I was up early in readiness, breakfast with the girls before their last day of school and then down to the harbour for a day out with Brian. I heard that the day before that a new heir to the throne had been born, a prince. It was fitting really that I should be heading out for a day on Lowestoft's very own princess to celebrate then. So, bag over my shoulder, rods and reels in my hands and a camera at the ready I wandered down to the beach and along to the harbour, filming little bits and pieces as I went.
Brian was at the gate of the Yacht Club when I arrived along with his four charters whose names I forget but who were good company nonetheless and we headed for the pontoons, filled with an array of craft.
Very nice they are too but we were after one particular one and there she lay ready for another day at sea. Now I've seen her on the water so many times over the years, the closest being last summer when, three miles out, Brian and his son Paul gave me some squid when I'd gone to feather some mackerel and found no clear water but today, finally, I was to spend the day on Cleveland Princess.
It takes me around twenty minutes to paddle out the mile and a half to the Stanford Buoy, the tidal flow dictating whether or not I can of course, but here we were within a couple of minutes judging the flow and getting things prepared before heading out to the three mile bank that's been featuring lately in such great reports of hounds, tope, ray, bass and spurs...I wanted some of this!
I watched over Brian's shoulder as he steered a course for one of his marks, a large screen plotter/sounder combo showing where we were and what was below. A very nicely laid out console and cabin that really looks somewhat too good for a fishing boat, plenty of rods laid out ready for use around me and fine weather outside. I'd be dry and get coffee too, I could get used to this! But not just yet, I needed to get outside and launch a squid into the sea on my Powerstick Uptider. The usual Warbird 3700R, now cleaned free of the salt from yesterday and lubed up with copious quantities of some stuff I got from a trade show, was attached and at the end of the 20lb braid I'd got a 2/0 pennel with Maxximus jig hooks fitted. An easy cast, a decent bow of line out and the 8oz lead gripped in tight first time.
Now to wait. The sea was running rapidly though, the downtide rods needing a good pound and a half to hold bottom. We nattered and watched and looked and soon spotted the first seal; fish here then. We knew that from the sounder anyway. Then a pod of porpoises arrived. We'd be seeing them throughout the day. Great stuff and a nice calm sea.
I've only used the uptider once before and not as an uptider. A learning curve for me, it had cast well, I'd got it to grip and so on. The long butt below the reel had certainly helped but, reeling in after a while to check my bait, I appreciated a dislike too. I'm used to short butts and couldn't really find anywhere comfortable to put it! No matter, it had done the business and landed the first fish on the boat, a doggy.
Brian was in full flow teaching and advising and helping ensure everyone had a good day and the conversation was pleasant, another change from the kayak angling I'm used to which, even with friends, is a solitary way of fishing.
Then Brian's rod started to nod. A hound! In it came, about 5lb or so and, unhooked, went back over the side to swim away, none of the party wanting to keep one. A lovely male starry it was. Within minutes a second rod was banging away and one of the others brought in his first hound, slightly smaller but a decent pull all the same.
That was it for a while. We thought things were about to become busy but now. We'd waited long enough for them, in the strong flow and then they stopped. A couple of dogs came up and I dropped one off at the surface but that was it as we came into slack water. I tried some feathers on my other rod, the usual IM7. With luck a mackerel for skate bait would appear but no, nothing. Then there was a bang and a flash. Lightning! A yacht came a bit closer, comforting as it was taller than us but we laid the rods down all the same. No-one wanted the next fish. Then the heavens opened, the shorts and t-shirt weather being briefly postponed.
It was over soon enough though and as the ebb started to build I had a run on the IM7 rod; a good hound it was. The tide was in full swing now and I realised that I'd got too much lube in the wrong place on the reel and it was taking line as I pumped. I couldn't tighten the drag further, it was slipping and so I put my thumb on the spool as I lifted...I got away with it twice, three times and then...I broke off. Had I used stronger braid I'd have landed it. Had I not lubed the reel so much I'd have landed it. Had I not been so impatient I'd have landed it. My fishing had not been at its best today that was for sure and apart from that I'd had a few bites that I'd missed - we all had in fact, single bites as the fish presumably snapped at the baits as they sped past - I'd also dropped at least two fish and cracked off on a cast as well as cutting through my leader knot with the braid under pressure while feathering. Could do better would read my end of term report!
The tide became too much too soon after so we headed inshore looking for somewhere slower. A few spots were tried for mackerel but nothing came to the feathers and though we stayed out longer in hope it was not to be and we had no more fish. All I managed was weed and ragworm spawn, a new one on me at least!
Brian opened up the throttle on the way back and with a good wake behind us we shot off home under quite a lot of power, back to the harbour and the berth at the Yacht Club. We may not have had the most productive day's fishing but by the sound of things on the radio Brian had more than held his own and, had his efforts been justly rewarded, we'd have caught a lot, lot more (the fish were there, the sounder was definite on that). Still, great weather, a good lightning show, plenty of wildlife, no sickness, constant anticipation, good banter, coffee, some fish, laughter...I could go on but you get the gist! Expect a video sometime soon...and thanks Brian, I really enjoyed myself!
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