Ch ch ch changes…09/09/2013
The forecast went from good to bad on the various weather forecasts and ended up being as good as forecast three days prior; this has happened a lot lately so there was no real surprise but it meant that plans had been cancelled in advance and only myself and Bruce were now free. Bruce had to come out again as he’d not caught yet and I had to go out again because I was still alive so with a pleasant day greeting my decent sleep after too many shifts I gave him a call and set about sorting out all my tackle.
What an absolute mess. A jumble of feathers, lures, coarse and sea traces and hook lengths, floats, weights, stuff to dry and stuff to cut and stuff to bin and stuff to re-bag…reels to soak and re-oil and change leaders on, rods to check over, treble protectors to put on, rusty trebles to replace, storage tubs to clean…it took well over an hour and then Bruce was there and I hadn’t finished. No matter, the tide would wait as plans had changed. The plan now, just in case, was going to be a launch from links Road and to come down past ness Point on the flood, do some bassing and LRF, maybe target sole and then come back on the ebb. So off we went; the road was closed and the traffic was blocked up further south so we went back home and launched off the beach instead, going against the tide.
Now, Bruce has never had a wrasse and I’d found some, rarely, a few days prior; pretty sure these were the first Suffolk-caught wrasse from the kayak. Wouldn’t it be a good first kayak fish for him! He thought so too and, being very territorial, I put him right on the spot and worked along the rocks myself. I had a pack of Gulp! Red ragworm that had been sent a year or so ago from TSF and having been reading up on LRF decided to give that a go, along with some fresh lug that Bruce had bought. Would one outfish the other?
Neither of us had so much as a nibble even though conditions and tide state were very much the same. Enough was enough and we headed north of the harbour for more of the same and a troll on the way up to Ness Point where the flow would be reduced by the jetty. Well, sort of. We tried by the harbour wall quickly first; I want a rockling.
I didn’t get a rockling. I never get rockling. The sea was flat too so I was able to get right in but to no avail. Up and around and across the harbour mouth, very smooth, and then the lure went out, an Eco Narrow, nice and noisy as the water was so murky (totally unlike Yarmouth the other day) and we set off up towards Jackaman’s, without a sniff, where I stopped for a bit more LRF. Nothing doing.
Trolled further now, up past the seagulls nesting on some metalwork which I pointed out to Bruce – Shaun and I have both caught here in the past – and then I rounded the bend and Bruce was out of sight. He looks perfectly at ease in my Scupper though so no worries at all on a day like today. I stuck on a size 6 double flapper rig, weighted at both ends and popped a small lug on each hook then cast in. A size 12 single flapper with a pinch of lug went rock-wards and I sat there.
Ten minutes later Bruce arrived; he wasn’t anchoring, he was going to troll back down again, he was beaming. Right were I’d said – and subsequently passed through – he’d had a hit on a firetiger patterned Eco Mini Fat and had the bass right up to the side before it threw the hook. A decent bass too and although he was gutted to lose it he was over the moon to have had the scrap, especially on the light 10-30g Xtra Flexx and braid-filled baitcaster! Me, I stayed there and then moved further south with my 2-16g light rod waiting for something other than the crab which put me into such a rage and ate all my lugworm!
I went back on the troll; spotted some rubbish floating and decided to do my good deed, paddled past and picked up the empty crisp packet. Not so! A nice, full, sealed packet of beef flavoured Space Raiders! Result! Not seen these in years so I kept them for later, maybe if I felt peckish. Worth the laugh and picture anyway 9and no, I haven’t eaten them. Yet.)
