Winter Species Hunt...29/12/07

I'll start the ball rolling:

Todays fishing trip began for me the day before. My cunning plan – which I can now reveal – was to take myself, my children and my kayak over to my parents in order to have today free and have the kayak and gear already loaded up and ready to go. This would allow me to start at first light rather than a good few hours later while leaving Sunday – the alternative date and the better day of the two – free to spend with my wife and children thus not suffering from moans all week long. So, with a quick trip to the tackle shop to buy some maggots, resulting in a rod, two reels and some line as well as the maggots, the car was loaded up and it was off to ‘Base Camp’ for a few hours kip before An early start.

6am on a damp and very dark morning with 30mph winds making a racket outside put me in a fine frame of mind not made-up for by coffee and croissant. Dressed to thrill in thermals and cag/paddle pants I left the house just before 6:30 and headed for Ellingham Mill from where the plan was to paddle upstream to the first mark, the one that had produced plenty in the summer tournament. I was there before 7.



I unloaded and tackled up by the light from my head torch and launched around 7:15 or so.



So far the cunning plan was working. Trouble was, it was as windy as a politician and this was added to by the sluice being open. Great. The water was very high and the current was pretty strong. In a word, unfishable. Still, as Richi said ‘Who Dares Wins’ and I was up anyway. I also couldn’t stand the excitement of waiting for one of Starvin’s tournaments any longer and went for it. Two rods out the back with a Big S and a Super Shad Rap and I trolled the mile up to my first mark.



On arrival, I set up one rod with a 4bb waggler float and size 16 hook, the other with a leger and a size 16 and both with 4lb Daiwa line. I was hoping to christen my shiny new Shimano Hyperloop 2500RB reels bought specifically for tournamenting. I always buy Shimano reels as they have never let me down but at £15 each these aren’t the top notch ones they do. But I was impressed. Smooth as silk with a very good drag system and plenty of line capacity I was able to cast light tackle a good distance with ease. But christen them I did not. Did I mention it was unfishable? The float was dipping under from the water pressure and the tips of my John Wilson Prime match rods (I’m less snobbish with rods than reels as i tend to smash them p now and again) were waving around too much to detect bites on the leger rod. I persisted for too long and then headed upstream to try a couple more marks as the sun finally crept up over the sides of the valley.



Still nothing doing on the troll, I went right to the end of the stretch over the next couple of hours – against wind and current – and tried in the mill pools there. Nothing. And guess what? The bloody sluice was open at this end too. Deciding enough was enough I turned around and trolled back to the launch point, annoying the swans for good measure.



Loaded up I nearly knocked it on the head there and then. Ever the optimist though I decided to head to Geldeston where I figured I could get out of the current and into a side stream that usually has a good head of varied tiddlers. On arrival I had a look at the water – the current was screaming down here too and the side stream was mostly mud – the tide was down. The Waveney is a lovely river but being tidal it has its own characteristics, some of which also adversely affect the fishing. Lack of water in known marks being one of these.

Really fed up with this unfishable day I decided once more to knock it on the head. But first I’d just go and see what was happening at Beccles…..

Pulling up at the quay the bank was lined with anglers. I asked the first one if he’d had much and he was honest enough to tell me! He reckoned he’d had about 30 roach and a couple of perch, but all tiddlers. The water in this part was pretty calm too and I tested it out by lobbing a float in – yep, I could detect ok. So off I went to my Beccles launch point: the dinghy club's pontoon which is next to the swimming pool. Free parking 20 yards from launch… The water here looked reasonably okay too and at last – and it’s around 11:30 by now – the day was looking as though it was becoming fishable after a false start.

I launched. I trolled downstream towards the iron bridge which was my first mark. This is a hot spot for jacks that I have fished since I was a teenager and rarely blanked on. Today I did though. The pike just didn’t seem to want to play today. The 0.75kg anchor was holding me fine and the float was staying above the surface but sadly it was always staying above and this was not good. I got cunning then. Leger and float off, swim feeders on, and I moved down to a new spot by the entrance to one of the boat yards, opposite the quay.



