17/2/11 Burton Mill

I seem to be pretty good at catching tiddler pike at the moment.The rivers,which I'm desperate to get on, are flooded once again (yawn), so it was off to Burton Mill today,for my annual visit, in a punt, with Jon Cook.
This unspoilt pond has a long heritage of good pike fishing but has always been a challenging proposition despite it being the site of my first ever double figure pike capture, almost exactly nine years ago.Where did that go?
Only take of the day was this little fellah on a dead roach which was a little disappointing especially as It was Jon's first trip to the water.At the moment there is  some seriously noisy construction work being carried out on the culvert outlet, causing quite a bit of commotion.A project that is due to last for about 14 weeks. The disturbance seems to have put the pike off their food! That's my excuse and Im sticking with it!
Also had some potentially tragic news today- Dave's thinking about selling his boat. Don't do it mate.

14/2/11 The Farm Pond

The rivers are high and coloured with recent rain so It was off to The Farm Pond today with half a pint of maggots, a pole, and a stool, for a bit of old fashioned kid's stuff to while away a couple of hours in between night shifts.This tiny little pond certainly has a few hidden surprises and as well as about 20 decent roach(best a pound) and rudd, I managed a tiny perch,and  tench and carp, also of about a pound each .
Typically, the silver fish bites were tricky to hit even on a bristle pole float but I seemed to improve as the session progressed.Felt a bit mean only buying half a pint from Malcolm, but it was the best £1-15 I've spent in a long time.
Amusingly, I paid for my frugal approach as I actually ran out of bait.Saving grace was catching a roach on my very last maggot!

10/2/11 Muddy and Wet

Fished with Andy on the top section at Ham today between 11am-5pm thus completing exploration of the whole Houghton Bridge and District stretch.We covered the bulk of the ebb and finished at dusk on HW on a gentle 4.9 m tide and it rained, at times quite heavily, all day long.However, the mild temperatures made the session a little more bearable despite both of us being wet through.
Andy was first with some action with a 5lb pike taken in mid stream on a trusty sardine, but I had to wait until the end of the day, and the final port of call at the sluice channel  entrance, before my  roach were taken firstly, by a gargantuan pike of about a 1lb (note comedy picture),shortly followed by a better fish of 7lb 12oz (scar left flank).It would seem, with my own and Phil Jones' previous captures, that the sluice swim is something of a holding area.
Once again, persisting when other lesser (sane) mortals would have thrown in the towel,paid off.Great for Drew to finally get a fish after suffering a series of blanks, and also great to catch, as a pair, more than one pike, even if they were pretty small.
It will be interesting to see how the rain affects the state of the river.........I fear the worst.

 

8/2/11 Pulborough Brooks

This really is a beautiful stretch of river  with an abundance of wildlife to entertain the angler on a slow day......and today was a slow day.A barn owl distracted me with visits throughout the session, as well as kestrels and kingfishers, deer and some very docile highland cattle.
Both Dave and Paul had recommended the stretch ,on one hand for it's history of large pike( Dave's had a twenty or two)and secondly for some decent, recent match catches, suggesting the presence of  prey fish.
I hopped my roach baits half way to Washingham but only one pike was landed-a tiny specimen not much bigger than a couple of pounds, which took a shine to my roach bait on the retrieve.
I did have a bit of fun jigging a lemon shad right under the near bank which Induced a pike of about 5lb to attack several times , and not hook up but, but biggest disappointment of the day was losing a sizable fish, which took whilst I was moving my bait net, causing me to sprint about 100yds to the rod(highly irresponsible) and then not tighten up properly. It was on for a few seconds, and I even got a look,but my fumbling trying to reach the landing net must have momentarily given slack, and she was off.
Stayed in the still, sunny conditions until dusk, by which time silver fish, and bream were topping,having fished the majority of the ebb and the whole flood, which wasn't too taxing this high up the river, until slack HW.
Should've banked more, but that little pikelet saved a blank.

 

2/2/11 Ham Jack.

No monsters today I'm afraid.
Morning session  at Ham Corner with Andy, fishing the lower stretch with roach baits.This little fellah was the only taker but, to be fair, the tide was flooding for most of the session-not my favourite conditions.Still, it saved a blank.Quite like Drew's artistic slant with the pic.

