Do I have 'deprive me of sleep' written on my forehead or something? One minute I’m driving around the country getting held up and losing time in bed, the next I’m being kept out half the night chasing conger, then it's up early to run down to the airport and that's without mentioning a full week of night shifts...perhaps that was why I was so bloody tired this morning but I suspect the real reason could be the total absence of coffee on last night's shift other than the decaf I'd drunk the first time without realising. That's just evil.
So, I hand over to day staff and get home where my chauffeur is patiently waiting outside, his Scupper ready to go. Some of the northerners (well, Wroxham and Bacton way) are heading for Sea Palling and Si and I have both expressed a desire to join them so here he is. I'm wondering though. The project I was in last night is up on the cliff and I can see the sea from the office. I saw the sunrise too. There was no wind and it was a beautiful day. It was, in all ways, the day I've waited months for. it was the day for crossing over Scroby for mackerel and tope. It was the day for hitting the skate north of Scroby. it was the day for pulling mackerel off Scroby. Scroby is a bitch, it has to be a no wind, small tide kind of day...but we were expected. It was one of those days with so many options; mackerel offshore from Lowestoft sir? Thornies off Hopton my dear? nah, stick with the plan...
triple-strength coffee, snickers bar, cigarette; breakfast. Poor Si, so much for an early start...then the phone rang and my children told me all about their driving and aeroplaning and I was told I had to play with Abigail's lightsaber. Wom...Wom...Wom. We loaded up and headed north. To say I was knackered at this point wouldn't be inaccurate but the coffee soon kicked in.
Waxham launch. Tide would still be flooding so we could troll against it and get those lures working at slow speed as we worked the reefs. My idea was to troll all the way up then head out, drift for mackerel with the tinsels in the box I'd specifically picked up and then troll some more. Like there were any tinsels in there...at least my lucky old Fladen feathers were in there. A three rod kind of day. I'd just serviced my Sienna again and it was as smooth as me in slut mode. My second Coriolis had arrived and so had my two new spinning rods...I was made for this day! Rapala Sliver in needlefish on one rod, a large Rapala Jointed Shad Rap in Bonito on the other and an Abu Toby 18g on the casting rod...loaded for bear. With Si parked in the nettles like a twatt we unloaded like a couple of girls and carried the Scuppers up and over that bloody dune in about 24 degrees of scorch.
Dragging down the other side the water ahead was beautiful - flat, clear and inviting. the contrast between the opposing colours of cyan (the sea) and red (Si who'd fallen asleep on the beach the day before) was a joy to behold...a few yaks were visible out past the reefs and I paddled out to join them.
As I got to the reefs a guy in an inflatable pulled up a bass of a couple of pound on a metal lure. We chatted and I started my trolling in earnest, feeling confident in the clear, flat water. It didn't take long, five minutes maybe, as I crossed over the top of the submerged bottom reef. With both lures out and my Toby hanging below me as I'd been in the process of flicking it out I felt the pull from my left...the Sliver, my banker, was in! I grabbed the rod and felt a very good fish move off, solidly with powerful lunges. Oh yes, a great start...then the Toby was grabbed by another good one...a double hit on top of the reef! I've never had a double take on the bass and as I tightened the toby and slung it under my leg I fought the Sliver rod, being pulled around as the fish made off...then the toby took off the other way and I had to grab it and get some line in; both were peeling off against the drag...the fish on the Toby escaped, spitting the hook and I concentrated on the Sliver instead...pull, pull, pull, ping! SHIT! The wily old bugger that felt like another double had dove into the rooks and the fluorocarbon had parted taking my favourite bass lure with it. NOOOOO!!! Two fish and a Sliver lost...I was not happy.
I retied and set off again, snagged up, paddled back to retrieve and snagged the other lure. The yak got pulled broadside and my stability was compromised somewhat before I had the chance to free off the line; I called Si over and passed him one rod as I dealt with the first then grabbed the second and freed this one. Both lures came in okay but I just knew it was going to be one of those days. The tide was picking up too.
A few more snags and then I was onto the next reef with no further action. Gilly was out on his new Scupper, first time we've met and we had a chat. He'd had a mackerel a hundred yards off the reef but not a sniff from the bass. Spark and the mad German were out a few hundred yards after mackerel too, having avoided all the bass they'd seen at slack water through some sheer bad luck. Hmm. Okay, I’d maybe get some mackies a bit later with luck then.
I carried on up the reefs, not snagging all that often as the water was pretty high but with the flow increasing the colour increased too and the fish went off the feed. I made it all the way up to the main beach then headed out for a fast drift with feathers. Si joined me and we covered ground quite quickly. It was quiet, word on the radio being that the mackerel were about in ones...then my rod went; I kept it down and then pulled up...triple shot! get in! they ran around like hell, passed under the yak and by the time they were ready for landing only two were left. I pulled them aboard, both small ones, and dropped down again. Si had been maybe ten yards away and not had so there wasn't much of a shoal. Perhaps our luck was changing though...
