Ch ch ch changes…09/09/2013

Ch ch ch changes…09/09/2013 The forecast went from good to bad on the various weather forecasts and ended up being as good as forecast three days prior; this has happened a lot lately so there was no real surprise but it meant that plans had been cancelled in advance and only myself and Bruce were now free. Bruce had to come out again as he’d not caught yet and I had to go out again because I was still alive so with a pleasant day greeting my decent sleep after too many shifts I gave him a call and set about sorting out all my tackle. What an absolute mess. A jumble of feathers, lures, coarse and sea traces and hook lengths, floats, weights, stuff to dry and stuff to cut and stuff to bin and stuff to re-bag…reels to soak and re-oil and change leaders on, rods to check over, treble protectors to put on, rusty trebles to replace, storage tubs to clean…it took well over an hour and then Bruce was there and I hadn’t finished. No matter, the tide would wait as plans had changed. The plan now, just in case, was going to be a launch from links Road and to come down past ness Point on the flood, do some bassing and LRF, maybe target sole and then come back on the ebb. So off we went; the road was closed and the traffic was blocked up further south so we went back home and launched off the beach instead, going against the tide. Now, Bruce has never had a wrasse and I’d found some, rarely, a few days prior; pretty sure these were the first Suffolk-caught wrasse from the kayak. Wouldn’t it be a good first kayak fish for him! He thought so too and, being very territorial, I put him right on the spot and worked along the rocks myself. I had a pack of Gulp! Red ragworm that had been sent a year or so ago from TSF and having been reading up on LRF decided to give that a go, along with some fresh lug that Bruce had bought. Would one outfish the other? Neither of us had so much as a nibble even though conditions and tide state were very much the same. Enough was enough and we headed north of the harbour for more of the same and a troll on the way up to Ness Point where the flow would be reduced by the jetty. Well, sort of. We tried by the harbour wall quickly first; I want a rockling. I didn’t get a rockling. I never get rockling. The sea was flat too so I was able to get right in but to no avail. Up and around and across the harbour mouth, very smooth, and then the lure went out, an Eco Narrow, nice and noisy as the water was so murky (totally unlike Yarmouth the other day) and we set off up towards Jackaman’s, without a sniff, where I stopped for a bit more LRF. Nothing doing. Trolled further now, up past the seagulls nesting on some metalwork which I pointed out to Bruce – Shaun and I have both caught here in the past – and then I rounded the bend and Bruce was out of sight. He looks perfectly at ease in my Scupper though so no worries at all on a day like today. I stuck on a size 6 double flapper rig, weighted at both ends and popped a small lug on each hook then cast in. A size 12 single flapper with a pinch of lug went rock-wards and I sat there. Ten minutes later Bruce arrived; he wasn’t anchoring, he was going to troll back down again, he was beaming. Right were I’d said – and subsequently passed through – he’d had a hit on a firetiger patterned Eco Mini Fat and had the bass right up to the side before it threw the hook. A decent bass too and although he was gutted to lose it he was over the moon to have had the scrap, especially on the light 10-30g Xtra Flexx and braid-filled baitcaster! Me, I stayed there and then moved further south with my 2-16g light rod waiting for something other than the crab which put me into such a rage and ate all my lugworm! I went back on the troll; spotted some rubbish floating and decided to do my good deed, paddled past and picked up the empty crisp packet. Not so! A nice, full, sealed packet of beef flavoured Space Raiders! Result! Not seen these in years so I kept them for later, maybe if I felt peckish. Worth the laugh and picture anyway 9and no, I haven’t eaten them. Yet.) Coming up to Jackaman’s again, had fish here in the past…need a diver really for the point and so I passed untouched. I was now using a Jointed Minnow 13, the blue and silver one with the black spots that seems to get bass regularly… I went a bit further, rounded some smashed wood and then ran along the metal pilings leading up to the harbour entrance; didn’t have long before the line would need to come in. I started thinking about the date. 9th September. Why did that ring a bell? Whose birthday? Niece? No. Nephew? That was a few days ago. Friends? No. A few minutes later it occurred to me; wedding anniversary. 