My nephew has been waiting a year to catch a shark, ever since he saw his first smoothound; either the wind, the swell, the tide or days free had conspired against it all last summer but with a low wind flat sea type forecast for today I sent him a text to invite him out with me. And so, at eight in the morning, he turned up and we headed north to fish Caister where James and Shun had had some fun last week.
James was there when we arrived, Shaun turned up straihght after and we were joined by John who had a week off and had travelled up from Essex for a spot of fun. He'd asked for advice on where to go and ended up being invited to join us. He had a Jackson Big Tuna on the oof which was of interest as I'd not seen one in the flesh as yet.
We got ourseleevs sorted ready to launch, taking our time as the tide would still be running hard and the old chaap who lives by the track oppped out to say heloo and we had a chat. He fished a bag of leads and booms out of his shed for us too which was really kind. I'd promised him a fish last time and was having a second attempt at it!
Down on the shoreline we came across a bit of a shore dump. It had been flat at Lowestoft but the wind was at least double that predicted and was blowing across and onshore. Mie was aghast but I helped launch him and got my own kayak reay. I was on the MidWay again and he was on that fish-catching black Tempo. Shaun had his out also for the first time while James was still in his yellow Scupper for now rather than get his own Tempo dirty. I followed on out with John coming shortly after.
A few hundred yards in a lumpy sea and James dropped anchor followed by Shaun. I got my anchor down and set and clipped Mie to it before finishing setting him up and dropping down on my much shorter reserve reel. The water was piling through. I drifted straight past Mike and ended up parralele with James who was also on the move. While Shaun was into his first hound...I hauled up and paddled uptide again to Mike, slowly. We were in 50-60ft and it was racing through at over three knots. Shaun was into a second...and Mike was in already too!
Hmm, how to do this. I came alongside twice before I was able to get in position and pulled up alongside him, attaching the two kayaks together. His rod was still thumping but then the combined yaks started to drag his anchor so I dropped mine as well. It didn't catch at first and got itelf the wrong side of Mike's line and fish...some manouevring was required before I cleared it.
Mike was excited, this was fighting hard and stripping line, not the pike, perch or whiting he's experienced before by any means. He soon had it under control and alongside and then came the task of landing it. It wasn't having any of it and after a thrash at the side it dived again before being brought back alongside and hand-landed. A nice six pounder to start with. Promise fulfilled! A strange one this, star markings on one side and plain on the other.
With the two kayaks next to each other we got a constant soaking with the flow and chop hammering up the middle before hitting the gunwhales and bouncing up, to shoulder height at times. We should have put cags on really...
Another effect of being together was the noise and disturbance caused and while Shaun continued to catch and James headed inshore near John where the flow was easier to deal with and his anchor would hold we sat biteless for a good hour. Then my rod started tto twitch as something nibbled at the squid...not a hound though, my first Norfolk kayak thornback! I've had them over the border in Suffolk and in Essex too but it's still pleasing to get one in the county I grew up in. Only a small one though so a quick look and some photographs and it went back.
Another half an hour passed with a few nibbles before I got a better bite and struck into my own hound. Only a little one of a couple of pounds, nicely hooked in the mouth and it soon went back.
And then Mike started to get some taps. He picked up the rod and waited...the bites continued and he struck. In came his second hound, again a couple of pounds and lightly hooked and back it went.
We sat there for another half an hour through a few taps and rattles and then, with the tide easing enough to pull anchor I untied Mike and he moved away, leaving me to deal with the anchors.
Oh boy! Hauling two anchors is not advisable! Pulling one put strain on the other and pulled the kayak sideways; there was still a good knot and a half of flow and I was left with no option but to cut the anchor trolley on the one side and deal with them seperately. With the remaining one under the boat on the other trolley things were a bit dicey as I turned backwards in a 360 before settling bow on and pulling the anchor in against the tide. With it onboard it was time to return to the other buoy and attach it to the free trolley and haul it in as well before heading back in, across and against the current.
Mike landed safely with John while Shaun and I headed in further up the beach, nice and easy, and then carried the kayaks up to the car for the ridde home and a deepfried smoothie!
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