When The Winds In The East

[clem]

I expect this subject has been discussed before on this site but I do not remember in my time on the forum.

For years and years and years and years before that an easterly wind has been like a curse on the fishing- up here in the northeast anyway weather it be bait , lure or even netting. Even the professional jigging boats used to turn for home on an east wind for fear of wasting fuel on a poor trip.

In these times of scarce or expensive bait and high fuel costs not to mention the traffic would it be wise to stay at home?

Or is the whole thing a myth , does anyone recall "red letter days" on an easertly?

[Ken Davison South Wales]

I expect this subject has been discussed before on this site but I do not remember in my time on the forum.

For years and years and years and years before that an easterly wind has been like a curse on the fishing- up here in the northeast anyway weather it be bait , lure or even netting. Even the professional jigging boats used to turn for home on an east wind for fear of wasting fuel on a poor trip.

In these times of scarce or expensive bait and high fuel costs not to mention the traffic would it be wise to stay at home?

Or is the whole thing a myth , does anyone recall "red letter days" on an easertly?

 

I certainly don't think it is a case that an easterly wind is a no no, there has to be a lot more to it than that.

 

I fished an easterly wind Friday afternoon and evening and when I packed up due to hunger at 9.30pm the bites were coming thick and fast.

 

One of my favourite times for spinning on a warm summers evening is when the sea is flat with an easterly breeze but that may not work on all marks.

 

The year before last I fished a freezing cold easterly wind after dark and caught my best ever shore cod amongst a number of other good fish.

 

Having said that I fished an excellent flounder mark late last autumn and struggled to get a responce, so I think it is a difficult one to have a 100% answer for.

[maidstonemike]

I think it all depends on your the coastline. If the Easterly is onshore, or along the coast, it affects fishing. If it is an offshore wind, it won't have the same effect on the inshore waters, as it won't cool it, but further out, when the wind does hit the water, it will have an effect.

All I know, is where I fish in Kent, an Easterly is not only very uncomfortable to fish, as it penetrates clothing , but kills fishing dead.

When I see an Easterly forecast, I stay at home, and don't waste petrol and bait.

The old sayings in respect of this are usually spot on, as all the old sayings are, because they are the result of generations of experience.

[glennk]

depends if its straight east I think. I hate Easterly, love south easterly and north easterly can be productive too.

[Snatcher]

Depends on your location mate Nearly all of my fishing is done over on the Mull of Galloway. As a rule of thumb if the wind is from the east I go pollack fishing on the Irish Sea side.If its from the west I tend to go bass fishing on the Luce Bay side. If a total hooley go to the

[seaside]

On the NE coast of Scotland everyone looks for easterlies in winter to bring on the cod, but actually SE does appear to bring out the best results - in summer, any form of easterly is generally the kiss of death.

Edited October 15, 2006 by seaside

[Stoaty]

I think it all depends on your the coastline.

 

Have to agree. Here in the Thames Estuary it kills the fishing. The annoying thing is after four decades of fishing I have no idea why.

[John E Ashford]

I think clem is only looking for confirmation, of an excuse to stay in bed.

 

My experience of the North East Coast, when an Easterly was blowing. The sea would be kicked up rotten, making it impossible for any fishing boat to make it across the bar of the River Blyth. The beaches were troubled by boiling surf, with breakers (Groulers) as angry as could be.

 

But you did get the odd diehard, on the beach braced against the wind, trying to catch a fish that dared to swim close in.

 

Clem get out of bed, there's never any excuse to not go fishing.

[stan4massey]

Not really sure what this could impart to the topic but around fifteen years ago I skippered a boat for a large

N Zealand company that was building an aquarium in Scotland, (we were rod catching fish for it). The guy working with me was an Ozzie marine biologist from the Sydney area. He was interested when I told him

"easts a beast, west the best" because apparently in his hemisphere the exact opposite occurs. He reckoned it was something to do with the earths magnetic fields. Up here, in an easterly, most things appear to get lethargic, fish dont bite as well, cattle lie down, sheep just mill around etc etc.

[Guest CJS2]

Her you go 'Clem', last time we chewed this one, 5th July, you might be interested to have read through?

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=64707

 

Cliff, CJS2

Edited October 15, 2006 by CJS2