Playing catch-up, 10.11.12

Joe felt conditions were bang on in Dorset for a Saturday session, as he put it "we'd be silly to miss it". 
Things looked perfect, clear water and only the 2 of us on the mark. An hour and a half later we both felt we had completely mis-read it. It was with that thought going through my mind that I looked up to see Joe finally into a fish. Two minutes later I started to think he's making a meal of this one, but a couple of minutes later I started to give him the benefit of the doubt. Starting walking towards him I steadidly increased my pace as the fight dragged on. 5 minutes later I arrived just as Joe surfed this 9 lb fish onto the single.

Check out the O ring on that centre hook, totally wrecked, as was the treble. First major fish we'd heard of on the newly arrived Gunfish 135, just change the metalwork before use. To say Joe was thrilled was an understatement, mission accomplished, and always a little sweeter when off the top.


Fish safely returned 10 minutes later I had a schoolie of around 2 lb, and I commented to Joe how well it has fought. 5 minutes after that I hooked into something that really wanted a fight. With my  Gataride 20 foot from the shore everything locked up then started heading towards France. Against a very tight drag it kept going and going, run after run, back and forth along the gully until a larger wave gave me the opportunity to crest it onto the beach. At 7 lb not a match for Joe's, but a great consulation fish.  Swam off like Micheal Phelps on speed.

Fished on for a couple of more fish each, best I had a little over 3 lb. What was noticable though was how well all the fish went, even the schoolies. Great Day Out.
And a couple of idiots on a certain forum question why we make the trip...........................

G4's and Garfish

Putting the clocks back an hour meant I laid awake til 4 o'clock, or was it 3 o'clock, trying to work out if I was an hour early or an hour late picking Joe up. So much for the extra hours sleep.  First light on Portland and both straight into a Pollock each. Why do I always forget to tighten the drag when Pollock are on the cards, straight into the rocks where it sat for 5 minutes before it swam free. I'd never caught a Gar before, but 30 minutes after the Sun came up I'd had 10, and so we moved on.

Met up with Martin and Steve, and after a quick breakfast was on Chesil and expecting great things. A call from Mark fishing with numerous Dorset Bass Rods  dulled our enthusiasm  with only a smuttering of fish between them. Hard work paid off to a degree, Joe and I having 6 each, the best going to Joe at 57cm. My best pushing 3LB had its picture taken.  Handsome Bitch.  But not as handome as me in my new G4 Simms, purchased from the USA as a pair of G3's, and sent by mistake.  £287 for a pair of G4's, awesome.      
                                                                                                                                                                38

The last Month

Had a trip to Devon mid September and decided to ditch the diving in favour of some fishing. Tried a spot called Baggy Point, and bumped into Devon Guide, Joel Squires.  He was out with a customer and on the day they failed to catch, and I managed to match them. A stiff onshore, coloured water and ground  that made you plan your escape before you went near the water made life interesting.

A week later and we were back in Dorset, a favourite rock-mark at first light. Joe snatched a 4lb fish right on cue and added another later in the day, plus a Schoolie. The quality fish were all Joe's with Tony having just the one, and me having 4, 3 on the GunFish and one on the Black Minnow 

Had a trip out today in Kent, not a thing. Fished Surface Lures without the slightest interest, although the sea was slightly more coloured then I'd like and the Sun shone throughout. At this time of year you feel your fishing for just the odd fish in Kent, but hopefully that fish will be worth the effort. The big girls must be prowling the ledges and that's what will keep me looking.

Dorset Bootcamp 2.9.12

Joe and I had arranged to meet Richard DFR at 0430hrs with the intention of climbing into a particularly rocky mark 1 hour further on to fish first light. Unfortunately Richard had been caught fishing LRF 2 days earlier and the shame proved to much, he rung us at 4am telling us his alarm was wrong and he wouldn't be joining us. He may have been right, Pollock and Mackerel dominated with just the odd Bass.

 Coffee at the Tackle Shop and revitalised we hit Mark 2. Second cast and Joe hits a fish, kiss of death that, he didn't hit anymore. I had a few more, with virtually all fish falling to Gataride lures. Final tally, 4 each, nothing to get excited about, plus some decent sized Pollock. 22 Hour fishing trip, 13 hours fishing, 2 hour traffic jam on way home when a hippy's VW Camper did the right thing and self-ingnited.   

Off the top, again. 16.8.12

Met at first light in Dorset, Joe, Mark333, Mark 11 and me.  Went straight to Mark 1, but the water was coloured and the sea was wild. Went onto Mark 2, but there wasn't any fish at Mark 2. Finally at 0700hrs arrived at Mark 3, Joe, Mark 333, Mark MK 11, and me.

Gave it 20 minutes working sub-surface lures without a take, while Mark 333 and Joe both picked up a fish each using the same. In my last post I stated the Gunfish was a quality surface lure and so it proved again today. 3 Casts after putting it on the surface exploded, ( Mark 333 reckoned he'd never seen a take like it) ( I had, see 79cm fish)   and after the best fight I'd had off a Bass, lasting all of 10 minutes, Mark got into the swell and landed my fish, 68cm, 7lb 2 oz. 

Moved around to a few other Marks during the day,but the 3 of us only finished with just 3 a piece. The guided client, Mark 11 Cider did much better with 9.                                                                       24

Summers Evening in Kent

Snuck off work early today and was on the mark at 6pm, 90 minutes after high tide. The sun remained bright right through to sunset, but as soon as it went the fish started taking the surface lures. First 2 to the Patchinko 100 500g, a mini version of the Patchinko II. People in the know are raving about the Sandeel pattern, but I was using the reddish Brown one with the pink underbody. First time out and 2 fish.