 

30-1-11 An Old Friend Returns

Regular readers of this diary will realise by now, that I'm NOT currently experiencing my best winter's pike fishing on the tidals . In fact, It's not just pike I'm struggling with.Dave Nevatt's giving me a hard time for posting pics of 'specimen' whiting on the net.............I know, I know but I've got to put something on here otherwise my public will desert me!
However, it would seem, at least for the time being, that the tide has turned, and a little bit of luck Is coming my way.
Dave (Wilkins) has been busy of late-working too hard as usual and not getting enough fishing done,not that he's been missing much. But, he decided to set aside a couple of hours this morning for a spot of piking on the river.I finished my shift and then joined him at about half nine, at the bottom of the stretch where we were greeted by the rare, and impressive, sight of a hare working the opposite bank.
The tide was an 'easy' 4.7, HW approx 1030 Greatham, the river carrying very little extra water was, by now , an almost Ideal clarity, and, despite the air temperature being quite low, clear skies and bright sunshine made things very pleasant indeed.
Starting at the sluice we slowly moved upstream along the stretch but by one o'clock, when Dave had to leave to attend to domestic duties,nothing had stirred.Ordinarily, I would have called it a day too, but the morning seemed to have passed too quickly,the sun was still shining,and I had plenty of top quality baits left, so I decided to hang on a little longer.
Jan was fine with this. Usually when I say I'll finish fishing by lunchtime, It means I'll be back for tea!
With the river to myself , I set about methodically moving along, hopping the bottom rod every 15 minutes or so, 10yds at a time, in the hope of putting one of the roach right on the snout of an Idle pike.
The take finally came around half three,just when I'd arrived at a swim where Pulborough match ace Paul Holden had been troubled by pike whilst feeder fishing back in the summer.His experiences had been in the back of my mind for quite a while.
First sign was a slight twitch of the float which I Initially Interpreted as the bait becoming agitated.Perhaps a pike was in the area. I picked up the rod and waited for what seemed like an age, but was probably thirty seconds before it twitched again.
Still not sure of the identity of the perpetrator, I continued to wait, and eventually (ten seconds later)the float began Inching slowly upstream which was my signal to tighten into whatever was on the other end.I was met with something very solid,and a strong lunge ensued as the pike felt my resistance and successfully stole some line.
With the heavy gear, and the welfare of the pike the priority, the battle was all over within a couple of minutes and, as I slid the net under what was obviously a very big pike, the hooks fell out complete with, what appeared to be, an undamaged bait which I re-cast to the same spot immediately.The pike must have just been holding the fish lightly in its maw. A stroke of luck and certainly, the most delicate of takes that I've ever experienced on a roach bait.Usually they try to pull the rod into the river.
I quickly transferred the pike into the tube(superb bit of kit),submerged it in the shallows, tethering it with the rod rests, and gave Dave a call, who Immediately offered to return to the crime scene, and take one of the best pictures I have of a pike.-top bloke! After the ritual weighing and snapping,I slid her back easily, coating myself in mud in the process.It was certainly a sight for sore eyes watching her glide off in to the deep water.Big pike are impressive creatures indeed.
She came in at 24lb 10oz but was not a stranger to me, being easily identified as the same pike I caught almost exactly two years ago, at 26lb 6oz, just a few yards downstream.Interestingly, although she is now generally in better condition, she's still carrying the remains of some tail wounds that were pretty fresh looking back then, and has probably reached her ceiling weight .
Whether she's resident  in the area,or just moved back at this time of year, we'll never really know, but Dave and I must have fished this stretch a couple of dozen times between us over the past couple of seasons, and although we have had some big pike, she's not been among them.
A pike of this stature is a rare capture on the river and always an angling thrill.All the blank sessions,  and the wait for the river to get in trim pale into Insignificance when a fish like this comes along.I'll be on a 'high' for a few days yet but...hopefully,I'll personally never tangle with her again-a third capture would destroy some of the mystery.

28-1-11 Streatham

Making the most of the current weather conditions...i.e NO RAINtoday's choice of venue was the Adur at Streatham fishing HW down from 8am-2pm and again, with roach baits.Andy had joined me and we moved upstream using two rods each, in the bitingly cold easterly wind.
Water clarity was again good, and continued to improve as the tide dropped.The only action of the session, apart from seeing a barn owl on the wing,and me sliding ar** over t** in the mud when reacting to the take, was this plump little fellow at 7lb. Not a big pike by any standards but welcome nonetheless, and a fish on an otherwise difficult day.
I think I might have smiled for the pic though!

27/1/11 A Pike At Last....and a double.

