Getting Ready Again

I’m pretty much recovered from some surgery now and thoughts are turning, as ever, to getting back on the water and catching some fish. Okay, so I’m suffering a severe bout of cabin fever but the weather is so severe here on the East Anglian coast right now that I couldn’t get out to fish even if I was fit. I spent an hour on the phone last night with a friend who runs one of the local charter boats last night and he’s also stuck in port…it seems that we’re all having an enforced month off. It’s not the worst time to be stuck inside of course, this time of year sees a lull as the cod move off to spawn in deeper water before the, they smoothounds and bass start to move in for the crab moult, our eight legged, two-pincered friends also heading inshore. So we’ve all been spending our time (and money) on maintenance and preparation. All my paddling gear is clean, all my fishing gear is serviced and rationalised and all my bait is tucked away into the freezer – frozen black lugworm for the spring cod run and 10kg of unwashed loligo squid for those and the smoothound, ray and early bass. I’m ready. Oh, there’s still a full freezer tray of fish to eat too… But what about this weather? Well, it’s being blowing onshore for a week or two with no let up just yet, strong blows too, force six plus most days, and this has really hit the coastline. Erosion has been front page news and with cliffs crumbling, sea defences taking a battering and sand being washed away as the beaches are scoured are going to make everything quite different on my return to the water. Further out I’ve heard reports that the main mark I’ve been heading for over the last twelve months is now a snaggy area of rough ground with all the junk dumped there in the days of the Lowestoft fishing fleet days becoming exposed. I’m told that the sidewinders and trawlers regarded it as a neutral area and hence they all used it so as to not snag the same obstructions the next time out. Everything from rope and chain to boulders was dumped over the side and so it became a natural haven, worked only by line fisherman…and now it’s all uncovered again. With the area around consisting of sandbanks and channels known as roads (Corton Roads, Yarmouth Roads and so on) and the charts marked as being prone to shifting sands this means that a lot of old marks such as rough ground, gullies, holes and banks is now going to be so much useless data as the seabed is totally changed; we’re talking about 30-40ft of water beneath us in these places, it doesn’t take a lot to change things. What interests me in the short term however is how the launch sites have fared and what changes we may see for the kayaks. Though I rarely fish from Lowestoft’s south beach I do surf kayak there whenever it’s big and use it to head south for wreck marks off Pakefield and Kessingland. Well, the glorious sandy beach of the summer is long gone, it’s a cut away shingle shoreline now and the surf pattern has changed yet again. The levels have dropped by a good 10-12ft here and it looks as though the banks have shifted somewhat, with luck some of them will have gone along with the shallower water that typifies this beach; the bay might become more fishable now. Moving north the next launch site, the one we refer to as Dogger with tongue in cheek after some night sessions where the car park is always busy, has fared badly too, and more visibly. At least as far as erosion is concerned. The level of the beach has dropped a similar amount, more concrete from old sea defences has been uncovered to the south of the launch spot and the current high tide mark has shifted quite a way up to the beach, scouring a few feet out of the dunes. There’s a noticeable drop down over the wooden groyne to the sand now too, something that was often covered in sand…but for us at least it looks as though it may not all be bad news. Dogger is distinguished by having a heavy, and tall, dumping wave to launch and land through and one hell of a backwash that causes no end of problems at times…well it seems that the beach now having been flattened out may have become more friendly to us, the ridge and sudden drop having gone should see the water rolling up smoothly instead of rearing up and flinging us into a heap. I mean, we get wet launching and it’s always quite exhilarating and we all enjoying surfing back in but smashed rods, lost kit and fish that disappear into the waves is not all it’s cracked up to be. Next in line, a mile to the north, Is Corton, the launch at the bottom of Tramp’s Alley. Well, this appears for all intents and purposes to have been the least touched of the lot. The beach appears to have remained in-situ and the groynes have done their job. It’s quite steeply banked, relatively, and was largely stone anyway. Quite what’s happened to the snags that the beach anglers hate there I don’t know, probably worsened, but from a launching point of view it looks pretty much the same; I guess time will tell if the dumping waves have been taken away with the removal of the ridge or whether it’s just the same