Catch Report - Unnamed - 21st July 2018 (7)

Date: 21-07-2018

Time of day: Evening

Location: Unnamed

Mark: Rock Mark

Low Tide: 07:07(2.60m) 19:38(2.74m) 08:18(2.79m) 20:50(2.80m)

High Tide: 00:57(7.67m) 13:33(7.34m) 02:03(7.35m) 14:43(7.24m)

Time fished from: 19:20

Time fished to: 23:47

Weather: Cloudy and occasional sunshine with a small almost head-on wind.

Sea: Clear and choppy with an increasing swell of up to 4 foot causing some waves to crash against the rocks

Method: Ledger (Homemade pulley rig with rotten bottom)

Bait: Frozen peeler crab

Caught (weight): 1 Smoothound (4lbs 12oz, Weighed), 1 Smoothound (5lbs 0oz, Weighed), 1 Smoothound (8lbs 4oz, Weighed), 1 Smoothound (3lbs 8oz, Guessed), 1 Smoothound (7lbs 5oz, Weighed), 1 Smoothound (5lbs 10oz, Weighed), 1 Smoothound (6lbs 5oz, Weighed)

The Session: I arrived just before low tide and headed for the spot where I fished a couple of weeks ago. This time I took a landing net with me to see if it helped me land the fish easier, though due to the long drops to the sea at some points it may prove to be no better than manoeuvring myself to a position where I can reach down to pick the fish up.

I had 8 pulley rigs ready made, some spare hooks and 10 4oz weights with some already attached to a rotten bottom link to make it quicker to attach them to the rig. As I was setting up I had high hopes of catching because some nearby anglers hooked two fish before I had cast out.

This time most of my casts were a shorter distance, going around 60 yards. I used my tripod again and after the first cast I set the drag very loose while I arranged my tackle so I could unhook, weigh and photograph the fish again in relative comfort and safety, using a large coat as cushioning for the fish.

I then sat with the rod butt leaning on my knee and tightended the drag and held the rod, ready for a quick take. I didn''t have to wait long, the tip began moving a bit sharper than the movement the tide was causing before a sharper pull, I lifted the rod, tightened the line and felt the fish still pulling so I struck. I felt nothing and I reeled in a half chewed crab which was still useable after whipping on with some more elastic. I recast as quickly as I could and waited in the same position again.

As I checked the time, the rod tip began moving again. Only 11 minutes had passed since the first bite. This fish pulled harder and kept going. I stuck and hooked it and played it for a few seconds before I felt a jolt and the fish came off the hook. Not to be disheartended as if this was an indication of how the session was going to go I''ll have used up my 14 crab in a couple of hours. I rebaited and recast and then missed another bite, again after around 10 minutes. I figured I was stricking too soon. Last time I did not sit close to the rod and left the drag loose, only going to the rod when I noticed a bite so I suppose the fish then could have already given the bait a good pull before I noticed whereas this time I was detecting the first stage of the bite and possibly not giving the fish enough time. I decided to do that again on the next cast.

Just another 10 minutes passed and this time the first pull was a good one and the fish continued to make the rod tip move, indicating it had a good hold of the bite so I decided to strike. The fish was hooked and made a few good runs which made me think it was a big fish. When I managed to get it near I used the landing net to get the fish, which didn''t feel much easier as the tide was making the fish move around so much that on top of the net catching on the barnacles it was quite difficult to get the fish in, but once it was I was happy I had the first fish. A quick photo and weighing and back it went on the next decent swell.

It was over an hour before I had the next fish, I had 3 bites by then and again two of them I hooked but lost. The crabs were coming back so I made the most of it and re-wrapped elastic and re-used the bait. Then a bite occurred that was quite gentle, after several minutes the fish hadn''t made an big pull so I decided to strike and at first I thought I missed it. So I left the weight fall briefly before deciding to reel in and recast. As I tightened up the line I felt a big pull. Either the fish was already hooked and had swam towards me, or it swam after the bait and took it again. I used the next again and as with the first time it wasn''t as easy as I had hoped but I think I still reduced the risk of losing the fish or losing my footing. This fish became lively one it was in the net so it was probably a good thing as I climbed back up the rocks to weigh and photograph it.

50 minutes passed before I had the next bite and I was begining to think the missed and lost fish earlier were my opportunity to match my last session here and it had now gone. But then I had another bite, the tip juddering and bending down a little several times before being pulled down hard. As I lifted the rod my line caught around the rest head and I thought I''d missed the fish while I freed the line, but it was hooked. Now with fish number 3 landed my hopes were raised again as I saw the size. It was the biggest fish of the session and barely moved one I took it out of the net so I was able to put it back very quickly and get the bait back out there.

It was 22:15 now and darkness was falling. the waves were increasing in size and frequency, I had now moved further up the rocks and was already planning where to put my rod rest on the next move. I waited 20 minutes for the next bite which turned out to be the smallest fish of the session but which gave a good account for itself. The final 3 fish were caught roughly 20 minutes apart. One in particlular stipped so much line from the reel before I could get to it I thought it might be huge but it was average for the night. I struggled more with the landing net for these last fish as the opportunity for landing was now in shallower water where the net just caught on the barnacles. I ended up dropping it down and lifting the last fish out. Not something I''d plan to risk given the swell and waves now, but I knew it was time to pack up anway so I needed to get it quick. I lost the lead weight aswell because it had caught in the rocks somewhere in this shallow part.

I had caught one more smoothound than last time and gained more experience of the mark. I was more than happy and now set about getting back up the cliff, which itself was easier the second time, but I needed to take a break during the walk up the steep grassland to the car.

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

Set up 1: Rod: Daiwa seahunter Z 13ft 2 piece MFS (£42.99) [ > 0 years 1 months ]

Reel: Shakespeare Agility Surf 70FD Fixed Spool (£39.99) [ > 4 years 2 months ]

Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb (£17.99) 600m

Hooks: Sakuma Manta 545 2/0 (£5.39) 30

Shockleader: Gardner Slinky 60lb (£6.99) 100M

Hooklength: Sunset Amnesia 40lb (£4.50) 100m