Ragworm Ball

[Ken Davison South Wales]

We also saw a huge ball of ragworm on another day just off Brownsea Castle about 2' to 3' under the surface drifting pass on the flood tide.

 

I posted this on fishing stories, has anyone any clues on what was happening?? :confused:

[Jaffa]

I think its the big tides/ moon phase Ken. As i understand it Ragworm (or at least the King rag N. virens) form swarms like that to spawn. Then they all die! Can't have escaped the fishes notice no doubt

 

A swarm lure needed? I wondered if it was something like that the American tube and worm rig was designed to reproduce....

[Jaffa]

Heres where I saw it, not that I've been spending hours reading about ragworm and tnw rigs at all !

 

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wdb/pub/1051.pdf

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Hi Jaffa,

 

We up anchored and drifted with it up middle channel in Poole Harbour.

 

It was being followed very closely by a shoal of bass and small pollock.

 

By free lining rag with one small shot, just under the ball we had a good hours fishing.

 

It went over a shallow area just south of Green Island and seemed to break up. We anchored on the edge of the channel changed back to small ball lead anf fished over the area catching small plaice and flounders.

 

No biguns, but it was good fishing.

[Jaffa]

I'd love to have seen that ken, how big was the swarm? was it a tight "ball" or a loose mass?

[Jaffa]

Wonder if this is the normal time of year for them to spawn or more early warm weather weirdness.

[A Norfolk Boy]

As you remarked in a previous thread Ken, it's amazing what wildlife and natural phenomena are there to be seen by the observant. I've witnessed some real close-up animal life and my father saw the northern lights years back whilst up on the N Norfolk coast one night.

[SpeciMan]

Ken was this recently you saw the rag worm ball? Toying with the idea of using Poole Harbour as my first kayak fishing mark as its looks a relatively safe place to paddle as long as I'm not near the entrance or ina main boat channel.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Simon,

 

It was a long long long time ago some where between 65 and 68.

 

But Poole still fishes very well.

 

Jaffa,

 

The ball was 18" to 24" across, but around this was quite a large area of loose worms.

 

We were in a 14' open clinker built dingy so it was dead easy to up the hook and give chase.

 

Neither of us could believe what we where seeing. I have only met one person since that had seen the same thing, most people give that Ol yer look.

 

It is realy amazing some of the things you see whilst fishing.

 

Another little occurance just outside Poole Harbour entrance on the Hook Sands.

 

We were drifting over this area fishing for dabs and plaice when a huge skate drifted almost on the surface under the boat from stem to stern and both of us could see the wings on our side of the boat, it had a little over a 5' beam.

[Jaffa]

Nice . Guess few will see that sight again . Always thought it curious the way skate seemed to "enjoy" being at the surface in those marine aquariums . Always assumed it was abnormal behaviour to do with being in captivity. Wonder if they venture up often in the wild?

 

I saw a really strange thing at Aberdeen harbour in the early eighties. The harbour walls were that "U" shaped sheet piling and every single "U" section had big f/w eels clustered in them.

 

They were lying heads up the metal, just below the waterline. I can't imagine how many there would have been in total as the dock was big. They were there about 7am when I started workbut gone by mid morning.

 

No idea what was going on there.

 

Its never boring if you keep your eyes open right enough

 

[ 12. February 2005, 07:56 PM: Message edited by: Jaffa ]