Well the weather put paid to the plans the previous weekend but more people were available this time and plans can change…I managed to swing it, somehow, not quite sure how but wing it I did. I had a pass. So, with the car loaded with sleeping bag and plate and fishing gear and kayaks and beer it was off to sunny Waxham for the first annual Waxham overnighter and wasn’t I excited! A last minute invite to Amos had him drinking coffee at mine and then he was forced to follow me for the 45 minute trek north.
We pulled up, Steve, the largest dune in the history of mankind, beckoned and with the Tempo loaded with rods and lures it was time to pull it up and over. I was determined to do it in one and almost made it. The problem was my lengthened toggle handle had a knot that wasn’t up to scratch and I failed ten metres short of the summit. Oh well! I sorted things, went down and launched between waves before heading out to the first reef and the start of my trolling. The water was reasonably clear but it was swelly…could be interesting. The reports from those already out weren’t that exciting with very few fish caught so far. I was halfway up, a good mile or so, before my first catch.
Right…on the troll? Not what I expected! What I expected was what I saw as I approached another yakker:
His first ever bass! Brilliant!
I carried on, all the way up to Eccles without a touch. I wasn’t that excited and I didn’t bring a single bit of food…I turned and headed back to the start, narrowly missing the top half of a huge jagged sloping rock that would have caused me serious harm had I hit it – it was sloping under me as it uncovered then covered again and it was pure chance I stayed safe…we’re talking inches away from the side! I continued…a mile down, just past halfway and finally my rod pulled down! Yes! Bass number one, smaller than its fight at 37cm…smaller than I’d normally keep but things were looking poor. Sorry fella, at least you were plump.
I turned and went back up the reef, had another, great! It went straight into the rocks and needed a bit of coaxing but I got it out, removed the damaged line and continued on my way. Same size and also back for tea, there were a lot of mouths to feed…
This happened a hundred yards behind Martin who was christening his black Tempo with the bait rods out, picked up the day before and rigged in record time. We chatted a bit…
I really do love the Maxximus baitcasters and Xtraflexx spinning rods for this, the scrap is superb and the power is there to land them.
I trolled down the next reef and the rod pulled down once more…a better fish this time, a half decent one around the 50cm mark. A proper fish and proper meal…it snagged the other line though and with everything in a mess I cut off and retied just the one. James had caught me up and having heard over the radio that the landing was a bit messy I stowed everything for the run in…turned the video back on which I’d switched off to get the landing only for it to run out of memory after a minute so stowed that too (to avoid losing it in the surf which can happen) and went for it…lovely, came in on a nice one, braced and carved and swung myself over the top then came in the rest of the way on the next…textbook.
Well, that’s fun…I unloaded and went straight back out, catching and riding some waves, catching, riding and getting wiped out on others. I was soaked and stoked; time to fetch my toy, the RRRapido was also strapped to the roof and with everyone else grabbing my Tempo I played in that, getting even wetter and having a ball surfing amongst seals before it got too dark to concentrate. And stole people’s pictures ;)
Garry was rather taken with the Tempo…
So, back to the car to change, grab the coolbox of beer and ice and head on up to the bonfire where a strange selection of fish, burgers, sand and cheesy nibbles were on offer. I’m not much of a drinker but this was party night and I partook as expected…then got my fish on to cook. I’d brought the fish basket from home and, unscaled and ungutted the fresh bass went on one after the other to be devoured as they were once done; I undercooked them but not massively so!
I left my camera in my yak so I’ve shamefully nicked everyone else’s pictures of the party as well !
Gutting the first while peeling it I decided to examine the stomach contents…a nice sized crab popped out and – those of a nervous disposition turn away now – James bet I wouldn’t eat it. I saw an easy tenner for Heroes on the Water and with him pledging it I popped it in my mouth, chewed a bit and swallowed the half-digested crab, shell, flesh, lungs, claws, the lot. How did it taste? Not too bad! Not too good either to be honest, the flavour was alright, pleasant but overly strong and a bit sour…but that tenner will help where it’s needed.
More beer and chat and a good bit of micky-taking for Frank whose GoPro was now with Davy Jones and, with full bellies we had a final look for it before getting our heads down. I was, of course, on the beach next to the kayaks in my old army sleeping bag, a trusted 58 pattern. The roaring waves kept me awake for a while but it was quite a nice sound…what would tomorrow bring?
No comments:
Post a Comment