25/7/11 The evening Tide

A last  minute decision to go fishing rather than the Spin Class (see the connection...Spin)  put me back on the same mark I'd fished yesterday. With the wind dropped right down to a 3-4 mph  SW and the water clarity being the best I'd seen at the mark I set up with the Zonk Gataride Pearl, the lure I'd caught on the previous day.

 First cast, couple of strips to get it down, steady back and Bang, fish on. Now things going to plan when Plugging is something new to me,  so after a quick release and a couple more casts I took the Zonk off.

 Normal service resumed I tried a couple of other lures and climbed over some rocks and caught FA. Back to the Gataride, first cast and fish on again. Only about a LB, but another one on the tally and a belief that the Zonk is the only Plug I'd ever need. Then I lost it in a snag.

 Now with the light failing I thought I'd just give a Patchinko Sandeel a go. Around the 5th cast I thought there was a bigger splash then the Lure should have made.  2 Casts later I hooked a good size Mackerel.  I'm now thinking I've got the "Walking the Dog" sorted. A  few more casts and everything locks up and I've finally got a proper Bass on. After 2 strong runs against a tight drag it suddenly come off. Gutted.  I continued, and five minutes later have another hit and although not as powerful as the last fish, this too come adrift.  So when the Patchinko is taken for the 3rd time,  I'm relieved to see the fish finally arrive at the beach. At 2.5LB it was the best of the evening.

24/7/11. KENT

Having had a day with Mark Padfield down in Dorset a few days previous picking up some pointers, it was time to start trying a few of the marks I'd discovered during the past few weeks.

  So it was I left home at a time I'd normally be coming in, and was set up and ready to fish at the top of the tide.................... 0530hrs. With the tide dropping and the mark being particually snaggy I started with Popper's and Patchinka's, but the strong cross-wind made them difficult to work. I changed to shallow divers, slowing the retrieve to nothing as they came over the shallowest rocks.    

   Three hours after HT and bang, fish on a Zonk Gararide YoRo YoRo in Pearl. After a spirited fight a 2 pounder was landed and released. A few casts later a much better fish shot out from behind a rock and only its lack of commitment ment my best plug caught fish remained at 2lb.

   So having only recently starting plugging, the last 3 trips have given me 3,3,and a single. Nothing of size, but learning all the time.