Lion's Head, Heysham, HW, night 20/3/19

[StevieA]

I fancied a night session out on Heysham Head, but a 10m tide ruled out the usual Throbshaw Point marks. I opted instead for a slightly precarious perch on Lion's Head.

Lion's Head is the distinctive outcrop on the right. Further right is the 'flat rock', one of the usual Throbshaw Point marks.

For bait, I had a few leftover swimmers, plus the usual mack and squid for tips. Enough for a short session. I arrived at 8.30pm and clambered down rocks at the headland and worked around to a cosy ledge halfway up Lion's Head. Knowing I would get cut off at high tide - the ledge does not extend all the way round - I recced the exit route to the top. A simple enough little scramble in daylight, but warranting caution at night when the rocks are slippery.

The tide was still out so I walked out a few yards over rough ground to cast speculatively into the dark. I felt rather foolish standing there with the rod propped on its butt. There could only have been a couple of feet of water out there. Moments later, the rod tugged and out popped a nice small codling. Still a few cm undersized, but at least better than the tiddlers I'd been catching recently.

Small codling early doors.

After this promising start, the fishing went dead. I had a couple of taps, but nothing that developed. Gradually the rising water forced me onto a higher ledge, which restricted the casting somewhat. A 7ft spinning rod would be no problem.

As anticipated, my easy escape was now cut off by the high tide. A bit of swell had also sprung up, the waves booming into the gaps in the rocks. After one larger wave flushed the rocks, a weasel-like creature shot out from a crevice behind me and scurried round the corner. No idea what it could have been.

Time for a sharp exit.

My ledge was in no danger of being swamped, but I wasn't planning on staying much after high water anyway, which left me no option but to clamber up the remaining few feet to the top. This took several trips, as you need both hands on the rock. A logistical conundrum with box, bait bucket, tripod and two tackled-up rods.

Exposed now to the breeze and fine rain, and with weed troublesome at the start of the ebb, I baited up for final casts and got a whiting on each. One ludicrously tiny, the other more typical.

Either that worm is a snake or that whiting is a tiddler

Normal-sized whiting service has resumed

Not a great session in terms of numbers, but that hardly matters when you're perched on a secluded rock ledge at night surrounded by a gently sloshing sea. Magic.

[rob f]

Well done Stevie & pics

[Padsta Tel]

Mountain goat Steve well done on getting a few fish.

[bob1]

Result mate well done

[shacky]

Nice session and an interesting piece of history well done

[Shane ousby]

Well done stevie ...top report and pics mate

[ray]

good read and pics Stevie, well in fella.

[JoeRoberts]

Well done Stevie

[Weebarra]

Well earned ma8, good catch