…July 9th and 10th was intended to be the Flying Legends Air Show at Duxford, a return after five years and a long story but I’d had to change plans the day that I was going to book my tickets. It was very much like kayak angling for me in that I had friends around the country that I’d meet up with and enjoy a great weekend watching the flying and taking photographs. Some years I’d also be in the company of a very special group of friends, ex-pilots and ground crew from 609 (West Riding) Squadron who’d flown Spitfires and Typhoons operationally during the war; sadly their numbers have thinned out greatly in the intervening years since I last spent time amongst them. But hey, I was passing, Richi had needed to cancel his day off and I figured I could meet up with some of my old buddies on the way through for a couple of hours. It was good and apart from the old mates I got to see some aircraft I’d never seen (P38 Lightning, Razorback P47 Thunderbolt) and a load of new paint schemes. Historic aviation is an old love that might just have been rekindled…but I digress.
I jumped back in the van, dropped some kayaks near Southampton and went to pick Richi up to give him the fright of his life with my driving as we set off for Torquay and a Premier Inn. I reckon this is the premier Premier Inn! Right on the bay and with a sea view…I toyed with the idea of launching but it was 11 now and we had to meet Chris in the morning.
A quick transfer of yaks and gear to his van and it was straight to Tesco for breakfast before heading off via a tackle shop in Plymouth to some rocky bit of headland near Fort Bovisands. Here we unloaded, kitted up and passed the yaks down to the ‘beach’.
It was blowing a bit and the launch, different to what I’m used to, looked decidedly interesting. It was too, with me having to time my forward motion with waves covering bits of rock. No dramas though and we all headed off, past Shag Rock and round the corner.
I had a Rapala Sliver and a Magnum CD9 out for a bit but they didn’t seem to be doing much so with Chris going in the lead with a Pollack I started flinging my Dexter out. I was using my 20 year old Shimano Bantam Crestfire, the first baitcaster I ever saw, as my spinning reel has seized solid. A freshwater reel, they told me, and they were right! Still, the Crestfire soon had me the first of my Pollack. I don’t see them at home so I was chuffed.
Chris was clearly impressed with our Scuppers…
…not that his Hobie wasn’t coping…
Then Richi spied the horizon, between waves…
It’s nice to see a retailer who knows how to walk the walk. Chris in action:
Walking the walk is one thing though, outfishing me is quite less nice so I went to see Richi. He’d gone to the top of the hill:
He was bait fishing at anchor but had only had a wrasse so far.
I suspect he may have missed some bites:
Anyway, we headed for the Mew Stone.
While the others landed I caught another pair of Pollack, one on the troll and one on the cast…
…and then headed in for a spot of dinner – a Mars bar, 3 Red Band and a bottle of water. There was something really special about sitting on the rocks on a deserted bit of rock in the middle of the sea that I really enjoyed. It’s a bit bland here in East Anglia in that respect.
We sat and talked shit for half an hour before relaunching and trying our hands hand at bait fishing in the lee.
I couldn’t get a touch so unclipped from the handy yellow buoy and went off after the Pollack again, catching a few more on a redhead Sliver. Chris meanwhile hit his second bass:
I brought my total up to eleven and then started to look where I could get ashore, the water being lower now…
It was an issue but I found a gap.
Yeah. Bloody right. Through the gap then picked up, slammed down on a submerged bit of reef and a quick brace before I was floated off again on the next wave…it was close and I imagine it would have been a tad painful as well as costly had I not been lucky.
Then Chris made his way in, Richi having already landed before me.
Back on dry land after eight hours or so…it was time to carry the yaks up over the jagged rock and up the small cliff so we could go get a beer. Hard work in an exciting and lively sea and we’d caught some fish (all of which survived). Brilliant day on the water, that. That’s what it’s all about! I only spent twenty minutes gouge-filling on my return home ;D
Up the next morning and it was beautiful. The sea outside was flat. So we headed for Totnes for the demo, arriving in good time. Out came the demo yaks and we waited all of five minutes before the first prospective paddler came up and then it started to get busy enough for us with people coming to see, talk and paddle fishing kayaks, see and paddle recreational kayaks and generally get the advice and experience that would help inform their decision. Most pleasurable for me was a gentleman who’d seen the Angling Trust mention Kayak Fishing and had decided it might be the next thing to try after float tubing. Trident 13, Prowler 4.1, Elite 4.5 and then back again with different seats. Loads of advice and chat with three of us and his choice was finally arrived at (Elite) once a solution for single loading was worked out (Thule outrigger bars). That gives me satisfaction, knowing that he had the opportunity to make the right decision in the right way. Of course, the other pleasure is the visitors! Donk, who I’d stood up the night before popped along as did Pugwash, Mullet Catcher (I think) and someone else…then just as it got quiet I heard ‘Mark’ behind me, turned around and saw someone I was hoping I’d see (if only to break out the home made biltong!). Hennie had popped by and a great chat was had that lasted until the vans were loaded and we were off. Kayaking, fishing, kayak fishing, South Africa, KP Scarborough reels, Couta, Kingies, yellowtail… great to finally catch up mate! Then, with a farewell to Old Duffer, Old Codger and Chris the two of us headed east. Yeah, I liked that weekend.
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