Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 604 i Sea Angler

A POPULAR MAR ON THE WIRRAL peninsula, Vale Park is particularly noted for its spring plaice fishing, but offers year-round sport for a range of species. It has easy access and parking too. Fishing is either over high tide from the long promenade that separates the park from the river, or over low water from a sandy beach. When fishing at low water, anglers must be aware that the gully across the beach will fill behind them as the tide rises. Aim to start leaving the venue one hour after low water. For those fishing on the promenade over high water, be aware it can get very busy with anglers, dog walkers and cyclists. Take care with your bait, baited hooks and during casting. During the summer the northern end…

GETTING THERE From Hull, take the A1033 towards Patrington and Withernsea. At Hollym turn right on to North Leys Road, which takes you to Holmpton Road. Turn right again towards Holmpton. There is a small area for parking, large enough for three or four cars, directly opposite the village road sign and another back up the road towards Withernsea. Do not park in any of the farmers’ gateways or fields. Once parked, walk along the path at the side of the field on the left-hand side of the dyke, until you reach the bunker on the cliff top. Just to the side of the bunker you will find a set of steps that have been very well dug to give access the beach. TACKLE SHOP ■ East Coast Fishing Tackle,…

SINCE THE COMPLETION OF THE Cardiff Bay Barrage shore anglers in south-east Wales have benefited from free access to a new and productive mark. It is an extremely popular mark for many local anglers, including young, elderly and those who are unable to access more challenging venues. If you like easy sea angling, then this is a venue that will appeal to you. It is ideal for a few hours of easy fishing. There are plenty of bins on site; anyone creating a mess or other nuisance will be asked to leave. Casting is not allowed on the inside of the wall because boats are constantly travelling to and from the lock gates. SEASONAL SPECIES Throughout the spring, summer and early autumn, the main species targeted include silver eels, strap…

STORIES ABOUT THE GOOD OLD days generally involve a time when there were more fish in the sea and suggestions that anglers will probably never see fishing like it again. While some of you may have been fortunate enough to experience those times, it seems that these days we have to work a lot harder for our fish, especially when it comes to catching the larger specimens. However, you could argue that harder fishing brings a higher reward and more kudos. The problem is tough fishing coupled with low rewards won’t keep up the participation levels in angling. Perhaps we just need to accept that certain species of fish are in decline and may never come back to the levels that some of us once knew. The massive decline in…

BASS ■ Shore: 19lb 13oz 8dr John Locker ■ Boat: 19lb 4oz Wayne Milton BLACK BREAM ■ Shore: 5lb 5oz 1dr C Le Monnier ■ Boat: 6lb 6oz Tony Heart COUCH’S BREAM ■ Shore: 2lb 15oz 1dr Lynton Carre ■ Boat: 7lb Becky Lee Hodges GILTHEAD BREAM ■ Shore: 9lb 8oz Scott Smy ■ Boat: 10lb 2oz Roger Simcox PANDORA’S BREAM ■ Shore: 1lb 2oz Baz Wheater RAY’S BREAM ■ Shore: 6lb 1oz Jordan Colwell RED BREAM ■ Boat: 6lb 4oz Patrick Meegan BRILL ■ Shore: 6lb 12oz Mark Griggs ■ Boat: 13lb 10oz Tony Hayward BULL HUSS ■ Shore: 21lb 9oz M Urquhart ■ Boat: 23lb D Nicholson BALLAN WRASSE ■ Shore: 9lb 4oz Darren Swift ■ Boat: 9lb Glen Carter CUCKOO WRASSE ■ Shore: 1lb 13oz Joe Edward…

WHILE SOME ANGLERS may enjoy travelling several hours to fish offshore, I’d sooner spend a day inshore fishing over clean ground for various species of flatfish. I’m much happier using light tackle in shallow water for dabs or similar species than cranking up double-figure lumps of fish through hundreds of feet of water. There is another reason too. If you’re looking for a tasty feed of fish then fresh dabs served lightly grilled with a squirt of lemon juice take a lot of beating. Dab fishing is as easy or as complicated as you care to make it. While dedicated flatfish anglers favour multi-hook rigs adorned with a colourful selection of bling, on most days I’d argue that provided you have the right bait on your hooks then that is…

THOSE WHO NOW ME WOULD agree I’m fairly competitive when it comes to fishing. It is not a childhood trait but is just part of me, whether I want it or not. The advantage is it pushes me to persevere and get results, some of the time. This got me interested in a year-long kayak fishing competition taking place from January 2021 to January 2022. I managed to catch nine of the 10 species on the list and just needed a pollack to finish off my slam. Basically it works like this: You catch the fish on the species list, measure it and send off image and log to the organisers. You can boost your score at any point in the year by improving the size of a fish you…

1 Top rig for all cod fishing is the Pennell pulley. Its two-hook paternoster arrangement suits all rig styles. A large, long bait requires a Pennell, so there is a hook at each end. 2 Onshore westerly or south-westerly winds along the English Channel coast, Bristol Channel and South Wales are usually most productive for winter cod. Easterly and north-easterly winds are best on North Sea coasts. 3 A big bait is often the way to go when seeking big cod from shore or boat. A large bait won’t be taken by a smaller fish, but is harder to cast to long range. 4 Set up a feeding frenzy of whiting or dabs by consistent and accurate casting with a baited three-hook rig and, eventually, a big cod will muscle…

Each month we’ll award a prize to the best shore, boat and lure/LRF question. ■ The shore winner receives two spools of Sufix Tritanium Neon Orange mainline, two spools of 40lb to 80lb Sufix Zippy Shockleader and two spools of Sufix Shock Max 0.18mm-0.50mm tapered shockleader worth £52. ■ The boat winner receives a 300m spool of Sufix 50lb X8 Stealth Green braid and a 250m spool of Sufix 50lb Matrix Pro braid worth £53. ■ The lure/LRF winner receives five of the new Rapala MaxRap lures worth £65 To view the full range of Sufix and Rapala products, visit: www.sufixfishing.fishing and www.rapala.co.uk T&Cs: * One prize per winning question will be chosen by the editor. Prizes cannot be exchanged and no correspondence will be looked into. We reserve the right…

Q I caught this ugly looking fish on a recent wrecking trip in the North Sea. Some have told me that it is an anglerfish, others have argued that it’s a monkfish. Which species is it? DAVID HURST, BISHOP AUCKLAND, COUNTY DURHAM DL says: Both groups are correct; to a point. The fish you caught is an anglerfish, Lophius piscatorius. However fishmongers and restaurateurs call this species monkfish. In angling and biological terms monkfish, Squatina squatina, is an entirely different species, which are also often referred to as angel sharks, which are classified as being critically endangered. If caught angel sharks must be returned. Q What flares should I carry aboard a 16ft boat, which I mostly use inshore? LUKE GIBBS, LEDBURY, HEREFORDSHIRE DL says: The standard recommendation is an…

1 Tie a 45lb swivel to the end of your trace body line using a grinner knot. 2 Measure the amount of line needed for the body in this case 100cm (approx. 40in), allowing another 15 cm (6in) for the lower link clip knot. 3 Slide on a bead, 45lb swivel, another bead and a crimp for the upper snood, followed by a crimp, bead, 45lb swivel and a bead for the lower swivel. 4 Tie the Genie link clip to the end of the rig body. 5 Push the components for the top snood swivel up under the 45lb swivel on the end of the rig body and, using crimping pliers, lightly squeeze the crimp. 6 Slide the components for the lower swivel to the bottom of the rig…

WIN SONIK LUGGAGE Sea Angler has teamed up with tackle company Sonik to offer you the chance to win these fantastic items of sea fishing luggage worth £107 We’ve got four pieces of this smart kit to give away to one lucky reader. The prize is part of Sonik’s range of waterproof luggage, which features six items, ranging from a rucksack to a rod holdall. In this online entry competition you can win a Sea Rucksack, worth £49.99, a Fish Bag (£21.99), Trace Wallet (£12.99) and Cool Bait Bag (£21.99), all featuring the smart blue and grey livery complete with the Sonik branding. The rucksack has a rigid base and hardwearing PVC fabric, anti-corrosion zips, padded harness, grab handle, sternum strap, and two quick clips. The capacity is 35 litres.…

BLOOD BANKS WALES OPEN Amroth, Pembrokeshire, 48 anglers Dogfish, flounders and dabs featured in this match organised by Pembroke & District AC and Osprey SAC. Winner of the £200 first prize for the heaviest bag of flatfish was Andy Young with three flounders for 1.435kg. Second prize of £100 for the heaviest fish went to Peter Taylor for his 0.860kg dogfish, while in third place with the second heaviest bag weight was Kirsty Culley with two flounders for 0.900kg. ■ Result: 1 Andy Young, Llanelli, 3 flounders, 1.435kg (4pts); 2 Peter Taylor, Saundersfoot, 0.860kg dogfish (3); 3 Kirsty Culley, Llanycefn, 2 flounders, 0.900kg (2). BRITISH OPEN Deal, Kent, 131 anglers There were plenty of dabs, dogfish, bass and whiting to keep the competitors busy in this popular event, with winner…

With the 2021 Penn Sea League reaching its climax, are you registered to compete for a share in the annual £10,000 worth of prizes during the 2022 season? If you haven’t registered before, now’s the chance to qualify for the annual prizes. In addition, there is a monthly prize of a Penn reel for the angler scoring the most points for matches covered in each issue. Annual Penn tackle voucher prizes remain at £9,000, along with £1,000 for the winner of the annual Penn Final. The event will run in line with shore match events within the calendar year (January to December). In 2022, the League will be administered on behalf of Sea Angler by the Sea Anglers Match Federation (SAMF) and returns to one division. Therefore, the annual tackle…

IT’S A FUNNY THING HOW A SEA angler’s passion can drift in and out of focus. Life just passes quickly and while fishing is a constant in most of our lives, it’s very easy to get side-tracked with the multitude of other things that occupy everyday life. My issue has been slightly different for the past year. Rather than other things getting in the way of my bait fishing, I found myself gravitating to LRF. However, rock fishing is where I found my passion in angling. There was nothing more appealing to me than fishing a very scenic, deserted piece of pristine coastline in Dorset, Scotland or the Channel Islands. As soon as summer concluded and the black bream arrived here, I started fishing for them with bait and it…

GETTING THERE Leave junction 1 of the M53 and follow the A554 to New Brighton. Drive along the promenade and to the roundabout at the Marine Point Retail Park. Turn right to keep on the A554 and head up the hill. Turn into Magazine Lane and follow this down until the old gate structure of the magazine and turn left into a cobbled road. Free parking is available here and allows easy access to the promenade and also to the beach via the double slipway. TACKLE SHOPS ■ Bonners Bait ‘N’ Tackle, 114 Victoria Rd, New Brighton, CH45 2JF, tel: 0151 638 0883. ■ Shack Bait and Tackle, Leasowe Road, Wirral, CH46 2RH, tel: 07572 927128. ■ Fisherman Tackle and Bait, 179 Laird St, Birkenhead, CH41 0AA, tel: 0151 653…

BURNHAM-ON-SEA OFFERS A mixed range of fishing from the sand, mud and the seawall. Located in the mouth of the River Parrot, the estuary opens out into Bridge Water Bay. Hinkley Power Station can be seen clearly over the bay, along with the Quantock Hills which head to the west. The seawall at Burnham is just over one mile long and starts near the sailing club on the left-hand side, next to the mouth of the River Brue. The wall then runs up the Esplanade to the right and ends in line with Bay View Road. This is a very comfortable fishing platform which can be fished on many different size tides. It is particularly useful to fish from on spring tides and is a popular match fishing location. SEASONAL…

AT THE FURTHEST POINT ON Clacton Pier is the most popular part of this venue –a berthing arm with a chain link fence that faces out to sea and parallel with both ebbing and flooding tides. Shelters along the arm protect anglers from the weather to a certain extent, but it is worth taking a fishing brolly too. Local anglers use a tripod or rod-rest that they can attach, via a bungee strap, to the posts between the fence because resting a rod on the chains is difficult. Day fishing permits (£7.50) are valid from 8am-6pm and allow an angler to fish with two rods. An annual permit (£75) gives 24-hour fishing throughout the year. Pendulum casting is not allowed. SEASONAL SPECIES In summer expect bass, dogfish, garfish, mullet, thornbacks,…