Loads of people about and one or two fish coming in encouraged me somewhat and I poured a tub of maggots into a couple of pints of breadcrumb that I’d been saving over the last month or so (dry it out then liquidise. Good for fish, chicken and fishing) and added some water from the river. A couple of maggots on each hook, feed in the feeders and out went the lines.

Five minutes or so later and I got a bite. At last. I missed it of course, as I did with the first half dozen. The bites were shy but detectable on the match rods and I decided to drop down to single red maggots on one, and 6 on the other as the two were coming in sucked out so either biggies were mouthing them or tiddlers were nibbling them.

A good move. I got one of them at last, on the big bait.



Quite a nice pull on a light rod and light tackle, and after a minute it was ready to come aboard. I was quite excited by this time as it looked like a new species for me



Oh my, would you look at that! It was a beautiful light silver with white fins and a deep and wide body. And covered in slime. My first ever silver bream – a skimmer as they call them.



It didn’t really matter now if I did have to give up as it was a new species so I was happy anyway. Of course, I wasn’t going to stop fishing though was I? Single red maggot rod this time. Tap tap tap



Now in the past I’ve only ever had roach with a brown/green back and had never fished for them in winter. The ones I had today had blue backs, a rich, deep blue, and were really beautiful looking fish with their silvery flanks and orange fins.

Tap tap tap. Another.



tap tap tap. And again



It carried on like this, with many being missed and some being caught. And good ones too, averaging around 4-5 oz. My rods were positioned like this most of the time and were slightly too far forward for quick striking with the butts being quite lengthy. I’ll cut them down before next time as I have done with all my other rods. I ended up positioning them almost upright with just the tips in the holders and this worked far better.



I had too much fun and decided it was time to move in order to track down something different. I up-anchored and headed upstream a bit, back to the iron bridge. I had a roach on as a livebait now in the hope of tempting a pike – all tournament entrants were released alive by the way – but STILL no joy!

Feeder rods went down again, and I struck into a beauty this time. A real beauty that I knew was decent as soon as I felt it. Well, decent for this sort of fishing!



I had to record it; it was playing about for a couple of minutes!



It had fallen to a single red maggot and was hooked in the scissors. The back was an inch across and it was a good 10 inches long and around 4-5 inches deep. It had a green/brown back, light bronze tinge to the flanks, red / dark orange fins and was caught in shallower water than the others – on a ledge - I got it in and weighed it – a pound. The hook was firmly in though and I struggled for ages to extract it. Being concerned about getting this beauty back into the water as quick as possible I totally forgot to take a picture of it in my hand! Yes, ME! As it is my PB for a UK Roach/Rudd I am rather annoyed at myself for that. Also annoying is that I think it was a Rudd but am not 100% certain and without a decent photo to check against I suppose I can’t claim it as such (unless anyone can verify either/or from the pics of it in the water?). Anyway, it was enough to have caught it and I was well chuffed – a new species AND a PB in one day! An unfishable day at that!

I moved further upstream after a while. That’s the iron bridge in the background. I still had a livebait out along with the feeder rods as I have had plenty of pike here in the past. But still not even a sniff.



It was now around 3:30 and I had about an hour maximum of light left. I had a couple of decent half pound roach here (which I didn’t snap) and then set off back towards the launch point.



I had a good view of the church from here. And a little tap on the single red maggot…



Beauty! A perch! Only a small one, but another species, making it three for definite. That’s all I got here, but I did get cut up by a yacht under motor who was going left to right (tacking with a motor? Are you drunk?) and then decided to head on the inside of me, ie between me and the moored boats twelve feet away. And it was pretty obvious I had lines out. Knob head.



A quick troll down to the bridge and back failed to bring up pikey and so I loaded up the car and tried out the self timer for the first time ever. A brilliant day fishing an unfishable day with a PB and a newbie, some good, fresh air and a few mm of stomach lard disposed of. Disappointed not to have had my usual pike and annoyed at not photographing my biggie but after all, worse things happen at sea….



