Further Afield...West Bay Ray...23-24/04/10

There I was on Thursday evening, back in from a long drive around the South Coast and just wanting to get back, sling the Ultra and my Scupper on the Transporter when I saw it was already loaded for a trip. Bugger! The big Merc I’d been driving around would have to do instead and so I went to get the Ultra from the yard. Bugger again! Seagulls had taken exception to my pressure washing a day or two before and it now looked decidedly un-pristine. Oh well, I slung them in the back of the van along with a delivery to be done en-route and headed home to get my fishing kit sorted out.

Friday morning saw me running around for squid, food and drink before heading south via Lakeside where I ran into Decathlon to buy myself a new small tent for the various demos and meets where I’ll be camping (due to the banter on the campsite beating the comfort of the hotel). Arriving at Westgate bay in Kent just after 1pm I went straight to the launch point (luckily) and got myself ready for the first session of the meet. Dumped into a long conversation (in my underpants) with a local by another forum member who was already glazed over I got kitted up rapidly and made excuses about missing the tide etc before legging it down to the beach with the Scupper to launch and head out to sea.

The sea was glorious – flat and quite clear; the weather was outstanding – warm with only a slight breeze and there were 17 of us on the water. I had a look on the charts loaded into my Humminbird and headed for a drop-off, 46ft of water a mile out, thinking that this looked promising. I was away from the main group and dropped anchor with Bluey on each of my rods. I had bites from the outset and loads of them. First up was this feisty fella:

More missed nibbles and bites and then another followed before I watched my line tighten and start pulling the rod tip down...game on! I was into my first Thornback Ray, or Roker as they call them up where I live, tempted by frozen black lugworm tipped with bluey. It gave a good account of itself and took a bit of effort to bring up from the deeper water but finally I had it in the yak where I worried about the effect of its skin and thorns on my drysuit!

Another doggy was followed by the most curious capture I’ve made yet – I don’t know what the hell this is but it had eaten the bait and had two 4/0 Vikings in the top of it. I didn’t really want to touch the bugger but it was easily unhooked and released over the side unharmed. Another doggy followed it in and then I had the rod bend over again...Roker number two, a bit bigger, had taken a squid body stuffed with herring. I was chuffed ;D

The constant bites slowed and I was starting to get a headache so I up-anchored and wandered in. Spotting Lozz I went over for a chat and then heard Amos give a yell as he finally got his thornie...

  

Then Lozz, who’d already had a few, started hauling up another...

...it looked like an excellent meet was on the cards!

I dropped anchor again but tempted no further fish and soon we all headed in, loading up and heading for the campsite where, at around 7pm, I parked next to the electrical hook-up Milesfromthesea ordered (figured it may be a useful pitch to be near) and cooked myself a bacon sarnie, my first food of the day. I needed a starter before the main course of barbecued ribs you see. This was all washed down with the only beer I could possibly partake in. Here I was in Kent so Shepherd Neame had to be the brewer of choice...and I was in Manston so there was nothing for it – I had to have a night on the Spitfire!

Saturday dawned slightly hung-overcast and so after bacon and egg sarnies (note to self, fruit and veg adds colour) and paying a disgruntled but actually very nice and friendly site-owner (‘We don’t allow vans of that size/commercial vehicles and it’s lucky you arrived yesterday after we’d gone and you’ll have to pay extra etc’) I got some toys out of the van...the new Ocean Kayak Prowler Ultra XT (with the ice box and live bait kit, both of which should be available soon), a bunch of Lendal paddles and three Pacific Action sails. I had mine attached to my Scupper and one attached to the Ultra (the forthcoming style) and attached the other two to Amos’ yak, which was already rigged for it, and to Todaymueller’s which just needed a couple of screws undone for a temporary fix...job done!

 

A lot of interest was shown in the Pacific Action sails – after all, if you’re like me once you’ve bought way more than you need to buy and a bit more you finally run out of kayaks and fishing stuff to spend the money on...but sails are another toy to add to the mix and enhance/increase the use of the kayak and it’s rare to see them attached to a kayak in the flesh and with the opportunity to play with them which is an important consideration when thinking about getting one.

Time was getting away from us; fish were swimming a few miles away. I offered a sail-rigged Ultra to Mattyoga who had fished the day before in his Frenzy and unsurprisingly he accepted. Of course, he will now become the face of ‘Kayak Anorak’ Monthly ;D

Off we went, heading for a promising looking mark. A very slight breeze was used to assist us along although this soon grew into something a bit stronger which had white horses ahead of us.

We turned and headed uptide and inshore a bit before anchoring up.

My Scupper Pro kept yawing as we had wind, swell and tide all moving in conflicting directions and as I couldn’t get it to stay in one position, from which I planned to photograph Matt with some fish, he moved the Ultra out of the rather large zone I occupied and started to fish. I, however, was already landing whiting.

The trouble was my frozen lugworm had got a bit moist so to stop them breaking up I had to dry them out. Luckily I had the solution ;D

Oh, and doggies, which were duly kissed on the nose and released or bashed on the head and kept.

 

It was quite funny really. Todaymueller arranged a fishing meet but hadn’t stopped whizzing around in all directions!

