Report - Otter Falls - Devon break Aug '14

End of August holiday with the family, and a couple of lakes on site meant that the coarse gear was dusted off and loaded for the journey South (not that I have any idea what I'm doing with it!!).

Couple of tins of sweetcorn and a loaf of bread and we were away.  Bit different using size 16 hooks from the last few days wrecking!!!

First couple of casts showed that there were plenty of fish about - roach, rudd and bream all playing ball to sweetcorn.

Roach

Bream

Rudd

The beauty of it was that I could include Riley - and soon he too was amonst the fish (but wouldn't stay still long enough to take tidy pictures!)

Between us - we then managed the biggest fish of the session (after losing what I think was a big carp - long story involving 2 rods, a very spikey bramble, and a clutch set too tight!).......

.....A roach/bream hybrid perhaps? (happy to be corrected)

After Riley had gone to bed, I snuck out to a spot where I'd seen a few carp suck bait off the surface.  One lost carp and 3/4 of a loaf of bread later - I stuck my size 14 barbless hook into another carp.  Using only the top 3 section from my pole (the rest was in the cottage) and navigating a few trees and other overhanging snags, it took me over 20 minutes to subdue the fish, and finally get it in my net (only just!).

A common carp of probably about 16 to18lb (guestimate based on last weeks pollack!).

A cracking result and a nice change!

Report - Cherbourg '14 - Silver Spray

With the weather delaying our departure from Poole by 24 hours, the trip was cut to a 2 day trip with wrecking the order for both days.

After a good steam, and having stopped for a few live mackerel, we were soon amongst the fish, where I managed 12 fish in 15 drifts, 11 pollack and a ling - with all but one fish above 10lb.

Biggest pollack went 16lb (8oz off a PB), and ling went 18lb (equalled PB).  The boat managed 58 pollack, 4 cod and a ling on the 15 drifts with cod to a smidge over 20lb, pollack to 18lb, and my ling at 18lb.  The best wrecking I've experienced, for quality and quantity.  My 11 pollack averaged probably about 12lb.

A quick snap of my ling.....

A lot of filleting later we headed for a well deserved beer, and some food.  An early night (after my 3am start) was required, and much needed rest for the arms/back.

Day 2 commenced with a plan to try for the bass we found last year, but the mackerel and scad had not read the script, and after an hour or so - we managed 3 tiny mackerel, and one jumbo scad - not great.  We tried drifting with shads, but only pollack were taken.

Leaving Cherbourg on day 2 - gutted as the 'patisserie' was closed for a refurb - so no pastries for the return leg!! 

We experimanted on a few other marks with little success and all too soon the tide died off, so down went the hook, hoping for a conger and a few big bream.  1st fish up were pout and poor cod for those after bream.  My focus was on conger and soon there was a fat 50lb'er breaking the surface.  1st conger of 2014 released, I joined the bream hunt.  A dozen or so pout and pc's later, we had swung off the wreck and it was time to head to our final mark.  No bream on this trip.

On the final mark - it was again practically a double figure pollack every drift, up until the full ebb of the tide, and time to head for home.

I think I'll be eating pollack and ling for a while!!

Excellent trip again - looking forward to 2015 already.

Report - Lydstep - Yak.......

Took a brief paddle in the calm before the storm (tail end of Bertha), and decided to head to Lydstep for a quick session - hoping for a tope!

Easy place to launch and retrieve, and plenty of shelter. 

Headed out towards a feature, but stopped just short as it was a little snotty to start off with.  Within seconds of the bait hitting the bottom, I was into the 1st doggie of the day, which would be the 1st of about 40 (that's not an over exaggeration!).

I feathered away and picked up the odd solitary jumbo mackerel.  Cut up in a nice tope bait, the mackerel soon became doggie breakfast.  As the flood started and tide picked up, I managed to get amongst some nice sized huss, not massive but just shy of double figures I'd estimate.

You have to love huss - even the most docile has bad attitude!!

I managed a couple of starry hounds (to around 7 or 8lb) to crab, but it was hard fishing though the dogs, and the mackerel were a little on the sparce side, but the ones I did get were big ones.

All too soon it was time to head for home - (just as the wind completely died off and the fishing was picking up!).

Will definitely be back down there soon for another crack at the tope!