Once again, thank you Starvinmarvin for organising the tournament. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Tight lines to the rest of you if you get out too.

It began so well...Lowestoft...23/12/07

7:30, a silly time to get up when there is no school run but with fishing on the cards with excellent conditions predicted and after 7 weeks without saltwater on the yak I felt it would be churlish of me not to. So, I clambered into my Lidl thermals and Lidl Angora gear, stuck my Lidl skiing socks and hand knitted woollies on, with fleece trousers on top and went downstairs to find some protein. My father in law came down just as I was putting the finishing touches to fried tomato with two sausages, 3 rashers of back bacon, a handful of mushrooms and an egg to go with my coffee – and in a fit of compassion proceeded to save him from an ingestion of cholesterol and lard by scoffing the lot before his very eyes. I could tell he felt all the better for it. Then outside I went, fortified, and dragged out, set up and trolleyed-up the Trident and Prowler 15 for a day on the sea with a chap from another forum who’d had a go on the broad with me a couple of weeks back.

Scott turned up just after 8:30 and after calling up the coastguard we trundled down to the beach. There was ice on the yaks and it was very foggy with maybe 100 metres visibility but the water was calm, the wind was light and the air temperature was surprisingly mild, a nice morning on the beach.



I lent Scott my Extrasport cag and trousers and clambered into my Gul drysuit for the first time and put my Chota mukluks on over the top.



We launched just after 9, an hour after high water, and began paddling out for a mark I’d found on the charts that was 3.5 miles away – a hole of 22 metres surrounded by depths of 17.



Sadly the slack water was about done and we weren’t making headway so we went for plan B and headed on out to another mark near where I’d fished last time with Lozz and Gavstick, a mere 11 metres at the entrance to the Stanford Channel, between the Stanford and South Holm buoys.



The fog had started to lift and by the time we were in position visibility was getting pretty good and the sun was out. I had sweated like a monkey on the way out but the Lidl thermals had wicked it all away and I didn’t feel clammy at all – or cold. We’d spotted a couple of charter boats out on the way but these had headed for deeper water and the only sound was the lifeboat out for the usual Sunday morning training session.



Chucking down our anchors, I got my rods set up – Scott had already tackled up on the beach. Less than five minutes later and he was in – his first yak-caught fish, a codling that was just about sizeable but which went back.



Not that I was jealous or anything, mind. The upstart! Still, my turn came a few minutes later and I got a lovely thump. Bringing it up it felt a reasonable fish but I made the error of getting the camera out and ready and slacklined. Of course it dropped off and I swore. I was rather pissed off until, five minutes later (and a few missed bites for Scott) my rod went again, same rod with a 4/0 pennel holding blow lug and squid. Well, the camera was ready but I got it up on the surface first before messing about:



As ‘Wilson’ would say: “Do you think that’s wise…?” Oh, sorry, wrong Wilson. As the other, piscatorial, Wilson would say: “Oooh, yes, haha, ooh come to Johnny, ooh haha, ooh it’s not as big as I first thought haha…” Sorry, I digressed. However, it allows another photograph of the same fish to be inserted with a text break between pics:



Well, that was it, a lovely, plump 2.5lb codling with crabs in its belly and my hooks in its throat. A keeper:



Scott was hitting knocks as I let down again, and I kept hitting and missing them as well – the party was in full swing and I sent a text stating this. And that, sadly, was when our luck started to change. The current picked up as slack water finally ended and I noticed Scott creeping past. I’d given him the 0.75kg anchor, as the P15 is less buoyant than the Trident, while I had the 1.5kg on. While mine held fine his didn’t and after a couple of drifts we tied up to each other and then both started to drift. The leads were bouncing along and we were overtaking them – bites would not be seen and every now and then we got snagged and had that sudden rush of water that would make a great enema if it was internal but which makes you sh*t yourself without having to go to all that effort. It wasn’t funny so we lifted anchor. Or rather failed to, and I had to cut myself off (preferring to do that than ditch the line and buoy as I don’t know when I’ll get out next to retrieve it). Had I stuck to a mono link I’d have been able to pull the anchor inverted but the cable tie just wouldn’t go.