Bloody hooligan! Ah well, the tide was turning and we weren’t getting thornies unlike Lozz and so he, Matt and I set course as a fleet for Lozz’s position and let rip with the sails, zooming along and with me being a pain in the arse because I couldn’t steer and film at the same time.

Arriving near Lozz I ran around the back of Baileybridger and noted the ground dropping from 12ft to 16ft. I dropped anchor and dropped the first rod down with bluey on a 4/0 running leger. 

I baited the other rod, with a 3 hook 2/0 flapper trace for some other fish and dropped it in. We were clearly on slack as my first line was loose and pretty close into the boat...I tightened it up and felt, after a minute or two in the water, the solid feel of a thornie!

I popped this one back having enough to take home with yesterday’s pair and watched as it swam away. There’s something fascinating about them, these pre-historic sea-monster type fish. Matt was alongside again by now.

No more fish followed and after a couple of hours I decided to head in. Up came the anchor and as I started in Ben started to make odd noises, kind of like Yes! Hurrah! Woohoo! Etc. I paddled over to see if he was okay as I could see he had his rod in his hand ;D

Perfect timing that was and a great end to the session for me. I raised the sail and headed in, almost into the wind. I hauled the sail right down on one side and held it in place with my foot while paddling gently against the tide...I was making 3.5mph on my way in.

Matt and Andy both ended up on the beach at around the same time and an irresistible shot presented itself as the two Ultra’s sat in their natural element.

The night passed in another blur of banter, food and beer with barbecued dogfish a hazy memory but at least I knew when to quit...

Sunday for me was just an ending. Waking up and calling Amos to inform Jeeves that I was ready for coffee was followed by finishing off the bacon and eggs and a visit to the Spitfire Memorial at Manston, an airfield very much linked to some old friends of mine - some alive, some dead - who had flown Typhoons out of here in 1942 and 1943. Then it was time for the drive home...

Sitting here a couple of days later and I’m wondering why I didn’t fish Sunday. I should have got up, fished and then came home. The fishing was excellent, the banter too and with the weather it really ended up being a top weekend. I think that I can honestly say that with all those factors it’s overall the best meet I’ve attended to date and hopefully it’ll be on again next year.

 

Bill Spills...18/04/2010

Amazingly Bill’s drysuit has finally come into existence and, champing at the bit, he wanted to try it on for size along with his Big Game that has been waiting the same treatment. Initially having other plans for the weekend it became obvious that the new launch / mark could wait as there wasn’t any better time or place to help Bill get started than Lowestoft South Beach on Sunday morning...

An easy launch with close, free parking. The forecast of hardly a breath of wind and what there was coming from the west, a flattening breeze. A tiny southerly swell that was easily blocked and deflected by the projection from the shore of South pier. A tide that would not reach its peak until l after I was back on shore and at a local theme park with the girls. Crap fishing on a poorly performing stretch of shallow sandy beach aside it was perfect.

05:30 and I was on the road from my house 300 yards from the launch point, parking my van right by the ramp. I know it was lazy of me but in my defence I couldn’t give a toss ;D I carried the yak onto the beach, followed by my gear and then went and parked. Bill had beaten me there and was already getting sorted out so we ended up ready at similar times. I don’t think he’s seen the sun rise for a while but it was a super morning to see one – it was a fantastic morning.

Down we went and after finalising things Bill dragged his kayak out and onto the water. I filmed, then followed with mine meaning to hop on once he was afloat and paddling. Getting used to the seat position actually on a moving, fluid surface needed a bit longer so I pushed my Scupper back and held the nose of Bill’s yak while he shifted and adjusted things before getting ready to paddle out. Standing  close at hand I decided to film the ‘surf’ from down low and zoomed in to try to increase the visual size to give an idea of the power of a 6-inch rolling surf.

Sorted out once again, and with his knackers sealed against further influxes of sea water Bill got comfortable and paddled out to the back of the groyne before I joined him and we headed for a lazy wander around. Bill opted to invest the morning in getting used to the feel of his kayak while I anchored and fished as he mooched around nearby. I had salted down some twice defrosted black lug and with a smattering of squid (some rediscovered remnants thawed out previously) I was into little bites straight away. Nibbles really. I failed to foul hook anything with my 4/0 pennels but it was good to know that there were things moving around in this barren seabed.

 Low water came and went, slack didn’t really occur and then the tide started to flood, reaching nearly 2mph even in the sheltered bay we had. Once it started pushing weed and flotsam onto my line in quantities it was time to go in. Bill’s son was waiting on the beach and as he paddled in to a smooth landing it was clear that Bill had enjoyed his first launch.

Me? I managed the two smallest starfish I’d ever landed...

...what a glorious session it was though ;D

Further Afield. Avon Beach...15/04/2010

With a delivery trip down south to Christchurch planned for Thursday I gave Overrun a call to see if he was free for a repeat of last year's dogging session  but he fancied going fishing instead. Fair enough I thought and though originally intending to take his wife's twin hatch scupper pro out it turned out that I didn't have a completely full load so decided to take mine. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't yet tried the Ultra and, as it had already got wet with Pugwash the previous week, I loaded the demo one on and headed south. It also meant that i could give the Bournemout Canoes chaps a chance to see one and the features of it.

