Good Luck with Comp!

[Artfulfisher]

Hiya Guys,

 

Forecasts were all very wrong for my area too...got down to local spot for 5.30am... forecast 9mph and a bit lumpy...actual conditions...35mph (on my Silva windwatch) 8ft surf (in the shelter of the bay!...damn that SE wind) and completely unfishable, lumpy 10ft swell!!! :mad: Didn't even get the kayak off the roof, headed home, it was way to dangerous for me (even in a group let alone all by meself!)

 

Gutted, I'm hoping it calms later, but may end up taking my defrosted bait to the Haven (somewhere I never catch, but that will be sheltered!)

 

Oh well that's fishin...I really hope you guys get some better weather where you are...it's certainly sunny and very warm at least...don't forget to take some sun cream and water!!!

 

Tightlines for now, Art

[SpeciMan]

Thats a shame Art. I think its a bit blowy up North East way too.

 

Just checked the weather.. its rare for severe weather warnings down here but today of all days we get one ghost

[nifty]

Same here.

Wiped out in the surf without even wetting a line

(Note to self, "Never listen to Simon about wind conditions".

[SpeciMan]

Got out again this afternoon launching from the beach at Double Dykes, Hengistbury Head near Christchurch Dorset and paddled up to the reef near the groyne. As crabs had taken all my bait from the previous session took some slipper limpet I had left in the freezer plus a mustad shrimp rig. Had a double shot of mini pollack followed by another one on the shrimp but had to cut the trip short to get down to Poole Harbour to collect some bait at low tide.

 

Got there in time (just), got the bait and came back for food and rest. Headed back up to Southbourne tonight but bottled it -- bit too choppy for my liking plus there were people fishing on the beach.

[Hungry Fisherman]

did a few hors today myself wee just of admiralty pier the tide was a sod bloody good weather mind but said tide had me paddling for over an hour at full speed yet not going anywhere

if id stopped i woulda been swepped across the dover exits for the ferrys and sea cats :/ was to deep for me anchor as well was in over 69 foot of water thatll teach me to spend to long riging up me two rods never did get a chance to try out fly fishing did get a flattie [plaice i think it was smooth on the spine both direstions] and two macky have photo's of em but i reckon everyone else out fished me so never mind them bass never showed up nor any doggys :/

[SpeciMan]

I only managed two species myself Hungry. Fished two new marks though and will be going back to them both. The bass were having a party at the first one I went to, up till the early hours they were.

 

Warning: when fishing in the shallows near rocks make sure you don't have any straps hanging over the side of the yak.. I had a queue of crabs making there way up a strap and onto the yak!

 

Pointing my headtorch down into the water I had dozens of tiny orange shrimp eyes looking back up at me - very surreal.

[Hungry Fisherman]

lol afraid if you fell asleep they would nibble you alive lol btw if i get a weekend of work meaning friday sat for me as i have a regular on sundays i could come to poole and see how the vet fish maybe learn a thing or few

[Hungry Fisherman]

i really tried for the garfish as well ppl talk about them shoaling or seeing em in there hundreds guess i live in the wrong place lol

[Artfulfisher]

Glad you managed to get out guys.

 

I finally got out after completely missing the 7am high tide, at about 3pm. Drove to the west coast, flat and fairly calm at Broadhaven...but unfortunately some big curling waves to deal with...I didn't fancy that with all the kit loaded so I headed south and ended up in the Haven. Never had much luck in the Haven before but this was a new area for me, and the conditions were lovely...flat calm and little sign of the howling wind in the shelter of the inlets. Paddled out along the coastline for 3/4 mile through all the yachts to find some deeper water to drown me bait!

 

Well chuffed to get out and I was rewarded by lots of little Pollack, a Macky and a beautiful little Wrasse. I ain't gonna set the world on fire with three species, but I gotta tell you I was really happy with the result considering how the day started and the fact I'd driven well over a hundred miles looking for a venue!

 

Many Thanks to SM for the idea and organisation. It got me fishing a spot I'd never tried, exploring lanes I'd never driven and got me out on a day I'd probably have written off while watching World Superbikes! So cheers Dave, I had a great time, despite the start and really liked the thought of fellow yakfishers out fishin' at the same time all chasing species!

 

I lost a couple of big fish, didn't even see them, but it added real spice to the day, thinking that might have been my 4th species etc!

