times each season either for pike in the winter when the rivers are up,or for the odd summer tench session.On this occasion we decided to hire a punt and fish float tactics.An early start was the order of the day and we were making our way out in the punt by 4-30a.m. There were already other anglers present.In the early light it seemed as if every tench in the pond was spawning with lots of vigorous activity among the lilies.The weed growth was particularly thick,and we regretted not bringing along a rake to create our own swim (future note),but we soon found a clear spot in the middle of the pond and close to a large group of lily pads.
Ground bait was vitalin,hemp and corn with corn on the hook and we fed the swim heavily before starting in earnest..It didn't take long for the action to begin and I ended the session with four tench 4-00,4-14,5-05,5-06 plus three others which shed the hook in the nearby lillies.
Dave who,it has to be said ,usually outfishes me by a mile,when we're after tench, ended the session with one tench and a couple of lost fish.It seemed as if most of the fish were over my side of the swim-condolences mate.
By mid morning,in true traditional tench fishing style,it was all over and on investigating our swim we discovered that all the ground bait had been snaffled up.So it was back home for lunch and a kip.
Incidentally ,whilst piking here a couple of winter's back,i managed to take two good tench on sardine complete with treble hook snap tackle! Check out the pic at the bottom-it weighed 6-03

Arun Report

Took the Mrs fishing today.................as you do.....and she managed to nab this one.Naturally I blanked!She usually only comes out with me once or twice a year,but as she persistently reminded me today-she always seems to catch! Plenty of fish showing in the river today.The humid still conditions seem to suit them .However,the big tide made fishing conditions quite difficult with lots of weed and debris in the flow.

Going Afloat on the Hamble

Looking out of the rain lashed window yesterday morning it would have been easy not to bother with a boat trip to the Hamble,but nothing ventured............. Setting off at around midday at low water, the wind was so strong I found it extremely difficult to get the boat out deep enough to start the motor.Usually launching at Swanwick is a piece of cake.Having finally managed to get under way, I came across a struggling lone youngster,mid channel, rowing an inflatable trying desperately to make headway upwind and failing miserably.'Excuse me,you wouldn't be going to Mercury would you, only I've run out of fuel and could do with a tow?' I've been in this situation myself so was only too glad to throw him a line and act as tug. Good deed done for the day,I though i'd sneak into the Mercury swims for a quick look.It was sheltered but nothing obvious was showing,and as I could easily fish this area from the bank anyway,I decided to move on. Found a bit of flat(ish) water,4-5ft deep,in the lee of some moored boats on the east bank in a shallow area that I think is known locally as 'Crableck'.Soon got some whelms and obvious feeding activity and had one out at a shade under 4lb.Having 'killed' the swim and with the wind increasing,I decided to follow the tide up,seek shelter and fish way upstream of the motorway bridge in the Manor Farm country park . This is a favourite area of mine having produced some good fish in the past including a 'six' for Jan in the boat last year.Beautiful tree lined banks,creek inlets etc and rarely visited by other boats or indeed bank anglers-well worth a look if you get the chance .Real 'Swallows and Amazons' stuff.Apart from a canoe,I had the place to myself and soon winkled out yet another nice dark-backed fish in the 3lb bracket. I can't seem to break into the big league this season,nearly all the fish i've had have been between three and four pounds.Not complaining you understand,but I think i'd better leave those big boys to the likes of Bob,Toby and Paul,for the time being. Tried out the self timer on the camera for this one but,i think you'll agree-I need a taller tripod!Once again the swim went dead so I finished the afternoon off with a spell opposite the Swanwick slipway where I did manage to tempt a take or two,but couldn't realise my hat-trick.Just managed to get the boat out before the heavens opened. Pleasant afternoon's boating/fishing in less than Ideal conditions.

Arun action.