Coming up to Jackaman’s again, had fish here in the past…need a diver really for the point and so I passed untouched. I was now using a Jointed Minnow 13, the blue and silver one with the black spots that seems to get bass regularly…
I went a bit further, rounded some smashed wood and then ran along the metal pilings leading up to the harbour entrance; didn’t have long before the line would need to come in. I started thinking about the date. 9th September. Why did that ring a bell? Whose birthday? Niece? No. Nephew? That was a few days ago. Friends? No. A few minutes later it occurred to me; wedding anniversary. 13 years hard labour. Hmm. Better go get flowers, chill wine and cross my fingers that my luck might be in. My luck was in – as I was wondering what to cook the rod slammed down and then kicked up. Seemed like a snag maybe. Then it went again. Small fish by the look of it, not a keeper judging by things.
I picked up the rod, started to tighten it and then put what felt small back into the rod holder to push myself back out – there were a lot of swirls and eddies and the like which were pushing me into the wall. Back out again I decided to bring this schoolie in and tightened up again. That was when it went beserk.
Schoolie? The lasy take and not being pulled by the yak, the swirling waters which it must be used to battling, the fear of being hooked and the shock having worn off saw it take off, hard. Quite shallow there so it couldn’t dive so it bolted and the bow was pulled around; hello, this doesn’t often happen. It headed for the pilings, got pulled back, took line, headed there again, got pulled back again, towed the kayak north, helped by the ebb, made for the gap between pilings and wood; no you don’t mister, I’m not getting smashed up in there and I’m not getting pulled in there thank you very much! I pulled it away with fete to spare and then with another few minutes of bolting and diving – good fish this – I brought it alongside, onto my foot and up into the kayak. I’d seen it break surface and though ‘good fish’ and thought it again now. Bruce had just come around the corner and I’d called to him but he didn’t notice, he had one hit there and then!
I got it into the hatch and went off to watch. Back home it went 4lb 7oz and 58cm.
Bruce was having a great time and this one wasn’t getting off! A keeper two, a 2lb’er by the look of it. First fish caught from a kayak, first bass caught on a lure…I souvenired him the lure, it’s only fair and I’d probably lose it sooner or later anyway. He was made up with his catch!
We drifted back during all this so set up for a second run but the heavens opened then and the wind picked up; we’d expected a squall but not dressed for it as we were fishing close. Bruce was too flushed with success to feel cold anyway, as he told me on the beach when, in a fit of excitement, he appeared about to kiss me and I had to run away! Right now though we were still afloat and still fishing.
Back up to the pilings and then it was lines in, check the approach was clear (visually as the VHF is blocked here) and then scoot across nice and quick, down the side of the harbour and back along the rocks where I spotted a bird with an interesting beak – orange and black – which I thought was deserving of a picture. I don’t know my birds though so it’s nameless. It’s not a puffin though, I know that much.
Bruce landed this time, didn’t go swimming. No need as the rain had already got him wet. Good, getting better!
Nice fish…best scrap off a bass this year and I’m wondering if it’s because it was on a fixed spool – normally I’m a multiplier or baitcaster user but that extra distance between spool and blank seems to add quite a bit of feel.
After avoiding the kissing we wandered back to mine for a coffee to warm up and then it was off to Morrisons for flowers, the wine already chilling down and a bit of a think about how to cook my anniversary dinner…the only thing big enough for the whole fish – apart from the barbecue – was my fish kettle and even then I had to cut the tail off – so I settled on steaming it. In went sherry, white wine, soy, half a chopped lemon, crushed and chopped ginger, spring onions and Szechuan peppercorns and I turned up the heat…
So, there I was with the table laid, the wine chilled, the flowers in a vase and I was asked why I was being romantic…my offhand comment didn’t result in a slap for once and it took a good fifteen minutes for the penny to drop; just about the right time for the fish to have finished cooking and we sat down to eat.
A few minutes passed and I caught my first, riding it as well as it would allow. Great! Better than mooching round at home sorting my kit that had been drying back in the car – taken out while emptying it for tomorrow’s MOT.
Caught another. And another, then a few more with only one wipeout. Good to have some practice but nothing fantastic. That’s where the drunken sex analogy comes in: Lumpy, bumpy, wet, messy, disappointing ride and of course I've had better.
But, like drunken sex it was worth it and I wasn’t all that choosy.