 

Anyway as a footnote, what was the wackiest thing that happened to you, or while you were fishing the Tournament???....here's mine: I was happily fishing in the mist when a large beer bottle landed 100 yards away!...looking up I realised it must have been thrown from an open window in the fort on the cliff top. I muttered curses at the disgracefull individuals within and continued fishing...15mins later the bottle is tapping against the side of my yak. I pick it up and there's a note inside it...'I HATE THIS PLACE' written in biro...so mad as a fish, a little bit sad, but hey, the mistery person got something off their chest, the note got read, the bottle got recycled at the bottle bank and I had a great time...even had a few guys and girls photographing me from above! :cool: ...it turns out that the fort is a 'Field Centre' so I guess there are some less than impressed students within!

 

Anyhow let us know your wackiest moment, hope you had fun too,

 

Cheers, Art

[Simon Everett]

Nifty, George (son No. 1) ans I tried to get out from Towyn and over the reef. It was blowy from the NE - not the forecast 10 knots SE. Having driven the 135 miles there i was not going to give up, so we got ourselves sorted and headed off down the river to be met by a much bigger surf than Specimen and co were greeted by - 6' - 8' at least and folding beautifully, proper cresters with the wind whipping the spray off the tops! Fierce stuff, but we were wind assisted. All go tout through safely - some weter than others (George - who chose the spot where two waves crested together from different angles!!!!! - He was airborne as he went over the top!!) He came out the other side, wet but with a huge grin on his face - takes after his Dad you see! Nifty had less and I found a gap without any surf whatever - watch the waves and they will show you the way through!

Outside the surf zone the wind was HOWLING. It was funneling down the valley and was at least 35 knots. Both Nifty and George found it hard paddlng against just the wind. It was choppy but liveable with. George was OK with it. After about 20 minutes of looking for some lee to hide in we decided to try the other side of the reef - the tope side - and look for some shelter so we could fish. Stuart decided it was too dodgy and headed in to the beach where the surf at the edge got its own back.

George said he was Ok off the reef, so we paddled out about 1 mile to where Charlie in the big charter boat was anchored up - I was still keen for George to get a tope. As we were nattering to him an almighty squall hit us and blew us both about 100 yards past the boat in less than 30 seconds, even while we were paddling to hold station and talk. That was the defining moment for me. The sea state was fine, but getting back in against that wind after fighting a hefty fish or two would have been asking a bit much of the young lad so we headed back in under the watchful gaze of Nifty drying out shoreside.

I decided that we could time it to go straight back in the river through the surf. George had to really battle against the wind and at one point he was working hard just to stand still. That was when I felt I ought to tow him in and went over to get his bow line off him. Plucky little b**ger was having none of that, he dug in and started to make good headway against the wind with waves breaking over the foredeck of the Prowler - leaning forwad and using nice, long strokes he was OK, but you should have seen the gritted teeth and look of determination on his face Made me proud to be his Dad!

Got back into the entrance to the river and could see these great curlers poundig the beach. BUT, we sat just outside themand I took George's rod off him and put it in the fish hatch of the Dorado to take that worry off him. Then by coaxing him and just getting him to watch the wave break and see how the waves were shaping I got him to paddle in on a flat table behind a curler, so all he had was a foot of foam around his ankles when he landed on the beach, not even

wet! When going in like this it is important to lok where you are going, NOT over your shoulder - where you look is where you go - looking back is a sure fire way to get broached! If you feel a wave picking you up just dig the paddle in and let the wave go under you, then paddle like hell to keep on the back of it before the next one.

We both landed safely on the beach and watched as Nifty carried his gear around - we went and gave him a hand and a beer.

As we stood watching the surf die down and the white horses lessen a bit the talk turned to going back out ....but then the dark clouds began to roll in and the thought of sitting out there at anchor with a carbon fibre paddle and a carbon fibre fishing rod making perfect contact with the good conductor of salt water.....well, we decided not to So, after all that effort we packed up and went spinning in the river instead where i got smashed by something VERY BIG on the surface. It was a big bass, I saw the flash of silver and erect dorsal amongst the volcanic eruption of water followed by the hole the size of a tin bath, it had broken 17lb line on the take!!

I retackled and after about a dozen casts got another savage take on the surface and landed a nice bass of about 4lbs - we didn't measure it or weigh it, or even take any scales, just got some pictures and let it go. I had another bass of about 1.5lbs 15 minutes later, then the heavens opened , the wind got up to hard to stand against it force and we headed back to the car - drenched but happy. Oh, I forgot, Nifty stole George's rod and started casting and poached a school bass - but George didn't mind, he was stood beside him when he did it and was happy for him to have caught something. That was it - I'll put a piccie up later when I have downloaded it. So after all that it was worth going, but no fish from the kayak for us, so it isn't in the comp, just for interest - or disinterest if you like!