If I'm honest I've had a bit of a grueller this year with the mullet.My numbers are well down on what I usually manage and a run of tough trips to Christchurch,and some lean bank fishing on the Arun, had me thinking that it was time I had the boat out on the river again.I had intended to get along to the Hamble fish-in,but a change of role at work has led me back into the classroom,and I had to spend the morning finishing off an assignment.Lunchtime arrived, I'd finished my homework,and I suggested to Jan and the dog that we nip up the river with the boat for a couple of hours. Usually with such time constraints, I wouldn't bother with the boat,but as my usual bank spots seeemed a little lacking recently,i decided to make the effort. On launching at H.W first impressions weren't too favourable,the water was clearer than I'd seen it in a long while,and it took us quite a bit of motoring and time to locate any fish.But a few swirls on a sheltered bend gave the game away and within minutes of those swirls feeding on our ground bait, Jan was in to her best fish of the season with a plump 5-06.The fight in the wicked flow was nail biting to say the least,but i'm proud to say that she did a stirling job and we had this fish aboard in about ten minutes. During the battle a similar sized mullet ,obviously spooked and leaped clear of the water right over Jan's taught line.All this commotion killed the swim so we drifted down a few hundred yards,located another pocket of fish, and it was quickly my turn with a three pounder,and at the next stop a four pounder which the dog seemed less than impressed with.A nice trio of fish for the boat in double quick time. I doubt, by the time we decided to finish,that we'd actually been fishing for more than a couple of hours.In contrast to the lack of fish we'd seen motoring up river at H.W,on the way back and with the tide now well on it's way out,there were plenty showing. I've got a feeling,with the weather conditions as they were,that the fish-in on the Hamble would've thrown up some good fish!

Pike in the Snow

To be honest this winter pike season has been a bit of a 'no show' so far.I started off O.K with a couple of doubles early on but, since the heavy rain and more recently the freezing temperatures, things have been very tough. As i've been unable to get on the rivers,i've been reduced to trying out some local stillwater venues which aren't really my cup of tea,and i've had one rather disappointing jack from my last five trips.
Today,finally had a chance to get on the river although with the amount of snow we've had,the water temp was much colder than i've fished before,and the melt was already beginning to colour the water.It was going to be hard.Just getting to the river bank was an 'epic ' in itself.The recent floods had left the surrounding fields a knee deep muddy quagmire hidden by a blanket of snow.I nearly came a cropper a couple of times and the dog wasn't impressed at all-he being a foot tall with his boots on!
Managed to get four tiny three inch livebaits and thinking i'd better hedge my bets, I unusually set up three rods-float rigs with paternostered sardine,legered whole mackerel and a double mini livebait,lip hooked on each treble.Picked a stretch with a deep trough which,from past experience, i felt must contain at least one decent pike that would feed,and set about leap frogging the rods every twenty minutes or so with about ten yards between each bait.By 4p.m i'd covered about three hundred yards,had not had a sniff,but was in a favourite spot -slightly deeper still and a good producer of big pike for me in the past-Two real whoppers and a string of good doubles but ........plenty of blanks as well-would today be yet another to add to the list?
The tide had turned and was almost completing it's flood,and the light was fading fast.If i was going to get a take in these conditions ,it was going to be on the lives,and this indeed proved to be the case.
The float instantly disappeared,and the clicker on the baitrunner sang-a typical thrilling, positive livebait take so unlike a deadbait pick up.Within two seconds ,I was off my seat, tightened up and connected.Good strong deep fight,far better than a 'puddle pike' and neatly hooked in the corner of the mouth.Beautifully conditioned lean 17-05 with an 'electric blue flank so typical of this river's fish and ,as far as I know,not seen elsewhere locally. Nice fish and the biggest of the season so far.This river doesn't give up its pike easily, but they're usually a good size at this time of year-small pike being conspicuous by their absence.
Tried out my new keep tube on this one for the first time whilst i set up the camera.Good idea and superb for the welfare of the pike,allowing it to calm down and recover, but it does mean that they're a bit lively when you get them out of the water again,hence the poor quality of the pic- i just couldn't hold on to her!Would've set up another shot but didn't want to risk freezing her fins-yes that is ice on my hat!
Managed to get her back completely unharmed,as always,and she kicked her tail and drenched my face with icy water just for good measure.One very wet,muddy but happy river piker!

So what are you fishing for now.....again!

This winter's pike season has definitely been my most challenging so far.The rivers have been out of condition for long periods and though i did try to get a decent pike pic in the snow- the water temperatures were so low that it just did not happen.I have to say that it didn't stop me trying and it was rather novel boiling up snow to make fresh tea on the bank. My last decent pike was caught way back in December,but last friday i had another window of opportunity,albeit a brief one, fishing on a tidal stretch of the river -an area more notable for its mullet than pike.The weather was comparatively mild when we started at dawn,but it had been raining since two o'clock that morning and the effects of this were beginning to show in the river.My piking buddy had a dropped run on the first cast and almost immediately I had two pike in a short ten minute feeding spell,the first at 9-04 and then this one at 16-12 shortly after I had returned the first .The wind increased, the temperature dropped and despite the tide ebbing the water level was rising and beginning to colour and that was that for the rest of the day.