It's been two months since I've caught a pike and , with the recent rain,a long wait for the rivers to get back in condition.Having taken a 'look' at both the Arun and Adur yesterday,and finding them both to be in a fair state, I decided to take a leave day and head for Ham corner this morning.
The tide had just turned at the top, and the water had good clarity, assisted no doubt by the low temperatures of the past few hours.Wind was from the east...and a bit chilly.
I started with both rods near the sluice entrance and , on the first cast,after perhaps 20 minutes,one of the floats sailed away, the alarm sounded as line was Immediately taken at a rate of knots, and my paternostered roach had well and truly been 'mullered'(where does that phrase emanate from) In a very aggressive fashion, typical in fact, of a hit on a live bait.
Plump, heavily leeched fish this one, and exactly the same weight as my previous Ham double at 13lb 12oz.It's entirely possible that its the same fish however , from memory, my November fish, taken about 150yds downstream, seemed longer and leaner.In any case I'll never know,(do I really want to) as I photographed it on the opposing flank.
Another 'unknown' Is whether or not this fish would have taken my usual 'drowned' sardine.It had obviously recently been in quite a dormant state , and I'd like to think that the roach 'triggered' it into action.Dave calls live baiting' cheating'.......I call it 'giving yourself the edge'
Interestingly, the pike didn't seem to be bothered by the 'peaty' coloured water that was flowing out of the sluice.My bait was 'buried' right amongst it.
Unfortunately, that was the only take(I did expect more), and I packed up at 2-00p.m having worked my way downstream to the 'November' swim , and ended the session with  a final half hour return to the sluice, just in case.
Thank goodness I've finally caught a pike..............even if I was 'cheating'

19/1/11 Tiddler Bashing!

Well not quite tiddlers actually, as we caught some really nice fish today, that would have pleased a traditional 'roach' fanatic no end.In fact,'tiddlers' proper were conspicuous by their absence.

I've been away ski-ing so it feels like an age(two weeks exactly) since I've wet a line, and it feels like even longer (eons) since I've actually caught anything.Unfortunately, the rivers are in a severe state of flood, so piking is out of the question, and the beaches are, typically for this time of year, pretty barren.

I'd have put the boat on the water today but the repaired prop has only just arrived back(superb job), and although the sea conditions were perfect , I didn't really have enough time.

Instead, Andy and me decided to visit a local farmer's pond, that I'd been told about some time ago,and re-live our youth with a bit of legitimate free fishing-a rare occurrence these days.

Half a pint of maggots(between us) and some light float gear and we had a busy couple of hours catching about thirty nice roach with a few in the region of 12oz. In typical roach fashion,bites were extremely finicky and difficult to hit, but it was fun to recharge our angling 'batteries', and hone our coarse angling skills In readiness for this year's mullet fishing.

5/1/11 Ham Corner....and A Pike But............

not for me. Andy got this one today at about 5lb on a chunk of herring mounted on a single hook. At least It  proves there are pike in the river. I was beginning to wonder!
We fished for about four hours and mostly on the flood tide with the usual dead bait tactics, and that was the only take of the session.Eleven blank pike trips in a row for me......it's beginning to hurt.

3/1/11 A Fish At Last But.......................

Pretty tiny I'm afraid.A whiting about the size of a mackerel bait but that's not the point. it's a fish.
The pike have continued to elude me and I've had three more blank trips In December to the Arun at Ham corner, and The Adur at Streatham and Betley where i couldn't even catch a live bait.That's ten blanks in a row and the most difficult period of river pike angling i've ever experienced.On the Betley trip another angler did take two pike including a double, but he was 'cheating' with live baits. I'd be more than happy to cheat if i could catch some wrigglies.Also on the same trip I came across Richard Donnelly, an ex NMC member and mate of Ben's, and now a keen barbel angler with a few taken from the Arun.
Anyway today I took Andy out on the boat for a first proper deep sea trip. We anchored up at Black Ledge and fished for a few hours but that whiting was the only fish to the boat on whole squid. It's a significant little feller though as It's MY first capture on the boat. Hopefully, things will improve.Fishing was generally slow although we did get a few knocks,probably small whiting, nothing else came on board . Rusty had similar luck, at the same time, a few more miles out at the Shirala.He took the picture of my boat on his way back home.
It was not however, a wasted trip as i got a chance to test out some proper anchoring and retrieval using the 'Alderney' method, and also play with the radio and GPS. Everything went well until we came back in to the river mouth where I trashed my prop on the shallows, having left it far too late to come home.Ouch....that hurt!

22/12/10 Not for the faint hearted .

It almost been a month since i've caught a pike but it's not for the want of trying.I've had four blank trips out to Ham Corner and Streatham recently, and the cold snowy weather has got the better of me-not a sniff.For some strange reason, blanking locally is not bothering me half as much as It did on the Broads.I'm still enjoying just being out there especially in the extreme weather conditions we're experiencing,but it would be nice to put something in the net.
To be realistic, the snow melt can't be helping matters as the river temperatures are extremely low, but the clarity and levels haven't been bad which Is why I'm keeping at it.If I could get them, i feel that livebaits would help.When that next pike does eventually turn up, I'm sure it'll give me a great feeling of satisfaction.
Opportunities to get out in the boat have been limited by the weather and, when it has been possible, i've been on shift.Purchasing the boat when i did, and also lacking in experience on the open sea, I expected to have little chance of fishing through this winter and it's really not a problem. However I did get the chance for another 'test run' with Jack a few days ago when we sailed over to Selsey to check out distance, fuel consumption etc.
The trip took about 50 minutes at 12 knots average and the fuel consumed was minimal-a valuable learning exercise as the fishing grounds out there are pretty good come the warmer months and worth the trip.Tweaking the boat is just about done now though I will spend Christmas and Boxing day with her tucked up in the warmth of the fire station appliance bay, whilst I programme the GPS. I'll have nothing better to do.

