Well I don't really know where to start with this report.

It was without a doubt one of the best fishing sessions I've had over all disciplines, coarse, game or sea.

I got down and parked the old blue van past the tower at around 5'ish and hoiked off for 45 an more minutes down the stones. I stopped and chatted to the half dozen or so guys fishing, all had Codling including two guys that had a couple of lumps on the daytime flood just South of the last beacon. A guy just a couple of groynes down from the tower had a lovely Bass of I'd say 4'lbs.

I reckon I was fishing by around 6.30 p.m.
Low tide was roughly 9 and there wasn't a lot happening apart from a lovely Whiting of around 1lb+

The old fella turned up red faced, keen but muttering something about being a year or two short of 60 at dead tide. The idea was to fish the first 3 hours of the flood and see where we went from there, so his timing was good.

15 minutes in, one of the rods nodded persistently and I hauled in an Eel, my first for a long time off the beach and a fair size, of about a pound and a half, with a Velvet swimmer on the top hook.

At 10 or so, the rod further out banged once then carried on and a Codling of 3 1/2llb'ish was beached.
From then on for the next 2 or 3 hours or so it was non stop, by 1 a.m we had 10 Codling ashore. They were of a slightly bigger average size than the few weeks previous, the smallest was around 3lb's and the biggest couple 5-5 1/2.

A lull followed for the next few hours whilst the tide spent it's flood and the old boy somehow managed to push up a few zzz'ds on a couple of camping mats covered over with a travel mat.

I should think it was 3'ish when the tide started to ebb in earnest. As soon as the tide started to pull a bit we were off again. A rash of small Whiting and Pout were followed by 4 more codling of a similar size.

As the Lug was running out and the sun broke the cloud I strung the last five worms up the snood to try and bring and end to the night. This resulted in a knock after 30 seconds and the last plump springer of 4'ish graced the beach.

At 7'ish bleary eyed we packed up and headed off with the fish stuffed into a ruck sack on senior's shoulders and on a length rope on mine. The walk back was painful at the least, we cut up the beach to the track but the recent 4x4 activity has made it a lot softer and looser than before. i.e painful.

We past quite a bit of fishing traffic on the path back and got back to the van at 7.30-8.
I weighed the pack and rope of fish at 55lb'n a bit gutted weight, which was 2, pound each Whiting and the rest Codling.

They're all filleted and distributed now, to the benefit of friends and family.

I'm going to have another crack down there next weekend in the last chance saloon. If the thick colour in the water holds for the next week or two I reckon we'll still have a chance. The arrival of the Bass will soften the blow.

The Stats:

Fished 2 Rods: Friday 25/04/08 7 p.m - Sat 7 a.m
Tides: Low water 9 p.m. High water 2.30'ish a.m. First three hours of either were quick
Wind: Fresh'ish Southerly, died at the turn of the tide.
Range: One out slightly further to catch that clay? ridge at about 100 yards. The old timer was in the gully at 50 yards.
Bait: Straight Lug
Rigs: Clipped down 4/0 Pennells
Crabs: Nightmare
Stomach Contents: Mostly hard backs and shrimp.

Heres a couple of rough pictures.
Attached Thumbnails

This post has been edited by dant: Apr 28 2008, 11:46 AM

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Top report Dant and well done. No smell of ox tail this time then?
squibs

Cheers Squibs..

Nope, no comedy mishaps this time...

Only just saw this, great stuff! Sounds tiring though

Cheers old boy.

It was and then some. Trudging a mile or two through ankle deep shingle after a long nights fishing with a the weight of as sack of spuds hanging off your shoulder is a kind of macabre endurance test.

Now that suns out properly the beach rods are back in storage and my thoughts are turning to all things green with red eyes...

I think you'll be one of the lucky ones, not having fished there before. The rest of us will be red with green eyes

I'll be there anyway by the way.

- Good one!!

I hope so, I think I got in fairly early. I f I get the nod, then there isn't going to be a great deal thats could stop me. Will you be fishing as a member?

See you there in 10 days or so, hopefully

This post has been edited by dant: May 7 2008, 03:11 PM

Great report and pics

Sorry to see you returning to the dark side