Topping up the Tan...24/07/2012

Up before 4 and it's down to Stansted to drop the girls off for their three weeks in France. Coming back I stopped off at a friend's for a coffee, at my parent's to pick up Eloise's Kea for its new owners and at a tackle shop for some line. The previous evening had been spent servicing reels and I was good to go and go I would! Options...do I head offshore for mackerel? Drop in at the Swan for bass or head for the outfall and then pop by the office to see Andy...I opted for the latter having had a few fish from there recently. Oh to christen the new rods! A pair of 7ft Shimano spinning rods, a second Coriolis baitcaster and my serviced Sienna and a selection of metal lures and Rapalas were dumped in the Scupper and I headed down to the water. flat, clear and getting clearer I reckoned I stood a good chance. I paddled south in wetsuit shorts and PFD, basking in the sun and drifting slowly as I cast time and again at the structure to no avail. Nothing on the troll either so I headed for the outer harbour, working the full length without a sniff. back again to the outfall and another hour of nothing - where were the fish? I lost a Cebar on the corner and after another half hour I decided to head off. paddling back I saw the disturbance of the outflow and headed for it for a last-ditch attempt, then spotted clear water a bit further out. I headed to it, then spotted a kayak a mile or so further out. A tandem, green, clearly recreational I headed out to check they were okay as they didn't seem to be going anywhere much. An inflatable, two teenagers and they were a good couple of miles downtide of where they needed to be. The tide was on the turn and I checked they were okay; they said they were so I came back in, failing to get anything as I passed through the outflow's turbulence. I got a lovely tan on my arms; caught the sun at least.