Getting Damp for Dabs

When Burnie from Shoreangler posted he was heading out again after some dabs I asked if he minded me tagging along. We agreed to meet in Montrose and then on to the mark.

Burnie had dug some fresh rag and we both had some frozen mackerel as bait and were using two hook flapper rigs. I decided to fish just the one rod for a laid back easy session whilst Burnie fished the two rods.

Bites came thick and fast as soon as the tide turned and started flooding, with Burnie struggling to keep two rods going at times.
The first hour was bone dry, then a bit of drizzle followed by an hour downpour. I'd brought a waterproof jacket but decided not to bother with the waterproof breeks. Big mistake as I was quickly soaking from the knees down and called it a day as my wellies started to fill up with rain water.

Still we landed a good amount of fish with me managing 9 and Burnie over 20. Burnie managed the numbers of fish and I had a slightly better average size. Burnie also managed to land 3 or 4 small flounders along with the dabs. Nice wee spot I'd love to try into darkness on the flood.

Elliot beach 24-08-13

Off to the beach for low tide up.I got set up just behind a big sand bank right on the lowtide point just where the tide would start coming in behind. When the tide started to flood there was a good amount of water running round the corner and behind the bank. Two baits out one in the slack water behind the bank and one sitting in the strongest flow of the tide.

Quite quickly I got a strong bite on the rod in the slack water, quite obviously a flounder and a bit smaller than it felt only about 21cms but thick and strong. Never snapped as I thought i'd have better. Not to be flounderwise.

Shortly after the flounder was landed my other rod took a mighty knock and unlike me I took the rod up and struck the second nod perfectly. This was a whole different ball game, zig zaging up and down the beach, taking line and leaping out of the water. I thought I had a bass on for a while as I got flashes of silver through the splashes it was sending up. With nothing to snag up on I played it calmly and shortly landed a decent sized fish. Not certain if it is a grilse or a sea trout but a damn good fight and as it was still full of vigor I put it back after a quick snap. It zipped off strongly back into the surf.

I had planned to fish the whole tide up on Sat but the session got curtailed to just a couple of hours due to the worst weed I have experienced on this beach. I was pretty disappointed but it was un-fishable with the flattie rods I had.

Stopped at Riverside on the way home to use up the bait and had loads of flounders but nothing of note so never bothered with the camera. I think it must've been close to two dozen for the couple of hours there.

Sunny but slow day at Elliot beach

Elliot Beach, Arbroath

With the weather being lovely and sunny and dare I say it a tad warmer than normal I decided to take the opportunity to get out and flex the rods for the first time in a month. I decided to try for a flounder or two over low but just couldn't decide where to head, East Neuk, St Andrews pier, the Tay, Arbroath or St Cyrus. In the end I plumped for Elliot Beach as I hadn't been in a while. Low tide was just after six and I planned to fish two down two up but my impatience to head off turned it into three down one up.

I parked at the back of the golf course and when I crossed the railway crossing found a wooden walk walkway has been put over the back of the  dunes similar to the one at St Cyrus. Good quality and ends right at the top of the dunes, all good. A nice calm sea greeted me and after scanning the beach I decided to go down right and fish what looked to be a wee sand gully. I was pretty hopeful of some fish, but decided to fish one rod close in and fire the other one out (more as casting practice than any hope but you never know).

A wee flounder

The first few baits came back untouched but I was un-surprised as the sea was more coloured than I had hoped and still bloody freezing. At least the air temp was nice, the sun was shining and the dog walkers all had good control of their animals and let me be a good day to be outside all told. After about an hour things started to look better as some bites started showing through and I landed a wee 19cm flounder. Perfectly lip hooked, a quick photo and he was put back to grow up. But rather than being the start of things it was the end. That wee guy must've been responsible for all the bites as once he was caught they stopped. An other three hours of no bites. Still I got some good casting practice in between staring at a stationary rod tip.

Beady Eye

I would have liked to stay and fish the whole tide up but when the sun set the temp plummeted and I realised I had made the error of not bringing warmer gear to fish the darkness so off home it was with the single flounder. No blank and a nice day out at least.

Wee trip to say hello to Sharpie

After an invite up to Elgin to stay with Sharpie for a night, we decided to meet up as Sandend Bay for a few hours fishing into night then see what the following day would bring weatherwise before we decided where to go.

On arrival the weather was cloudy but reasonably warm (for the time of year) and the wind no more than a stiff breeze. First thoughts were to target flatties until dark O'clock then see if there were any silver spikies about. As there were half dozen to a dozen or so surfers in the bay when we arrived we walked towards the far end of the beach to set up and see what was about. Lots of different baits went out, mackie, squid  lug, sand eel  bluey and prawns.


Things started well, first in was myself with a not bad flounder of 22cm. This was quickly followed by a belter Sharpie reeled in, 29 cm and pretty chunky.

All I was getting was casting practice (but I need it :))and stripped baits. Sharpie was much the same till after another hour he landed a lovely double shot of fat flounders at 28 and 27 cms.


