Comments (0)

By Vic, 2 September, 2007 12:48

Saturday night was to be a late do, with high tide predicted for about 3am. I was going to fish a certain area on Seaford beach near Edinburgh Road but changed my mind and moved further East to a spot near the Beachcomber pub.

There was a fair breeze blowing in from the West which produced a decent size surf to stir things up a bit.

I set up and started to fish at about 8pm. One rod had a two hook Paternoster with size 2 hooks baited with lovely fresh black lug and cast 50 yards out. The second rig consisted of a Pennel with size 3/0 hooks baited with whole calamari and lobbed out just beyond the surf.

First two fish of the evening to come in, were two palm size thornbacks which took the whole calamari. It’s not often that the bait is actually larger than the fish that takes it and gets hooked.

Next fish to visit was a small ‘Snotty’ eel which managed to reduce my precision made rig into a ball of knotted, mucous covered line. By the time the eel had been unhooked, there was no choice but to attach a fresh rig and cut up the tangled one.

Next in were two smallish whiting on successive casts. A bit bigger and they would have been keepers but as it is, they were returned to put on a bit of weight.

Apart from a couple of really small (and I mean small) Pout, that was it for the night until around half an hour after high water when I had two savage takes on the calamari rig which I managed to fluff up and miss. That got the adrenalin going and expecting more of the same, I stood by and kept a watchful eye on that rod. Time went on and nothing happened.

Disappointed, I packed up at around 4.30am and as I headed home, I was already planning a return.

It later transpired that one of the guys from World Sea Fishing forums fished at the spot I was originally going to use and he ended up with a couple of codling of just under two pounds each. Read his report here.

Comments (0)

By Vic, 4 June, 2007 11:16

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.

Comments (2)

By Vic, 20 May, 2007 19:55

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.

Comments (0)

By Vic, 13 April, 2007 15:55

I should have known better and stayed at home. Having decided on an evening session at Seaford beach, all the signs for decent fishing were absent. Slight breeze from the NE, small tide, clear sky, flat calm and clear sea with no movement. However, always the optimist, I set up opposite Edinburgh Road at about 6.30pm. I had earlier obtained some quality large and lively King ragworm and Peeler crab from the tackle box at Brighton Marina.

One set up consisted of running ledger baited with Peeler on size 1/0 hook. The other was 2 hook flapper baited with worm on size 1 hooks.

In the next two hours, the only thing that happened was a bloke brought his kids, plus a dog and decided to let them go swimming about 20 yards away. This bloody beach is miles long, so why decide to have their enjoyment near me? Did I look like I wanted company?
High water came and went without a single bite. And that’s pretty much how it stayed. Until I left at about 12.30am.

I did however, manage to get the old and temperamental digital camera out and working to get a couple of pics of the sunset. Not brilliant, but reasonable for that camera.

Just have to sit and wait now for a change in the weather, a decent SW blow to stir things up a bit and kick start the summer season.

Comments (0)

By Vic, 23 September, 2006 00:10

Decided to have a session at Seaford beach last night. It went something like this:

Got to the beach at about 7.30pm not long after low water to be greeted by a strong gusting SE wind blowing straight along the beach. Looked like a good surf running so was quite optimistic. I had the pick of the beach, as it appeared I was the only one insane enough to be there and not tucked up in front of the TV. This being the case, I opted for West view as my chosen spot.

At this point, realised I’d left the calamari behind in the freezer, so had to rely on a somewhat meagre supply of lugworm and ragworm. To conserve bait, I only fished one rod, so that reduced my chances a bit.

Throughout the incoming tide, I tried long range, medium range, short range and at one point sideways range due to a mis-cued cast!

The result of these explorations was a steady flow of whiting, mainly really small stuff.

At about 11pm, the wind mysteriously dropped. It seemed quite weird with no wind, but still really heavy wave action. Still, it made ciggy lighting extremely easy and I could drink coffee without having it being blown down the front of me (thank god for the new chest waders).

As quick as it gone, the wind then came back with vigour from south SSW straight onto the beach and into my face. Sheeesh, more coffee and ciggy disasters on the way.

A few more whiting came to the hook, still small with the odd one slightly larger at about 8-12oz. None worth keeping, even for the cats, one of which hates any fish and the other only being partial to cod or prawns.

After high water, the bites stopped, the wind increased, my coffee supply was running low and I needed some sleep, so I packed up and headed for home.