After many reports of smooth Hounds being caught along the South coast, it was a toss up as top whether I went to Goring beaches or fished at Brighton Marina. High water was due to be at around 1130 pm. and the weather looked promising.
I popped in to ‘The tackle box’ at Brighton Marina to pick up some fresh bait and some odds ‘n ends. Dave, who owns the place reported that plenty of ‘Smoothies’ were being caught on the East arm. Hmmm. I was still undecided.
In the end, convenience won. That evening, armed with plenty of peeler crab, I headed off to the East arm. Looked like quite a few people also had ideas about fishing that evening. Found my self a spot at bay 17 and started to set up.
First rod set up with simple running ledger ending in a single 1/0 baited with peeler crab and cast about 80 yards or so out. Clutch was slackened off and rod placed in tripod.
Second rod also set up with simple ledger ending in single 2/0 baited with mackerel chunk and lobbed just a few yards out from the base.
Hours passed with not a sniff from a Smoothie, in fact no sniff from anything on the crab bait. From what I could see, no one else was having any either – it looked like the Smoothies had gone.
My baited drop net produced some small Prawns which were lobbed out on the second rod as livebait. Nothing there either except one savage take which produced a large Common eel which was immediately returned.
By around 1am, I decided that enough was enough and that it was unlikely that anything else was going to be caught. So, disappointingly, I packed up my gear and headed home.
Fished Brighton Marina East arm on Wednesday evening to get the 10.30pm high water. Arrived at about 6.30pm and settled myself in bay 20. Spent a little while enjoying some sport catching mackerel on light spinning gear to be used as bait for the serious stuff.
I used to rods, both with running ledger terminal tackle, one with lugworm on size 1 hook. The other had mackerel mounted on 2/0 Pennel rig.
Had a number of small black bream on the lugworm and a few runs on the mackerel, which I believe were Cuttlefish, as the bait was stripped from the hook on retrieve.
A couple of small bass followed before a small pouting was landed. This was immediately used as live bait and was quickly scoffed by a spirited bass of around 18 inches which on landing was seen to be in beautiful condition and as plump as a plump thing, so had obviously been feeding well.
At about 1 am, the fishing went dead and it was time to call it a night and head off home. I might just have to have a bash at landing the Cuttlefish on a future visit.
Fished at Tidemills area near Seaford the other evening from about high water down to low. Used some lugworm, which to be honest was a bit past its sell by date and calamari.
Had a couple of bass of around the two pound mark which were duly returned to grow a bit bigger.
Anyway, darkness fell and the fish appeared to have disappeared as there were no more takes.
At one point, I retrieved my gear to rebait and as I swung the lead and hook towards me, I reached out to grab the very small fish that appeared to have been foul hooked. I automatically assumed it was a pouting. For some reason I pulled back my hand before I noticed that the fish was actually a Lesser weever.
Now this could have turned nasty. Although venomous, it is not considered life threatening unless it’s a small child/elderly/heart complaint type scenario. But I was alone on the beach and a considerable distance from where the car was parked and a large distance from any medical help. Had I been spiked by this little bugger, I would have a very uncomfortable time packing my gear, getting back to the car and trying to drive myself home or wherever.
I have since made up a first aid kit which will always be in my tackle carrier. Even though it won’t stop me being stung, it made me very aware of how vulnerable I was if I suffered any sort of injury and not having any type of first aid available.
Even after many years of fishing and being aware of the dangers, it just goes to show how one small lapse of concentration can easily become a drama.
Hadn’t been out for an evening session for a while so thought it was about time to cure that. First attempt was trying to fish at Seaford but the brisk SW made it a bit uncomfortable as it was straight into the face. Couldn’t decide where else to try but finally decided on Tidemills as it’s at least a little sheltered from SW.
Set up at about 9pm with high water predicted at 2am. Decided to fish with only one rod and used lugworm and Peeler Crab on a running ledger in conjunction with one of Fishyrob’s ingenious ‘Dvices’. This an excellent bit of kit that let me punch out a fragile peeler bait into a brisk headwind and without having to rely on bait elastic to keep it intact.
There was a heavy surf running with largish breakers in the shallow water at the bottom of the tide. Bite detection was all but impossible. I did have a few knocks but nothing connected.
At around 1130pm, the wind just dropped completely and as the water deepened, the large breakers subsided and left just a decent fishable surf.
First fish came at midnight, when after a stonking bite, a bass of around 2lb came to the beach. This was followed by another two, slightly smaller in size.
The next bite was a cracker, yanking the rod down hard, there was a spirited tussle followed by the sight of a squirming eel being thrown up by the surf. Bloody thing contorted and wrapped up the trace until it was just a ball of snot. Having cut the creature loose, I set up another trace, re-baited and cast again.
Another bloody eel followed, which did exactly the same thing. Same routine, re-cast and waited.
A few more bites and another three bass landed and returned.
The last fish to be landed before all went quiet at 2.30am was a rockling. This was my cue to pack up and face the walk back to the car.
I have to say that it is strangely eerie walking through that deserted village at that time in the morning. All manner of strange noises from the unseen scurrying wild life. Mind you not as unnerving as the sound of an unseen cow coughing at close range.
Yesterday, I decided to try a bit of spinning down at Tidemills beach . Got there at about 3.30pm as the tide was rising. Fished straight ahead from where the access path comes out. Nice beach weather, no wind, dead flat and clear.
First few casts with a Toby resulted in a few takes but nothing connected. Then as I was retrieving, the lure was just coming up to the waters edge when it was savagely taken by a Gar in just a few inches of water. The fish was landed and returned and I carried on casting away. Again a few takes but just could not connect.
I swapped the Toby for a Dexter wedge but the same thing was happening, just not being able to hook anything on the take.
I swapped the Dexter for a single medium sized Hokkai. The second cast produced a really savage take that almost had the carp rod out of my hand, as it arched over and line started streaming off the reel. As I leant into it, there was an almighty surge and then…… slack. Swearing loudly, I retrieved the Hokkai and recast several times but nothing else came.
High water arrived and went with no other fish being landed. Still thinking of ‘the one that got away’ I packed up and set off home.
Next trip, I’ll be armed with another selection of lures but will also try fish strip on a float.
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