6/12/10 Messing About In The Boat

At the moment, patience seems to be the name of the game with my fishing. Being philosophical about it helps too.
The forecast looked good for today. Light winds from the North, and a first proper chance at some sea fishing from the boat. Plan was to head for a mark near to Black Ledge but as soon as we left the harbour the wind picked up and were forced to turn back, and resign ourselves (Andy and Me) to spending a bit of time fishing in the lee of the land about half a mile off the back of my house.We were still battered by the bitingly cold Northerly, but at least the sea state was calm.
A few bites and a proper 'run' for Andy but unfortunately nothing connected,  and another blank ensued.The only other boat out there was 'Spirit' probably fishing the Kingmere.
However, basking in the winter sun was very enjoyable, and I learnt a bit more about, and built up my confidence in handling, the boat, which performed faultlessly.A couple more trips out like this during the winter months and I should have Ironed out all the glitches, and sorted out all the switches, before the real fishing begins next spring. .....Wouldn't mind a cod in the meantime though.
One final thought- I have to laugh at myself sometimes. I've probably spent as much time today, prepping the boat, and cleaning it, and all the gear  up afterwards, as we spent with baits in the water.
It'll all be worth it in the long run.

3/12/10 Greatham in the Snow

Just had to get up the river for another crack at getting a picture of a decent pike in the snow. No pike for Dave and me, but some stunning scenery and a pleasant way to spend a morning.
Thing is, at the moment, despite the extremely low temperatures making fishing difficult,the water clarity and levels are good so we've got to take advantage and get out.If it warms up It usually means rain and the rivers will colour up , and probably flood, making fishing Impossible. Catch 22.
Even Dave admitted today that Livebaits would've probably made a difference!

29/11/10 Streatham

At the end of our last session together I vowed to Andy that we'd get him a double, so today I took him to the tidal stretch just upstream of Streatham Bridge for a three hour stint.
Things were a bit slow and my goodness it was very cold but, nearing the end of the session Andy's white and red float was attacked by a small pike as it waved in the current and shortly after as he was retrieving his sardine bait to pack up, a bigger pike decided to have a go at it......and missed.
Quickly returning the bait to the water it wasn't long before the same pike decided that she'd have another crack, and out she came- a nice fish at 10-03 and Andy first double for some time.Great when a plan comes together!

28/11/10 Washingham

I was supposed to meet Dave but, when i arrived at his house this morning I thought that ,because his blinds were still closed, he'd still be asleep. I headed for Washingham, but he was already out on the upper Greatham stretch and had a take from an upper single early on.

Unfortunately Washingham didn't produce for me in the cold weather , and I packed up Just before midday. can't win em all.

25/11/10 Ham Corner.....Back In Action.

After the disastrous trip to the Broads(I'm still reeling in pain) it was high time to get back into the fish, and get busy on the Sussex rivers, where the pike are unlikely to have ever seen a bait, let alone been caught.,...........and the closest angler(apart from your mate) is likely to be miles away. I like that!
I had set aside this morning for a possible trip out in the boat after cod, but the winds were strengthening from the north, and acting on Rusty's advice to pick the best times ,weather wise,to venture out at this time of year,I decided to cancel and instead, head up the river after pike.
Having returned home this lunchtime, I think it was, with hindsight, a wise decision, as the sea looks decidedly lumpy a few miles out. However, Rusty's been doing extremely well lately with cod, and i'm eager to follow in his footsteps and get my first fish aboard.There has also been some bass action drifting over the Kingmere to whet my appetite but, for the moment, i'll just have to be patient, and wait for a suitable window of opportunity.
Seeing as I was due to take Andy out, I let him decide on a venue for the morning's fishing and, rather pleasingly, he chose Ham Corner.This remote stretch of the river has produced a double figure pike for me in the past, albeit from a boat,and I've been meaning to return for a couple of years. It's also the lowest point on the tideway at which I personally have taken pike .
We parked the truck up at about half seven,but rather disappointingly, the gate to the long chalk track leading close to the river was locked, and I was unable to play silly buggers with the 4WD lever.She's still a 'mud' virgin in my hands.
 Shanks' pony was the only option, and we were fishing before eight-two rods out both on trusty float legered sardine for me, and Andy fishing one rod for the pike, and a bread feeder for whatever might pop along.The water conditions couldn't be better. The colour had dropped right out after the past few days of cold, dry weather and the level was spot on. Tide was ebbing strongly and there were plenty of small fish topping-in fact the place seemed quite 'alive'.I must admit, despite the bitingly cold northerly wind, I felt quietly confident.
 We worked our way downstream from the culvert entrance, hopping the rods every half hour or so and fishing in an average of ten feet of water, a couple of rod lengths out.
Dead on slack LW at 1130, one of my floats juddered.... then a bob.... then it lay flat....stood up ... then bobbed again......a very, very gentle take indeed.I tightened up within seconds, felt  the weight of a good fish,played it deep for a few more seconds and Andy wielded the net for me with his usual skill.The whole thing was over in a minute.....and then the pike woke up!....but it was too late.
Thankfully, I'd just reacted in time, as the bottom treble was an inch or so from the stomach entrance and , although  easily removed with the 'long noses', goes to show that It pays to be 'on the ball' when it comes to bite detection .I've never yet had a deep hooked pike that i've not been able to successfully retrieve my gear from.....and I'd like to keep it that way.After the pic(looks better blown up) she went back with no trouble at all and probably sat sulking in the margins for a while before sliding back down to the depths.
13lb 12oz, fit and fat, and my first double of the season-let's hope there are a few more.
An hour or so later, Andy and me were making our way back to the truck already planning a return trip.

