While the Cat’s Away Day 6...05/08/11

Well I couldn’t get away from work fast enough and left on time. Fridays I knock off at 15:30 so with half an hour to get home that’d have me grabbing my gear by 16:00 (I had reels in the sink and was using my wife’s car to bring my Necky home as it’s needed for Monday). That then gave me an hour to eat, change, get the gear sorted and get over to Noidea’s to pick him up at 17:00 to meet the others at Hopton for 17:30…trouble was raising Noidea was like raising the dead as his phone was off so I left at 16:30 and pitched up, much to his surprise. He’d forgotten about the loose plan and was going barbelling. No he wasn’t ;D ten minutes later and we were out of the door 5 minutes earlier than planned. If I could kidnap girls as easily I’d not bother fishing.

We pulled up at Beach Road and carried the first kayak down to the beach. Then Stinkyweim arrived, target being to try anchoring. Then Steve turned up with a mate from work, Richard, and the five of us got ourselves sorted and made our way down to the beach.



A quick paddle out to the sabellaria beds that we always fish and it was anchors away. Steve and Richard were a hundred or so yards behind the three of us and we set to fishing. I had one rod with a single 6/0 Viking tied to 20lb mono baited with unwashed squid – hooked through the eyes then into half of the body – and a second rod with a size 1 wishbone in case of sole, these baited with half a frozen black lugworm and a small ring of squid.



I wasn’t far from Paul who was on my Prowler 15 as his Big Game and my Scupper are a sod to stick on the van together whereas these two can be left all week. At first he wasn’t feeling too steady but as he got used to the different ride and relaxed into it he was fine.



Then what we came for:



Like all good readers of Razzle I was after smut and this was number one, a pup. I wanted it’s parent but this was a start and mission half accomplished. Loads of small bites followed, mostly on the large bait and then, as I was lifting and bouncing my lead and started to wind it closer a fish connected: dab



In the background I heard Steve shout and looked around to see a decent smut come aboard. More small bites followed for me on both rods, with some more smut pups and then species 3, my old friend Mr Whiting ;D



I rebaited and cast the wishbone straight over my other line. Bollocks. I decided to unleash and swap the rods over to the other sides. Job done I re-attached the large rod and then the small rod…at which point the large one thumped and was in my hand without me seeing it – feel and instinct and it was fish on ;D

Quite a pull, nice curve and then, as it got under me, just a solid weight. Oh well, pump up the jam ;D It was then I noticed my other line around this one and then, as Lady Smut broke surface, caught sight of the yak and I she went mental. It was like my missus on Day 28 as she flew off the handle.







Okay, now, I need to unleash the other rod, undo the crossover and wind in the slack before I can sort her out so, smut rod under armpit and butted into nutsack I start flipping the other one over and under then get it tight, place it back in the holder and leash it up. Then it’s time to swim her over my foot and flip her aboard.



Calm down bitch, we ain’t married! I grab hold of a solid piece of writhing muscle and she farts. So unladylike. I’m always amazed at the brute force under the skin of these. Beautifully hooked in the gob I whipped the hook out. 6lb or so of lovely, fresh, Hopton smoothie…my first decent one from here largely thanks to Norfolkboy who spread the word they were in – cheers fella, that’s a pint to you.



I was tempted to go now, my target achieved, but there were others to please too and Paul then got his first fish of the night – not easy on 6/0 hooks. A good (PB) whiting:



Some more small bits followed and then Paul’s rod developed a bend. Quite a good bend. Really bent it was. He was into a smut now too!



It gave him the run around and with him over the moon I let some warp out and came closer to get the pictures:





That’ll teach him to consider barbelling ;D He was over the moon.

Some more small stuff came to us but as slack water arrived along with the light fading away we decided to come in after a brilliant night. Paul has two fish, both PB’s, Steve is back on the water, Si (who it turns out I knew at school over 20 years ago) is comfortable anchoring and up for more of the same, Richard is converted from boats to kayaks, subject to confirmation (he’s married) and me? Well, I’ve wanted a good local smut for a while and finally achieved it; that’s what it’s all about.