Wanted to have another crack at the sole down at Brighton Marina, so yesterday I shot off to there from work and arrived at the East arm about 8.30pm. Met up with Mike (mr codling), another member of the WSF forums and another site, the Sporting Fish Community, who was already unpacking his car. Once all the gear was sorted, we walked out onto the arm and headed for the far end where I thought it might be a bit more sheltered and also offered the best chance of a sole. Conditions were a bit uncomfortable, with a brisk North East wind which was gusting quite hard along the arm but at least it was dry with just a threat of rain from the cloudy sky.

We set up in bays 55 and 56 respectively and started tackling up. I opted to start with one rod rigged with a size 4 two hook sole rig baited with lugworm and ragworm and chucked about 50 yards out. I set up the other rod with a string of 4 feathers, hoping for a few mackerel or two with dusk approaching. As it happens, the mackerel were either pre-occupied or didn’t care for my offerings, as I had no interest shown in them at all. The feathers came of and another sole rig put on, baited and cast out.

As darkness came, Mike was first in with a Pout. I was next in with a Co-Op carrier bag which appeared under-conditioned, scrawny and tattered although it did put up quite a fight in the tidal current and then in the air with that bloody wind. My next retrieve was a double shot of Pout which is how the rest of the evening went with more Pout for us both and only broken by a ‘snotty’ eel for Mike which wrecked his rig and a small schoolie bass for me. The only highlight being the non-appearance of any rockling. Mike also had ‘half’ a Pout which had been attacked  and partly scoffed by a squid whilst on the hook (Pictured right. Click for a larger image).

In between fish, tangles and carrier bags, Mike made regular updates of our ‘Live fish’ event on DannyC’s blog just to keep them amused while sat at home in the warm.

By 1am, the best of the tide had passed and the fishing had ground to a halt with no more fish coming to either of us. We packed up the gear and took the long walk back which was made worse by that bloody wind straight in our faces. I still had plenty of worm left, so will try and get out in the next few days and not put it to waste.

4 Responses to “Marina Pout Fest”

1. DannyC says:

   26 May, 2010 at 17:28

   Great write up vic as usual ! and the live fish event was great too , lovely to read on the sofa out that wind !

2. mr codling says:

   26 May, 2010 at 17:39

   great write up vic that pic come out good as well we have to meet up again in a week or two and hit seaford way im sure dannyc will be up for it (lol)

3. dannyc says:

   26 May, 2010 at 18:17

   yeah cause i just love seaford

4. Vic says:

   27 May, 2010 at 09:05

   I’m sure Seaford will start to improve after the next SW blows.

   See you guys there!