Report - kayak - Lydstep 08/02/15

Flat calm perfect conditions, but lots of seals about. Fishing very quiet with only dabs reading the script. Gorgeous couple of hours out though!

Report - The Haven - Kayak - 24-01-15

2 hour session out of Gelliswick on the kayak, wind over tide on big springs made the trip interesting - but with teh tide due to ease doen to LW, conditions were fine to fish.

Target was thornbacks!

1st up was a tiny poor cod.....

Then the TBR's came on the feed.....biggest going approx 10lb.

Managed to vary it up with a few pouting.

Half a dozen dogs

And a single whiting.....

Once the tide eased and I turned on LW - conditions were lovely!

Nice busy 2 hour session (and the lowrance worked a treat!!)

Report - Burry Port 19/01/15

After missing a few of the trips East, I finally had a small window today to get afloat (after all it is my birthday and I have a very understanding wife (most of the time!) - what a stunning day to get out!.

 

2 options - take time to travel East to somewhere I know the codling are living, or gamble, experiment and stay local and hope for the best?!! 

 

More fishing time won so off I trotted somewhere North of the Gower armed with some frozen blacks, a couple of squid and some manky 8 year old garfish fillets from the freezer (they were for the turbot on the shambles, but hey ho!).  Tide was bit big, but I fancied experimenting and travelling out a fair way.

 

45min paddle out West (I should have left a little early for an easier trip) and soon the hook was down and I was fishing. 

 

1st half hour was slow and I was thinking of moving when I had the 1st bite, and landed a nice codling of around 2.5lb or so. 

 

 

That's when all hell broken loose on the dab front - it was difficult to keep 2 rods in the water with double and triple shots of good dabs flying over the side (mainly to frozen blacks - but squid worked too).

 

 

I even managed back to back to back triple shots on dabs, and after about 400 of the beggars I thought I'd call it a day.  Dismantled one rod and swung the kayak round to pull up the anchor, but as I was swinging round I noticed a bite on the other rod, and was soon lifting another nice codling out of the water.

 

Sat bow into the tide I thought I'd have one sneaky last drop (over the shoulder job - couldn't be arsed swinging back round) - and within a couple of minutes I was lifting a near 4lb'er over the side. Back down and another comfortable 2lb'er, and then another! Crazy 15 or 20 minutes - but I really had to go - so decided to slip the last one back as I already had a few nice ones for the table.

 

Only 1/2 decent pic that came from my new 'muvi' camera - more practise required.

 

Fair do's the tide was thumping through today (7.5m Llanelli scale).  I've fished it from boats before, but only on neaps - still plenty of fish about (and the landing back in Burry Port was also a bit hairy with some nice surf rolling in).

 

Stayed dry tho (just!!), and bagged 5 codling and around 70 - 100 dabs - strange thing was that I didn't get a single whiting?!

 

 

 

The fridge/freezer is now replenished and my species hunt is off the mark (when I get a chance to submit)!

 

 

Report - Yak - Aberavon

After setting my sights on a blonde at Sully, everything seemed to conspire against me....... 20 min late starting from the house (long story) heavy traffic, lack of lug in dragon baits to try for a codling on the 2nd rod, realising at dragon baits that i only had one rod in the car (not quite lrf but light!!).......you get the drift though!

Torn between my plan B (oxwich) and plan C (newton)........ Somehow (something to do with traffic) i ended up at Aberavon.

Launched in no time and through the surf was soon paddling out on a mill pond and heading towards mumbles head (i was still contemplating oxwich!! Lol).

Dropped the hook about 1/2 mile off the tip of the long arm and was soon into a fish a drop (probably a fish every 2 or 3 minutes. It was a steady stream on woofers, dogs, growlers, swansea bay spotted sharks, barkers, lesser spotted dogfish and jumbo doggies!

Removed any fish or squid scent or bait, and it soon changed - it was now a whiting a drop. At the same rate as the doggies were previously, with the odd dab and a solitary pout to vary it up a little.

Not a codling to be seen anywhere.

The highlight of my morning has to be a nice thornie (on frozen blacks) - guestimate around 8lb or so.

 

 

Doggies cme back out in force, so i made my way home. Beached safely in a few nice waves (my bad timing!) - and stayed dry.

Not plan A, B C or D, but with a flat calm sea a few fish and a day off work it was a great day out. Gutted though to have missed the guys in sully. Next time ill be more organised!

Report - Milford Haven 20/09/14 - Yak

Trying to make the last of the recent good weather, headed West with the family and managed just short of 2 hours on the yak.

Ended up fishing Milford again due to the stiff North Easterly breeze.  1st drop I managed a doggie, but it was relatively quiet around low water.  As soon as the tide turned the thornbacks came on the feed, and were out in force.  Managed to boat 7 in about 50 min or so. 

Had to dash after nearly 2 hours, but I reckon the rays would have played ball for much longer!

Plan to get back there soon.

Biggest ray just short of double figures (no pics as left my camera at home!).

Report - Bass mission - Kayak

Stunning afternoon, and a nearly perfect tide, so decided to have a 1st crack at a bass of the kayak.

Cut a long story short - I managed 6 in about 2 hours;

Also managed a couple of mackerel and a herring (or sprat or similar!)

Report - The Haven - Yak

Last day off work, and a half decent forecast so headed West in search of another new species for 2014 - a thornback ray!

1st stop was to pick up some bait, and then on to Gelliswick - nice easy lauch.