Then on went the Gunfish,  had 3 in quick succession, hooked into and immediately lost a fish of around 5lb, had a couple of other offers that didnt stick. The old faithful still cant be beaten. Class
 

Scorcher at Dorset

It was meant to be clouding over at Mid-day so Joe and I got to the beach for 1300hrs, having enjoyed our latest start ever in Dorset. Even the Olympic traffic never materialised, but the Sun did, and by the 1900hrs finish I was burnt.

Fishing was fast and furious from the off, I had 2 fish pushing 3lb and a tiddler, Joe had a tiddler. Then the fish remembered they shouldn't give themselves up during the mid-day Sun fest, and stopped. 3 Fishless hours later and a change of venue we met up with Mark, Richard and Neil.

The change of venue worked for  Joe who had 5 in a couple of hours. Mark had 3, I had another 1 and lost one at the beach after all the hard work had been done.                                                                                                                                                     16

It's not always BASS

Just back from a fortnight in Mexico and while there thought I'd have a go for a Tarpon on the Fly. Not the biggest fish in the world, but these things really go, and they also come off with frustrating regularity. ( I was told after if you land one in 10 you've done quite well).
First trip and after a Barracuda and a Jack, finally had a fish of around 5 lb, and a few moves later added another 2 to the tally. That was when we moved to the mouth of a Channel that I hooked and lost five 25lb fish in quick succession. One was on for 2 minutes and jumped 4 times so I was sure he was well hook, but it wasn't the case.

Second trip didn't go so well. Moved a decent fish, cast to several others, ( you have to hit them right on the nose) and was optimistic until first the biggest electrical storm I'd ever seen moved in,( the guide thought I should continue fishing) and then the engine packed up. With the light failing the guide punted us a good mile back to the same Channel we'd visited the previous trip, and in complete darkness the guide put me blindly into the best fish of the trips, at 10 lb.  I've caught many big reservoir trout, but this is something completely different       

79cm...11lb off the top, 27.6.12

Got the chance to get a couple of hours in this evening, with the wind dropping to nearly nothing, and the water starting to clear after a few days of strong gales.


 Started working a GunFish in the flattish surface and was rewarded with a nice 2lb fish which gave a good account of itself. Moved along to the rocky area and started working my way out onto the reef covering new and clearer water. About the 5th cast I decided to put one along side the exposed rocks, and 40 yards out a big fish hit the GunFish hard. I could immediately see this fish was something special, and 3 times it got me behind massive boulders scrapping the braid as it thumped seaward. No great runs, just the constant head-shaking and use of its weight. Finally I had no choice other then to tighten down the drag and Horse the girl over several rock formations and to the base of the rock I was standing on.

My inital appraisal of this being something special was confirmed and when breaking my camera after 2 shots and having to revert to the iphone, I felt the need to get the fish back into the water asap. Five minutes spent reviving her in a large rockpool, then I lifted her into the sea and she swam off strongly.

Only regret. Joe was fishing close by, but didnt answer his phone. I should have kept her in the Rockpool til I got Joe, then I would have had the glory shot. ,

A very wet Dorset 5.6.12

Joe and I left Kent at 1am to meet up with Mark at 4. The plan was to fish a mark that I'd never seen a fish come out of, so confidence wasn't high. 3 Fish in half an hour changed my view, then Joe started catching and finally so did Mark.  10 fish between us to 2lb, we moved onto site 2, having met up with Martin H and Carl from Somerset.
 The second mark looked ideal, Joe and I heading left and the others right. 2 Hours later we were in the Cafe having not added to our tally. Onto the 3rd mark which again looked spot on, but only produced a few Mackerel.
The fourth venue started fishing immediately, my first fish was a little bigger, and the average crept up to around 2.5 lb. Mark started closing the gap, Joe look the lead on the Bass count, Carl had 3 on softs and the rain got heavier. Then Mark hooked a better fish which gave a good account of itself in the strong current, and when beached measured 57cm.  A few fish later I had a 3 lb schoolie, and at the death landed a 61 cm on a Pearl Gateride.
Final scores   Joe and I 7 each, Mark 6, Carl 3, Martin had a bad day.

Excuse the photo, Mark again behind the Lens, but it was pissing down.

First fish of the year from Kent

Had my first trip out this year in Kent, never seen the water so clear. Fished from 1920hrs til 2200hrs and again in the same Bay I saw a Salmon leap last year tonight a big Sea Trout did the same.

Had a small schoolie on a Pearl Gataride and at last light a 2 lb fish on a Patchinko.

First of the year

After a very slow start to the year Joe and I left home at 1 O'clock to make first light in Dorset. One hours sleep ahead of a 3 hour drive, a 45 minute walk and a 5 hour stint over Purbecks assult course was never going to be enough, but at least I finally christened the new 9.5 St Croix my wife thinks cost peanuts. We did make first light, unlike Mark and Richard, who live much much closer.

Things started well, a near 3lb fish to me, a duplicate minutes later to Joe, 1 mini Bass to 333, ( it shouldn't really count) and Richard had the consulation that we caught using his Rods.  ( He didn't).Then the wind got up, it got cold, and we went for breakfast. We never went back. 

Note to self. Never let Mark take the fish shot.