mahoo

Nice one CJS2 sounds like a good day, glad you got out.

Nice fish from your Yak there Richi, I bet that gave you a few hairy moments!

Hi Cliff I must admit the weather looks to be dropping off nicely for Sunday but I have got DIY to do There definately is some nice fish out there if you know where to look I am hoping this year my name will be on a nice double figure noddy, and if you get out at the weekend I hope yours is too. There is plenty of Herring out there at the mo and it seems that there is quite a few Bass following these silver beauties. Tight lines Mahoo

Bait elastic, very sharp knife, large trophy Cod!

Hi Cliff We only have to hold a 15 ft warrior and also use a bruce copy with plenty (about 15ft of chain) and plenty of rope out, but on one mark it has a really hard, stony bottom that is full of green slimy worm things that the cod like but anchors don't, and we just end up bouncing down the tide on a big spring in full flow! cheers Mahoo

Nice report Cliff I went out on the Sunday and caught the twin brother/sister of the one in your picture. A good day to be out, even if after the first hour we thought it was going to be a great day. We had six Roker in the first half hour not more than a mile out then a 5lb + Cod each after that on the last of the flood, when the tide turned, it was going like a steam train and we could not hold anchor on our 'special' mark and only caught a few more Codling and some nice whiting for most of the ebb, which is usually the best time I find in the area. One of the boats we went out with had a lovely fish about 8lb about half a mile from the beach There is nice fish out there as long as you don't know what it used to be like, and this does seem like a better stamp of codling than previous years. Time will tell.... Still nice to be out there catching though

Why not! all for a good cause and any excuse to wet a line

I believe Kent and Essex has a vacant position at the mo Also the Fishery Officer in question is a top bloke faced with a difficult task!

The French love them, Conger is an essential part of an authentic Boullabaisse(fish soup/stew) originating from the Marseille area on the south coast. When I was a wee nipper I used to insist on having Conger and chips from the chippy, and blow me, when the old man came back with dinner, that conger I had tasted so much like Cod that I couldn't believe it! It was only a few years ago he told me the truth

Nice fish Sam and Mat I bet that made the long trip worthwhile!

Stoaty, there is certainly plenty of Lobster around the Thames estuary. I sell them and there is plenty to be caught in the Thames area.

That is a good article Pugs

I think one of those would be a chain mail glove affair! Hope you catch a few

Hi Bugle, Apart from the more obvious ones listed above there is some Plaice, Turbot and Brill but only in a fraction of the numbers that there used to be(apparently brightlingsea used to be famous for it's Turbot landings!). The commercial boys still land some Brill as well as there being Red Mullet, Grey Mullet, Pouting, Garfish, Bass, Mackeral, Herring, Sprats, Shad and growing numbers of Barracuda and Bonefish(sure I keep hooking them but none landed yet!) If you go a long way to the wrecks I think you can add Bream, Ling, Conger, Pollock and Wrasse. I would love to catch a nice Turbot from Essex, but sadly especially from the beach I think that ther is slightly better than zero chance! Mahoo

That Vagabond looks like a serious fish! Is it one of them Tiger fish things that you get in Africa or is it some sort of Were Herring

I think you may be onto something there CJS2, sometimes whilst fishing largish baits you get that pluck pluck, but can never connect, I think that it may quite often be small mouthed flatties just having a nibble. Was going to have a try for the sole on sunday from the beach but it looked like Honolulu by the size of the waves rolling in so just managed a couple of schoolies and an eel that managed to hang itself on both hooks on a pennell!

Hi dbrennan, Having fished a bit in Goa (without much success!), I feel you may have to narrow down your type of fishing eg: lure, bait, trolling as there is quite a difference in requirements. KenL is the man to speak to as he has got more experience than most on this subject. I bought the Shimano STC Exage 270 m/h on the advice of someone else and would recommend it as a lightish spinning/bait rod. It would also leave you enough cash to buy about 50 beers in Goa and still go out to dinner!

Quite often when I am out boat fishing and it is slow, I will fish one rod big hooks/baits pennelled, and one two hook size 4 baited with a single worm for the sole. This year without putting in two much time and just fishing like this for an hour or so before targetting the bigger stuff again, I have managed about 8 from the sandbanks like the Gunfleet in the daytime. I love the sight of a nice sole coming up through the water! real buggers to get hold of though - brings a new dimension to slip sole! There are plenty to be had it's just that nobody fishes for them

The Inhabitants of St Kilda must have been a bit sick of seabirds as food if each person was eating 115 fulmars a year! That does not even take into account the snack Puffins and roast Gannets! Just off to bag myself a few gulls because I am feeling a little peckish if you will excuse the pun!

How do you cook Gannet?

Eider ducks are specialist mussel feeders anyhow and have only shown in large numbers where mussels are either grown commercially or grow naturally in this country quite recently. Take away the food source and they would most likely vacate the area for somewhere more productive. I wonder how they taste covered in Hoi sin, cucumber and spring onions? mmm... crispy duck and perfect feather pillows and duvets!

Where can I buy some tartan paint? I have been trying to get hold of it for ages

I use Varivas big mouths too, great hook to load up with bait as the gape is larger than most. Big mouth Xtra with the barb crushed reign supreme for tope and big rays. At the end of the day any hook that gets me the 'big' one has got to be a winner. Money no object, Owner really do take some beating though

I have just started to use circle hooks recently and have caught plenty of fish on them (relative!). I like the way that the fish is nearly always hooked in the scissors and say with bass you quite often hook the bites that crash into your rod and dissapear before you can get anywhere near to strike. They can be a pain in the bum though when using worm. Varivas needle sharp out of the box but I will only use them once as they seem to suffer a bit after the first outing

I find that if you use Norfolk boy's suggestion, but upgrade the power output to mains strength, come the winter you have a lovely supply of disposable cod fishing hats "Davy Crockett" style. Also quite versatile and make lovely seat box cushions to keep the January chill out