So, we decided to head inshore and after being passed by the lifeboat had to paddle like hell to crawl into the harbour, the current screaming down at a vast rate of knots. I was sweating out the louche living of the past few weeks and as knackering as it was it felt good. The swell was still almost zilch and we went and sat for a while inside the harbour, where a single shore crab volunteered for tomorrows bisque duty.



Bored, we headed back out and into the bay



Drifting out of any current, Scott managed a few tiny codling while I headed towards the rock breakwater by ‘kiddies corner’.



Here another crab jumped in but apart from that nothing so we decided to head south and maybe get in some fishing off Pakefield. We addled for a bit and then decided that as headway against the current was not particularly good we’d end up with limited fishing time so beached, broke down the gear and walked back to mine for a cuppa.



Do you think the yellow suits me?

Although we had a cracking start that turned into a comedy of errors it was a bloody good trip, very pleasant and a great escape from that pre-Christmas lunacy. Now I just have to get a pair of 1.5kg replacement anchors and get back out to get the ones I missed! I think Scott enjoyed it and I enjoyed having him along. I shall also enjoy the now-filleted cod that will be smoked tomorrow morning in time for my pot-caught Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow night. Have a good Christmas everyone and here’s to a few more tight lines before the New Year.

Cracking Yakking Day on the Broad...19/12/07

After two very late nights (actually early mornings) in a row and one short paddle in six weeks I figured that this morning would be a fine time for a bit of piking on the Broad. There’s still strong wind and lumpy seas out here so codding is out (although current predictions for Sunday look interesting) and so my plan was to load up and head out straight after the school run.

What a glorious morning! Coming back from the little ‘uns school I noticed that it was sunny with a clear blue sky – no clouds and the wind, though keen, was quite manageable. Not only did this indicate that it would be a perfect day for trolling lures but also that I’d be able to test out the new, bigger Pacific Action sail that has been sitting in my office unused. Actually, it was kind of a day of firsts as I was to ‘blood’ both my new reels, my larger battery, my new lure and the rudder as well as the sail. Oh, and the first time I got ‘raker rash’ as well as it happens. You know those days, the ones where everything slots into place and is perfect…

…well, kind of. I was somewhat disorganised getting loaded, unloaded and set up this morning. The water was way down too (like 5ft down on the last time I’d been here) and so launching and loading the yak was a bit more of a trial than usual. It was actually the lowest I’ve seen the broad and I took it as a good omen as it usually fishes better when low and the water going out (tidal pressure) which was the case all the time I was on the water today.

I was kitted out nicely. I was LIDL-Angorad from toes to throat, Extrasported on top of that, wife-knitted merino-footed and some LIDL reflective inner soles inside the Chota Mukluks. PFD on top of the cag finished me off nicely and although it was a cold day I was actually warm throughout. I’d got my two trusty 10ft heavy rods (they seem better for trolling than my spinning rods for some reason, perhaps the stiffness doesn’t interfere with the action of the lures?) and these were fitted with my new reels – Shimano Charter Specials, a 1000LD and a 2000LD. I bought these recently as I was fed up with fiddling with star drags and wanted to go back to using lever drags for trolling as I had done ‘back in the day’. For those not aware of the lever drag idea it’s ideally suited for trolling – you can freeline or set the drag to pull from the ‘strike’ position on the lever or adjust it heavier by pushing the lever more. The idea is also to set the ‘correct’ drag up the top ‘stop’, which can be overridden by taking the lever even further up, all the while giving you an infinite, immediate option to lighten or tighten the resistance of the pull. The two reels are the same for all intents and purposes with the only difference being in width – the 2000LD taking more line and so just having a wider spool. Both hold way more line (Powerpro 50lb braid) than I really need for piking but are intended to be used for other fish in the summer, fish that take more line and will be in deeper water. On the ends of these were Rapala Super Shad Raps – I nice, big lure that has a very sexy action (if you like that sort of thing) and which doesn’t run too deep. One was a Redhead and the other my new Blue Shiner.

