Summer…05/03/2014

Summer…05/03/2014 It was the first day of summer yesterday. Not sure when the second day is due but that doesn’t matter too much. Bruce is back in circulation and so we decided to go and try for another coalie and whatever else was about once we’d escaped from the wino’s who were the only ones with the good sense to chill out on the beach on such a beautiful day! So, we launched and sat inshore by the groyne, not too far out but where the feature was.… I had one rod out with a float, one with a leger. I had the XtrafleXX spinning rods fitted with the 11300 Maxximus and FX30 in use today. …and found the whitest codling I’ve ever seen. I wa son the size 4 flappers again. That was all we found in half an hour so headed over to the rocks at kidides corner. I caught rocks and lost a load of gear, Bruce had a pout (which I need for the WSF species hunt) and then got broken off by a decent take that dove for the rocks. After losing a Scotty mount in the first spot when it went flying (later retrieved at low water thankfully) An hour of snagging nd losing followed with nothing else so we decided to try by the Claremont Pier where Sam Hook had the one-time shore record cod of 32lb that stood for many years…could I match the late, great Sam? I got a bite… There are millions of these juvenile codling around at the moment, almost a plague of them which is great to see…it bodes well for the future, hopefully they’ll grow a bit and make it back here over the next few years. I had a second including one on a tiny weight which was all that was left and which I thought was floating up…Bruce was not doing at all well though. Reduced to using nail clippers for a weight and waiting for nothing and with the sea and wind picking up we headed in. It may not have set the angling world alight but it was a nice day for it after all. Oh yeah, we launched at the same time as a guy in a short boat wearing jeans, DM’s and a jumper who straight away headed out a good mile or so, paddled about, spotted some seals and came back while we were setting up under the pier. Rather him than me.