Warbarrow

[GB]

Excellent report Darnsarf. Makes me want to grab my tent and go walkabout or should that be paddleabout.

 

 

 

Nice report Darnsarf.

 

In order to maximise cod fishing time was thinking of camping out on my next Needles trip. Have never used or even seen a bivvy bag before but they look like a great weight saving option. Is it simply a question of putting a sleeping bag in the bivvy bag and zipping it up all - is there a breathable ventilation cover near the head? I guess these bags are best on clear nights and not when its raining.

 

 

Speciman since your report on the Needles trip I have been looking into fishing there with a serious intent on doing it this year before it's too late. There is camping facilities at freshwater which is not far from the area you fished last time, wether it is suitable to launch and retrieve I dont know but worth checking out. At £50 return for the ferry it's well worth it to be able to roam around the island to find a launch point suitable for tide/weather conditions.

 

If you are serious about an overnight 2 day bash at the cod and you want some company I am well up for it, even if it's just a reccy/fishing trip. I have a mahoosive scorpio estate that will take 2 yaks and all the gear for camping and fishing.

 

GB

Edited November 6, 2006 by GB

[SpeciMan]

Hi GB

 

Sounds good I'll give it some thought - had been thinking along similar lines. When were you thinking about heading down there and which kayak were you planning on taking?

 

A few things to bear in mind though - whilst suitable for launching, Freshwater Bay is still quite a paddle round from the Needles (similar distance from Hurst Point). Its a shame that the waters around Freshwater Bay are shallow in comparison to the Needles area (if you haven't already worth downloading Navigator Pro software I mentioned in a recent thread and then zooming in on this area). Totland Bay may be more suitable for setting up camp but then its not that far from the mainland (hence the paddle over).

 

The Needles have to be fished on the neap I was using 8 ounce weights and should have been using more lead (1lb) when I moved a bit further out. The cod are certainly there, good pollack and reasonable conger too so worth the effort trying to put some hours down there.

 

I haven't been granted my pass yet but was thinking of fishing the Needles this Sunday what with the neap tide. Low water is 08:47 at Hurst Point so would want to be on the water at least 1 3/4 hr before low to give myself plenty of time to take the tide down to the Needles (hence been thinking about camping somewhere on the way (even Hurst Shingle Bank) so when I wake I'm rigged and ready to go. The alternative would be a 4:45am start and a short drive from home - no big deal either way - if I camped I would gain a bit more fishing time. High water at Hurst is 15:18 so again to give myself plenty of time to take the tide back I'd leave the Needles by 13:30 giving about 6 hours fishing time. If we launched from Freshwater fishing time would be about the same as we'd have to head back to the bay before the tide started ebbing.

 

Long range forecast showing high pressure for the weekend so should be settled weather

Edited November 6, 2006 by SpeciMan

[SpeciMan]

Giving it more thought an Isle of Wight base could increase cod fishing time by camping and launching from Totland Bay (providing its a neap and low water is around dawn +-2 hours). Take the ebbing tide down to the Needles fish it till about 1 hour before high water, take the tide back to a mark which is off Totland Bay for the afternoon then paddle back across tide into Totland Bay. I haven't fished the Totland Bay mark but have on good authority that its worth trying for them there and looking on the chart I can see why.

[Zzippy]

Nice write up Darnsarf

But us hard ones just fished through the night,didnt need no sleep

[GB]

Hi GB

 

Sounds good I'll give it some thought - had been thinking along similar lines. When were you thinking about heading down there and which kayak were you planning on taking?

 

A few things to bear in mind though - whilst suitable for launching, Freshwater Bay is still quite a paddle round from the Needles (similar distance from Hurst Point). Its a shame that the waters around Freshwater Bay are shallow in comparison to the Needles area (if you haven't already worth downloading Navigator Pro software I mentioned in a recent thread and then zooming in on this area). Totland Bay may be more suitable for setting up camp but then its not that far from the mainland (hence the paddle over).

 

The Needles have to be fished on the neap I was using 8 ounce weights and should have been using more lead (1lb) when I moved a bit further out. The cod are certainly there, good pollack and reasonable conger too so worth the effort trying to put some hours down there.

 

I haven't been granted my pass yet but was thinking of fishing the Needles this Sunday what with the neap tide. Low water is 08:47 at Hurst Point so would want to be on the water at least 1 3/4 hr before low to give myself plenty of time to take the tide down to the Needles (hence been thinking about camping somewhere on the way (even Hurst Shingle Bank) so when I wake I'm rigged and ready to go. The alternative would be a 4:45am start and a short drive from home - no big deal either way - if I camped I would gain a bit more fishing time. High water at Hurst is 15:18 so again to give myself plenty of time to take the tide back I'd leave the Needles by 13:30 giving about 6 hours fishing time. If we launched from Freshwater fishing time would be about the same as we'd have to head back to the bay before the tide started ebbing.

 

Long range forecast showing high pressure for the weekend so should be settled weather

 

This weekend is a no go for me, I already have other fishing and family comitments, next set of neaps is around the time of pike meet I think not enough weekends in the month. I am due a holiday so just before or just after the pike meet 22nd,23rd nov or 27th, 28th? Cant find my tide bible so a bit lost for definate tides. Throw a few dates (non relation type ones) up for when you are thinking of going and I will just have to fit it in as this would be a top trip. Sod work there will be plenty of time for that when the fishing goes pap in January.

 

Kayak choice will have to be the t140 as my t160i has not arrived yet, damn yankies are buying them all up by the looks of it. The t140 is a great fishing platform and I can keep a good pace going for 2-3 hrs on her providing I get plenty of fuel in me first

 

When does the fishing season come to an end around the needles?

 

Oh by the way Darnsarf I am sorry for hijacking your thread just getting carried away with the thought of some good Cod.

