16th May 2005

 

Forecast for Saturday was strong easterley winds and lots of rain. Didnt even bother heading down to Brighton until Sunday morning, and as a result I didnt manage to get any prawns. Opened the Cafe about 11, and left the staff coping with the huge crowds (I wish...!!) whilst I went along to the middle of the short arm to see what was happening. I had picked up twenty crackng peeler crab from the tackle box, and when I set up I managed to ponce four slices of mackerel from Simon, one of the marina regulars. While I was setting up I saw another angler land a small spider crab, so I'm thinking that by the next set of bigger tides there will be a few smoothound around, which was confirmed to me by another of the regulars, Andy, who had had a hound of a pound and a half only during the week off the beach. But as for this day, once more small tides, bright sunshine and a little algae bloom didnt leave me feeling very confident. Somebody along the arm swung in a garfish, but everybody around me float fishing wasnt even geting a bite. So I rigged up a four hook paternoster, a very gossamer affair made from 6.8lb amnesia, with droppers spread through a full twelve feet to cover as much water as possible. On these droppers a size 4 aberdeen (Garfish really hammer the bait, and short shank hooks I find far more difficult to remove) and slim slices of mackerel strip. This I dropped in twenty yards from the wall. The other rod I baited with a lovely big crab, and I pushed this out eighty yards, which was way beyond the disturbance form the floats and mackerel feathers all around. End result:- After about an hour and a half I had a sharp bang on the close rod, and then the tell tale nodding of a garfish attempting to reverse its attack. After a short tussle I swung in a garfish of about a pund. Twenty minutes later, I had another sharp bang which lifted the butt of the rod from the floor, but there was no follow up. And that was it. The crab rod remained untouched, despite being absolutely star class bait. Sod's law that when I look to go hound fishing, all there will be is penny sized peelers!!

So, the week ahead. More small tides all week, I think that if I was in Brighton this week, during the day I would be looking for the mullett in the local rivers, only looking to the marina or perhaps the beach in the hours of darkness. There will be a few mackerel and Garfish caught, but there should be more and more school bass appearing and there should be a few bigger ones amongst them. I would imagine that if the weather stays reasonably settled, that there will be quite a few sole caught along the long arm at night, on black lug and ragworm, or, if you cna get them, maddies.

 

Till next week....................