Fished a new venue for the first time yesterday, that a local ex-poacher put me on to, saying that he’d seen “loads of mullet” swimming around there. When I got there, I noticed a couple of submerged shopping trolleys, close in, that I earmarked to avoid.
First cast, and I land a nice bass, 3lb on the nose. Two hours, 3 small bass and 6 crabs later, I land a nice thinlip of 5.00. Then the tide ebbed, and the swim started to empty.
So I went back this afternoon, to fish the high. As I get to the bank, the biggest mullet I’ve seen for a couple of months swims past, as cool as you like, followed by a slightly smaller one. I tackle up with the adrenaline really pumping, but there’s no tempting the mullet as I watch them swim off further along the bank. After about an hour, I get a stonking bite, and I land a nice bass of 2lb 6oz. Then the two large mullet reappear, and I shallow up to trot the flow. My float gives a little ‘dib’, I strike, something enormous thumps twice on the rod as it takes off 20 yards of line, and then ‘PING’! The mainline snaps. I am gutted and I just cannot believe it. A local who has been watching starts giving me the most crass advice I've ever heard, such as “You don’t wanna hold your rod up in the air when you’ve got a fish on!” (Yes, really!) And “Something’s wrong with your line!” I button my lip as I repress the urge to thump him, and I say nothing. The tide is ebbing fast by now, and I half-heartedly tackle up again, but no more bites.
And then the ebbing tide reveals the problem: right where I’d hooked the fish, TWO MORE submerged shopping trolleys, and something else that I can’t identify. So I went home, had a cuppa, and went back at 6 pm to clear out the rubbish. The low tide reveals two shopping trolleys, a motorbike, and a vacuum cleaner, right in the spot where I’d lost the fish. Half an hour later, and I’ve removed FOUR shopping trolleys, a motorbike, a vacuum cleaner, a pushchair, two bicycles, and assorted lumps of twisted metal.
Oh well. Here’s hoping my clean-up efforts pay off tomorrow, when I’m going back there to fish the high. Now, if I find that some bugger has chucked it all back in, someone’s gonna get killed tomorrow.

Sorry to read about the shopping trolleys etc.
It amazes me how so many of them are in water miles from any supermarkets.

A "nice thinlip of 5.00", assuming you meant 5 lbs, that a fantastic specimen.
The boat caught record is 5lb-15oz and the shore caught record is 7lb-0oz.
I hope you have some nice photographs, that is great achievement.
Its hard to get them over 2lbs where I fish.

Hi Cranfield..

Yes, it was dead on 5lb, and I was chuffed. Earlier in the season I was lucky enough to land another thinlip of 5lb 4oz from further upstream. There are some nice thicklips round here too.
There are no pics I'm afraid. In 42 years of fishing, I can only think of two pictures of me with a fish. I've never been that bothered with it. My own camera is too much kit and too expensive to take fishing, and I like to travel light. I have yet to invest in a digital camera. Went fishing with a mate of mine earlier in the summer, he brought his digital along, and the rising tide lapped at his holdall without him realising, and his camera got ruined. Maybe one day I'll get round to it.

[ 11. October 2003, 11:53 PM: Message edited by: Graham X ]

As fishermen get older and are not as active, they are not so protective of their knowledge and tricks.
On a Friday, last November, I ran into a chap, now in his mid 60's, whose family has netted more Bass and Mullet in the Fleet than anyone else.
I should have asked him in front of the well known angler who was at the time picking up some pheasants that I owed him, but I forgot so I went back to find him on the Saturday.
"What were the biggest Bass and Mullet that you ever caught, Dick". I asked him.
"The biggest Bass was nearly eight and a half kilos" He said. "The biggest Mullet would have been a bit smaller. Just over seven kilos" He added.

As he quoted kilos and not lbs, I imagine these catches were in recent years.

Are you starting to dribble?

I fished this swim a few times, it looked like a really good mullet mark at high water, but it was only after losing several sets of tackle that I visited at low water.

I didn't bother fishing there again.

Lesson learned! It's always worth checking out a potential mark at low water, it's amazing what's down there sometimes!



Tight Lines - leon

ps See if you can name the angler at the top of the steps. He posts on the coarse forum, more than here.

the thing is i think the bass and mullet like all that crap as it's ideal breeding ground for all the food they like + it gives them protection and ambush potential. The best bass i've had has always been around obstacles.

Leon, as that area is well known for its antiques, whats so suprising at seeing a statue of Steve (Burke) there.

Yep, looks like the Burkemeister to me.

That care home really should be more carfeul - he's not supposed to be out on his own

Elton

Shopping trolleys.....I observed an incident during the Summer whilst mulleting; was fishing a tidal lagoon when two guys and a girl approached from the main road, 400 yards away, pushing said item. I watched in disbelief as the trolley was launched then they stood around for 5 minutes, gazing at it and muttering things like "not as good as the one we did last week", etc.

They weren't kids either, probably early 20's or so, does make you wonder. eh?

Jim.

Jim, I don,t wonder anymore, I just wish a plague of boils on them all. :mad: :mad: