Search This Blog

Saturday 20 February 2010

Popping Cherries...20/02/2010

For some reason there appears to be some reluctance lately to meet me at Hopton at 05:30 on a weekend...I don’t know if it’s the sub-zero temperatures or the fact that virtually nobody on the entire east coast has seen a fish in the last two months. Or perhaps it’s common sense. Still, I felt the need to fish the last hour of the ebb (Hopton's most productive time on the kayak) and so had to drag my own arse out of bed for it even though I didn’t really feel that interested myself.

Only ignoring the alarm once, I got out of bed and sorted myself out before jumping into the van, jumping out to de-ice the windscreen, jumping back in again and sliding off to Hopton. A tad fresh it was.

Fishyfingurs had beaten me there and was starting to get ready when I arrived. He’d come down from Hunstanton on the north of the county for his first time out of Hopton and was raring to go. It was just us and I guess I failed to inspire confidence as I was having an incompetent morning – the rods weren’t rigged up, I couldn’t find some bits etc...but eventually we were down on the beach and ready to launch through a slight dump into a pretty benign sea for the paddle out to the mark.

The current was starting to slacken off and we had maybe a knot and a half helping us along. I got the anchor down and started to bait up – black lug tipped with unwashed squid, one rod on a 2/0 15lb amnesia wishbone and the other with a 2/0 15lb amnesia triple flapper. I got them in and waited. Did I mention that it was cold?

“Photobucket”

Nothing was happening. No bites, no rattles, nothing. A gentle rolling swell was coming in and little wind was in evidence. It was pleasant enough but would have been enhanced by another 20 degrees.

Finally, while changing baits on the triple flapper an hour and a half after launching, my wishbone rod started to pull over – nice tips ;) I lifted into the fish and started to wind in – game on! Up came a beautifully conditioned codling of a bit over 3lb. Lively and fighting back (it was nearing slack water now) it came into the yak and was promptly dispatched, gilled and gutted. The liver was in good condition, no worms were evident and the stomach contents were a few half digested small fish. That was lunch sorted ;D

“Photobucket”

I heard paddling behind me soon after and saw Benslimjim coming up behind. He’d had more sense than to drive all the way over for 05:30 ;D We had a chat and he went off to anchor up and start fishing...it didn’t take long before he broke his duck and swung his first kayak fish into the boat – a whiting. Well done Ben!

“Photobucket”

Slack water. Bugger that. I was intending getting the sail out but couldn’t be bothered so instead wandered over to see the others. Fishyfingurs had also popped his cherry with whiting – result! Say what you like about February fishing, all three of us were happy.

“Photobucket”

I clipped up to my anchor again, rebaited and settled down to fish as the flood started. Within half an hour it was clear that the weed was worse than earlier and a short time later, with the tide running quite hard and feeling a bit cold, I decided to pack up, haul anchor and head in. I got mine up then went to check on the others. I paddled against the current a bit then drifted with it – it was around the 3 knot mark. I paddled hard with it and hit 8. Bloody neaps ;D

We headed in and watched the shore dump. Some of it was nasty so timing was important. It was confusing as there wasn’t much separation in the area we were – they kind of caught up on their predecessor a bit further out then spread out again once they got close in to the shore. I watched a while then went in smoothly, dragging my kayak up the beach before assisting (and filming) the other two. All safely ashore we started to unload...then Ben made the mistake of asking if we were going to play a bit...

...so back out we went. Surfing, leaning and bracing, capsizing and re-entering, standing...it’s all fair game. The water temperature was somewhat refreshing too. Still, there’s always sunbathing to be done...

“Photobucket”

Time to go home. We out, had some fun, met up and hit some targets. A successful day in my book.

Sunday 14 February 2010

Valentine’s Cold Shoulder...13-14/02/10

Hurrah! The weekend! I really needed to get on the water first thing on Saturday to cheer myself up so with a 06:30 alarm ringing in my ears I set off downstairs for a coffee before climbing into my drysuit. Suited and booted I left the house in the pre-dawn and drove up to Gorleston for a high-water big swell play in the waves. On my roof was the Scupper pro and inside was the Yakboard...which to take?

The waves weren’t generally too big (4-5ft) but with the sea so confused and the power of the swell it resulted in pretty tall explosive peaks when the opposing walls of water met...I figured Yakboard for this session ;D

It was wind-driven swell and the wind was from the north. Yes, that’s right; it was bloody bitter! By the time I’d walked the 200m to the water my hands were like ice and my ears were starting to notice the wind too. I launched and with the first few waves on my hands I knew that I wasn’t going to last long. It was really, really cold with the February water and Force 5 northerly. I played for a few minutes before lining up and catching a decent run all the way in. Most unlike me I decided that would do – I’d woken up in an invigorating manner and decided to give up on the frostbite-inducing paddle and get bacon and eggs from the supermarket to take home and prepare for the family.

It took me five miles before my hands stopped aching.

There are two days in a weekend. Plans for Sunday, with light winds (10mph) and a lower (3ft) swell had been for a fishing session all along, fishing the flood. So again I was up at 06:30 and out of the house by 7, arriving around 15 minutes later as the sunrise was happening:

“Photobucket”

I was the only person down at Beach Road and having set up the Scupper I was on the water by 07:36, launching through a 2ft shore dump. I flooded the kayak waiting for the right moment but got out okay once I hopped in; there’s still no beach at high tide.

“Photobucket”

I paddled north against the current for a while until I found the patch of disturbed water marking the wreckage off the holiday camp. Paddling uptide a bit I dropped the anchor and waited for it to settle. It hadn’t seemed as strong as that on the paddle out! I was mid-tide and it was a strong one! Streaming through it was, 2.5 knots easy. Still, the 2.5kg anchor grabbed first time and I settled down bar a bit of yawing from the swell.

“Photobucket”

I sat there for ages with nothing whatsoever happening. I was fishing a 6/0 pennel again on one rod and a 2/0 triple flapper on the other, black lug tipped with squid as usual. There was some weed around but it was not overly bad. It was a nice morning anyway.

“Photobucket”

The first blizzard came through after about an hour and I still hadn’t had a bite. The water was starting to slow down a bit though so things weren’t too bad. The swell was still pumping, and would carry on doing so all morning, and the noise as it hit the sea defences was quite impressive:

“Photobucket”

Then, finally, as it started easing I got a rattle...I picked up the rod and waited...it rattled again and I wound down...FISH ON!!!

Trust me, this is a major event here right now ;D

In came a whiting on the 6/0 rig. I cast down again to try and find another, noticing as I did another yak paddling out towards me...hmm, a Big Game...a PFD like mine...the only other person I was half-expecting was Tangleweed who I’d not met before (except I had – he’d spoken to me when I’d been battling a tree at Beccles a few months ago!!!) and who’d said he might be along. A quick hello and chat and off he went to anchor, about 50 metres offshore from me on the same line.

He then proceeded to pull out a few whiting while I sat there with ever-colder toes. Eventually I had another missed bite on a fresh bait, stripping most of it, then another missed one...until finally I got a last bite that resulted in a neatly-hooked whiting on the bottom hook of the 2/0 flapper. My toes were now like ice and I decided to call it a day and head in.

Due to the swell and lack of beach to land on I decided to break down the rods and sling them and the anchor into the front hatch with my C-Tug. This done and with Tangleweed ready too we set off back to the launch point. It was kicking up a bit here and I went in first, going in nice and straight on a wave before watching Dave come in nicely too with no dramas.

It was too good an opportunity to miss – we went back out and played for a while! There were some tidy waves coming in and I launched myself up and over a few of them with a resounding slam as I came down on the other side. Brilliant fun! Coming in was good too, getting quite a speed before being turned (had the cranked Kinetic Wing out today and was surprised at how much more control I had than expected, but it still wasn’t enough). Being turned often results in a dunking but I was sliding in sideways in foam quite happily. Meanwhile Dave was scooting around in his Big Game doing a nice job of it too. It turns out he has a Mysto which he plays in as well ;)

After a while we swapped yaks. Now, I’ve never been a fan of the Big Game and hadn’t enjoyed previous paddles on it. Yes, it’s a comfortable, roomy platform (like a sofa really) which is not to be sniffed at but is limiting for me as I either cover distance or battle tide. But I’d never taken it out in surf...

...up and over, I leapt the first decent wave that was starting to curl over. I’d already sworn, expecting a dunking. I was elated! Out I went...yes, it was slower than I’m used to on my fishing yaks but faster than the Yakboard. I got the feel of it then spotted a wave coming that looked good enough to surf. I was too slow for it but managed to get the one behind...I started to accelerate and pushed myself over the lip...nose down, lean back, the wave rearing up and in I shot, straight up the shingle...BRILLIANT!!! What a surprise for me – the Big Game is great for surfing, like a pie-guzzling Yakboard ;D I dragged it back out and went again...and again...and again. Okay, so I turned it side on the rest of the times and while I rode in sideways (my hat slipping over my eyes one time and leaving me blind) it kindly remained upright...except the one time...

Tangleweed had already been over when the nose dug in as it turned and now it was my turn...bombing in on a biggie I was at a crazy angle, nose down, as I went into a turn towards where the water was curling over...Persil time! It rolled me over and rolled over me as I bounced off the bottom. I got to my feet, refreshed from the dunking and waded ashore laughing. Great stuff. A couple more goes on that and my Scupper and it was time to go home – the fishing may be shit at the moment but when you can mess around like that who cares?

Cheers Dave, see you next week...