I digress. I fitted the sail to the yak and lowered it over the side, clambered in and fitted battery and lure box in place, popped the rods into the flushmounts and started to paddle out. The wind was coming from my right rear quarter and I wanted to unfurl the sail straight away but decided to get a fish first. Conditions really were spot on.

I paddled up past the marina where we were launching from at the meet and headed for the houseboats. I didn’t get halfway before the port (ooh, aren’t I nautical) rod started to bang away.



No line was being pulled so it was feeling it hit that alerted me. That’s one of the great attractions of trolling from a yak for me I think, that connection to the fish itself. It felt a solid fish, but wasn’t really doing anything exciting.



Of course, the water temperature is way down and the pike are full of roe ready to spawn in the spring so they aren’t doing the acrobatics of the summer and are tending to lie doggo on the bottom waiting for passing food rather than expending energy chasing it (evidenced by the leeches etc on their flanks at this time of year).

I wound it in and apart from one or two short dashes only had steady pulls. It had taken my new Blue Shiner and so christened that and the reel.



It was a decent fish, around 6lb or so and in good condition. A good start.



I paddled further up, noting the extreme drop in depth to what I’m used too, and had to stay out of the margins as the lures were just grounding out. I then noticed just how clear the water had become – without the powerboat racing, yachties and tourists ploughing around a lot of the suspended silt no longer was and I could actually see the bottom quite regularly. I paddled up onto the dyke to see if I could get a fish here as the water is a bit deeper and there are a few choke points. I passed another angler and enquired of his luck. Nothing. 200 metres past him and

Bang bang bang. Fish on.



It was my redhead this time, and a better fish by the feel of things. I drifted into the side (and some trees) and brought in a beautiful, solid eight pounder.





Again no line pulled off on the strike and I checked the drag setting but it was fine. The new reels were performing beautifully though; it was almost like I didn’t need to think about anything except playing the fish.

I was also using the rudder by now, having remembered to take the tie-down off before launching this time. Now, I’d experimented briefly with it when first fitted and given up because it wasn’t needed for correction and it wasn’t useful for anything else specifically. However, today with the wind as it was and the need for me to go in all directions relative to it (paddling and sailing) it was the ideal time to get practicing with it. And I must say it was bloody good. I could correct drift without any difficulty, could tighten my turns considerably but most of all could better follow my intended route more precisely and nip around obstructions and contours. I could also head through tighter gaps and jink the lures around stuff. I made my mind up today on the rudder question and I’m definitely in favour on the Trident (even more with the sail up).

I paddled down the other side of the dyke and broad and headed for the lock gates. On the way I passed a dead’un washed up that I would say was close to twenty.



The tooth in the bottom jaw rivalling that of my cat.



Always sad to see but it could have been worse – the tidal surge that breached the lock a few weeks back by rights should have left these everywhere, we were very, very lucky.

Down to the bottom with no further runs and I changed my lures over. I’d decided to sail right up the broad and put on my trusty Shakespeare big S lures – I wanted to troll but I didn’t want to snag the bottom and these run very shallow so were ideal. I wasn’t too bothered about trolling but figured that as I’m a yak angler I should really.



Well, I set off. GPS was giving me 3-4 mph (around what I was paddling at today) so I was quite happy that I might even avoid snagging up. A few things about the sail: I’d previously used the 1.5 square metre Pacific Action and had found it a good bit of kit. However, I’d found it was of limited use with the obstructions to the wind around here so I’d got rid of it and got the larger 2.2 square metre sail. I’d hoped that I could not only catch lighter winds to good effect but also counteract the shelter/gusty nature of the ‘bay’ where I launch. I’d never actually thought to use it on the broad so can’t compare like for like in this respect.



