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!