22nd February - Scratching in Eastbourne

Stuart with the first fish of the session, a small dab.

Have you ever had one of those days where you really really dont want to do something, but feel so obligated that you know you are going to have to? Of course you do, as we all have those situations. And this was my situation as I sat in the kitchen drinking tea, watching the rain fall in a way that suggested the earth needed replenishing after an enormous drought. Looking out to the West, there was no sign of any glimmer of brightness, to even suggest that it was going to stop. I reached for the telephone, and dialled Stuarts mobile number. "Hi Robin, we are half way there" was the response to my enquiry as to their location. Thats a long way from London town, and I didnt have the heart to cancel the session there and then, which is what I really, really wanted to do. Instead I jealously kissed the wife, who had decided to remain in bed, and got ready to get wet.

Stuart and Michael arrived and we drank more tea. A tiny wave of optimisim surged as a brighter patch came over, and by the time we had packed up the car and gone and collected some dontated fresh dug ragworm from Lancing (Cheers Steve, you are a star!!) the rain had even eased off. Talk turned to the potential for sunshine. We headed off with slightly higher hopes to Eastbourne, the choice spurred on by a chap on the worldseafishing.com forum having caught two reasonable plaice, and of course spurred on by not having had a proper session in two months. We assembled the tackle, and the rain had pretty much stopped. A big line of brightness appeared on the horizon, and the world was looking good. Stuart even caught a fish on his first cast!!

My first fish of 2010

Then it was my turn.My first fish of 2010, and I think my face says it all. I REALLY dislike rockling, although it did turn out to be my only fish of the day, so technically was a blank saver. To co-incide with this wonderful fish, the wind suddenly backed Northerly, and all the black cloud that had dropped so much rain began to track back across the channel. In the distance, the structure that sits out on the horizon was basking in glorious warm sunshine. On the beach, the first few drops of rain began again.

Stuart with Flounder

The weather then deteriorated badly. Stuart kept on catching fish though, with rockling, flounder and pin whiting falling to his bait. Poor Michael was unlucky, with a blank, and I had just the one rockling. I hope thats not going to be a bad omen for the rest of the year.

A huge thanks Stuart, for oming down, picking me up and getting me out fishing whilst I am on this by now extremely frustrating ban. Lets hope the next trip is at least drier, and maybe with some of those spikey things coming to the shingle.

The tantalizing edge.....