15-19/11/10 Back to Reality.....with a crash!

It would seem that my bubble has finally burst. I had been wondering of late when it would happen.

FIVE days solid in the boat pike fishing on the Broads at Horning. Net result............nil............................... Not a sniff! ...............................Couldn't even buy a bite, while others around me were catching !  BUGGER!.

 

But.........................as i've said before ,It's a rare occasion that i go fishing without learning something, and lesson for this trip was the effectiveness of big live baits on the Broads, and especially when they are trolled slowly. Joining Dave and me for this trip was Jon Cook and his skill at tempting esox with the above method( he took at least nine fish ) was admirable.Jon's belief in the effectiveness of a live bait was concrete...and it was interesting to discuss the issue in depth, and get an insight into the 'psyche'  of an experienced 'circuit' piker for the first time, and find out that they're perhaps not all the 'rogues' that they're perceived to be.

Sadly,and rather hypocritically,It's likely that the method's days are numbered, and that it will be banned completely in the near future.

 Unfortunately my own attempts at 'dragging' lives were pitiful, not helped by being nabbed by a narky local 'jobsworth' for breaking the rules and trolling on an electric motor, as well as being told off for speeding, and not displaying my licence(it disintegrated in the rain) by the Broads Authority.All in all things went pretty well considering.

Dave did bring one beautifully marked pike aboard, to christen the boat,on a mackerel, but, for the majority of the time,unlike in Sussex, it just felt to me like we were 'drowning' our dead baits.

The wildlife(huge otter and marsh harrier among others), beer, food and company were, as always, superb...so it wasn't all bad, although, I don't think I'll be returning in a hurry, despite Jon's success.

12/11/10 Bassquest #13 More Fun In The Surf

Andy and me were out again tonight,joined by Andy's mate Baz, grabbing another opportunity to chase spikeys.
 We'd decided to try opposite the swimming pool to see how far these fish were spread along the L.A coastline.Compared to the turmoil we experienced last night, conditions tonight were far more manageable-in fact I'd go as far as to say that the surf was near perfect-for Sussex.Evenly breaking waves with nice flat tables of water separating them-standing in the surf it was easy to imagine that we were fishing a classic Cornish or Irish strand at times.
 The tide was relatively small and most of the areas where we've been catching of late would not have been accessible.The southerly winds and low pressure had also contributed to restricting the tide range which we realised, but it still looked quite odd at low tide seeing so little of the beach exposed.
Fishing from LW up, the flood was well underway before we had any bites and the first of these came to Andy who , after a few finicky missed takes, landed one of 2 1/2 lb.I too was getting definite bites but was failing to follow through until a steady pull resulted in this one at 4lb(55cm).
We could have had half a dozen out between us had we connected with the bites, but we felt that they were probably just schoolies hitting our big squid baits. It'll be interesting to see how long this continues but, all the time this weather is kicking up a surf, it's gotta be worth having a go at them.
These past few trips out after bass have been immensely enjoyable.Just being out there in the wild surf is an experience itself but the run of luck i've had with the catches has just put the Icing on the cake.Once again I say to myself 'what a season'

11/11/10 Extreme Bassing....Bassquest #12

We're not sure how long these bass are going to be around so, taking advantage of the rough weather, Andy and me headed to west beach, for a change, this evening for another surf bass session.Conditions were extreme with wind speeds gusting to 45mph , that's force 8, according to Windguru.It certainly felt like it and we had to stand with our backs into the wind to avoid being blown off our feet,and keep an close eye on the incoming waves.

