Catch report - Ilfracombe - 8th June 2016 (21)

Date: 08-06-2016

Time of day: Afternoon - evening

Location: Ilfracombe

Mark: Capstone

Low Tide: 02:46(0.88m) 15:02(1.08m)

High Tide: 09:06(9.10m) 21:23(9.08m)

Time fished from: 17:20

Time fished to: 21:20

Weather: Warm and sunny, rather steady gentle wind from left to right

Sea: Clear, a swell of about 2ft to begin with but increasing to over 7ft after 8pm.

Method: Float | Feathers

Bait: Frozen mackerel strips | 5 hook pink hokkai rig

Caught (weight): 1 Pollack (0lbs 1oz, Guessed), 2 Pollack (0lbs 4oz, Guessed), 2 Pollack (0lbs 6oz, Guessed), 2 Pollack (0lbs 7oz, Guessed), 4 Pollack (0lbs 8oz, Guessed), 4 Pollack (0lbs 10oz, Guessed), 4 Pollack (0lbs 12oz, Guessed), 1 Coalfish (0lbs 5oz, Guessed), 1 Garfish (0lbs 5oz, Guessed)

The Session: I set up the float rod first and cast it around 30 yards out with it set to a depth of around 6ft. There was a fairly fast tow so I quickly set up some mackerel feathers and recast the float a few times. It was about 3/4 of an hour before I had a bite and it canme on the float rod. A small pollock was welcome. From this moment on I fished the float more than I used the mackerel feathers because I was having so many bites. I was getting bites by casting just 15 yards out and the size of fish varied from an ounce or two to 3/4 of a pound. At about 8'oclock the swell of the sea increased noticeably and I prepeared to move once the sea reached my feet. I hooked two garfish but only landed one, amongst the string of pollock I caught. I probably had around 10 pollock shake the hook before I could lift them out of the water. I moved at around 20:20 due to the incoming tide and I then increased the depth gradually with each cast. It was during this time that I hooked a coalfish, and, upon increasing the depth of my float to 18ft I hooked the biggest fish of the session at around 12oz. It had swallowed the hook and was bleeding badly so I dispatched it and decided to make a couple of small fillets out of it. I was extremely pleased with the session and learned that it is always worth changing depth when the bites seem to dry up, to get the bites again. I packed up very happy with my session but was disappointed that what looked like seasoned anglers moved position leaving rubbish for the incoming tide to take away.

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

Set up 1: Rod: Shakespeare Alpha X Travel 11ft telescopic Fixed spool (£16.99) [ > 2 years 11 months ] Reel: Lineaffe SX50 Fixed Spool (£10.00) [ > 3 years 0 months ] Mainline: Maxima Chameleon 20lb 600m (£17.99) Hooks: Sakuma Circle 440 size 2 30 per pack (£5.55) Hooklength: Shakespeare Omni-X Connect Clear 15lb (£5.49) Other1: Fladen Pencil Float 210mm (£2.00)

Set up 2: Rod: Shakespeare Omni Mackerel 10ft 2 piece Fixed spool (£16.95) [ > 2 years 5 months ] Reel: Abu Cardinal 176 SWi Fixed Spool (£34.99) [ > 1 years 8 months ] Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb (£17.99) 600m Lure: 5 hook pink hokkai