13 years hard labour. Hmm. Better go get flowers, chill wine and cross my fingers that my luck might be in. My luck was in – as I was wondering what to cook the rod slammed down and then kicked up. Seemed like a snag maybe. Then it went again. Small fish by the look of it, not a keeper judging by things. I picked up the rod, started to tighten it and then put what felt small back into the rod holder to push myself back out – there were a lot of swirls and eddies and the like which were pushing me into the wall. Back out again I decided to bring this schoolie in and tightened up again. That was when it went beserk. Schoolie? The lasy take and not being pulled by the yak, the swirling waters which it must be used to battling, the fear of being hooked and the shock having worn off saw it take off, hard. Quite shallow there so it couldn’t dive so it bolted and the bow was pulled around; hello, this doesn’t often happen. It headed for the pilings, got pulled back, took line, headed there again, got pulled back again, towed the kayak north, helped by the ebb, made for the gap between pilings and wood; no you don’t mister, I’m not getting smashed up in there and I’m not getting pulled in there thank you very much! I pulled it away with fete to spare and then with another few minutes of bolting and diving – good fish this – I brought it alongside, onto my foot and up into the kayak. I’d seen it break surface and though ‘good fish’ and thought it again now. Bruce had just come around the corner and I’d called to him but he didn’t notice, he had one hit there and then! I got it into the hatch and went off to watch. Back home it went 4lb 7oz and 58cm. Bruce was having a great time and this one wasn’t getting off! A keeper two, a 2lb’er by the look of it. First fish caught from a kayak, first bass caught on a lure…I souvenired him the lure, it’s only fair and I’d probably lose it sooner or later anyway. He was made up with his catch! We drifted back during all this so set up for a second run but the heavens opened then and the wind picked up; we’d expected a squall but not dressed for it as we were fishing close. Bruce was too flushed with success to feel cold anyway, as he told me on the beach when, in a fit of excitement, he appeared about to kiss me and I had to run away! Right now though we were still afloat and still fishing. Back up to the pilings and then it was lines in, check the approach was clear (visually as the VHF is blocked here) and then scoot across nice and quick, down the side of the harbour and back along the rocks where I spotted a bird with an interesting beak – orange and black – which I thought was deserving of a picture. I don’t know my birds though so it’s nameless. It’s not a puffin though, I know that much. Bruce landed this time, didn’t go swimming. No need as the rain had already got him wet. Good, getting better! Nice fish…best scrap off a bass this year and I’m wondering if it’s because it was on a fixed spool – normally I’m a multiplier or baitcaster user but that extra distance between spool and blank seems to add quite a bit of feel. After avoiding the kissing we wandered back to mine for a coffee to warm up and then it was off to Morrisons for flowers, the wine already chilling down and a bit of a think about how to cook my anniversary dinner…the only thing big enough for the whole fish – apart from the barbecue – was my fish kettle and even then I had to cut the tail off – so I settled on steaming it. In went sherry, white wine, soy, half a chopped lemon, crushed and chopped ginger, spring onions and Szechuan peppercorns and I turned up the heat… So, there I was with the table laid, the wine chilled, the flowers in a vase and I was asked why I was being romantic…my offhand comment didn’t result in a slap for once and it took a good fifteen minutes for the penny to drop; just about the right time for the fish to have finished cooking and we sat down to eat.

Dropping Off…06/09/2013

Dropping Off…06/09/2013 Cracking session yesterday, bass around and feeding, clear water, taking wedges and plugs, clear water and little wind…Bruce was back home and keen to finally try kayak fishing after the conditions earlier when he was home had scuppered them. He’d put a twenty down during my fundraising for a session, hoping for cod and now here we were at the tail end of the bass season. Oh well, at least it’d be warmer. I had time for an hour’s kip first which was much needed and the car was already loaded apart from the rods thanks to yesterday’s session at the same place so I was ready to go when he arrived at 10:30. Well, nearly ready, my wife had the day off and I had to finish unloading the dishwasher first. A few minutes later we were heading north, back to Yarmouth. It’s one of those shorts and barefeet weeks, my naturally preferred state even if I had trod on glass the day before and cut my foot. I’ve never enjoyed wearing shoes all that much when I don’t have to and was running barefoot before I’d ever heard of Zola Bud. Bruce was only half convinced of course as he got ready for his first launch… I pushed him in, the stern stuck briefly on the shingle and tipped a little but he instinctively balanced it out, this bode well, and set off. I followed and cut ahead with the camera. Yes, more on the camera. We were well on our way when I had a fit of tourettes when remembering my camera was at home. My camera…I have two of those Olympus compacts, a couple of mobile-sized video ones that take stills as well and all four were at home. My mobile has a terrible camera and it was only through chance that I had some headcams rattling round in the boot. I’ve never used them for stills but knew that you could so we’d see…very wide lens and small screen which was invisible with my polaroids on but I think it coped okay. Up to the outfall, the water really clear. More so than yesterday, twelve foot vis perhaps? Promising. A bit of wind but westerly, slightly earlier than yesterday which we hit