One cast at West Beach, which we'd both agreed would be worth a shot,and we were dragged along the shore by weed.It took seconds to decide to jump back in the truck, and relocate to the east side of the river, where we might at least get a little shelter and the weed would not be such an issue.

This indeed proved to be the case but, although fishable, it was right on the limit , our rods being thrown all over the place.

However, despite the presumed difficulties in bite detection, when the take came, it was unmistakable, and unmissable- a solid thump felt through the rod.. The fish did however, decide to run towards me  quite quickly, and when I eventually caught up with it,it was virtually at my feet.A nice little specimen at 3-08 that was returned safely .The bass came right on moonset which apparently, according to Drew's theory,is a 'hot time'.The man is full of priceless little gems like this which make fishing with him extremely interesting and entertaining.I'm not quite so scientific in my approach and feel that the little bass, rather than gazing up at the fading moon and thinking it must be teatime, just happened upon my juicy squid and fancied a munch.

Unfortunately that was the only bite of the session, but I feel we did well not to blank. We left the beach feeling rather exhilarated, if not a little exhausted, by our little adventure, both agreeing that it would've been quite dicey to attempt it alone, and both looking forward to getting home to a nice hot cuppa.

8/11/10 Bassquest #11 - My First Double

 I was disappointed not to have been with my mate Andy last week to photograph his double figure bass for him, having not, at that point in time, caught or even seen one myself............
Yesterday morning we experienced the heaviest storm of the winter so far which was accompanied by some seriously spectacular seas around HW .I'd been out cruising along the sea front in the 'firm's car' using the company's time wisely,by checking out the conditions, when It dawned on me that, with all this bass food being stirred up, I should phone Drew and arrange a session at L.W for tonight. It turned out that he'd been thinking the same. Great minds...........
The wind had steadily tailed off throughout the afternoon but, when I arrived home from work in the evening,I could still hear a decent surf rolling in at the back of the house, though of course,in the darkness, I couldn't see it.I picked Andy up at about 6-30p.m, we headed out west, and were in place by about 7-00.Today's L.W was at 1816.Conditions were just perfect.The wind had dropped to a mere 'breath' but, there was indeed still enough movement in the water, and the sea and air temperatures felt warm enough to Instill confidence.
My chosen rig was a whole squid on a 6/0-4/0 pennel(I don't take prisoners) on a running paternoster, and Andy had a mackerel strip on a 3/0(a more delicate approach) for the first chuck, but was to switch to squid for the remainder of the fishing.
Within minutes of starting, and both on our first casts, Andy signalled that he'd had a bite.....and was in......Just seconds after, I had a strong thump and I was In too.......... and..........., it felt like a good fish.Two good bass on at the same time.....this would be fun!
Our baits had been quite close together, the idea being to concentrate a scent in the water(teamwork), and it soon became apparent that Andy's fish had kited over my line(the cheek of it !).Things did get a bit confused at this point as it seemed, in a bit of a 'comedy' moment, that we were possibly fighting the same fish.My line was still out, but looped round Andy's, and as he'd played his fish in to our feet,and could see that it was a good'n, we both decided to start the 150yd 'wade' back to shore together, without untangling my line first, as we didn't want to lose Andy's fish.
As we moved back a few yards the weight on my line still seemed heavy. I thought that perhaps I was just dragging weed or the lead was snagging...but I wasn't entirely sure.I suggested to Andy that we free my line and, as soon as we'd done so, I was back into fighting my fish...I've made worse decisions.
The bass came in relatively easily, though feeling quite heavy on the light estuary rod, and as she appeared out of the darkness, we could both see she was something special.......'You've got a double there mate'.... P.P exclaimed.
Finally reaching 'dry' land ,we laid both bass down together on the sand and, as you can see , it was a splendid sight.What a brace. Quickly weighing and individually photographing each fish, we were both keen to get them back unharmed, and this indeed was successfully achieved. I must have followed mine out for 75yds or so to see it safely back.
P.P had forgotten his beloved tape measure, but luckily, I'd remembered to pack my scales.Andy's fish weighed 7-04 and mine 10-10, both fantastic fish, my first ever double figure bass and 'catch of the year' without a doubt.I was over the moon.
Second cast produced another lesser bass for me at 3-12 and my third cast gave me a dropped fish, both takes being preceded by the slightest of knocks.As the tide flooded,and the depth increased, we both felt that the surf conditions were deteriorating but, there were still fish feeding and Andy concluded the session, and balanced the numbers, with another nice bass of 4-12 taken home for a well deserved meal.
We did have an additional 'comedy' moment during the sesh' when Andy's hands had become too cold to delicately thread a frozen squid on to his fine wire 3/0.Gallantly, I offered my assistance, only to remember that my eyesight at closer than a yard, is total pants-hence the reason for my use of giant viking hooks.
I doubt whether we had half a dozen casts each, and were fishing for just a couple of hours, but it was a truly memorable session and one of many that Andy and me have had this year.What with last month's success on lures....Lady Luck has definitely been on my side this season.