Sunday 7 February 2010

Cod and Clapotis...06-07/02/2010

Some weeks are best left behind and by Friday this one fit the criteria of having been shit. A Friday night launch was a possibility as my wife wasn’t up to going swimming but I just didn’t have anything left while the following morning I figured my time would be better spent keeping the children occupied so she could recover. As it turned out, Saturday dawned (I assume as I didn’t get out of bed that early) bright, sunny and warm. One child was whisked away by friends (the other wanted to stay in) and the sea, when I wandered down, was flat...I called Onmas and enquired what the hell we were doing on land! It was decided that we would launch that evening...

...and then the fog came down. It was one of those huge changes that resulted in a depressing of spirits and with Onmas having had a crap Friday afternoon session and there being a general lack of fish about he decided to not bother but was still up for the planned waveplay on Sunday morning. I pretty much felt the same and it was 50-50 whether I would bother going either until Westie phoned up from a shopping trip to say that he was up for a session after also having a hard week...y enthusiasm returned and I got everything ready.

Children fed, wife fed, house in reasonable order I jumped into my van at around 7:15 and headed for Hopton. The fog had pretty much gone by now although the wind had picked up a bit and was cold (coming from the northeast) but there are no cod to be found in front of the telly. I parked up, unloaded, kitted up and was on the water by about 7:45 – low water was around 8:30 with the ebb continuing for a bit longer before slack, I figured I had a couple of hours maximum so got a move on.

I snapped a lug off the battery for my finder so had to fish blind, both in terms of waypoints and depth/features so just headed straight out from the slip a couple of hundred yards and dropped anchor. It didn’t really matter where I went as there were, by all accounts, no fish around anyway (apart from the good dab Spiny had landed up at Trimingham the day before).

The first rod down was a 2/0 Viking triple flapper tied with 15lb Amnesia...I figured I might get something, ANYTHING, with that. Each hook was baited with half a black lug and a piece of frozen unwashed squid tipping it off. The second rod was set up with the traditional running leger pennel rig, sporting a pair of 6/0 Vikings (just in case!). Normally I use 4/0’s but decided I wanted to gaff the next good cod that came swimming by ;D

It wasn’t that long, maybe twenty minutes that I had to wait. The flapper rod started to bang away like John Terry (that’s topical) and I wound down to a hard fighting codling. Up to the boat, I swung it in (leash in the bloody way as usual) and unhooked it. Somewhere between 2 and 3lb and in perfect condition I decided to let it go, having had such a good stamp of fish in the run up to Christmas.

“Photobucket”

It wasn’t long after that I spotted Westie on the beach getting ready to launch, having been delayed in getting away. He was somewhat gladdened to hear that I’d had something and dropped his anchor nearby. A few minutes passed and then I missed a resounding bite on the flapper rod...never mind, it was pleasant enough being on the water. A bit of swell was running, there was low cloud and out to sea the sky was blacker than I’ve ever seen it but it was peaceful.

Until the calm was shattered by another bite. There wasn’t a great deal going on at first and then, as I brought the fish up through the water column it went mental – my rod was bouncing around, the tip bent quite far over and at times I just hung onto it without reeling. Being pretty close to slack now I could feel the fish without either of us battling the current and all that protein was put to good use as it fought to get away. The 2/0 (bottom hook again) held and I swung it in, a prime quality 3lb’er (weighed later). I ummed and ahhed, then decided to keep this one and popped it into the tankwell. An ideal candidate for my Christmas present of a fish kettle, so far unused...it turned out to be the exact fit for this!

“Photobucket”

We hung around for another half an hour then decided to head back to mine for 12 year old Glenfiddich and chocolate Ovaltine, accompanied by Rice Crispie cakes...we know how to live out here on the Anglian coast!



Sunday dawned dark. It was a bit earlier you see. I woke Westie up and got the pair of us coffee’d up before we headed north to meet Onmas by the harbour at Gorleston. It was around 7:15 when we arrived and although the sea wasn’t very big it was still looking like it would be fun. With my Scupper on the roof and my Yakboard inside I could play quite happily. The others both had their Trident 13’s as well so we took one down to the water and swapped between the boats.

Well, what can I say? It was bloody cold on the face and head (no hat for me today, I forgot to bring it) but the paddling about and acrobatics kept the core temperatures high enough. A few waves were catchable in the Yakboard, some in the Scupper and one or two in the Trident as we headed further away from the breakwater but once we went back inside the curve formed by harbour and breakwater the T13 was relegated to beach duty as we rammed into waves and clapotis, trying to spin or turn on them, surf some of them and basically bounce ourselves around. It was great fun! Poor old Westie now has to justify buying a fourth yak – anyone flogging a Yakboard? ;D Onmas did sterling work as film-maker and will surely post later (he got some great stuff) and a having worn ourselves out over a couple of hours we came in feeling as though we had burned off a good few calories...

...promptly replaced in the café in the car park of course!