We got right down level with the bottom reef with nothing further so went back on the troll Gilly had dropped anchor, Spark and the German were drifting towards Dover and Flat was paddling out. The water was flowing a lot harder now as Flat and I paddled along together for a while, the first time we'd been on the water together though we'd previously met at the coastguard station visit. he'd had bass earlier in the morning and some mackerel too so was way ahead of the rest of us...Spark's comment on how he was doing had been 'junk'. So different from last week with worse conditions; that's fishing.
I got level with the main beach again and with flat having gone in for lunch with his family and spark having headed in to stretch his legs and powder his nose after paddling with me a while I called Si up and asked if he was going to treat me to lunch...affirmative. we landed amidst the throngs of kids, bikinis and rolls of blubber and went and got dirty burgers, hot dogs and much-needed coffee for me! Being served by some teenager, clad as I was in PFD with knife, radio etc, I was asked if I was Rambo. I replied that I was though I meant to ask him if he was always a disrespectful little shithead. Filters still working for now then...
Back to the yaks and we paddled back out again, the flow having dropped a bit and hopefully for the better. Fish were jumping ahead of us, bass or mackerel? Something else? They didn't want feathers with wedges attached though and we headed out past the end of the reef. Then Si snagged the rocks and lost his feathers...while telling me I watched the gull behind going up and down and pointed it out to him. Haha. that'll be the sidewinder on the surface then! Si kept the lure though.
Out we went, drifted down alongside each other. Gilly, spark and the German were further out and Flat joined us having had another mackerel close in. I couldn't find any here even though I tried a few different distances out on my drift; then Si had one next to me.
Another ten minutes passed and then something was hanging off the end; launce. excellent, another species for the year and bait for my rays.
We got level with the end and headed back to the reef for another troll. the water had slowed considerably now so I was hopeful and as I passed over the bottom reef again my other Sliver did the business...a schoolie came in and was put back out again. Was this a sign of the tide turning, so to speak? I was hopeful!
Was it hell. We carried on all the way up to the main beach again then turned and returned having said our goodbyes to the others. The sun was starting to make my skin hotter now, the tanning process already long-completed. I was paddling with neoprene shorts and PFD only, like yesterday, so as to have a really sexy pair of brown shoulders and arms. I should really have covered up by the time I started the last troll up as the sun seemed a lot harsher now. oh well, nothing I could do about it now and we made the last pass down as the flow turned. the colour had dropped out nicely and the level was dropping too but it did no good, no more bass were forthcoming; then Si had three mackerel to join the solitary one he'd managed earlier, between reefs.
We landed and started to carry the yaks up and over the dune. I felt great compassion for the rough pair that met us halfway; I still attract the loonies. tattoos down the arms, misshapen heads and funny eyes, why did they want to tell us all their problems?
"This is really exhausting" (try carrying kayaks up then)
"Mum's had her hip replaced"
"I broke my foot"
Oh for Christ’s sake! What else could I say?
"I hate my wife."
That shut them up. We carried on down to the car and wondered how the hell we were going to extract it...fortunately though Si managed without getting bogged down and we headed home without much to show for the two hours driving and six hours on the water...but we'd had a great day out, met up with mates and both had a meal and some bait all the same. can't be bad. I’m going to look well hunky if I can find a training bra too!
I joined him, tied him off and then clipped onto another…the water was bubbling over the boiler, was pretty clear on the offshore side and cloudy inshore; I flicked out a popper and worked it around the structure. To no avail.
I changed to a Toby. The tide was still a bit quick for it; Dexter wedge next…down the side, over the top, nothing. Then a snag and I pulled it free. Then another snag and it was gone. Okay…Cebar, let’s see if the sandeel shape will do any good…no. Fry maybe? I added some tinsels to it and twenty casts went by before it stuck in the wreck. Damn, the last Cebar, best I get some more in as the two I’d bought had paid for themselves with one fish, a 4lber I’d scoffed last week when I’d had no trouble getting the bass.
What the hell was up this week? I’d blanked at the outfall, lost two and only got a schoolie on a really quiet day at Sea Palling and now this. James was trying his selection too, Rapalas, Yo-Zuris, wedges…nothing. It was cold too. We gave it a couple of hours and then, accepting our fate, untied and headed in.
I landed first and went to assist James, camera at the ready…damn the slow response of my zoom!
Up the cliff and back home for tacos. A pity really as James has never eaten bass. There’ll be another chance though I’m sure.
