Catch Report - Ilfracombe - 14th June 2020 (4)

Date From: 14/06/2020 15:30:00

Date To: 14/06/2020 21:30:00

Time of day: Afternoon - evening

Location: Ilfracombe

Mark: The pier

Low Tide:

Moon Phase:

Weather: Sunny with passing black clouds but very little wind

Sunrise/Sunset:

Sea: Very clear with a swell of around 3 feet.

Method: Ledger (shop bought up and over rig) | Ledger (shop bought pulley rig) | Float

Bait: Frozen medium sandeel | frozen mackerel segments | frozen mackerel strips

Caught:

The Session:

After my disappointing week off work where I only managed to get out for a few days I got out again just before I went back to work. I took my float and ledger rods, intending to float fish if the pier was busy but do some ledgering if it was not.

When I arrived there were several people all fishing and just as the lower pier cleared of water I exercised angler etiquette and allowed those already there to take what positions they wanted and I set up in an available space. The first rod I set up was a ledger baited with sandeel which I had from over a year ago and had refrozen once or twice, and I gave it a good whack, which in the still air looked like it went 80 yards. I then set up my float rod but while doing so I had to reel in my ledger a few times so as to avoid approaching boats from running through my line.

Once the float was set up I just dropped it down the edge at around 18 feet deep and gradually went shallower with each cast until low tide. I then set up the other ledger rod and set it a bit shorter than the first, around 60 yards.

During the first couple of hours the only activity was to a young lad who had a Pollock on his float rod and a couple of small species from the inside of the pier. I chatted to his family every now and again as well as the other anglers to pass the time. I paid more attention to the float rod than the ledger rods, bnot only because it was drifing over the steps and railings so would likely get snagged but also because I was trying out a new 3D printed float I had made and it seemed water tight and very visible in the water. I just needed to see if it affected how the fish took the bait when they went off hard.

Just before 6pm the float began to dip under. It dithered almost as if whatever took the bait struggled to pull it but it soon went down probably a few feet before I reacted and lifted the rod into a pollock that may have been 1lb. It wasn't the sign of a shoal being around though and so that was the only fish for another hour. No-one was catching at this point and one angler had gone home fishless.

Then While glancing away from my float I caught one of the tips of my ledger rods bending down. It was the one with the Sandeel on. It straightened and then bent a little bit and did this a few times before it bent a lot more so I grabbed the rod and lifted into the fish. I suspected a Dogfsih for the firt moments when reeling in but then I felt the thuds of the fish pulling back and I was sure it was a Ray. Sure enough after a slow but steady retrieve I was able to get the fish near the edge of the pier and lift it over after seeing the hook had a firm hold. This was my first Spotted Ray of the year. I guessed it to weigh 2lb but them decided to weight it and found it went to 2lb 14oz, so 2lb 11oz after deducting the weight of the sling. I returned the fish and got another bait back out as soon as I could. In fact I just added another Sandeel to the mashed up bit that was still on the line.

Not long passed before My rod tip began moving again and it was noticed by the family I was talking too. Just a few seconds passed and the tip began moving again. I gave it longer this time and watched as the tip moved as if the Ray was gently pulling back and forth until it hooked itself and made off when it felt the hook. I have seen videos of Ray feeding on peeling crabs and noticed how the Ray sits just above the seabed continually sucking the crab in and then ejecting it just enough to stick out of its mouth before repeating it. I guess a fisherman just has to wait until during tha action the suck off enough bait to leave the hook protruding enough for the fish to hook itself, and this one certainly did that.

It fought a bit harder and kept well down until it was under the rod tip when we all saw the flash of its light colour and this was Ray number 2. This one looked a bit bigger so I added a few ounces to the weighed one and then put it back. No sooner as I cast the rod back out the other one showed a bite. On the Sandeel rod again, the tip The tip bent hard with no warning and so I struck but missed it. I got another bait out as quickly as I could. Soon after putting the rod in the rest the other rod tip began bedning down. I had Bluey on this, which I had been given by the angler who had packed up earlier after catching nothing. The fish appeared to have hooked itself as it made off soon after the first pull and I struck, felt it briefly and then it let go. I kicked myself when I got the bait back after seeing the hook had pulled into the bait so I had no chance of hooking a fish on it unless the fish chewed the bait a lot, but this one ran with it.

Back out that rod went. I checked my Sandeel and found I only had 3 left. The family were leaving now and I knew I would be once I'd used up the Sandeel. As luck would have it I had another bite on the Sandeel and the third Ray appeared again after keeping down low until it was under my rod tip. This one was a male, around the same size as the 2nd one. It was deep hooked and I made the wrong decision to try and get the hook out. I thought it would be more acceptable to onlookers than making a quick decision to cut the line at the hook eye, and the fish failed to swim off when I put it back in the water. I also caught my hand on its spikes a few times and caused a bit of blood cover my hands. A lesson learned I hope. Next time I should just do what I feel is best without putting myself under pressure.

And as quickly as all that action started, one hour later it all stopped. I began packing up after putting on my last Sandeel quite happy with my success especially as no-one else had a bite during that time even the ones who were also fishing with sandeel. I gave a little sigh though as when I picked up the things I had in my tripod net when I found two open sandeel packs with a Sandeel in each one. Maybe another cast or two could have produce another fish eventually. At least I;d had a good session and to think I was only expecting to be able to float fish.

Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]: