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.

Casa del Udderman

After our trip up to Sharpies it was time for the next leg and for Sharpie and me to go down to Malky's.

Sharpie picked me up around 6 a.m. and after a pitstop for rolls and coffee we quickly headed off on the road. The plan was to arrive around 10 and have lines in the water for 11.

And so it was after bacon rolls and more coffee we headed off over the hill at Malky's. Cracking spot and Malky is a lucky man having a fishing spot like that on his doorstep. Over the dyke and down the slope out to the rocks, Comfortable fishing for three folk.

 Recently Malky has had some great catches there, but unfortunately it was not to be. For the 4 hours we spent there we only had 2 bites on the 5 bait rods we had out, and I had one small bass (I think) rise at my spinner. So sunbathing and banter it was before we climbed the hill again to be fed and watered (lovely stew courtesy of Mrs Udderman).

Then off for the evenings flattie bash, the stroll down to the beach was not as long as anticipated and nice and flat. The coolness of the evening making for a pleasant walk and mare banter.

The speed of the incoming tide was far quicker than I have experienced before. I was just dropping my rigs at the waters edge and walking back. Quite quickly having let out 200 yards of line before rebaiting.

Still as far as fish were concerned Malky's son, with a flounder, followed by Malky's couple of flounders were the only to be had for the evening. Still nice walk, good company and a few fish for Malky and his laddie.


There was a lot of discussion as to where to go the day after. A few rock marks locally were discussed, but we eventually decided to head down to the Mull of Galloway.

So after a hearty breakfast courtesy of Malky it was off on a quest for fash, and being on a blank any fash at all! We quickly found the rock mark we had decided upon and got the baits out. The weather continued to be glorious and was possibly partially responsible for the fish being shy. Malky pulled in a steady stream for doggies whilst Sharpie and I just sunbathed and rebaited occasionally!

Sharpie was the first of the visiting team to catch bringing in a small LSD. I've seen them curl up regularly, but this was the first I had seen already curled up on the way in lol.

I didn't have too long to wait to get my own blank off. Again a small LSD. Followed on my last cast with another.

It was soon time for a change of mark after a pitstop for some scran.

Unfortunately it was the same story no fish and plenty of crabs as we fished the tide in at the new mark. Still I got in some good casting practice. We were all planning another days fishing but after some broken sleep it we all decided to call it a day and head off home.

Despite the poor fishing as ever it was great to get out and about and have a couple of banter filled days. Big thanks to Malky and his clan for the food and board, great hospitality.

Looking forward to the next round...

Loch Linnhe - 04-07-2011

Bait - Squid and Mackie
Rigs - hook flappers - 3/0 circles
Tide - High >>>Low
Place - Loch Linnhe


After importunately having to miss the WSF meet yesterday I was determined to get out and have a day's fishing in the great weather. I was swithering between a local mini species hunt and a trip over west to try for thornies. When I got up the weather convinced me that west it was to be.


Up the A9 to Dalwinnie and across to Spean bridge and beyond was the route. The A9 was a nightmare now the schools are off, caravans everywhere so it was a bit after high tide when I arrived at my spot.


I quickly set up and had the baits out. 


I decided to use circle hooks for the full session as know people that have very different opinions on them and I wanted to test them properly myself. From the outset I was getting a lot of bites and they seemed to be classic doggie bites. but (even with not striking and letting the bites develop) no fish landed from the first half dozen casts.


Then came my first thornie bite and I was hoping the circle hooks would come into their own. I've learnt the hard way to leave thornie bites till you are sure they are hooked up. So I was patient and waited for the hook to set, lifted the rod and fish on! 


It didn't give much of a fight till it was about five feet from shore and it was landed in quick time. A lovely fat thornie a tad over 3lbs I'd guess.   It was well hooked in the middle of the mouth making it easy to unhook and release after a couple of pics.

Happy with that as it is my first of the year and my target for the day :)


I switched one of the rods to 2/0 j hooks  to try to get my 2nd target a Grey Gurnard. 


The large amount of missed bites continued on both rods so I don't know if it was the circles or particularly small fish ripping bites off the bait. There were (a lot) of small sea trout leaping all the time I was there, roughly half a pound and under, some only 3-4 feet from the waters edge. Just wish I'd taken a spinner, ho hum.


Still there was not much longer to wait for the next fish. After another string of what I thought were all missed bites I reeled in to change baits and was chuffed to find my 2nd target species a Grey Gurnard :) 

Funnily enough it had taken the large circle hook, but was nicely hooked in the corner of the mouth and again was quickly unhooked and released.


At this point I had a bit of a disaster when my tripod fell over and cracked on of my tip rings. I don't know if it is me or my tripod, but this happens way to often to me, boo :(


So now down to fishing one rod and the bites tailing off I decided two more casts and I'd be off and I was glad I had the extra casts as I landed another thornie. Much smaller than the first, 1.5lbs, but with very pronounced thorns. Very photogenic it was too. 

I have to say that thornies are quickly becoming my favourite fish just due to the real variety in patterning etc. 

With that I packed up and was off homeward bound, with another two species for the year under my belt.

Operation Udderman: A Beach too Far! (part 3)

Day 3 - Portsoy and Sandend

The plan was to be up and out early again but tiredness (even Malky was missing his afternoon sofa naps!) and a bed was double bubble. So a couple hours later than planned, and after another top feed (fry up) courtesy of sharpie we were off to the first stop of the day Portsoy.

The rocks behind the old outdoor swimming pool was the venue and when we got there a couple of guys were already bringing in the mackies.

Fresh Bait incoming.

Malky went right out to the point with his bait rods to see if there were any takers in the sand to the left and front of the rocks there and had a wee bit of a spin for some fresh bait.

Meanwhile sharpie and I set up closer to the shore but were having a bit of an issue with the weed there. Not snagging or losing gear but covering and masking the hooks. Still the sight there of huge shoals of sand eels boiling in the water as the mackies arced into them was pretty entertaining.

After about half an hour we moved up to the spots vacated by the guys who were there first when the left. And so we went about filling sharpies cool box to be frozen down later. Feathers and spinners were the way to go with mackies on almost every cast.

With the cool box full and Malky having no luck with the bait rods after a couple of hours we were off. Stopping off on the way to the next spot for ice cream as the weather at this point was lovely again.


Sandend beach was to be the final stop on the tour of the East and North East. When we got to the carpark the weather was still lovely and sunny but the onshore wind was starting to pick up a bit, but nothing too dramatic.

Still up with the rods it was, a bit along the beach due to the surfers in the waves at the western end. It's certainly a popular and busy beach with plenty of folk staring as though they've never seen a fishing rod before. As the afternoon progressed the waves, the wind and the weed all increased and nae fish to show.

So after about three hours when the surfers came back out to play and the weather turned to look like it was about to rain. The great trip all ended for all of us with a blank, so unfortunately Sandend was a beach too far!

This trip over Friday 10th - Sunday12th June was cracking fun. Big thanks to Malky (my chauffeur) who is a true gent and a real aficionado of  innuendo (in your end-o!). Lots of laughs along the way with Malky, Sharpie (great hospitality mate), Daveraver (nice to meet you) and Rauri.

Canny wait for the next trip wherever it is and I'll remember to take a hell of a lot more photo's next time.