 

GB

Edited November 6, 2006 by GB

[SpeciMan]

GB - I'll let you know when I'm heading out hopefully you'll be able to make one of them.

 

I'll measure the flow of tide you would need to paddle against in order to get past the Needles and take the flooding tide back (its a short paddle against the tide but you would need a kayak which can make reasonable speed.. would never try it on a Caper).

 

I think the Needles cod fishing thins out by the end of Jan - first season fishing down there so going from others reports.

 

Sorry Darnsarf

 

Getting this thread back on track - Darnsarf my old geography teacher would have a field day (field trip!) looking at the penultimate pic you posted - look at that text book rock strata!

Edited November 6, 2006 by SpeciMan

[richi]

Hi GB

 

Sounds good I'll give it some thought - had been thinking along similar lines. When were you thinking about heading down there and which kayak were you planning on taking?

 

A few things to bear in mind though - whilst suitable for launching, Freshwater Bay is still quite a paddle round from the Needles (similar distance from Hurst Point). Its a shame that the waters around Freshwater Bay are shallow in comparison to the Needles area (if you haven't already worth downloading Navigator Pro software I mentioned in a recent thread and then zooming in on this area). Totland Bay may be more suitable for setting up camp but then its not that far from the mainland (hence the paddle over).

 

The Needles have to be fished on the neap I was using 8 ounce weights and should have been using more lead (1lb) when I moved a bit further out. The cod are certainly there, good pollack and reasonable conger too so worth the effort trying to put some hours down there.

 

I haven't been granted my pass yet but was thinking of fishing the Needles this Sunday what with the neap tide. Low water is 08:47 at Hurst Point so would want to be on the water at least 1 3/4 hr before low to give myself plenty of time to take the tide down to the Needles (hence been thinking about camping somewhere on the way (even Hurst Shingle Bank) so when I wake I'm rigged and ready to go. The alternative would be a 4:45am start and a short drive from home - no big deal either way - if I camped I would gain a bit more fishing time. High water at Hurst is 15:18 so again to give myself plenty of time to take the tide back I'd leave the Needles by 13:30 giving about 6 hours fishing time. If we launched from Freshwater fishing time would be about the same as we'd have to head back to the bay before the tide started ebbing.

 

Long range forecast showing high pressure for the weekend so should be settled weather

 

magic seaweed are predicting 2mph winds sunday afternoon looks like the armada might be coming!

[phooey]

magic seaweed are predicting 2mph winds sunday afternoon looks like the armada might be coming!

 

 

You won't be needing that new sail then ?

[paintfly]

Thought I'd better get my report in before this thread turns into the IOW trip.

 

I launched frtom lulworth Cove at 6.30 am about an hour later than I'd I've liked, after being slowed down by fog on the way down from London. The plan was to meet up with Darnsarf to fish the last of the flood at Warbarrow. To cut a long story, I couldn't find him anywhere. Eventually, having paddled past Warrbarrow and half way to Kimmeridge, I decided to do some fishing and enjoy the day. And what a day it turned out to be! As DS says, not spectacular fishing wise, just a joy to be on the water and feeling like I had the place to myself.

 

 

It was approaching 8am before I got a rod out and I knew things would soon go quiet, but managed a couple of small pollack almost immediately. After that, it turned into wrasse city.

 

 

After that, it turned into wrasse city. Greedy b*ggers, they always seem to swallow the hook deep, which makes releasing them alive and well a bit of a rarity. However, having recently purchased some circle hooks, I decided to them a go, which was good news for the wrasse, as from then on they were all lip hooked and all swam away. The deepest set hook was just in front of the eye, so I’m definitely a convert. They still do that thing with their a*seholes, but you can’t have everything I suppose.

 

 

 

 

When I got bored with them I paddled out to about 65ft, to see if there was anything else going on in deeper water, but only managed to lose tackle on what looked like a completely flat bottom on the fishfinder, and finally managed to destroy a rod and reel when the tip and winding handle broke simultaneously on a stubborn snag. I wasn’t too upset, as both bits of kit were on their last legs anyway, after having been trashed in a surf dumping a while back.

 

By this time, it was late afternoon and with only one rod, I switched to a float set up and started drifting back towards Lulworth and finally bumped into Paul (who had no doubt been hiding behind a rock, waiting for me to get the float out before he would tolerate my company ) We anchored up close in to the cliffs in the steadily increasing flood and fished till sunset watching Mother Nature put on her own Nov 5th display. Managed to lose a schoolie bass as it came alongside the yak, as I tried to make the most of the fight it was putting up, which saved me the trouble of releasing it. All in all a spectacular day with 12 hrs on the water and 11.5 miles covered.

[darnsarf]

Darnsarf my old geography teacher would have a field day (field trip!) looking at the penultimate pic you posted - look at that text book rock strata!

 

 

That folded strata is what gives it its unusual underwater topography. You can imagine why so many rigs and anchors go missing. In the summer the area is full of Geology students. It is world famous in Geology circles - apparantly Something about 2 plates colliding and one being folded over the other - allegedly

 

I will definately try those circle hooks although have to say I dont normally have a problem with wrasse. I suppose on a float you strike that bit earlier and tend to get more mouth hook ups.

 

Paintfly - Still a mystery as to why we missed each other. Maybe there is a worm hole and I was transported into a parallel dimension. ...............................Can feel a book coming on

 

Just quick note on the sleeping bags. If there is the slightest chance of it getting wet go for the synthetic filling and remember to put all your gear into a proper dry bag. Again you can get these from Army Surplus a lot cheaper than canoeing shops. The Scuppers front hatch took all my gear plus trolley so no probs there. Good luck with the Cod. Wonder if they can be caught on the float mmmmm?

Edited November 7, 2006 by darnsarf