That was the week that was.

That esteemed coarse angler of my youth,Fred.J Taylor was once asked,'If you had to choose one freshwater species to fish for,for the rest of your life,what would it be?'....Fred selected the roach which,although a worthy adversary,doesn't really float my boat when it comes to freshwater fishing.Pretty they are,tricky to tempt also at times.In fact, some comparison can be drawn with our own favourite sea fish.But,personally I need something a bit more spectacular to get me through the dark winter months,something big ,toothy, wild and that can be fished for with a variety of interesting methods.My choice ,if asked,would unquestionably be,the pike.

Generally I fish rivers,and that means my pike season runs from roughly the beginning of November when the mullet fishing around my way declines, until March the 14th.A short break to carry out any necessary household and automotive 'chores' during April, and then i start thinking  about mullet again.It all fits together nicely.I must surely have the most patient of wives.It's taken me five years to renovate the kitchen.....so far.
For the past few winters my piking partner in crime, fellow N.M.C member and all round good bloke, Dave Wilkins and I, have tried to pike fish for a full week at the end of the coarse fishing season on our club river venues,and this year was to be no different.Luckily, the water conditions had just recovered in time from recent heavy rainfall and the prospects were looking good.
Monday was to be a short day for both of us.I'd previously completed a long work shift,which had caused me to miss the A.G.M, and it was Dave's wife's birthday so he had to finish early.
We still squeezed in four hours and Dave was rewarded with a half blind fish of 14 -12 (above left) which took his mackerel tail just before we packed up around lunch time.It was a bright sunny day but we couldn't help notice how cold the water was ,assisted i've no doubt by the easterly winds.These winds were to prove our downfall later in the week.
Tuesday was a dawn start and I managed to secure some roach baits.We, unusually, set up with three baits each,my single live, and five deads spread along the river at ten yard intervals and hopping the rods every twenty minutes, slowing the pace down a bit at spots 'with a bit of history'.Locating the fish is our biggest problem.With some times fifteen feet of water under the rod tip they are,as you can imagine, a little more difficult to see than your average mullet.Features on a tidal are rarely permanent,unlike on still waters,but some swims,in particular deeper areas do sometimes prove reliable holding areas.Comparing in detail pictures of fish that we've caught(you'll notice we always hold our pike with the right flank to camera)we've never had a recapture,but where you find one pike,there are likely to be more lurking. 
By breakfast time for 'normal' people we'd reached a deep 'hole'. I soon had a couple of takes from small pike and was expecting another 'jack' when the live bait float characteristically bobbed once again.Tightening up,i couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment of the likely candidate- the fish tore off down river actually stripping line-most unusual for a 'jack' pike.
I had a slightly nervous moment when i felt one of the trebles lose its hold (ping!) through the braid,but the second just clinched one size 8 barb-less prong on the edge of the mouth(do pike have lips?) long enough for  Dave to net my season's best at 19-08 (above right).A lean muscular pike which would have easily made the magic twenty , had this season's spawning time been normal
Another small pike later finished off day two and interestingly all the fish hit the single live bait rod,the five deads remaining unmolested all day.
After our two successes we expected the week to be quite productive but,as always ,things didn't quite turn out that way.
Wednesday ,a change of river and the only action of the day was a dropped fish, a big single,again to my live bait rod.Curiously this smaller river was noticeably warmer, and we were treated to a rare and privileged glimpse of some spawning activity in the weed strewn margins.The pikes' preoccupation with more pressing matters probably accounted for their reluctance to pay attention to our baits.Can't say i blame them.
Thursday back on the original venue but a ways upstream, and two small pike fell again to the lives, but that was that .
Friday and Saturday turned out to be total blanks so we decided to not bother with the Sunday session, both needing a well earned rest from our efforts.
The live baits probably scored better over the week because of the low water temperatures.Most of the pike were 'leeched up' showing signs of inactivity and we've found it sometimes  takes a live bait to trigger a take in these circumstances.Dead baits working better in milder conditions.
One little bit of action on the Saturday was the appearance of a seal some twenty miles from the sea and following the incoming tide.Click on the picture to get a slightly better view.We both leaped out of our chairs and hastily retrieved our rigs fearing that we might encounter the 'fight of our lives'.We needn't have worried. The seal submerged,and reappeared some two hundred yards upstream.
A couple of hours later, the tide had turned and the seal stopped by once again,on it's way back, to give us the 'eye'.A fantastic sight,but probably not conducive to good fishing.During the week we were also blessed with regular visits from a barn own and a herd of  deer peering over the flood defence, as well as the seemingly common kingfishers that dwell on these stretches.I'm still waiting for the day when one parks itself on one of my rods.
So ended our little adventure - an enjoyable, if tough few days.It also ends another pike season and a winter that's been our most difficult one yet.We both caught some nice fish with several in double figures, which is a good result for the rivers, but it required considerable effort,and our numbers were down on previous years due in no part ,to the floods,snow etc
Let's hope next season provides more opportunities and in particular to help some mates on to some public waters for their debut pike-something i've failed miserably at this time around.

