Come on and do the Conger! 26th July 2008.

[Mark Crame]

After another full day of the Crazywater Demo Day at Mudeford it was necessary to relax with a nice bit of fishing and so after paddling back to the quay and getting kitted up (and paying through the nose for sarnies) our happy armada set course down through the run and out to sea, past the famed Black House

 

 

Led out by Richi in his Trident were John in his Dorado, Helen in her Scupper Pro, Me in Richi’s Scupper Pro, Tratty in his Elite, Stumulletman in his Elite and his mate (sorry, what was his name Stu?) in his Prowler 13. We had a bit of an audience through the run and going out en-masse was really quite special for me, used to going solo so much.

 

 

The conditions were fine – we were against a moderate wind but the tide was in our favour. A slight swell with a superb bit of chop met us at the overfall by the groyne where we were spotted by Simon from Crazywater, out fishing from the shore.

 

 

The lovebirds on my left were in great light…and there were no concessions of paddling slower made for Helen, who was and is one of the lads (albeit with a nicer bum!) and didn’t need them anyway, ta very much.

 

 

I must confess that John’s Dorado looked really great in that light too and I had to take a photograph of it. I do like yellow things after all

 

 

The tide sucked us through the overfall – me loving the Hawaii Five-O bit – and we soon happened upon Clint Eastwood

 

 

Actually it was Overrun in his Prowler 13. He’d been awaiting our arrival.

 

 

So, it was down with the feathers in the hope of some mackerel – James hauling in a Scad soon after I took this:

 

 

Having never feathered before I just baited some Hokkais and dropped them down to see what was about, especially as I’d heard that the mackies hadn’t shown all day. I then noticed the light and decided I needed some quality shots. Stu’s mate was in the right place:

 

 

Then I hunted around for Richi

 

 

Over on yonder horizon I spotted Lozz paddling out to meet us in his Trident, having delayed his launch. I suspect he had to brace though as the roar of thunder came along and he was left in the wake of a speeding gin palace. Hang about though, this gin palace had a bloody great pole and flag on it…nah, can’t be, can it?

 

 

Yep, Aikidojohn had arrived in an admittedly fast Big Game that puttered around sounding like a lawnmower until he switched off and started to fish, Lozz arriving soon after.

 

 

That made ten of us on the water – cracking! Nothing much doing the others started to move off

 

 

Aikido john stayed put while Overrun and Lozz moved off.

 

 

Me? I was happy where I was for now and watched them head off.

 

 

My persistence paid off - I soon hauled up a Pouting, a Personal Best, and a lot darker than the ones around our part of the coast, and it also had dark stripes on it. I was chuffed as I at least had something as Conger bait. Then my rod tip went loopy...

My first Black Sea Bream; my twenty-sixth species of the year, and another one for the competition. We don’t get them up in Lowestoft you see. My special sized coupon was put to good use! I don’t know what the size is to keep these but frankly it wasn’t big enough for a meal, I didn’t have anyway to ensure it wouldn’t spoil, it was far too pretty for Conger bait and I was happy to watch it swim away. It came with its own pouting companion too.

 

 

I decided to go and join the others. It was starting to get a little bit choppy (not a lot, just enough to notice) and I knew that I was heading towards the overfall so decided to upsticks and head over to the mark where the others were anchored. I drifted and chatted to Tratty and was about to anchor when Lozz shouted out that he thought AJ had gone over. It took a while (even though I knew where he was) to spot because in those lighting conditions the pale blue hull of his loaded Big Game was not very visible from low in the water as we all were, especially as it was loaded with outboard and presumably fuel. Richi set off and after depositing my rods with Tratty (figured I’d be better able to help without the damned things) I followed suit, Lozz also coming.

