Fished Seaford last night from about 8pm through until 2am. I was originally going to fish at the Beachcomber but the amount of weed put me off and so tried Edinburgh Road section where it didn’t look too bad. I set up shop about 50 yards East of the car parking area and cast out nice juicy lugworm and squid cocktail on a ledgered DVice into the a decidedly lumpy sea.

Within minutes, the rod was keeling over under the weight of weed that had attached itself to the line. Retrieved as far as I could until the leader knot jammed in the tip ring due to weed build up. Having cleared it, retrieved, de-weeded and re-baited, I cast out again trying avoid the rafts of floating weediness. Few minutes later, the same routine. This was repeated several times until I got thoroughly pissed off with it. Even if by some chance, a fish could chew its way through the crap to get at the bait, I’d be lucky to land it with the tip ring jamming up, so I thought a change of tactic needed.

Opted to go short and lob a whole squid on a long link ledger (running paternoster) 4/0 pennel about 20 yards out into the crashing waves where the weed didn’t seem to have invaded. As I stood there holding the rod, I wondered if I’d be better off sitting at home in front of the telly, when I had a lovely take, pulling the rod over in my hands. I struck, felt a brief weight, then nothing apart from the tug of the waves. I brought in half of my squid which looked a bit sorry for itself, removed it and lobbed it back in as a freebie.

Stuck on another squid and sent that out. The next bite, I hit well and soon, a nice little 2lbbass was on the beach. All thoughts of the telly disappeared as I let the critter back to sea.

It was now about 11pm and the wind was beginning to ease a bit and the sea flattening out as the tide rose. Undeterred, I chucked another small squid out and before long, another take, another bass; this one though managed to throw the hook as it lay on the beach and the next wave took it back out – ah well, at least I had technically landed it!

My last smaller squid (the rest were somewhat bigger than I prefer) was mounted onto the hooks and sent out only about 10 yards or so and then I put the rod in the rest while I had a coffee. Just as I picked the rod up, it bounced and then pulled down hard and line began to pull off the reel in ragged lunges. I struck and the fish began to swim parallel with the beach. Moments later, my prize was on the beach – a nicely conditioned bass of around 4lbs. which I could see, to my consternation, had thrown the hook and was flapping seawards. Not wanting to drop my rod, I dashed over and tried to stand behind the fish but the next wave swirled around my legs up to my knees and when it had receeded, so had the fish….. arse, damn and Scheisse!!!

That was to be the last glimpse of a fish for the rest of the night and so after the ‘Golden hour’, it was with thoughts of what if and if only, I packed up and trudged back over the beach to the car. Bollox!