at the right time, would we have a repeat? The wind had moved around from southerly to westerly and it was slightly overcast rather than clear blue but that was the only difference other than an ever so slightly increased tide with the spring approaching; bass like the bigger tides apparently anyway. We started drifting around it flicking edges. I had the 2-16g again, Bruce on a 10-30g and we worked opposite sides. Nothing from the off and I made a few drifts down the side before my heart skipped a beat. Retrieving from the wall and the wedge is coming up to the side, just as it is coming out of the water there’s a splash right by the rod tip as a bass lunges and misses and makes me jump. Damn! Never had that before apart from a pike many, many years ago from the bank. Well, there were some here and they were feeding I guess? I guessed wrong. Bruce had a pluck mid-water but other than that nothing as happening. I tried an eel instead, nothing. What to do? I paddled back and retrieved a handful of lures from the car. I’d forgotten them as I hadn’t intended trolling as the bass had been on the outfall yesterday. I landed short where a lump was visible that had been there the day before and I was still curious. A young seal, the first one I’ve seen dead. Bruce asked when I got back if I’d seen any sign of what might have killed it. Due to the stink I hadn’t really examined it all that closely but it didn’t have a head. We changed over to lures and ran over to the harbour wall, sticking nice and close as it was calm. Perfect it was, a really good chance of catching but no, not a thing on the way up. Back down, again nothing; back to the outfall. I got a handful of casts in but the wind had trebled in strength and holding position was impossible. Nothing was happening anyway and with the sky darkening I made the decision to head back. It was all going really well and I landed, turned around and saw Bruce in the water, turned and rolled by a wave by the shore. Oh well, it happens to us all and all that was lost was a single Portland Eel. We headed back to the car and finished loading up just as it started to spit. Perfect timing and we’ll just have to try again in a few days…I think Bruce nailed the possible reason though as we discussed things. In the 24 hours that had passed we’d had a massive drop in pressure.

Gonna Need A Smaller Boat…05/09/2013

Gonna Need A Smaller Boat…05/09/2013 Over time the head shaking stopped, the concerns dissipated, the scorn evaporated and the more enlightened of the locals realised we weren’t on a death wish…though still stupid of course, at least in the depths of winter! Mind you, I’ve known that for years and couldn’t agree more, I’m really starting to wonder why I put myself through my winter cod fishing in such a manner. Been spoilt you see, all this boat fishing this year! Dry feet, warmth, fresh coffee, shelter…but it’s still summertime now and it’s been glorious on the kayak as anyone can see. Colin could see. It was months ago that he said he quite fancied trying the bassing at Sea Palling. Such a totally different method of fishing than he’s used to. Light rods, lures, clear water, moving and following structure. Sea Palling is a strange place though, not the Shangri La it’s always made out as – when it’s right it’s fantastic but it’s easy for it to be wrong, slight wind change and it becomes treacherous and the fishing, while good, is only occasionally stunning. And there’s that huge dune…there are other places though and today we went to one of them, an easy and often productive one. I was between shifts, Colin had a day off the windfarms and no bookings on Lead Us and conditions were perfect. I failed to sleep after work and had been disturbed after an hour and a half the night before by my oh-so-considerate neighbours so of course I managed to forget the odd bit of gear, including my sidewinders which I was going to put him in so joy of joys it’d be shorts and cold wet pants. I realised while stuck in traffic with the bridge up…the day wasn’t starting perfectly! But I got there on time, picked Colin up and we set off. Sea Palling would have been good but I just didn’t have the energy for the drive, nor the time really but this would be a far better starting point. Arrived, fluorocarbon leaders tied on all rods, all three Xtraflexx 10-30g rods and LP Magnets in use along with my Vantage FX5 being pressed into service with – oh yes – my new IM10 2-16g Higher Modulus light spinning rod. I didn’t dare troll with this but figured that casting some metalwork would be fun on this. I grabbed a load of boxes of lures though I only really needed three proven bass-takers (two of which were those wonderful Eco Narrows) and then down to the shoreline dragging the Tetra and Scupper. Decisions…Put Colin in the Scupper so he could go straighter with less effort and would have more secondary stability, also easier to throw legs over the side if need be. I’d take the wider, shorter Tetra and follow on behind! A quick how to on everything and a final picture before he got wet and we were away! It’s always amusing watching someone’s first ever launch, that little wobbly moment when the kayak does its thing while they try and compensate before settling into it; a couple of small rolling swells gave a moment of instability but all that time at sea