The wind was building and the skies becoming more menacing as dark fell. But this didn't stop Sharpie. Another double shot of flounder 27 and 29cms.

So the flattie bash part of the session went well (for Sharpie 5-1) for the couple of hours we were at it. Unfortunately the bass hunt never really got began. A couple of casts in we were hit by a really strong wind and heavy (and bloody sore) hail storm. And after I just managed to stop my tripod going over for the second time we decided discretion was the better part of valour. We were lashed all the way back to the cars with pretty big hails stones, face and hands stinging by the time we got the gear stowed and off to Sharpies for some scran and to plan day 2.

Sick Kids Charity Comp - Eiliot Beach Arbroath

Sunday was the annual charity fishing competion to raise some badly needed funds for the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh. I had been looking forward to this as it had always clashed with other things and this was the first time I was free to fish it.



Early arrivals wait for the start

Registration was 8 - 9 a.m. with fishing 9:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. and it was a pegged match which means you pull a number out of a hat and the luck (or lack of it) give you your stance on the beach for the day. I pulled out 22 from the hat and after exchanging a few hellos with some folk wnodered down to see where I was on the beach. Turned out I had been drawn right next to another Jedi SAC member, Sultzer. We were down at the peg early so had a lot of time to chat to others as they came down to the beach to find their own pegs.

Weather was absolutely beautiful and there was just a gentle breeze in the air and nice a warm. Perfect for a sociable days fishing catching up with some folk I'd not seen in a while and hopefully also catching a few :)

And we are off

My second wee flounder

After a waiting a while the time came to start fishing. As it was a catch and release competition everyone was limited to fishing with one rod and a rig with no more than three hooks on it. Fishing was slow for me all day long, but there were some really nice Turbot being landed all along the beach. Unfortunately now chanced by my hooks and all I had to show for the day was two small flounders. Still won a case of beers and another couple of things in the raffle.

Best of all the day raised over £2,000 for the Royal Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh. 

Operation Udderman: A Beach too Far! (part 1)

Bait - Anything and everything
Rigs - As above
Tide - All
Place - Various beach, rock and pier marks in East and North East Scotland


After a lot of PM's, where to go, what species to target, it was D-Day for all the strategic planning to come into action.


Day 1 - Arbroath to St Cyrus


Malky 'Udderman' picked me up and after a short pit stop for a coffee he was quickly ready to crack on with our three day tour. First stop was to be Arbroath cliffs to see if there were any wrasse to be had. Parking up at Vicky Park it was obvious that it was going to be a cracking day weather wise and hopefully the fish going to come out to play.

After a quick walk along the cliff we chose our spot to start the weekend. A nice flatish rocky platform into fairly deep water, about 15-25 ft at high tide. Both of us using sliding float rigs and worms to try and entice out the fish. Working around the rocky ledges and occasionally into deeper open water we moved along the mark and back for a couple of hundred feet trying different spots to no avail. Nae wrasse to show. 


Time to change tactics and see if there were any other fish to be had, pollock was the objective or possible some mackies for fresh bait for the weekend. So out with the the spinners it was and quite quickly Malky was into a fish and landed a coalie. I followed shortly after with one of my own.


Fair bit of fun with light gear. We landed about 16 or so over 40 mins the largest about 2.5lbs. Skate bait anyone?


It was a couple of hours before low tide now so we packed up and after a coffee and a natter it was off to Eliott Beach for flatties.

We got the rods out about an hour before low tide and started to scout about to see if there was any lug to be had. Very few casts around and small worms didn't make Malky's effort worth while. We did fine a couple of sand eels washed up onshore. Probably due to the sea bird activity a few hundred yards offshore. 


Despite varying bait and hook sizes Malky caught the solitary flounder of out 3 hrs on Eliott. First time I have blanked there in numerous visits, nae happy!


 So after a not so swift visit to the chippy it was off to venue three of the day St Cyrus beach to meet up with Malky's pal Daveraver. I'd never met Dave before but he is a nice guy, good to chat to and a pleasure to fish with.

When we had walked down to the beach we found that there was a horde of teenagers having a party on the beach and trying to start a fire, lots of smoke and not many flames, so we set up little off to their right. One of the girls went over to Dave to ask what we were doing. Hmm fishing rods, line, hooks etc a bit of a no brainer there. Dave moved to the other side away from them to avoid any more daft questions. To be fair to them they didn't bother us the rest of the night even if they did have a shit taste in music, though I didn't see a lot of rubbish bags being filled.


Fish wise it was slow to begin with but once the sun lowered in the sky and the wind dropped the fish turned up. A few single flounders for us all and one double shot to Malky. Malky also catching the only dab. I think Dave had four or five flounders when he packed up and Malky and I had five each plus the one dab for Malky when we packed up shortly after.


Day one over it was back to the car for four hours kip (I was to be on milk time!) with a good few fish each. 


Not spectacular fishing but a good day none the less and two more to come.