with a steep drop-off. The last beach I’ve headed to, our main launch over the past five or six years, has fared the worst of all. Hopton changes a lot anyway, it’s very weather-dependant with easterlies taking sand and westerlies putting it back but this is severe. The concrete to the beach is now a good 7ft, the wooden ramp at the bottom of the slope is uncovered right to the bottom and there is rock exposed, especially around the groynes. I have never seen it like this. At high water there isn’t going to be any beach at all and how long this will last for is anyone’s guess. The power of these waves is clear from the photograph from the top of the slope. No, despite the hat this is not a gnome, this is a Si and he’s getting on for 6ft tall. Walking north though there is a lot more of a tale to tell. We played here in the rebounding waves last summer, there was sand up to the point where the defences turned inwards on the seaward side. Not any more. Viewing platforms have been ripped off, the beach has been scoured out and flattened as well as losing tons of sand as the level has dropped and the water has come through and taken sand from behind; landslides from the cliffs, a pathway that has been cut short, chunks of concrete and metal pickets and even the roof of a pillbox that was completely buried not so long ago…and in many places the sand in which the defences are buried has been washed away and collapsed in on itself; in one place this has been so severe that the defences – we’re talking about wood a foot square – has been broken and fifty or more yards of sea wall has been pulled seaward. I could do little more than shake my head and keep muttering words like mental as I walked along. We don’t launch from this point but we have marks 200 and 400 yards out from here, and a fairly substantial shallow water wreck; I have no idea what’s going to be down there when I next get out. And that’s where the fun will be. It’s a whole new coast for us.

It feels like spring again…06/03/2013 One day left and though spring is around the corner, surprisingly, in the words of Transvision Vamp it feels like spring again, you sprung this on me and then…and then I went fishing. Well, I had to, didn’t I! Solo again, Ian had used up his permissions and had some stuff to do but once more the weather looked great, the forecast was good – very low offshore winds and reasonably bright and warm – and the tide, well, it was almost spot on! I had to drop the girls at school first though and with Eloise going on a three day trip I didn’t have her nagging to skip school and come fishing this time. Such a pity really, the conditions were spot on. Duly deposited I headed straight for Corton and parked up by the golf course. Scupper Pro onto the C-Tug, ram tubes onto the sockets. Into the Typhoon and Kolas, VHF in one PFD pocket, GPS in the other, Nordkapp and anchor kit slung into the cockpit, baitbox into the tankwell and then time for the rods…I’ve cracked a tip ring so only two rods today, no livebaiting this time as it’s fraying the braid. Need to get some spares, it’s an easy job. So, a pair of Maxximus IM7 12lb class 7.5ft rods fitted with Warbird 3700R reels, Maxximus 30lb braid and, to deal with rough ground abrasion, 21.3lb Maxximus fluorocarbon. Rigs…rigs…okay, still want points…2/0 – 4/0 pennel on a running leger for the cod and a 2/0 spreader wishbone on a running leger for the dabs. I have whiting already but they’ll come regardless whatever I use, could use a 16/0 baited with half a seal and I’d pull up a whiting this year! I trolley the kayak down the ramp to the beach; it is flat calm, oily even. I bump it down the steps, drag it over the shingle and unstrap the C-Tug and stash it away in the hatch. PFD on, paddle clipped together and I’m off, picking up the current to head north for the rough ground off the holiday camp. I haven’t got the mark stored in the GPS as I’ve only transferred the wrecks and buoys so far but I know roughly by sight where I want to be. Had I bothered to bring my GPS fishfinder out I could go straight there of course or see where the fish might be lurking but I’m local, this is my backyard! I don’t really need it and that’s quite an incline back to the car. The flow is slowing already, I could have done with getting here an hour earlier really but I have all day. I drop down my anchor, release half the warp from my big McMahon dive reel and the kayak settles. I don’t even need my feet out to stabilise myself today! I switch on the VHF, take out some unwashed loligo squid, cut the heads off and cut 2cm rings, guts and all, defrost some frozen black lugworm and put everything else away. Now, I want dabs for another point and a nice tasty meal so the 2/0 wishbone needs…half a black lug and a ring of squid on each hook. Flow isn’t bad, 5oz breakaway lead should do the trick. I reel the baited trace up, thumb the spool release and flick the lot out fifty yards downtide. Second rod – Six inch squid, head off, skin off so it’s whiter, bottom hook through the top of the mantle and passed down through the guts (left in for scent), top hook doubled through the top of the mantle. A whole black slid up the hook and into the squid tube and then the head back on, hooked through the eyes to leak some colour and scent…usually works. That one goes out the other side. I hear Jon call up the coastguard for a radio check…I’ll call him in a bit and see what High Flyer is up to. I call up the coastguard first though, let them know I’m about. Channel 16… “Yarmouth Coastguard, Yarmouth Coastguard this is kayak snapper, kayak snapper, over” “Kayak snapper this is Yarmouth Coastguard go to Channel 67 over” “Moving to 67, out” I move over to 67… “Kayak snapper this is Yarmouth Coastguard, is that you mark? Over” “Yes Yarmouth, to whom do I have the pleasure today over?” It’s Glynn, first time I’ve had him on the radio I think. It was Mario last time for the first time. It’s great being on first name terms with the people who are looking out for you. We exchanged pleasantries and I filled them in on my whereabouts and plans and then moved back to dual watching 16 and 8 (the latter being the channel the local fishing boats use, the channel advised to us by them so that we know if they’re shooting nets or what have you). I strike into my first fish, my obligatory whiting and, being a reasonable size, place it in the tankwell. I add some squid, cast the wishbone back down and give Jon a call on 16… No answer. Then my mobile rings – it’s Jon, he’s in port with High Flyer working on the aerial, I came through badly so it looks like the signal is being blocked. We have a chat about conditions and catches lately and so on then do some check transmissions – we both receive about 50% of the others. Now, there are 3 miles between us, I’m a metre off the water and there’s a massive great lump of concrete pier between us, with only 5 watts on my set I figure that’s quite good that ‘ve got through that much. We chat a bit more and then, with an offer of a trip while I’m recovering, I put the phone away and watch my rod tips. Thump thump. Cod! I pick up the rod, tighten up and wait, let it feed…thump thump. I strike and the rod bends nicely as the first cod of the day comes off the bottom, head nodding, and up to the surface...and there I am clearing weed off the tiny leader knot before I can land it! It’s hooked alright though and I get it alongside, onto my leg and lift it in just as Mustang On pitches up a couple of hundred yards inshore of me. I unhook and photograph dinner and another point and slide the much-wanted fish-pie filling into the hatch. You beauty! I rebait and cast back down. Five minutes pass and thump thump…a repeat of the process and another cod about, 2.5lb this time. Into the hatch. Is this going to be a red letter day then? The pennel rig rattles, the first movement of the day and a whiting comes aboard and into the tankwell. Another lug goes on and it’s back down again. Ten minutes have passed. Another twenty pass when the wishbone rod thumps again and another 2.5lb cod comes aboard and into the hatch, blimey, this is a great session! Ian is going to be so annoyed. I text him to let him know. I’m good like that. The tide slows and with it the bites disappear. Just before it starts to turn I pick up the pennel rod; this had a rattle which I struck with the last cod but no further movement…but as I pulled it up to check the baits I felt quite a weight on it…no thumping to indicate a cod fighting though, but heavy and not still…a thornback perhaps, or a docile cod not yet woken up? Some rubbish in the water? I’ll never know, up near the top things lightened off and I had my rig back. The tide turns, I’m dragging the lead and then a whiting gives me a rattle. Up it comes, is unhooked and released. I take both rods out, rebait them and wait for the flow to begin, gutting my catch in the meantime and giving the gulls something to squawk about. It takes a while. Finally it’s worth dropping down again and ten minutes later a seal pops its head up six feet from my bow. I keep still and smile at it but make no move for the camera just yet…it dives and I take the camera out; it pops up twenty feet away but the camera is still booting up…it dives and then it’s a hundred yards off my bow and the photo isn’t worth bothering with. Oh well, my closest view for a couple of years, I’m happy with that. My rod bucks, the wishbone AGAIN! The cod seem to be wanting small baits right now. Up comes a baby, twenty five centimetres or so, too small to keep but what a lovely looking specimen! A perfect mini cod, it would look so nice in an aquarium but it belongs back in the sea. The tide really picks up soon after and hits a couple of knots. It’s still flat but there has been nothing bar that baby cod on the flood. Mustang On has up-anchored and moved deeper and further north, I don’t know how he fared but it can’t have been great if he’s moved. I hope he’s caught though, I hope everyone catches, even One-eye if he’s on the beach! There’s plenty of fish in the sea after all…I up-anchor and head in for a smooth landing, got myself some filleting to do tonight.

