Mair Mini's

Bait - Prawn and Lugworm
Rigs - Sliding Float & Paternoster
Tide - Mid Tide >>>High
Place - Cellardyke

After the successful(ish) first attempt at mini species at Arbroath cliffs a couple of weeks back  I thought another bash at expanding the mini species list was in order. Especially good preparation for the Skate trip next week :)

I'd asked my wife to come along in the vain hope of getting her interested in fishing (a bit) so it was to be an easy spot and my first thought was Anstruther. So with the car packed we were off at the crack of lunchtime, but when we got to Anster harbour it seemed that there was some sort of gala on with pipe bands etc. Though both piers were empty bar a couple of folk we could see fishing we couldn't find anywhere to park up. So Cellardyke was the next choice quick drive over to find a parking space right next to the harbour wall.

So a quick trot along the wall to the end to find a nice calm see and that the tide was in just far enough to fish without venturing down to the rocks.

Had the mini rod out with a two hook paternoster (size 4 and 6 hooks) and a sliding float rig on the bass rod (size 1). Hoping for anything on the mini rod and wrasse on the float rod.

Quite quickly the mini rod was tugging in my hands and as I reeled in I could see a double shot coming up in the shallow water and two shanny's (I think) quickly appeared.

One bigger...

and one smaller...

Mini rod was re-baited and I passed it to Alison to see if she could catch her first fish. Time to take in the very neglected float rig expecting the bait to have been stripped only to find a lump I firstly mistook for some seaweed masking the hook. On closer inspection it turned out to be my first Sea Scorpion (Long Spined I think but not sure) so another species for this years list :)

Ugly beggar.

At this point my wife piped up 'something is tugging on the line' so I told her to reel it in and lo and behold another shanny made it's starring appearance as her first catch.

It was a lovely day, bit breezy, but we could only stay a couple of hours before heading home. I did try spinning for a while after I saw some gulls diving quite close in but never had any interest at all. Still a very enjoyable short session and a big difference from the skate trip planned for next week.

A few more pics.

  

Arbroath Cliffs - 06-08-2011

Bait - Prawns
Rigs - Jelly Worms and free lining
Tide - High >>>Low
Place - Arbroath cliffs


Not having had a trip out in a while (busy and bad weather) I had been keeping an eye on the weather forecast closely over the last couple of days. The plan was up early doors for a mornings fishing off the cliffs and back home in time to watch the Scotland -v- Ireland rugby match. So it was happy days waking up to overcast dry weather with little wind.


Up and out quick smart just light gear for spinning/float fishing and my mini rod for my first bash at mini species. Travelling light for the cliffs. Fairly uneventful trip to Arbroath apart from as I was driving through Dundee something caught the corner of my eye  just after I turned onto the Arbroath road. Turned out to be a Sparrow Hawk mantling over prey. Nice sight in the city.


Parking up at Vicky Park and a short walk up an over the cliffs to the mark I'd decided to fish at. I was glad to find the sea fairly calm just a gentle rolling swell and fairly clear. Not quite gin clear maybe more cloudy lemonade :)

So it was out with a flapper with mini hooks firstly, then to toby spinner on the other rod. After a fruitless 15 mins or so I decided to change the spinner for a red tailed jelly worm and a lead head. The change did the trick, first cast of the jelly bang mackie.

I thought that I might get a few to stock up on bait and a couple for tea. Not to be unfortunately. It was my first time using lead heads and jellies so I don't know if it was something in my technique but I just couldn't connect with anything else. I did feel several more fish hit the lure but no more hook ups. Maybe just smaller fish, but they didn't feel like it.


I wasn't having any better luck with the small rod/hooks until at one point as I re-baited it I noticed something take the washed out bait I had thrown in on the other side of the rock from where I was casting. After breaking a prawn up and dropping the bits down the side, I could see that there were quite a number of small fish coming out the rocks and from under the sea weed. I decided to take off the flapper rig I had been using and put a single size 8 hook on the 5 lb line I was using. After a couple of false starts I was fairly quickly in with what I think is a Shanny.

I was pretty chuffed as it was my first ever mini species. 

Pretty fun trying to winkle them out of the nooks and crannys. I ended up with about a dozen or so before I left for home and the rugby.