kicked in and he was off, followed straight after by me, nipping ahead with the camera. What’s that, fifty yards? Looks happy enough to me! No stopping him now! We paddled north to the outfall and dropped the lures in a hundred yards short to let them run out to the right distance before we started trolling. Water clarity was superb, the ebb had started and an anti clockwise route should in theory gives us plenty of vibration all around, what with the eddies and reflection etc. but that was for the second run, first run was straight through then down and around the inner one and up the centreline over the pipe. With Colin going ahead I waited and then followed. Nice and slow, nice and gentle, the lures nice and visible; It was hard to believe we didn’t get a take! Around and up and then my lure got hooked onto the leader so I fiddled while Colin moved on ahead. I lost sight as he passed around the outfall and, not appearing, I started to think he may have gone swimming, a photo of which might amuse his wife! So I made the most basic and common mistake here of misjudging the flow and cutting too tight; I hit the corner with the line before the lure was round. Marvellous! That paid off, that’s where the bass were, right on the corner and I was in on the 10-30g and Eco Narrow, the fish actually taking and then being pulled over the very edge! Now, I’ve had plenty before and it was Colin’s day so I gave him a shout to come and take the rod, feel a bass on the light rod and then twigged as he called back, he’d done the same as me on the following corner but with slightly less luck and the line was trapped. I paddled over, grabbed the trapped rod and passed over the slightly less energetic bass for him to enjoy! Beautifully done, one in the boat and big grins all-round. Around 44cm and a tad over two pounds by the look of it, a lovely scrapper on light tackle and the prefect size for the table; big enough to feed two nicely and small enough to not be prime breeding stock but to have probably spawned and replicated itself once. A no-guilt keeper. I found an eddy and sat in it for a while giving the 2-16g a flick or three with a light wedge. Three was the magic number and I had a fish on, slightly further way from the outfall than the previous one, same sized but a better scrap on the lighter rod! I called Colin over to take this one as well as he was still trolling; It had taken line from me and still had plenty of fight in it for him too, pulling the rod tip tight down and into the water! Well, it was obvious what we had to do now, wasn’t it! Both onto wedges and start casting…drifting a bit with the tide, paddling back, flicking them out again…there’s a maritime weekend starting in a few days so a few passer’s by gave some extras to the experience… …and then, with a banging pull down of the rod tip I was in again on my light rod! This one was for me, Colin being determined to get his own now. A lovely scrap, taking line and a few minutes later I swung it aboard. Beautiful! It was starting to cloud up now, the vis on top was still okay but I could see it was murkier below and the water was flowing harder. With no more takes for ten minutes we moved south to the harbour wall to go on the troll in the clearer water there. Colin had slipped into this kayak fishing lark nicely, no wobbling after that first fish and having no fear of getting wet he just got on with the fishing and off we went. It roughed up a bit near the top end, the water rushing round and creating some close chop a couple of feet high and as we turned and headed back down it seemed to follow us, clouding the water ahead of me all the way; I thought we’d get another run but it didn’t turn out that way. Neither of us, surprisingly, had a take but the water looked like it had cleared again by the outfall. We finished our run down and headed over there again; perhaps the fish had lost any wariness with their half-hour break and would be hunting again. Well, we tried and tried, the flow getting us out of position quite quickly but with nothing doing. The vis was okay but the flow was stronger – and strangely it was running in all directions. With little time remaining by the look of things I was about to knock it on the head when I had an idea; maybe they were hunkered down on the bottom. Maybe the wedges needed to be bounced along the floor and just above. Probably need to sacrifice them but worth a try? Yes. Worth a try. First cast, a quarter of the way back and the tip pulled down; it had paid off and I had another fish on, same size, I know because it was by the side and about to come in when it lunged and threw the treble…perhaps I’d see it again some time. Ten more minutes without a take, picking up weed most casts and with my wedge snagged up in the area I wanted to fish I had to go in and retrieve it. That seemed like the time to call it a day and we set off back to the launch point. A nice easy paddle with the flow, though straight lines were not our route for some reason (we looked drunk) and a nice smooth landing followed before loading up and wandering over to the micro brewery at the end of the road for a deserved pint of real ale. It was closed. Might as well go home then, all smiles until episode two where Colin’s luck will be in and he snaffles them from under my nose instead of the other way around!