On the way I spoke to Tratty who wanted to see it too so after some food and a drink the three of us met on the beach. Now, Tratty was the first owner of the Elite in the UK so was quite a good person to get an opinion on it from. He seemed to like it  ;D As the pair of them took turns then shared it I stood on the beach filming before heading out to try and find some fish but expecting nothing.

That was exactly what we caught but it was a pleasant couple of hours all the same.

Tim’s Birthday Blowout...13/04/2010

Sometimes a forecast is not necessary to decide on having a day afloat and today was one such day, being Westie’s birthday. I figured that this was as good a reason as any for taking a day’s holiday and duly booked it a few weeks back with the intention of joining him wherever for a spot of fishing. The trouble is, a force 5 north-easterly decided to start blowing a couple of days beforehand and continue throughout the 13th. A north-easterly on this coast practically trashes the local fishing as the swell grows, the chop grows and the sea just becomes a mess making fishing a chore at best, impossible at worst.

But it’s alright for a hard paddle, bit of surf play or sailing! The plan was hatched – we’d rig Tim’s Scupper Pro to take a Pacific Action sail (six holes) and head north to Gorleston to blast down the coast to Lowestoft for a nice cold beer. A plan if ever I heard one ;D The only thing that wasn’t ideal was the tide time. An early start is not good for a birthday so we kept our fingers crossed that the wind would be stronger than the tide.

Arriving at Gorleston we unloaded, rigged up, kitted up and carried the yaks down to the shore. The sea was going berserk! The cauldron by the harbour wall was spiking wildly with clapotis reaching heights well overhead! Tim’s new Mysto and my Yak Board weren’t with us and with sails on we decided not to play in it but instead to launch through the shore break and head on out.

The exciting start continued when we saw that there were some bloody good surfing waves to be had and Tim took the first one all the way in to the shore. I drifted past the break while filming but did pick up a less impressive wave that bore me down towards the beach before I turned sideways and swung around it as it formed a peak, a semi circle manoeuvre that I found rather impressive even though it was nothing to do with me! Playtime over we headed out and flung the sails up.



Off we went! The sea was big and messy, very confused and we’d take off in one direction, skid around and head somewhere else, skid and be heading back the original way! Then, a stroke or two of the paddle and we’d pick up a wave and surf it as well ;D



No sitting back and taking it easy like on Sunday, I was making constant corrections, bracing and supporting with the paddle and changing the position of the control lines which I was using cleated today.



Tim was leaving it as set and paddling as well, disappearing off to the distance all the time unless disappearing below the waves between us. It was pretty bloody good bumpy out there.



Reaching Hopton, we came ashore hoping that Steve would be bringing us some coffees – poor bugger had a disaster and couldn’t join us to try out his own PA sail sadly. Tim surfed in and I followed, surfing in under sail power. Tim came out to grab me as I surfed on in; it was doable!

Steve hadn’t made it so after looking at some of the video already taken and clearing space on the camera we launched again, initially together but I grabbed the wrong thing and removed some bungee from the kayak and had to get things sorted again which allowed Tim to get in position to film me coming through some damned good surf ;D

We then called in our intentions to the Coastguard knowing that we were going into the roughest part and set course, via a wide berth of the sea wall, for Lowestoft. The sea really picked up after a few minutes and with Tim now carrying the camera there was little chance to dare use it. The waves were bigger, closer, coming from all angles and occasionally breaking and we had loads of fun using the skills we’d acquired playing in the cauldron at Gorleston over the last few months. We assumed we’d need to furl the sails and rely on paddling alone for the run down to Corton, where the sea defences ended, but were able to continue sailing.



It took a surprisingly long time to transit this area and so I took a reference point (no GPS today) and rechecked it regularly. Calling across to Tim to ask the time it was clear that we were now unlikely to make Lowestoft in time to avoid me getting my arse kicked from my wife and he would have to dash back to his family later than intended as the wind was starting to drop and we were now in the full run of the ebbing tide. We were sailing hard, paddling mildly and just about creeping forward and as much fun as it was it was clear that we’d have to head in short of our destination and make other arrangements and so we headed for Tramp’s Alley at Corton. This lies just south of the sea wall and the waves dropped off considerably – we could have actually anchored and fished inshore here now. No matter, we landed, hauled the yaks up to the road and tried calling Steve to beg a lift back to my vehicle ;)



Bugger. Answerphone. For the next half an hour we failed to get hold of him and so, dressed in my black baby romper suit I stood by the roadside, thumb out, trying to hitch a ride while Tim took the piss and looked for cab numbers on his I-Phone ;D To say the expressions of the drivers were amusing would be to understate things – clearly the thought of being picked up (even though this is a renowned dogging site) were ludicrous.



We were relieved when Steve finally answered and came down to give me a lift back to the launch point where, I noticed, the sea had flattened right off. We were lucky we launched when we did! Running back to pick Tim and the yaks up we then headed back to mine for the beers I’d placed in the fridge earlier to chill down. I think I could get used to this WAFI lark!