Difficult August.

August can be a difficult month locally for the inshore boat fishing but I've actually had a few 'bloopers' on the river as well so, as this blog is a 'warts an' all' account of my fishing, here's an abbreviated account of the less successful fishing that I've experienced this month.
A night time conger trip with Dave proved to be very slow indeed with only two average sized eels taking the baits. It was a very 'bright' night with a full moon and its entirely possible that this could have had an effect on the eel fishing-who knows. We did pick up quite a few rays-undulate and thornback so it wasn't all bad.
The following day we had a short afternoon session on the river for pike with baits but , as none showed up, there's not much else to say.
 I have also attempted  to tempt a pike on a lure from the boat. I know it can be done as a few years ago friend Michael Kernan had considerable success with the method and even wrote a chapter in a book about it.
Both Dave and me have been less successful and perhaps, need an injection of confidence in the method by catching a few pike on an artificial from the river. Its certainly much more convenient, and active than bait fishing and at least you feel like you're actually hunting the pike rather than simply laying a trap as you do when fishing with baits.
We've also been doing a bit of 'carbelling' pre-baiting a selected swim with 'heavy duty' halibut pellets in the hope that a carp, or an extremely rare, for our river, barbel happens along. Two days without a 'show' is probably enough for me as I'm not sure I've got what it takes to be a 'long stint' angler. These guys who bivvy up for days, or even weeks at a time for a single run  have my admiration-personally, I just haven't got the patience.
On that subject I do know of someone who has caught a barbel from 'our' river-a good one too. It took him twelve sessions to get the bite!
We have often seen a well known angler from the carp fishing world on the river in his own boat  but understand that he's taken just one carp for all his efforts so far this season. That is true dedication for you.
The winds haven't exactly helped the inshore boat fishing but I did manage to get out one afternoon with just lures and feathers.
The lures produced a handful of wrasse on the reefs but disappointingly, just one small bass. Hopefully the bass shoals will return to the deep reefs in September .
The feathers were intended for mackerel of which a few did show but , the majority of hits were from scad. Full houses at times when I ran through a dense shoal of the blighters.
So there you have it-quite a bit of fishing done but some pretty average results by all accounts but, that as they say, is fishing.