5/11/10 Rustington Surf

Back out again this afternoon for another crack at bass, but this time fishing the beach at the back of the house.Conditions were similar to yesterday, although the wind was a little lighter . We started by scouting the area at LW to select likely looking spots and began fishing directly on to rough ground, using the same tactics and bait .

After a while a drop back signified some action to my rod but, it turned out to be a dogfish, quickly followed by a similar fish to Andy's rod, so we decided to move along the beach.Some more dogfish 'action' ensued but unfortunately no bass showed, although we did identify some sand bars that will be targeted on future tides if there is surf about.

The big question is; Are the bass more concentrated near the river? Who knows.

4/11/10 Bassquest #9 L.A Surf

The surf conditions have been very favourable of late and P.P's been getting quite a few decent bass out culminating in a superb 77cm P.B specimen in the early hours of this morning.With the time and effort he puts in to his fishing, he really does deserve a fish of this calibre, and I personally am chuffed to bits for the man.Andy, when you read this-big well done mate!
 What I'm also very excited about,as results this season have confirmed, is the fact that bass of this stamp can be caught from our local venues, given the appropriate conditions, and although it's fun to travel 'out east' to try for bass, it's not strictly necessary.
Having been unable to join in on the fest over the past few days, I finally hooked up with Andy today for a low tide session just east of the river mouth for a couple of hours.The southerly was blowing quite hard (F5-6), whipping up a nice surf, and the temperature, despite the wind chill factor, was still reasonably high for the time of year.
Whole squid on a 6/0 -4/0 pennel were my tactics wading probably 100 plus yards out into the sea and chucking out a further 30yds into the strong headwind.
 I love this sort of fishing for it's sheer simplicity.Just a light rod and reel (AFAW 11ft estuary rod and a 6501), chest waders and a small shoulder bag with bait, scales and a few bits of spare end gear is all you need to carry. Anything else just becomes a hindrance.
Our first casts were into what looked like a slight depression adjacent to a sandbank and after about ten minutes i had the first bite- a solid unmissable thump, which even Andy noticed,was easily struck home and a very strong battle ensued.So unusually fierce was the fight that we both thought that it would turn out to be a very big fish,but instead a modest sized bass came in through the waves and although fairly hooked in the mouth by the pennel hook, the bottom hook had snagged a gill plate which may account for the tussle.
After walking her in to 'dry' land for the 'weights and measures' (4-08- 58cm) and trophy shot ,she went back in none the worse for her ordeal, and we made our way out again for Andy to get his turn.
It didn't take long, a couple of casts later and this time a more subtle bite ended in my mate beaching a 50cm fish to balance the session out nicely.
We had a few more casts as the big tide progressed up the beach, but the light was fading fast , and we were both a bit 'winded' by the 'wild' weather, so we called a halt to yet another success for the 'team'.
When the conditions are right, we could be in with a chance of a few more fish like this before the end of the year.Only time will tell.

1/11/10 Fishing's Fickle Fortunes.

I'll make this entry short and sweet because I'm still reeling in pain over it's outcome.LOL

Rusty took me out in the 'Sea Fairy' today to one of his favourite marks and despite the skipper having a spectacular session with three superb cod to 12lb, plus a variety of rays, bream, gurnard, dogs and small hounds, my only contributuion to the days catch, apart from being brilliant with the net and camera, was a solitary dogfish and two small bream.I can't quite seem to get the hang of this boat fishing lark.Sometimes, that's the way it goes...................................Bugger!

 

29/10/10 All Change.

Only a week ago I was still targeting the summer species wearing a t-shirt but, with the daylight hours noticably decreasing, and the temperature dropping, it's time again to swap the delicate avon float for a 'mooring buoy',dig out the thermal suit, and fish for pike. Not that i'm completely discounting another crack at the mullet or bass.With the recent windy weather the surf's  up out back and P.P's been  there catching four pound bass (laterly a six pounder), and there's a possibility that , given the right conditions, I may get another chance of an Arun mullet..who knows.
Dave and me reached the first swim at the bottom of the Washingham stretch at dawn, with barely enough light to see the floats. The river ,despite the recent rain, was in excellent condition, clear enough to fish with lures had we brought any along with us,which we hadn't, and the tide was just beginning to drop.
The corner swim threw up a blank but after a move Dave landed the first pike on smelt, followed by a second on a pollan,hooked just as he was winding in to change his bait, and a third before we'd reached the sluice, again on paternostered pollan.Biggest of the three was a high single-I gave him 8lb.
By the afternoon we'd crossed the sluice ,my float finally decided to make a move, and out came the thinnest pike I've ever seen and a tiddler that would probably barely make 3lb-still....it saved me blanking.All the pike were still lively in the relatively warm water, and their markings remained bold due to a summer of clear water conditions. With the arrival of rain and generally murky water conditions, the pike tend to lose their colour ,and turn rather dull, some displaying a unique electric blue tinge along their flanks.
We covered a few more swims before knocking off at 4-30 . Nice way to start the river pike season in earnest.
In the evening we met up for a beer with Michael Kernan in Hampshire, whose success on the river with lures for pike is well documented in his book on the river.Michael's confidence in using lures throughout the winter season will give us plenty to think about over the next few months. Let's hope the pike co-operate.

