19th June

Marina East and West arms

Barry and his first Horse mackerel

Popped down to the marina this evening, for my first pleasure session in what seems like a very long time!! A few shoals of mackerel were showing towards dusk, but still running in small pods, rather than in a big shoal. I met up with Barry, a client who had a very miserable float and prawn session a few weeks previousl. He was doing better on this evening though. ALso met another friend who had fished in the afternoon, Tom, plus my mate Steve. The fishing hadnt been up to much in the afternoon, with low tide and a stiff swell to contend with. But as Barry retrieved for the umpteenth time, his hook was intercepted by a scad. I though I had seen a shoal in the inner marina a couple of weeks ago, but this is the first one I have seen "in the flesh" this year. Also a new species for Barry, which is always a result!

A wee maid for Barry

Next new species for Barry was this little thornback. They never fail to please, just from their total cuteness. Even more pleasing when they are double figures, it has to be said!! With darkness now upon us, I decided to push a crab out a fair way from the wall. When out with Yousif, John and Callum the previous day, I had come aross a reaonable number of empty spider shells. The spider moult is often the signal for the marina hounds to jump up in size, and I wanted to test the theory.

Marina Hound

First bite, a pouting. Second bite, the tip went round, stayed round, and I was attached to a hound. A very different fight on the marina compared to the beaches, they tend to swim in with you, wondering whats going on, until you get them to the foot of the wall, when they liven up some what. I wasnt sure if I hadnt hooked a half tidy bass at first, but instead it was this hound in the 4lb range that I swung in. The tide was dropping away fast, and Tom said his goodbyes. I asked Barry if he fancied a move. He is peachy keen for his fishing, and jumped at the chance. There have been a few nice fish on the West arm this last week, despite the small tides, so we popped across to have a go over a dawn low tide. There was a slight chop, but really to be in with a chance we could have done with some slap coming up. And so it was to be, our mackerel sections unmolested by anything other than Velvet swimmer crabs. With the daylight came the anglers, and our tiredness. With the lack of action, we were both happy to call the session to an end.