Watching Sharpie catch fash Part 3

Sunday

4 a.m. came and went with a brief return to consciousnesses only to find the rain pouring down again and no signs of life from the other two so turned over for some extra kip.

Come 7 a.m. the weather was nice again but the tide was ripping through once again. We all decided to call it quits so unfortunately a triple Wind Sock blank was the result!

With Big-Al homeward bound Sharpie and I were off north again to Loch Linnhe or Leven for more fashing. Stopping first at the brilliant Onish Post office for brekkie.

Now at this point and wary of a whole weekend long blank I suggested the picnic area on Loch Linnhe to try to get a doggie for me at least! When we arrived there was one guy spinning who only had a single small pollock to show for his efforts.

Still expecting a load of doggies we just fished one rod each. And lots of doggies it was, well for Mr Sharpe! I had plenty of sharp knocks on the rod but nothing was hooking up. Then finally something on the line is it just a huge clump of weed or actually a fish. Clump of weed it is, but hey ho want is that a tiny wee doggie as well surfing in amongst the weed. Closer, closer, then to fall off the hook just before I grab the trace to let it go. A few choice words later and with Sharpie getting a bit bored of hauling in doggies and a foul hooked dab to boot. Off we moved to another mark for possibility of thornies.

Of we went and 20 mins later we were unpacking the gear again. With only about three hours left of the weekend fishing two rods it was as the thought of going home with not a bloody sausage caught for so many hours put in was too much to contemplate.

The previous form started again with Sharpie landing doggies whilst I got bites and reeled in clean hooks. Still with loads of bait left there was plenty of fresh(ish) stuff so no need to scrimp. And the persistance payed off with a wee doggies finally coming in. Plenty times doggies have saved my blank but not in a spectactular weekend long blank like this!

Shortly after sharpie got the call he was dreading, back to work, so it was rods way. Thinking he had a large lump of weed on reeling in his last rod shapie was pleased to find a reasonable sized thornie.

And that was that as they say for the weekend, 1 spurrie, 1 thornie and 100's of doggies to sharpie and 1 single solitary doggie for me. An enjoyable weekend oot and aboot but probably the most miserable fishing I've had since starting up again last year. Sharpie used to joke I was his jinx, I think this weekend proves it is the other way around lol.

Watching Sharpie catch fash Part 2

Saturday 3 September 2011

Up at 5 a.m. to find the rain still on but definitely less forceful. Baits quickly out and kettle on the boil, keeping an eye out for a break in the weather so we could break camp as dryly as possible. We eventually fished till about 9 a.m. before the rain stopped and in all that time neither of us had the fainest rattle. So it was tents and gear into the van and off to Oban for a fry up (not the cheapest but good quality).

After a few stops to recce some possible new (for us) marks we went to Taynuilt pier meet Big-Al to see if we could get any mackies. None to be had but thankfully Al had caught a few on the way up. So of it was to the Wind Sock.

New mark for me, but again not one that turned out to be fruitful on the day. Weed and tide getting the better of us. A few tangles and retrieved crack offs later the lack of any action had us combing the lowtide mark. A few goby's and butterfish under rocks and millions of crabs were an interesting aside. Sharpie retrieved around a dozen sinkers and rigs.

When the tidal rip got really bad the fishing was knocked on the head temporarily and we retired to the camp and planned to start again early morning over the next low tide. So a couple of beers, food and chat it was to be for now. Al's face was a picture when he found out just how hot the sauce in his donner pot noodle was! And sharpie must have a mouth and stomach of iron as he went on to finish the lot.

As the moths etc started to gather round the lights we noticed bats flitting about us. It was pretty cool watching them as they swooped round and between us only inches away at times. After a while though we all felt the need for some shut eye and turned in with the intention of getting up at 4 a.m. to hit the low tide. On turning in I found out that I seemed to have pitched my tent on a cobbled street as there seemed to be more rocks than grass under my tent. Despite the discomfort I was quickly out for the count.

Watching Sharpie catch fash Part 1

Friday 2 September 2011

The plan for last weekend was to head to somewhere on Etive and meet up with Sharpie and Big-Al, hopefully for a decent spurrie session.

Sharpie was going to pick me up as he is working nearby currently and as luck would have it he finished early so we were off to Etive on the Friday night as well as the Saturday. With Big-Al wanting to fish the Windsock on Saturday we opted for the priory. Partially as it has been a productive mark for Sharpie but mostly as it is easy access to the van and ground we knew so we could pitch our camp easily enough in the dark.

It was just starting to rain as we arrived so first priority was to get the tents up and the gear inside without getting wet, which we both managed just before the heavens opened. Still it was only about 9ish and we were determined to get some fishing in despite the weather's determined effort to deter us. And it was quickly so two rods out each and waiting on the bites. As we had not actually planned to get out that night the tides was not best placed and almost at high tide as we started to fish and being a large tide we were quickly fishing on the grass by the time high tide was reached.. But we noticed that there were 100's of crabs, big and small, right round our feet and we were actaually accidentally standing on them quite often due to the sheer amount. Due to the poor fishing I actually resorted to dropping in wee bits of washed out bait and watching them scuttle about. I'm usually cursing crabs for stripping out but they actually were quite amusing to watch for a while.

By the back of midnight Sharpie had a one spur (round the 3lb mark) and a LSD and all I had was one decent feeling/fighting fish lost in a snag so we decided to get some shut eye and get up around low tide.

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.