Comments (6)

By Vic, 25 October, 2010 15:45

For a change of scenery, I had a session down at Eastoke, Hayling Island on Saturday with some lads from Hampshire and Sussex who inhabit another web site. It was a first for me, having never even been to Hayling before, let alone fished it. It was great to be out somewhere different from my usual and predictable marks and I was full of optimism. The object of the meet was a friendly get together and cod competition.

I arrived at the appointed meeting place to find it empty and with that “Oh shit – am I in the right place” feeling. It wasn’t until another guy, ‘Browners’ introduced himself that I realised I was an hour early. Anyway, we waited and about half an hour later, a few more turned up, including Lee ‘Cuckoo’, the organiser. Introductions made, a chat and three quid each chucked in the ‘winner take all’ kitty, the ten or so of us set off up on to the beach.

The weather was supposed to be strong breezes dropping later on with rain also stopping later on. In fact,what we got were no wind, calm sea, clear skies and a bright full moon – comfortable but not ideal for codding.

I set up to the left on a section of beach between the groynes, with ‘Browners’ setting up to the right of me. The rest of the group were spread out along the beach to my left.

I started off with one rod, using a single 3/0 hook fished paternoster style with a cocktail of black lugworm and cuttle fished at distance. The other rod was set up with a long link running ledger, 4/0 pennel which I would later use with whole squid  close in.

First fish for me was an LSD ‘doggy’ (lesser spotted dogfish), while ‘Browners’ had one, followed by a huge pout at 2lb 4oz. While he seemed to doing well with a steady stream of fish, I was struggling to get much action.

Some time later, ‘Browners’ let out a triumphal shout of ‘cod!’ It wasn’t large but it was a codling of just over 2lb and it turned out to be the eventual winner with no others being caught during the night.

Even with both rods out, I had a very quiet night with nothing really showing much interest apart from LSD’s. I had a few missed bites which again I suspect were LSD’s

We stuck it out until 4am before packing up and re-grouping at the car park. My tally for the night was five LSD’s – not brilliant but at least I didn’t go all the way for a blank. After a chin wag and the handing over of the cash prize to Browners (well done by the way), we went on our separate ways.

A big thanks go to Lee, a top bloke for organising the event. Pity more didn’t turn up but perhaps more for the next time. His report can be found here. 2010 Cod Meet Eastoke.

I have vowed to make more of an effort to resist the temptation of fishing locally and travel a bit further afield and enjoy something a bit different.

Comments (4)

By Vic, 14 October, 2010 10:30

Someone once said “There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on a beach looking like an idiot”. Well after last night, I think I could fall into that latter category.

I went for a late session last night after work and fished at Seaford from about 9.30 pm through until around 2 am. Fished from low water up until before high. Conditions were calm and overcast with no wind, the water was flat and gin clear. It looked like I had the beach to myself as there didn’t seem  to be another soul there, none of the usual lights along the shore. After setting up, I cast out the first set which was a size 4, two hook flapper baited with lugworm to try and get a couple of live-baits and in the meantime, the other set was cast out – a long link running ledger with a 5/0 pennel and whole squid.

It was long before the obligatory whiting hit the worm bait and I had the first of many, many double-shots on the beach but too big for bait and too small for the table. Worms sent seaward again and before I could put the rod in the rest, it was off with another double-shot – wrong size. This was to be the theme for the night, along with the big squid bait constantly being shredded by the needle teeth of whiting. Long, short, middle distance casting – it mattered not, the whiting were again everywhere. Bait up, cast, retrieve, take whiting off hooks, bait up, cast, retrieve, etc etc, I think you get the picture. I must have looked like the village idiot, scuttling around, waving a large stick at the sea and swearing at fish.

Giving up on the idea of getting a bait sized fish and in an attempt at trying to get something a bit bigger, I swapped the flapper for a size 2/0 single hook paternoster with a big worm and squid bait tucked into a DVice. This however just gave the whiting more of a challenge and it wasn’t long before the rod was rattling away as another one hit the bait.

By around 2 am, I’d had enough and although I didn’t stay for high water, I’m pretty sure that all I would have had would been more whiting. No wonder there hadn’t been anyone else out there; they obviously knew something I didn’t!

Comments (1)

By Vic, 13 October, 2010 16:40

I know it’s nowt to do with fishing but this clip is a classic of Freud’s and one of my favourites, so just wanted to share.

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By Vic, 11 October, 2010 10:55

I hit Seaford Beach again on Saturday night to fish the big 7 metre plus high tide predicted for about 1am in the hope of improving my recent results. Got to Edinburgh Road at around 7.30pm to find a number of people already there, so walked over a way to the West out of the way. A North Westerly breeze was keeping the water flat as a flat thing, with not much movement at all.

The plan was to fish one big bait out at distance and a big bait in close. I rigged one rod with lugworm and squid cocktail in a ledgered DVice and cast that one out as far as I could and a whole squid on a long link running ledger ending in a 5/0 pennel sent out close in.

From the off, the distant bait was hit by whiting, so I varied the distances to try and find a whiting free zone; unfortunately, they were everywhere and were hitting the bait as soon as it got settled. None were of a table size which was a shame, as I like a bit of whiting, either as fish cakes or just fried.

The close in rig was also hit by whiting, stripping and shredding the big squids. It seemed as though nothing else was going to get a look in that night.

I may not have been on the fish but at least I was luckier than the group who looked like they were down by the buckle end. A large dredger type vessel came in close and started pumping large volumes of water and shingle up onto the beach in the annual sea defence work. I don’t know if anyone down there got hit by it but it would certainly have buggered the fishing down there.

Just after high water, I have had a massive hit on the close in squid which had the rod hooped over in spectacular fashion and me lifting into what at first felt like a half reasonable fish. I was gutted to find that it was a bloody whiting along with a someone’s lost gear – a two hook paternoster, weight and two dead whiting!

With nothing else appearing, I gave up an hour or so after high water with an empty fish bag but some new gear.

Comments (0)

By Vic, 7 October, 2010 14:26

Haven’t written much recently and with good reason. I’ve only had a few trips in the last number of weeks and I have to say, I’ve been a bit disheartened with the results. Two trips to the East arm at Brighton Marina produced only whiting. Likewise, two outings to Seaford only produced whiting. Now I wouldn’t mind if they were of a decent table size but so far they haven’t been anywhere near it.

The weather yesterday promised better things, but work hindered me a bit as I couldn’t get to Seaford until around 9.30pm. Only took one rod and some squid. Setup at the Martello with a long link running ledger and 5/0 pennel with whole squid as bait. Sea was nice and lumpy top start off, with a bit of a Westerly blowing some decent waves up the beach. The breeze later swung South West but also dropped dramatically to leave only a swell as the sea flattened out. Only stayed until about 1am and all that time, I had no hits at all; not even any whiting to pester the baits.

I really need some decent results to spark me up again but as I work evenings and I can’t guarantee what time I get off, it’s difficult to plan anything. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get something sorted for the weekend.