Monday evening / night was session at Brighton Marina out on the East arm in the company of Mike and Danny. bass were the target again and mackerel heads the preferred bait. Got there about 8pm, four hours before the midnight low water and walked out onto the arm.

Once we got to our spot, Mike and I set about trying to get some some fresh mackerel to supplement the frozen stuff we already had but er some time time trying, we gave that idea up as none seemed to be about. Time to set up the main tackle of the night. One bass rod with a long link running ledger, 8′ trace with a 5/0 hook and mackerel head and another rod out as a ‘scratcher’, using a size 4 two hook flapper baited with some stinking old lugworm left over from the last trip out on Saturday, to be used for any sole (or anything remotely fishy) that might happen to be about.

The water was very coloured with silt and the amount of weed was shocking. The bigger weed had big root balls encrusted with mussels while the other was something that resembled wet cotton wool mixed with mud and clogged up the terminal tackle within minutes of it being in the water. My biggest ‘weed fish’ was too big to handlined up the wall and actually broke my 20lbs test line.

As it happens, apart from the weed situation, the fishing was dire and I think Danny and Mike had the right idea packing up early and having the time better spent at home. I decided to stick it out and being the optimist I am, was convinced I’d hit the jackpot. In the end, I was saved from a blank by two snotty eels that knackered two of my rigs and that was it, no other interest shown. It was indeed a pants session but to get that big result, you have to put the hours in.

One Response to “Saved by Eels”

1. dannyc says:

   7 July, 2010 at 17:14

   nice report vic and well done for saving the blank !