11th June

West Sussex beaches

3lb puppy, my only fish of the night

I wouldnt normally have booked this tide in for hounding, owing to the constraints of daylight with it being so close to mid-summer now. But with all the fish coming on the flood on these tides, and Tom being the unlucky chap who missed out on the quality fishing on the Tuesday owing to his work commitments, we decided to give it a go anyhow. We set up and began fishing, but at the alloted time not a lot happened. Then I recall fluffing a take, and then got another one resulting in the 3lb fish above.

Tom's first ever sea fish. At 9lb 1oz, quite a feat!!

Tom is yet another convert from the dark side. Living by the sea, it was inevitable that he would eventually want to discover the secrets within. He had experienced the fight from decent fish, carp and so forth. But when his rod nodded, then slammed over, his face was a picture to feel the exhileration of a beach hooked shark. He played it superbly, taking it easy, and patiently allowing the fish to run as it wished to. Eventually it was in the surf, and then having its picture taken. At 9lb 1oz, a truly cracking first fish for Tom. The light was already creeping in way to the North East, and with it the en of the action. Had this tide had a bit more darkness to it, then I am sure we would have got some more action. But, the end of this tide bought the end of the hound antics until the tides drop well within darkness once again. And yet again. both fish fell to a D-Breakout sheltering an Essex crinklie on a running paternoster, 3/0 Viking and 50lb trace.