Well, I’m not smooth myself. Rough, gristly, stubbled…I’m talking about fish. I still had some time off and what better way to spend it than fishing? I wasn’t too sure what to go for but Mark – the other Mark – or Spark as he’s more commonly known – was keen to come and fish for some of the smoothound that were now showing here so that settled that. Spark needed my help as, like me, he’s had a hernia operation this year – we’re becoming old men now – but his was more recent and only now, two months on, did he feel capable of kayak fishing again. That’s of course only half the story as getting the kayak to the water and back onto the car is a whole other issue and the one most likely to strain things.
My wife’s car had to go into the garage so I was delayed on my preferred start time and, as she was using mine for the rest of the day, I needed dropping at the beach. Spark was alreadyt here and with everything unloaded double-quick she left and we had a quick catch up. With my Scupper dumped over the wll it was time for me to lift Spark’s Ultra 4.3, with fishbox and rod holders and stuff in the hatches and cobwebs and god knows what off the roofrack. I failed. He grabbed the front and we managed in an ungainly manner and then I failed to carry it alone. Nope, he could leave his fishbox in the car! Worried about where he’d store fish I pointed to the centre and front hatches and then the tankwell. He wasn’t convinced but I wasn’t heaving even more weight even if I could! Over the wall she went, minus the fishbox. The sea was flat, the launch was smooth, the weather was alternately sunny and overcast and we went.
We were a mile or so south of the mark but the tide was with us and we were there in no time. Down went the anchors, on went the baits and out they went. I was fishing two rods today, one with whole squid and one with some of Spark’s magic Wroxham lug (the best lug in Norfolk apparently and from the catches I’ve seen I’m convinced) tipped off with a squid head, a deadly bait for cod here. Ten minutes in and the squid rod went…
And they’re off! First starry smoothound of the day, a baby. Then nothing for half an hour or more, the tide running quite hard. Then another smut followed by a nice dogfish.
Again nothing would touch a hook with worm on it. I took the worm off and put on frozen hermit crab…should be good for the hounds. Besides, Spark had now had a smut on one.
Surprise catch next – unseasonal and unexpected, a 45cm codling! Again on the squid, neatly hooked on the 4/0 Maxximus Jig Hooked running leger pennel rig. That was another point for the competition then and one I didn’t expect to add for this leg.
I decided to gut it then and there and have a look at what was being eaten. A couple of shrimp but mostly tiny crabs, one of which was still alive. Whether it survived or not I have no idea but I gave it a chance by dumping them all over the side – no doubt the poor thing dropped down, breather a crabby sigh of relief and got snaffled for the second time seconds later.
Now where was I…oh yes. I was 150 yards from Spark who was only catching on crab while I was only catching on squid…and boy oh boy did he have something nice on! I looked over when he called, saw the rod arched over and kept watching for five minutes or so. I assumed a decent smoothie but there didn’t seem a lot of movement…then I saw a pair of wings on the surface downtide from him and twigged, he had a good thornback ray…and what a good ray it was too! His personal best and first from a kayak, an 11lb’er. He was over the moon once he eventually got it in to do battle with again!
Not to be outdone I then started on the better fish; a 6.5lb starry came aboard after a massive scrap – a male that took off as soon as I got it alongside, splashing and thrashing and pulling my rod tip into the water.
Eventually it was subdued and came in. It was followed a short while later by a smaller fish of around 3lb that had been caught up in a net and was quite damaged; I normally put them back at this size but figured it was a sensible fish to keep as that wound wouldn’t be doing it any favours.
More small ones followed and another larger one at 5lb, again a scrappy male. Then, with the tide eased right off I swapped the crab rod (still untouched) over to a Fladen ‘Living Shrimp’ rig. 5 Silver hooks, clear whipping, pink rubber shrimps and silver glitter strands on a 3-inch 0.47/0.43mm length to the main body to be more descriptive. I popped a small piece of worm and a small ring of squid on each hook, as I had done the other day to winkle out a whiting as I needed one for this leg and lobbed it in. the next half hour saw a handful of smuts to 3lb and a couple of dogs…
...and yet another personal best, the 5th in a month I think. 47cm, 2 1/4lb and one hello of a bite; I thought it was another smoothound!
Now I’ve had some decent whiting this year, a few at a ‘poundanarf’ and one nudging two when I went out on Lead Us with Colin but this thing just seemed immense! A deep bodied fish I thought it may have been a haddock at first but it was quite clearly not. I was well happy and, to cap it all off, it tasted better, was firmer and flaked better than the codling – a very watery and mushy one that I rather regretted eating.
Well, back ashore after this, the tide having stopped and with the rods getting snagged as we started to drift, we started up the beach. Spark was over the moon with his roker and smuts, I was happy with my smuts and cod and over the moon with my whiting and instead of letting him give the lug to a beach angler I swapped the netted smut for them and in turn gave them to Paul to use off a pier or beach somewhere. Then it was back to mine for coffee and to look at my fish in their tank.
Oh, and to have a repeat of “Why are there sharks in the sink?” when the rest of the family came home!
Yep, there’s four very tasty and very sustainable family meals there.
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