23/10/10 Eel Trouble.

I fished from 11-00p.m to 02-00a.m tonight returning to the scene of my recent bass captures but this time with big squid baits on a 6/0 pennel attached to a sunken float rig hoping to avoid the attention of the species anguilla.......In short,It didn't work.The Eels quickly found the bait and I did actually land one which wrecked my end rig.

It was however a stunning,albeit freezing full moon night, and the river had a certain eerie ambiance, so a pleasent way to spend a few hours.Just a shame no bass were forthcoming.

21/10/10 Double Shots! inc.Bassquest #7

Myself and Drew had already arranged this one before I'd caught yesterday's bass and It was hardly surprising that we had no intention of changing our plan.
Once again the weather was fine and sunny, although today there was even less of a breeze, and the water conditions were still gin clear.
I'd managed to finish my work by 12-30 and indeed was just returning to the truck when I got P.P's call. He was already fishing,  had taken a six pounder from above the prison bend, and was lucky enough to nab a passing dog walker(also keen angler) to take the shot.I was chuffed to bits for my mate, but a little disappointed that I'd not been there to see the fish and take the picture myself .It's not often I get a chance to see bass of this nature and they are truly a  sight for sore eyes.
Within half an hour I'd arrived at the prison bend myself and elected to gradually work my way back downstream with a blue and silver version of yesterday's killer lure-a 6" manns shad.
Probably ten yards or so upstream of the scene of the previous day's action, came the take.Another strong fight ensued but more spectacular was the sight of six or so similarly sized bass following my own hooked fish into the shallows in the bright sunlight. This incredible image remains in my minds eye as I'm writing-stunning.Once again i had to side step gingerly down the flood bank(tide had ebbed considerably) to net the fish,but being an old hand at the game by now, i had no problems flipping the net and actually landed the fish without coating it in sticky mud.
Another lovely bass, this time at 4-13 (23inches)- I was one happy bunny and once again Andy did the honours with the camera.
I had one more definite 'bump' shortly afterwards which pulled the shad body down the hook shank by the tail,but despite covering quite a bit of ground heading towards the sewer outlet, that was the only bass action for the two of us and we decided to head back.
Why did I not do more lure bassing this year-I love it.
On the way back  to the truck we spotted a few mullet, obviously down in numbers , but still enough to have a go at.I had packed the mullet kit that morning and as we were five minutes away from Tesco , which might possibly have some bread for sale,I decided to swap the baitcaster and multiplier, for a float rod and centrepin, get it sorted, and try for a mullet.
Starting point was the top of the west bank straight. I did the fishing. P.P(who didn't bring his mullet kit) did the recon work perched high up on the flood bank hidden in the bushes, offering tips and advice on where the fish were,how not to spook them in the gin clear water(difficult), and when to hit the bites.That's called teamwork.
The ebb was quite strong so a fair bit of mash went in, and it didn't take long for the fish to switch on to the bread with lots of surface activity showing.
'They're right by that old shopping trolley mate' P.P reported as I glimpsed at said trolley, and proceeded to miss the first bite.Ouch.
Couple of trots later , the float buried, and I didn't make the same mistake.I'll admit that I bullied this fish in, trying to keep the rod low in a vain attempt to keep the fish under water and preserve the swim, but unfortunately  I  beached it  a bit too close to the feed area, and take zone.Lovely mullet at 4-08 and distinguished by only having the use of one eye.
Now it was Drew's turn and being the unselfish sort of bloke that I am and because my man had only brought along his bassing kit, I lent him my mullet gear, and took over the role of 'groundbaiter'.
The swim had indeed 'died', so we moved upstream, and found a couple of likely targets flashing on the sewerage farm straight.It took about half an hour before Andy had his chance,  hit a steady bite, and complete the double shot for both of us with this mullet of 2-04.
Four hours fishing, including all the bank walking and shopping, and one of the most enjoyable and memorable sessions of the year.Great fun to mix methods and species.
Thankfully, after four straight days of fishing, I'm going on shift at the Fire Station for the next few days for a well earned rest.