 

AJ was in the water, his paddle held up in the air. Even with the light on him the paddle only really appeared visible from a couple of hundred yards away at most. Yellow blades, but perhaps the silhouette of black might have been better? Glossy ones would certainly have been useful as they would have reflected the sunlight. It was lucky that Lozz had spotted him not being about though as it could have been worse than the embarrassment factor. Between Aikidojohn and Richi the kayak was flipped back up – the weight and drag of the motor coupled with the water that had got in and the width of the Big Game being hindering factors. Now, John is only a small bloke and the Big Game is wide – I don’t think he could have leant far enough across to grab the other side and flip it the way I usually do and the upside-down push-away style would not have been possible. Although I steadied the yak for him to climb back aboard all credit to the rescue must go to Richi – to whom the ‘Another One Off The List’ special prize is awarded:

 

 

After staying a few minutes with Imwetandmissingstuffjohn I headed back to get my rods off Tratty. As he pulled in a string of three Mackerel. Me, I just banged out some more Pouting and put the Conger rod down – the first Pouting (dead) slashed five times on each side to get some scent and flesh out as I didn’t have enough thickness to flapper it with the knife I was carrying.

 

Now, Richi said he thought the fishing wasn’t good that night. For what I’m used to locally I was well impressed – the fishing is a lot bloody easier down south for sure! No wonder you southerners aren’t happy to catch pouting – my bait would hit bottom and bites were instant. I would have to fish for hours for this many at home:

 

 

And then, to save the day, one more to the ‘Bag of Sugar’ species hunt

 

 

I marvelled at how good it looked on my port side at the six navlight-lit yaks lined up like a starting grid at a car race. Sadly I knew any photograph I had tried to take would not have come out but I fixed it in my mind. I then found something I didn’t like about the Scupper Pro. With my legs over the side the leashed paddle was uncomfortable for me. I spent quite some time in this position, banging out 19 Pouting…

 

 

John and Helen, whose navlights had been bobbing up and down ahead of us indicating that there was canoodling go on rather than fishing, then decided to go in, joined by Stu and his mate.

 

I decided it was time to change my bait over. It had been chewed up a bit by something the last time I’d checked. I took the rod from the forward holder and placed it in the flushmount when I decided to prepare the other Pouting first. While I was doing that…

 

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Fish on!

 

A Conger (presumably) had the Pouting and was running with it. I tightened my drag and started to wind my braid up…I was shifting it and wanted to get it off the bottom as soon as I could as it felt a good, solid fish and I really didn’t want it getting itself holed up or running my line over a rock as happened last time I hooked one.

 

Then…nothing. It went slack. I wound in and all I had was the hook through the pouting lips of the Pouting. I was gutted. Two Nil to the Conger.

 

We fished on for a while and then I’mmovingdowntidejohns anchor gave way. Richi offered to accompany him in but I said I’d go – I’d had my run and was happy with that and was starting to get a bit cold but then it seemed like a mutual decision as we all up-anchored and went back to the quay. I paddled in alongside Richi, feeling the current sucking us back into the quay and watched as the bottom became shallow to the point of occasionally touching the hull. I saw swirls and I saw fish. It was a great end to the evening and with twenty fish boated and one Conger run plus some good photographs and excellent company and memories I was more than happy with my evening. And so to a second night in the van.

 

Thanks to Richi for taking us all and all for going with.

[jasper3]

fantastic night, we had a great time, helen had caught a pout and it was being mullered by a cuttlefish, just dropped off before i could get the pic,

 

the company was fantastic as was the banter,

 

it will stay in the memory box for a long time

 

John & helen

[northsea]

Brilliant report there!

Wondering how you guys manage to stay afloat when you do hook a good sized conger?

I find generally that when I hit a fair size fish it dives for the bottom and it can be a battle keeping the kayak pointing where I want if there are some waves to contend with.

Is there a knack to stay on with a big beast on the end of the line?

[Mark Crame]

You can sling your legs over the side of the kayak to help balance things out - same when retrieving and anchor - if need be. Unless you have a kayak too wide or with too low a seating positions.

[northsea]

You can sling your legs over the side of the kayak to help balance things out - same when retrieving and anchor - if need be. Unless you have a kayak too wide or with too low a seating positions.

 

Interesting point there Mark. Do you mean both legs over the same side or one on either side?

I have a prowler 13 so not sure if that would create a problem.

[groyne bandit]

Nice report there mark , wonderfull looking evening ,,,,,,,,i see overrun aka clint eastwood still nods off like he did at school ,,,

Good job hellen never landed that cuttle fish ,,,john would have had to stick her on the roof rack to go home ,,,,

Till next time ,,,,,,,rich,

[Elton]

Great report, Mark. Black Bream is a fish I've never caught, but would like to.