"Two old timers on the prowl"

[Snatcher]

George and I had not had a pollacking session out this year yet so with a favourable weather forcast we decided today was going to be it. After a debate on the venue we decided on a Solway one with a steep climb down. To be honest with 130 years amassed between us this mark really was on our limit.

 

I am a right woosie when it comes to rock climbing and my arse was putting all of the way down until we arrived at our fishing "platform". Having to actively look for hand and footholds whilst also carrying your fishing gear has always filled me with trepedation !!!!! Who mentioned soft Geordie out there ?

 

When we arrived at the bottom of the cliff I was pleasantly suprised to find the mark in pristine condition. In the past I have usually had to do a "wombling" job here but not this time. All we had to pick up was 100+ metres of discarded braid dumped by some thoughtless angler.

 

 

Pollack was our prime target on this one so it was down to George to get us fresh mackerel bait using his beachcaster. First cast seen him bring in 4 mackerel. Two more casts and we had enough for our planned 4 hour session. George then switched to a conger rig on his beachcaster and dropped the whole mackerel bait fairly close in and set the reel rachet.

 

It was to be spinning gear for the pollack. I was using a 9' rod/fixed spool reel/15lb mono. George had a similar set up but was using braid. After knotting up a few times on casting he said he wished he was still on mono. At the business end I tried a 6" holographic sandeel first,I am not too sure what George tried first. Anyway George was first in with a pollack which was carefully unhooked and returned.

 

 

I was next in with a small coalfish. We had arrived dead on low water which is what you want for this mark. You can normally manage 3/4 hours after this before the strong rip forces you off. George and I got a few more pollack each and then it went real quiet for about an hour.

 

 

During this period I decided to try a sliding float with limpet for bait right close in for wrasse. This resulted in one missed bite. The limpet had that surgical tell-tale wrasse bite out of it. As the flood picked up so did the fishing and the size of the pollack improved. It was at this stage that George nearly fell in. He was scrambling down to "hand in" a decent pollack for me when he slipped on the rocks. He finished up inches from going in,scraped his shin and took a chunk out of his hand. I had visions of me diving in after him. We should all really concider wearing life jackets when fishing marks like this. I have been saying this to myself for years but still have done nothing about it !!!

 

 

Towards the end of the session we were picking up the pollack on leadheads with a 3" strip of mackerel on. The secret is not to strike with this technique and ignore the tentative plucks. The fish will hook themselves if they really want the bait. We eventually called it a day after 4 hours. Between us we had approximately 30 pollack to just over 3lbs. I reckon George just shaded it over me.

 

 

The climb back up seemed to take for ages with all of the "rest" stops we had to make. All in all a good pollacking session with all of the fish being carefully returned.

 

John

 

ps All we left behind were footprints and some of Georges blood

[Brian Carragher]

Good trip out and nice write up

 

That looks like George Delhoy in your pics

[Snatcher]

Yes the very man,well spotted

 

John

 

ps,he can still talk the hind legs off a donkey