Coarse Fisherman facing the biggest lake he's seen

[Steve Coppolo]

What species am i targetting at this time of year? Also what baits should i buy. As for casting i can hit about 100 Yds at the moment is this far enough

 

100 yards is plenty for Aldeburgh and the deeper marks at felixstowe. You won't go far wrong if you buy squid for bait. Mount them whole on a pennel rig, (two hooks). You can expect codling and whiting, maybe the odd dogfish. It's not unheard of for very big bass to be caught from these beaches at this time of year.

[terry t shirt]

7 am i'm leaving the house expecting a long cold day. Where i live we've had a blizzard the evening before and its now freezing but i'm not letting this dampen my enthusiasm. I pick up my mate at 8 and off we go a totally new experience for me.Its a long drive and i'm told were picking up the bait on the way. Not being from the area first thing that struck me are there are no roads once you leave the A14 just tracks we wind down the lanes to a village called Framlingham , this is where we're picking up the bait (sat nav says were still 15 miles from the sea) We knock on the door and are directed around the back to a garage. Which resembles an aquatics shop there are tanks everywhere full of bizare looking worms and shell fish. Our bait is going to be Lugworm which to a coarse angler is a weird looking thing fat one end with and obvious tail and a much more obvious gob i ragworm were also pointed out to me with the warning they bite???? I usually buy worm by the kilo or part of but were getting 150 between us , not approximately 150 exactly i watched them count each one.

 

So off we go to the seaside. Were fishing Aldebrugh i've done a little homework before hand and realised we would walk a little way. We parked up before the Martello tower and after getting all the gear on my shoulders starting striding onwards. I think i got about 100yds when some goliath of a truck missed me by inches. Erm scuse me i'm at the seaside why is there 50tonne of truck driving up and down the beach. I'm informed there getting shingle from one end of the beach and bring it back to this end a job rather like painting the forth road bridge as the tides have decided they want it at the far end and we want it this end.

 

We keep walking and i'm thinking this isnt so bad it quite firm under foot where these trucks have been compacting it, what all the fuss??? Then fairly suddenly my feet start sing into the gravel with each stride Its now getting hard walking i ask how far we are going (it all looks the same to me)and was reminded i had mentioned such landmarks as dirty wall and aerials. (note to myself keep gob shut about info you've googled) Which were still about an hours walking away. Anyway about 20 minutes we stop much to my relief, i can still see the tower to my left and a headland to my right i reckon were about half way between them.

 

Now here's the fun bit i unpack my gear much to the amusement of my mate my intention was to buy a tripod at the local angling shop (i never knew there wasnt one) So at the last minute i improvised i had a camera Tripod in the garage a few screws and a bit of bent bar and hey presto a tripod rod rest i think i had the poshest rod rest on the baech. next was putting up a brolly mistake one the pole wont go into the gravel to any depth mistake two how the hell do you peg it down??? At this point i notice my mate filling a carryabag full of stones , why??? thinking it collecting posh stones for his kids as its exmas soon ??? i know he's tight but that tight??? after i cpl of minutes i spot what he's doing and hurridlysearch for a carryabag myself to anchor down my brolly.

 

I set up the rods with rigs i've made myself with pictures off of here etc i'm using a 2 hook flapper on one and a 2 hook flapper with an impact shield on the other.My mate gets my attention to demonstrate how to cast (he used to cast in tournaments) HE sets himself up and lever into the rod the rod straining under his effort still almost pointing at the floor behind him as the butt points towards the sky The lead flys out towards the sea as if launched by a bazooker all very impressive it must have gone 200 yds . One problem though it was no longer attatched to his line the leader knot and come undone and hes now not quite so cocky about his casting. One rig down on first cast great start.

 

Ok my turn Now i'm confident with my course fishing experience i'll hit 100 yds , How wrong i was with all my effort i reckon i got about 60 yds still lots of time yet. got the other rod out about the same distance and retreated to my brolley. The weather now was glorious its the end of October and i'm on a beach in my T shirt fishing it couldnt get better.

 

After about 10 minutes i get a rattle on my rod tip ( This is easy ??) wind down and strike expecting to be met my the pulling back of a fish. Nope i was met with summat solid i pull again and it comes free (apparently this always happens its the breakaway wires breaking away) I cant feel a thing so just wind in like crazy. Its a fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this little pout flies up the beach looking thoroughly stunned , not suprising since its just swum 50 yds faster than limford Cristie can run. Well i aint blanked and i let it live to grow bigger aswell. This is basically how it went for the next hour casty out wait 5 minutes reel in little pout or whiting . Then nothing not a bite zilch the fish vanished.

 

In a hectic hour i've had 4 pout and three whiting all of which i returned. I was informed one of the whiting was legal but to me it was bite size so off it went.Over the next 3 hours it was very quiet had the odd rattle but no fish Then i got a definate rattle picked up rod wound down and levered into it to be met by something solid now this was heavy it just sat there i felt it move slightly , its gotta be a big fish ten minutes later i've gained no ground to be told by my mate that it probably a piece of old rope and the give i felt was pulling a little bit out of the sand. Time to pull for a break my first rig lost.

 

I switch to a single hook rig as my bait is going down rapidly and recast. Nightfall came and my hopes rose again i started getting the odd knock again. At around 7 There was a solid thump on the tip here we go. I struck and i'm into something bigger. I can actually feel it swimming. i wind in cautiously until i see its head "" Its a codling """ and its now safely in my hands caught I'm now looking at thinking how can something this small feel so big??? It probably about 1 1/2 lb and again bite size at best. But i've caught a shore caught codling. We fish on until 10 i lose a further 3 rigs to the deep

 

We chose to pack up at just the right time the wind suddenly swung round 180 degrees into our face and it was now raining. After a long trudge back to the van i get the stove going for a hot cuppa before the long drive before arriving home at about 3.30am

 

The score?? i had 6 pout 8 whiting and 1 codling all of which were returned. I really enjoyed the experience and will be going again. Once i learn how to cast.

 

{I added some breaks / white space to make it easier to read - outstanding write-up. Newt}