Silver Species…05/03/2013 This Anglersafloat species competition is still running for leg one and though we’ve really let the side down this time through failing to get out because of weather and failing to catch because of every excuse apart from us being rubbish anglers we had to make a final effort now the weather had cleared. I’d all but given up, Ian too and poor old Stu had only managed two. We needed points. Stu, up in the fens, was going to fish all weekend to contribute what points he could which left Ian and I with the option, having both had our pike now, of hitting the sea or river…on the former he could expect 1 maybe 2 and I could expect maybe 1 new point. On the river, with a solitary roach between us, we had a potential to raise the bar a little bit higher. That was decided then. I had a quick nap after work while he fetched maggots and got Andy up and by 10:30 we were by the quay ready to unload. Another lovely, mild day. Out we went into the bay and I flicked a maggot out by a heading; 30 seconds later and I had my first fish…a roach, but I already had that. I moved a bit and caught another one. Ian bobbed around in a corner and failed to find anything as did I when I tried another spot. We made an effort and headed up to my chub spot in the bay by the bridge. I got close enough to the bridge to be able to flick my bait into position. Ian hung back on the far bank to take advantage of the corner flows and eddies; I flicked into place and after a roach pulled out a lovely little perch – 1 point! Ian pulled in a reasonable roach for his own point and then, with the water streaming a bit quick, I left my bait with the float pulled under by some reed the hook had caught on until I saw the tug; up came a half-pound chub giving a good account of itself…3 points now. I moved on and let Ian sneak into position for the chub while I tried elsewhere for bream, gudgeon, ruffe, dace or pretty much anything that might come along. Nothing did. Ian rejoined me having added point 4 with his own perch and we headed up for Gillingham and, when the spot I wanted was seen to be occupied, Barsham which is a great spot in the summer, especially in the bay by the drain. An hour passed and nothing had happened. Neither groundbait nor maggots had attracted anything and with Andy on his way back downriver (he was out testing his newly-acquired Elite) we decided to call it a day as we both needed to be getting back…just enough time left to try for another chub by the bridge. Well, I had another perch and a couple of roach but that was it. Ian snagged up and lost his rig. It was game over. Did we feel cheated? No. another fine weather day, another reasonable paddle and another kingfisher spotted outdoing us – not to mention the duckling with a gudgeon in its beak, rubbing things in!