After a short paddle I dropped the hook over the side.  Soon after my squid hit the bottom the first dog of the day broke the surface (the 1st of many!!).

After about half a dozen dogs, my rod bent over into what could only be a ray and this fella became my 1st thornie of 2014......

Another 2 quickly females followed the male, biggest probably going 8 or 9lb.

After another 20 or so dogs - I decided to move and experiment closer in to shore..........I probably should have stayed put as I didn't see another fish.

Mission accomplished.....species number 36 of the year caught.

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!

Oxwich - Yak - 27/07/14

Packed the yak and managed a swift 2 hours while down the Gower with Riley today.

Felt the need to exercise the 'dab' demons from last week, and managed one with minimal effort - typical!!!

Anchored close to the wreck and was soon pulling in 3 inch bream and dragonets.

Picked up a pouting to make it 4 species in less than 2 hours fishing!

Shame the dab, pout and dragonet didn't turn up last week.  ;-)

Oxwich Kayak comp 2014 - 19/07/14

Steve and my 1st bash at the infamous SWKA Oxwich kayak competition - a speices hunt, with the person catching the most species the quickes winning.

Nearly 150 competitors turned up on the beach......

 

Steve pre start.......

Me waiting to get afloat.....

A quick paddle out saw Steve and I the first ready to fish (not that that helped!).  30 min later I land my 1st fish - a shanny (common blenny).....

Moving a little further out - I decided to stick the 'hook' down and was soon having instant bites.  On the 3rd drop I managed to get one to stick and it turned out to be a slab of a triggerfish (fought superbly!!).

Straight into the black bream after releasing the trigger.......

I'm holding it as the 1st one I caught dropped off the hook, bounced of my leg and went over the side before I could take a pic - luck that I caught another 6, 8 or so.

After losing my anchor (even after the trip failing) - I made a move out to th ebay in search of dogs, and dabs - easy species (or so I thought!!!).

1st up was a stunning red gurnard....

Then a grey gurnard....

And mackerel.....

After a few more red & grey gurnard and lots of drifting - I finally managed one of the Oxwich resident woofers.....

But the dabs proved elusive for me.  A move to search for wrasse and/or pollack over the rough ground proved fruitless (maybe something to do with the 60 yaks round the wreck!).

On my travels I did bag a my grand slam gurnard - a tub.......

Another tub, and a grey boated, I then decided for one last drift for a dab.  It wasn't to be.

Back ashore for the 'check in' - 8 species and 8th place overall (Bloody dabs!!!! :-)) and a bramd new Conoflex rod in the prizes.  Don't think my trigger was far from specimen of the day either!  Stunning fish

Steve managed a fair few bream, a first corkwing wrasse and a mackerel. 

Oxwich wasn't giving up her fish easy today - everyone had to work hard for them!!!

To finish the day - a swift pint prior to the presentation.

YAK Report - Stackpole - 28/06/14

With 5 x golden nuggets donated to the national trust, jonesbach and I managed to be on the water just after 6am. The fog on the way down was like pea soup, and nearly put us off, but we carried on and were met by stunning clear skies at Stackpole.

An easy high water launch and a quick paddle out we tried for some mackerel with little success. With a fair chop on the water, and wind and tide pushing us out towards the head (which looked as rough as fek!!) we decided to fish a few drifts inside the inner bank.

 

I managed a starry hound to squid 1st drop and Steve pulled in the 1st mackerel of the year for us. Codling and doggies landed and returned, we were both panting a bit from paddling back up tide and wind, and seriously hot, so decided to take an early morning break on barafundle to remove a few layers and have breakfast (a twix and a penguin!).

 

Back on the water we anchored up and were soon into the dogs, and some mackerel. We managed gurnard, codling and scad before we spotted a nearby boat landing a few strings of mackies, so up anchor and a quick move. After about 20min or so we had enough mackies for bait, tea, family, and a few for the freezer.

 

Back out to anchor up for something bigger left us feeding the dogs! Flappers and whole macks (less tails) devoured in minutes, so we up sticks and made out way back to the quay for 12 noon.

Glorious morning and another session under our belts!

Definitely plan on getting back out there soon for one of those toothy critters!!

Report - Oxwich - YAK - 05/06/14

Day off, stunning weather and a light westerley blow - Oxwich bound!

Started off drifting for plaice, with no luck, so decided on an experimental session over parts I hadn't fished before.

1st up was a small codling, quickly followed by a pollack and a ballan wrasse. 

Not a lot of movement except for wind drift, so moved out onto the sand - dabs, lsd and a grey gurnard or two quickly followed. 

No anchoring today - all fish on the drift.

Stunning day, and a few fish to boot. 

Report - YAK - Stackpole 17/05/14

Gorgeous day, but a change to the planned venue.  Was intending on Oxwich, but due to bait issue, and being unable to leave home until 9am, decided to have a short experimantal session on the yak.

Headed West with nowhere in mind really, and eventually ended up in Stackpole.

Easy launch at HW, but a little trickier return close to LW (see pic below).

 Only fished on the drift as I didn't know the area (bottom or full tide strenght etc) and it was pin whiting and dogs every drop from the off.  Some big dogs!

Picked up micro dabs in between and then a couple of these (grey gurnard).....

 

Had a drift or 2 close in for wrasse, and picked up the biggest corkwing wrasse I'd ever seen (stunning fish).

 

Couple of jigs for early mackerel proved fruitless - so it was back to the car.  Do-able on your own - but easier with 2.  Lesson learned - lol!

Stunning place, weather and a few fish to boot.