samhainapples

A thread for any advice/tips people may have on avoiding or treating these. Obviously wearing decent gloves as much as possible, but this doesn't seem to have stopped me picking up three massive splits on fingers and a thumb over a couple of cold night/dawn sessions. Opening them up again on taut fishing line is particularly ******* painful. Just bought some Germolene "New Skin Liquid Plaster", which is brilliant if you've already got split fingers. Unlike the spray on versions (which are difficult to apply accurately without wasting loads) this is thicker and applied with a mini-spatula. Seals them up perfectly in seconds, long-lasting and no waste. Anyone got any tips on how to avoid them in the first place? Have been told Vaseline is good but reckon this will make sorting tackle, etc, more difficult. (Apologies in advance if this is too wussy a subject - I realise the best answer is probably to just get tougher salty seadog hands )

Hi - trip came forward a bit! Just to update I ended up fishing Rotunda Beach, Folkestone the first night (no bites, but was useful practice to get familiar with the kit) and Sandgate Beach the second (lots of bites using black lugworm tipped with mackerel but no catches). In the end I gave Deal Pier a miss altogether as was advised the local sea anglers club tends to have lots of members fishing it on Friday and Sat nights and thought I'd be better off learning the basics and getting to know the kit without worrying about disrupting others' fishing. Have since also fished Hove beach (some bites, no catches, very snaggy - lost four sets of tackle ) Shoreham Pier - caught 4 small rockling over about 3 hours (returned all). Great fun and really enjoyed it!

Thanks John - gave him a call and very helpful. Biggest development was he told me that Folkestone Pier is no longer open 24h on Fridays and Saturdays. Apparently there was some trouble/incident (nothing to do with anglers) by the railway station and as a result the Harbourmaster took the decision that the Pier is now only open 7am-5pm until further notice. So that seems to have settled my options for me - will try some beach fishing at Rotunda Beach, Folkestone and maybe further along towards Sandgate instead on the Friday evening and then probably head to Deal Pier for Saturday evening / early Sunday morning. Thanks again for all of your help!

Thanks for all replies - very useful. Steve Burke - thanks in particular for the feathering tip re: using the wedge instead of a weight - will give that a try. Phone - no info was given on technique (it was a very last minute additional purchase) but I have since read that a simple, steady retrieve is more effective than attempting anything more complex (simple suits me fine!). This article was also useful: http://www.worldseafishing.com/lures/spinning_bass.html

Folkestone Pier actually looks like a real contender based on this site's review: http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Sea-Angler/Section/wheretofish/England2/Kent/Folkestone-Pier-/ I have a further query about charges for pier fishing generally though - absolutely no problem paying them, but my situation is I am visiting the area and have limited opportunity / times to fish (late night and very early morning, i.e. midnight to about 6am). Above site says of Folkestone Pier: "The wall is open day and night, but fishing is only available from the outside wall with tickets £4.50 a day from the local tackle shops before you enter the venue. The pier is regularly patrolled by a steward." I will be arriving late Friday night after the tackle shops are all closed. Does this mean I just cannot fish Folkestone Pier late Friday night / early Sat morning because I cannot get an advance ticket in person as I am not there to do so? Or in reality can I just pay the steward when he comes around? Or do local tackle shops allow people to purchase a ticket in advance over the telephone then vouch for them and their advance ticket purchase if there's a problem later when they don't physically have a ticket? (I realise I need to call Folkestone Pier and/or the Folkestone tackle shops with this query really, but they're all now closed and just venting in case anyone else has had similar experiences of this problem. I have called Deal Pier today and at this time of year it is only open Sat night / Sun morning for overnight fishing, hence I'm at loose end for Fri night / Sat morning). If all else fails I will find some beach / rocks around the Folkestone area instead for Fri night / Sat morning, but having read the above link am quite keen to actually get on Folkestone Pier then if I can sort a ticket purchase in advance without actually being physically in Folkestone when the tackle shops are open.

Hi, I've just bought a selection of feathers, rigs and float set-ups for pier fishing, and I'm pretty sure I know how to set all of those up. The bloke in the shop also recommended a bass wedge, which I bought. Looks like this: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYxWDI0MA==/$%28KGrHqJ,!p4E9eD4%28pN0BPfYVsCyVg~~60_35.JPG Have looked on-line to try and find out what I need to set the bass wedge up on a line, but no joy (presume it's such a beginner / obvious question no-one else asks it! ). Do you literally just tie the bass wedge onto the end of the fishing line and that's it? No other weights or anthing? Is a halfblood knot okay to do this? (I realise this isn't really the right time of year to fish for bass with a wedge in the UK - just want to know for Mayish onwards!). Cheers, samhainapples

Thanks very much for the informative reply, John - Deal Pier it is! Have now got some lugworms and a mackerel in the freezer ready to take down (going to be heading there too early for local tackle shops being open). I will also take your advice and sound out some locals about Folkestone Pier when at Deal. Cheers again, samhainapples.

Thanks for the welcome and positive response, Newt! Forgot to mention I've done a little (four days) fly fishing in the Trossachs with a (fantastic and expert) local who took pity on me after a few beers too. Kind of feel like I've fallen between all coarse, sea and fly stools so far - need to settle into one and actually get some fishing hours under my belt. Anyway, sea fishing (pier) is the opportunity I now have coming up imminently and I mean to take it! Cheers, samhainapples

Hi, Just to say 'hello' as a newbie to the Board. Complete novice angler. Done a little bit of coarse fishing a few years ago. Hope to try some sea (pier) fishing very soon (have put a new thread up in the 'sea fishing' section re: Kent pier fishing if anyone can help!). May well have some stupid beginners questions about knots and rigs, etc soon. Cheers, samhainapples

Hello All, New member and relative beginner to sea fishing - please be gentle! I have a weekend away in Lyminge, Kent next week and hope to do some pier fishing. Heading down there Friday evening, so mainly looking for somewhere to fish late Friday night / early Saturday morning (but may also head out late Sat night / early Sunday morning). Recommendations so far are: 1. Deal Pier; and 2. Admiralty Pier, Dover. I understand both of these are open for fishing all-night / early morning Friday night through to Saturday mornings, but that tickets must be purchased at the piers on arrival. My questions are: 1. Would you recommend anywhere else relatively nearby (30-40 miles from Lyminge) for late Friday night / early (dawn) Sat morning pier or equivalent (i.e. drop-off from promenade rather than beach-casting) over Deal or Admiralty Piers? 2. If not, which out of of Deal and Admiralty Piers would you recommend for this time of year and why? Cheers in advance, samhainapples