That esteemed coarse angler of my youth,Fred.J Taylor was once asked,'If you had to choose one freshwater species to fish for,for the rest of your life,what would it be?'....Fred selected the roach which,although a worthy adversary,doesn't really float my boat when it comes to freshwater fishing.Pretty they are,tricky to tempt also at times.In fact, some comparison can be drawn with our own favourite sea fish.But,personally I need something a bit more spectacular to get me through the dark winter months,something big ,toothy, wild and that can be fished for with a variety of interesting methods.My choice ,if asked,would unquestionably be,the pike. Generally I fish rivers,and that means my pike season runs from roughly the beginning of November when the mullet fishing around my way declines, until March the 14th.A short break to carry out any necessary household and automotive 'chores' during April, and then i start thinking  about mullet again.It all fits together nicely.I must surely have the most patient of wives.It's taken me five years to renovate the kitchen.....so far.
For the past few winters my piking partner in crime, fellow N.M.C member and all round good bloke, Dave Wilkins and I, have tried to pike fish for a full week at the end of the coarse fishing season on our club river venues,and this year was to be no different.Luckily, the water conditions had just recovered in time from recent heavy rainfall and the prospects were looking good.
Monday was to be a short day for both of us.I'd previously completed a long work shift,which had caused me to miss the A.G.M, and it was Dave's wife's birthday so he had to finish early.
We still squeezed in four hours and Dave was rewarded with a half blind fish of 14 -12 (above left) which took his mackerel tail just before we packed up around lunch time.It was a bright sunny day but we couldn't help notice how cold the water was ,assisted i've no doubt by the easterly winds.These winds were to prove our downfall later in the week.
Tuesday was a dawn start and I managed to secure some roach baits.We, unusually, set up with three baits each,my single live, and five deads spread along the river at ten yard intervals and hopping the rods every twenty minutes, slowing the pace down a bit at spots 'with a bit of history'.Locating the fish is our biggest problem.With some times fifteen feet of water under the rod tip they are,as you can imagine, a little more difficult to see than your average mullet.Features on a tidal are rarely permanent,unlike on still waters,but some swims,in particular deeper areas do sometimes prove reliable holding areas.Comparing in detail pictures of fish that we've caught(you'll notice we always hold our pike with the right flank to camera)we've never had a recapture,but where you find one pike,there are likely to be more lurking. 
By breakfast time for 'normal' people we'd reached a deep 'hole'. I soon had a couple of takes from small pike and was expecting another 'jack' when the live bait float characteristically bobbed once again.Tightening up,i couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment of the likely candidate- the fish tore off down river actually stripping line-most unusual for a 'jack' pike.
I had a slightly nervous moment when i felt one of the trebles lose its hold (ping!) through the braid,but the second just clinched one size 8 barb-less prong on the edge of the mouth(do pike have lips?) long enough for  Dave to net my season's best at 19-08 (above right).A lean muscular pike which would have easily made the magic twenty , had this season's spawning time been normal
Another small pike later finished off day two and interestingly all the fish hit the single live bait rod,the five deads remaining unmolested all day.
After our two successes we expected the week to be quite productive but,as always ,things didn't quite turn out that way.
Wednesday ,a change of river and the only action of the day was a dropped fish, a big single,again to my live bait rod.Curiously this smaller river was noticeably warmer, and we were treated to a rare and privileged glimpse of some spawning activity in the weed strewn margins.The pikes' preoccupation with more pressing matters probably accounted for their reluctance to pay attention to our baits.Can't say i blame them.
Thursday back on the original venue but a ways upstream, and two small pike fell again to the lives, but that was that .
Friday and Saturday turned out to be total blanks so we decided to not bother with the Sunday session, both needing a well earned rest from our efforts.
The live baits probably scored better over the week because of the low water temperatures.Most of the pike were 'leeched up' showing signs of inactivity and we've found it sometimes  takes a live bait to trigger a take in these circumstances.Dead baits working better in milder conditions.
One little bit of action on the Saturday was the appearance of a seal some twenty miles from the sea and following the incoming tide.Click on the picture to get a slightly better view.We both leaped out of our chairs and hastily retrieved our rigs fearing that we might encounter the 'fight of our lives'.We needn't have worried. The seal submerged,and reappeared some two hundred yards upstream.
A couple of hours later, the tide had turned and the seal stopped by once again,on it's way back, to give us the 'eye'.A fantastic sight,but probably not conducive to good fishing.During the week we were also blessed with regular visits from a barn own and a herd of  deer peering over the flood defence, as well as the seemingly common kingfishers that dwell on these stretches.I'm still waiting for the day when one parks itself on one of my rods.
So ended our little adventure - an enjoyable, if tough few days.It also ends another pike season and a winter that's been our most difficult one yet.We both caught some nice fish with several in double figures, which is a good result for the rivers, but it required considerable effort,and our numbers were down on previous years due in no part ,to the floods,snow etc
Let's hope next season provides more opportunities and in particular to help some mates on to some public waters for their debut pike-something i've failed miserably at .
.