I’d also done some fiddling to rig it differently to the standard method. I’d found something online on an American site a while back and passed the link to Richi, who also felt that the modification was a good one. It was simple, too and appeared safer. Basically, instead of the running lines forming a loop (that crosses the cockpit) the loop is cut into two lines. These run through clam cleats instead, keeping the cockpit clear of crossing lines and also allowing accurate, easy positioning. It also simplifies the sailing experience. As an example, I am not an experienced sailor. My sailing has been a few blasts with a PA on my Prowler 15. Today, I was running at 3-4mph, trolling lures and texting (and I’m crap at that as well). That’s how easy it is to use. I’ve got the front bungee attached by carabiner to a strap eye behind the carry handle



the feet on the hatch cover and the straps going through strap eyes well-nutted to the sides of the bow.



The rigging lines come back, through a clip attached to a strap eye,



onto the cleat,



and then continue to where I have them clipped off behind the seat.



To sail, I unfurl it, pull the lines to the cleats where suits the wind best and off I go. By using the rudder as well I can stay on the wind (or go off it) with no effort at all. I was using both together and it was great – so much so that a yachtie I stopped and let past shouted across that he loved my sail. ) Does nobody love me for my looks?). The only drawback I have found so far between my old and new sails is length. Being longer it encroaches more on cockpit space when laid down to the side. With the rudder attached, this really narrows the space for your left foot and makes it less than comfortable (and it also presses down on the sonar shield). I got around this by way of the cleats by actually paddling a round today with the sail furled but pointing up at a 45 degree angle and although it catches the wind slightly it proved to be a superior way of carrying an unused sail.

Anyway, I carried on sailing along and then…oh…blimey…



Am I the first person in the UK to catch a pike on a lure whilst under sail in a kayak?



Zzzzzzzzzzzzz! Fish on!



Blue Mackerel Big S and a nice fighting fit 3lb’er…sail furled in seconds, pulled down to the paddle keeper (quickest option) and I brought it in. Beauty, nice and sleek but solid and well toned too.



Sail unfurled and I headed back up the side of the broad and onto the dyke again, with the Super Shad Raps once more attached. I went far enough and turned, paddling back.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Again!



A good, solid pull but no exciting runs and up came another around 6lb.



I’d actually thought I’d snagged when it first went.





She swam off happily and I carried on down, intending to sail again. I turned and had a great time, crabbing across wind (tacking and stuff) and back and sailed right down the first stretch of the dyke. Then I figured it was time to start thinking about knocking it on the head and paddled back up the dyke and onto the broad.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Yup, capital letters on run number five! This fish was peeling line off, was banging like hell and putting a lovely fight up. And I muffed it. I tried to bring in the other rod with my other hand as I was drifting into the bank. The pike ran towards me, still banging its head, and I didn’t react in time to the slack line – I knew it had shook itself off before actually was perhaps. Gutted, but my own fault. Now, I have never had a fish in the dyke and today I had three. It seems like a good bet on shallow days.

Well, I came back down the side, stopping to chat to another blanker in a boat (nice chap) who had not heard of anything decent coming out yet, but confirmed that we had indeed escaped damage from the salt surge. After a natter I headed in, sticking my Blue Shiner Super Shad Rap on again just for the sake of it. I was kicking myself for losing – again - a biggie (actually for losing fish through an error). I was also disappointed slightly as it would have been fish number five and this has always been my ‘lucky’ number.

ZZZzzzzz!



I was 200 metres from the bank (and a blanker) and was into another good fish, this time around 8lb again. I got it alongside and admired it, down to the big scar on its flank. Something was puzzling though; it had gone stiff as a board and just allowed itself to be dragged in. I had hold of the trace and went to hoist it out and it flicked, flapped and unhooked itself, giving my first ever ‘raker rash’ at the same time



so no out of the water shot but what a cracking end to the best day’s piking since last season – the broad would appear to be a superior venue in winter and by the look of things the bigger fish are starting to move in with not one baby all day. It’s going to be a fine winter…