Four-Hit Fladens…04/03/2013

Four-Hit Fladens…04/03/2013 Lovely day it was, I’d got back from work, had a brief nap and decided to set off as it looked so pleasant out there by the time I got up. Bright, mild, windless…I had nothing ready for the sea as the forecast had said otherwise but my Xtraflexx rods, LP Magnet baitcasters and assorted Fladen lures were ready to go and with the yak on the roof as ever I headed straight for Beccles, besides I had three days left before surgery would see me banned to the land for a few weeks. I was solo today, Ian and Andy were free the next day. I wanted to get some fitness in and a bit of fresh air so a decent paddle and a bit of trolling were in order. Dropping everything at the slip by the quay I went and parked up down the road and hopped aboard after pushing the yak into the dyke. Plenty of pikers lined the bank but once out into the river itself I was clear of them and dropped down the lures, an 11cm redhead minnow and a 13cm eco fat plugbait in mackerel…but I changed that one over a soon after for an eco double jointed 10.5cm redhead; I had to change that again though as trolling at the required speed didn’t work with this lure, it came to the surface on its side and skipped about, a great pity as the action is very tempting, to me if not a fish! I’d noticed the same with the eco snake when I’d tried them before so these have to stay in the casting tub. So…redhead 13cm jointed minnow, that’d be good! I clipped that onto the trace and released the spool on the LP Magnet and let it run out under its own steam…yes, that’s right, 12g of shallow lure being enough to pull the freespooled line out from the off, smoothly smoothly catchee pikee! I set off again. I made it about half a mile when something seemed to be a bit strange. I’d stopped. I then appeared to be going backwards ever so slightly, what? I looked to my left and the Xtraflexx was hooped right over and I grabbed it from the rod holder at which point one hell of a commotion occurred 50 yards behind me and I saw a good pike thrashing on the surface! In my haste to get on the water and get fishing I’d committed the cardinal sin of not checking my drag and between it being locked right down and fishing with braid on the troll the added pressure of bringing the rod forward and thus turning the kayak the fish was off and gone; I’d bent the hook out. Now, perhaps this was a bad hook or I’d damaged it previously or I’d asked too much of it – certainly the ones I’ve since checked at home have all been solid, or it was a big fish and as it had stopped me so quickly it clearly was. Hmm. Strike one to the 11cm minnow though, the lure worked! I carried on upstream, still paddling against some current and a mile further up I got a second take – so the fish were feeding with this milder weather, good show! I dipped the rod though, slacklined the fish and it was gone. Again on the minnow and again a basic mistake. Must do better! I carried on up, got about 3 miles up-river with regular changes of lure and a bit of casting, slashing, jerking and smooth retrieving the lures and now had the 11cm minnow on one rod and a redhead 11.5cm Eco Minnow on the other. Bang! The rod went down and I did things right at last…I gave an extra strike to ensure the hooks were embedded then, keeping things tight, transferred my rod-cam from the one to the other and brought the fish in on camera…the 11.5cm Minnow was doing its job as well and a nice, fit 4lb pike was in my hand and aboard for unhooking and release. I removed some of the parasites from its skin, the fish clearly having been dormant of late in this cold weather and slid it back in to swim away strongly. I’d got another point for the anglersafloat species competition with this one too so I was happy. I spied bank anglers ahead and checked the time, may as well head back. I carried on trolling even though I was now with the current for half the distance and it wasn’t until the flow reversed that I had another hit, again on the 11cm redhead among a weedy bay near the limit of navigation – the pike screamed out to the left and I again reacted badly, losing it the moment I took the rod; I was going too slow to set the hook I suspect, or maybe it ran into weed; either way I lost it. Now, it may seem like I’m making excuses for that lure but I’m not, the lure is good and I’ve just got to learn it…it had 3 of the 4 takes so is certainly alluring but with smaller hooks than I’m used to and more reactive rods (a stiff rod is a better tool for setting hooks on the troll) I need to modify my response…either way It’s already put itself into my favourites box and I KNOW it’s going to be putting bass on the table come the summer as well as providing a steady stream of pike.. I got back to the slip and after asking he swans to please depart I pulled up and landed. A surprisingly active day topped off by seeing kingfishers no less than four times including, for the first time ever and closer than normal, a pair of them. Happy days…and I’d christened my lure kit! The victors, 11cm Eco Minnow top, 11.5cm bottom: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDBtCQIo4k[/youtube]