Hounds Abroad 9th June 2010

Sussex fishing dynamo 'Portslade Pollack' and myself headed out yesterday evening for a last attempt of the year at our 'nemesis' specie.........the elusive Stingray! Our favoured mark was just a short drive west, and we arrived at 8 p.m to find a calm sea with just a hint of weed close in. Chosen bait for the session was a selection of Mr Crabs' finest frozen peelers-rigwise,I fished a single 1/0 'Big gun' stuffed into a modified Dvice, and Andy chose a finer wire 1/0 flapper set up. We'd expected a quiet session with an outside chance of a stinger take, but the action came right from the off with Andy taking the first fish,followed shortly by my own bait being snaffled up.Not ,unfortunately ,by our chosen quarry,but worthy adversaries nonetheless in the shape of smoothounds! The action was pretty hectic initially with a bite a chuck which provided some local evening strollers with some light entertainment-Andy informing them that we were 'shark' fishing. A lull in the proceedings whilst we were 'putting the world to rights'(gassing)was punctuated by the sight of my precious AFAW surf nearly being dragged to France by a vicious take.Luckily I leaped into action and just managed to save it from a dunking...unluckily the culprit was not still attached. Note to self:When hounding,ALWAYS stand close to your rod! We had a couple more missed takes over HW slack but,apart from a LSD to my rod, that was that. We ended the session with a hat-trick of hounds each-my first from the shore this year.Sizewise,they were all upper singles with Andy taking the best,and indeed his P.B at 9 1/2lb.That double is just around the corner. Pleasure doing business with you mate!

Going Afloat on the Arun

Took my dinghy 'Snoek' out on the Arun on Thursday in a determined attempt to get my piking buddy a half decent mullet.Dave's a competent allrounder,but has been keen to get some mullet this season.A few weeks ago we did the bank 'thing',now it was time for something different. The river can be tricky to fish from a boat,currents up to 5 knots,depths to 25ft, can make it difficult to anchor accurately,and find suitable flows for trotting.I've taken a few Arun fish over the years whilst afloat,including some sizable ones, but have always questioned whether it's been worth the effort of launching the boat rather than just fishing my regular bank marks.Usually I reserve it for fishing the more comfortable waters of Christchurch Harbour and the Hamble, but i've been meaning to explore the Arun further. Unfortunately,fishing in the lower river,which i suspect could be very productive,is not allowed by the harbour board due in no part to the hazard you might cause to other boats using the waterway.I tend to head for those peaceful upriver marks anyway,preferring to be away from other 'traffic' and in particular target those areas where access for bank fishing is difficult. Thursday's tide wasn't brilliant, being the largest of the set,which increases the strength of the already considerable flows but,we couldn't really have asked for better weather conditions .It was mild and overcast,with not too much breeze to break the surface and hinder fish spotting.Our last boat mullet trip together in 2008,was on the hottest day of the year ...and we blanked- i was determined to do better this time. Launching at around lunchtime at slack HW we soon found some fish mooching around at a favourite spot and Dave got busy with his gear while I sorted out the mash! It quickly became apparent that the mullet were interested in our bread ,and it didn't take long to intercept the one pictured on the right-long ,lean and 5lb on the nose .Dave's new personal best,a good fish for the Arun,and a man well pleased.Job done.Well done Mate!Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.

