Fruitless & fibre

[Blanko]

I missed last week due to family commitments so was keen to be out again this weekend. With the tides against pumping and no time to get out with the headlamp I raided the freezer for some Black + Crab (wish I'd put a few more hours in crabbing this spring now!) plus THE box of squid was brought out again,this time for the final time as it tried to walk away on its own 3 weeks ago.

With the night tides getting on for 1am and thus a 5am return home and a lost night I would have to make it a day sesh and as a result wasn't stopping around Morecambe for a blank or pin whiting.The bay only seems to do anything at night,total transformation from the fishless daytime tides but I wasn't prepared to waste a session combat fishing on the wall in preference to a run out further afield. So I loaded up the gear and headed for Rossall as it's not let me down much this year. I'd grabbed a couple of emergency packs of fresh black on Friday so the bait bucket was pretty heavy and heading over the sea wall it looked like it was set for a good day. Lovely chocolatey sea with perhaps more wave than expected (as it was flat calm in Overton when we left) and a bit of breeze,OK coming from the wrong direction but it was rough enough to encourage a bit of action hopefully.

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It surprised us from the start as the tide ripped in more like a 10.3m than the 9m and it wasnt easy to keep a rig in 1 place. This was exacerbated by pound upon pound of the Fylde Fibre,that damn baby wipe/panty liner type stuff that seems to float about in rafts around the area.When its in its terrible and every angler along the beach was out every 10 mins retrieving tackle dragged round into the groynes by the accumulation of the stringy crud. After about 2 hours of this and no sign of a bit anywhere along the beach I started to regret the decision to shun the North wall!

We fished about 3 hours up,from the moment it was fishable from the shingle, to about 2 hours down and it was hard work for little reward. Not a single fish had come out anywhere that I'd seen nor a bite seen by anyone after 4 hours,just a growing pile of fibrous gunk at the side of us. Then I spotted a tiny twitch on the tip and after half a day of nothing I was riveted to it waiting and hoping for it to pull with a bit more determination.Nothing.......it just went flat again for a couple of minutes and I sat back down. Rebaited the 3rd rig (always have a spare baited and weighted rig ready on the tripod if you can for a quick change,saves down time when you should have the rod in the water fishing) and decided to finish the flask then wind in. Coffee duly disposed of I picked the rod up and was sure it twiched as I lifted it,so I held it for a few seconds,sure enough a little knock so I just tightened down onto it and felt a little weight on the other end,far better than the activity on the rod suggested. Along with the obligatory half a nappy I negotiated the undertow and landed a nice plump little Codling coming in at just about 2lb 10oz, or 52cm

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'The Al Quaeda team made good their threat to defeat the infidel at fishing'


Well it was bloody cold,bit fed up with the terrorist comments from passers by,the wife + kids etc,but those Buffs are a cracking buy if you're a delicate flower like me and the old skin doesn't agree with sub zero temperatures + winds! Must do a review on it, best few quid I've spent on fishing clothing and the most versatile thing I own!

Anyway that was about it,the chap next door had one 2 minutes later and the 3rd chap down had a little Codling a minute later. Looked like a small shoal drifted through on the ebb,more ammunition again for the 'double patting' (having a spare rig ready as I mentioned) as both had only 1 rod but were out of the water only moments with the replacement rig ready to go.Next door had hit the water only seconds before the fish struck,had he been rebaiting a single rig he'd probably have blanked! Anyway glad to get anything at all,I'd have taken a teabag Flounder or Pin on the day just to say I'd caught something but a nice little Codling made my day and I didn't have to brave -5 degrees and a whole night out to bag it.Score

Not that it made much difference but the successful bait was Frozen Black-FRESH frozen pumped myself rather than shop 'frozen when deceased and decayed!'

The minging Squiddies had a final card to play too and left the beach as the inhabitants of a wiry haired terrier With a baited rig on the tripod and a rod in hand being freed of Pampers I spotted this cheeky rogue sneaking down the ramp to our left. I shouted to my daughter to get the rig on the tripod to safety-as a dog owner I know theyre into EVERYTHING fishing bait related-she did this and the wiry one stopped,regarded us both posing with baited rigs held 4 feet out of reach,then trotted to the squid box unchallenged and despite our shouts + screams he finished the lot in seconds before turning to return to his owner who'd just appeared and missed her pet's misdemeanours. 'Ooh I am sorry,he's a little devil,I hope he hasn't been eating your worms,he finds all sorts along here to eat' I swear the dog was smiling as it ate our bait with us helpless trying to hold 3/0 hooks safely out of his way! Can't help feeling the owner is going to have a pleasant surprise to clean up in the morning-IF the dog can make it through the night without s******g all over the house!

Sorry the pics are few & low res,we forgot the camera and were on the mobile this time .
Tight lines all!

[carpman]

great read

[Padsta Tel]

Great result Blanko it looks bigger smashing read as always.


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[sharpey]

Cracking read as ever J.K. Blanko...

[sparton]

You deserved catching something blanko for braving the elements well done mate good pics also good report

[Blanko]

Paying for it this morning though Despite the self mummification the face is searing this morning and my eyes feel like they were gritted overnight

Don't mind cold weather generally,I used to practically live on the marshes as a teenager and my Barbour jacket regularly froze with me in it but not finding it as agreeable these days. Maybe I should emigrate to warmer climes~with my luck I'd find Australia's equivalent of Morecambe Bay fishing wise

[john pie]

and pic's that fish defo looks bigger .....Still beats the blank .....Bet you were

[Fletcher]

Great read that was blanko and a nice fish for your efforts! Well done mate


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[sharpey]

I'll see what I can find next week Ian....!!

[Blanko]

I'll see what I can find next week Ian....!!

We had some 'rellies' over from Coffs Harbour a few weeks back.Took them and all our kids to the Sealife Centre in B'pool for a day out,they were all really amused and we kept commenting on how different + exotic the fish population + fishing must be over there. Until their youngest one squealed out in excitement and sprinted up to an exhibit tank..........'Oh my gawd!!!!!!!!!!!!!That's what me and daddy catch in Coffs,look mum look see theyve got some here,wow!!!!!!!!!'

What were they looking at?

Dogfish!

Mental note to self-NO fishing holiday in Coffs Harbour