A first mullet!

If there's one thing that brings me deep joy apart from catching a mullet myself,it's seeing a mullet virgin pop their cherry.


Russell's a good mate of mine who's been showing me the ropes recently with Sussex inshore boat fishing .He's the owner of a superbly equipped Orkney 20ft 'Pilot House' moored at Littlehampton and the two of us have had some blinding trips out this summer after tope,hounds ,conger,bream etc

We were due to venture out on Thursday after bass,but both being cautious types,we decided that the wind was a bit iffy,and we'd give it a miss.Instead I suggested taking my own,somewhat smaller Orkney, up the Arun for a spot of mulleting.

Russell will be the first to admit that he's not the most patient of anglers-he likes to be 'on the fish'.Also, his idea of 'light tackle' would be an uptider and an Abu 7000,and he explained to me that he'd never handled a freshwater float rod,let alone one with a centre pin reel attached to it.What with all this, and the unpredictable nature of our chosen quarry,I was beginning to wonder whether my bright idea was so bright,as we made our way upriver.

I needn't have worried.The river's fishing well at the moment and it wasn't long before I'd found a group of mullet and quietly 'parked ' the boat about 20yds upstream of them, with a view to trotting a float down the flow.(Thank heavens it was a tiny neap tide!)

A quick five minute lesson on handling the kit,mashing the bread etc and we were away.Very quickly, I had a three pounder in the boat-What luck! " It's really not always this easy" I started to make excuses.....

O.K half way there.At least I proved to him that it could be done.Now I REALLY needed HIM to catch . I stopped fishing, set my rod In the holders and left the swim to Russell.There were still fish evident and.....they were swirling around the mash.A nail biting half hour later, punctuated by several missed bites,and accompanying expletives from my pupil,and the float dipped once again. This time, his timing was spot on.

It was an average sized mullet...2-12 it turned out, but Russell was stunned by the little fellah's fighting prowess,especially in the ,by now, quite substantial current.The expletives were similar in nature,but a rather happier tone and nobody was more relieved than me when the little blighter was safely in the landing net.The look on Russell's face?......priceless!

"Christ!...If that's what a %^&*&^% tiddler like that can do,what's a %^&*&^% five or six pounder like!"

I just sat quietly,grinning like a Cheshire cat.

After this it was plain sailing,job done, pressure off, and I could sit back and relax whilst Russell mastered the centrepin and lightweight float rod in splendid fashion.

Two more fish of a similar size came to the boat in the next couple of hours in different swims and by the time we'd run up the slipway,there was one more mullet 'convert' in the bag.

" I suppose if the weather's a bit iffy ,we could always do this again" he said, as we towed the boat home.

Not big mullet by any standards,but great fun,and incredibly satifying.

 

4 Comments

Arun report

It's been a bit of a late start this season for me and apart from a few mullet in May I've not been targeting them as much this year.Not complaining mind,I've been trying to suss out the local inshore boat fishing and hitting a few 'firsts' along the way including tope and rays of various types.I've also been doing some beach 'smoothounding',when the weed has allowed,and some tenching now that the coarse season has opened.
However, attempting to resist the lure of mullet is ,of course,futile and I'm happy to report that I'm back on track and doing some 'proper' fishing.Like everywhere it seems,the mullet were late showing in the river this year but it now appears that they are well established and back in reasonable numbers .

A mate has reported some good catches from Arundel town,(a regular haunt for the locals)and I've been getting a few from more 'peaceful' stretches on low water trotting tactics, including these two at 4-06 and 4-10 as well as a handful of lesser fish.It's been consistent if not spectacular.I've not had the boat out on the river much-only once in May- taking a three pounder on a very windy day,but i'm planning to do more especially as I've forsaken the Christchurch permit this time around.

Incidentally,just come back from a short trip to Barcelona for my daughter's 18th birthday.The numbers of mullet in the harbour were simply stunning as you can see.Difficult to tell the size from the picture but, they were all in the 3-4lb class and nobody was fishing for them.