Much like European bass, the health and viability of the Atlantic striper fishery is a complex issue with multiple stakeholders. Most observers agree that it isn’t heading in the right direction. After stocks were decimated in the 1970s through overfishing, a massive lobbying effort led to an act being passed limiting the striper catch across multiples states, with the threat of closing the entire commercial and recreational fishery if numbers didn’t recover. Over the next several years, the fishery staged a dramatic comeback. In a predictable pattern however, this eventually stirred commercial interests into agitating for opening the fishery. This duly happened with what many felt were overly generous harvest limits, and stripers are now threatened again. Recreational anglers are not free from blame in this depressing cycle, but they’ve…

FANCY WINNING SOME QUALITY mono, braid and fluorocarbon from Sufix by catching a great fish? In our catch competition, your target is to catch one over the weight given on our nominated species list. If you do, enter our contest and you automatically stand a chance of winning either our shore or boat bundle. Each issue we award a superb Sufix package to the captor of the best shore fish and best boat-caught fish, both chosen on merit. There is no choice of prize which is awarded at our discretion. Joe Latham, Chilton Trinity, Somerset . FISH: 17lb 8oz bass. BAIT: Ragworm on a two-hook flapper. VENUE: Low water mark on Bristol Channel. DATE: November 7 Kyle Williams, Cardiff. FISH: 14lb 8oz cod. BAIT: Lug and squid. VENUE: Boat off…

SOME FISHING PLANS ARE MORE stupid than others – on paper at least. To fly-fish for halibut, clearly, is one of the more dubious ideas because how are you going to catch a fish that has perfected the art of ambushing prey in massive depths, in powerful tidal currents and along offshore craggy drop-offs? I have hatched many half-witted fishing plans, most of them have never been realised. Those that have, on the other hand, have mostly ended up as failures. Very few have been even moderately successful, but I remember them with enthusiasm and joy. For what is more legendary than achieving some form of success despite all odds? In June 2021, I was fly-fishing for sea-trout in a handful of different ›ords in northern Norway. During my time…

■ The common dab (Limanda limanda) is found in shallow seas all around the British Isles. Not in any way classified as being a sport fish, the species can be caught in good numbers at times when other fish are not feeding. ■ Similar in appearance to both the plaice and flounder, with both of its eyes normally located on the right-hand side of its body, a dab’s back is usually pale brown or tan in colour, occasionally with scattered darker blotches and speckles. Dabs do not have the very bright orange spots found on plaice and can be distinguished from flounder by their translucent body and rough skin. ■ The average size is probably under 1lb but at certain times of the year, such as mid-winter, fish weighing more…

ALL BOAT OWNERS SHOULD BE aware that there are specific maintenance requirements for an auto-inflate lifejacket, which, in an ideal world, should take place once a month, six monthly or annually. Once a month, you should open the jacket cover and check the CO2 cylinder is screwed in tightly and free of corrosion. If there is corrosion the cylinder should be replaced immediately, so it doesn’t cause damage to the lifejacket bladder. Annually (or six monthly for a lifejacket that is used all year), you should remove the cylinder and check its weight is above the minimum gross figure stamped on the casing An underweight cylinder must be replaced because it is leaking. There is no margin for error. Visually check the bladder too, particularly at the folds, for any…

Although once a common choice for both shore and boat fishing, the reality is few anglers actually use mussels nowadays, yet they are eaten by a wide variety of fish in many situations. While retaining some popularity in Scotland and in the North East of England, this bait’s soft nature doesn’t lend itself to power casting, while the chore of removing the flesh from its protective shell makes it less appealing. Although they catch well in the summer, I look at mussels as my winter replacement for summer’s peeler crab. This is a bait full of juice, full of scent, relatively easy to collect or buy, appeals to a lot of species including cod, bass, plaice, flounders, dabs, whiting, coalies and more, and is exactly what they expect to find…

Q Is there anything I can catch in winter doing LRF or must I wait for spring? PHILIP HANDLEY, VIA BLOG BB says: The great news is that we are now in some of the best LRF months in my opinion. Not only do all of the mini species, such as scorpion fish, gobies and blennies, bite all through the winter but also you may find shoals of mackerel, herring, garfish and school bass in good numbers. Targeting specimen flounder on LRF tackle is addictive. Unless I’m targeting wrasse, I find the best fishing is at night, preferably near some form of artificial light but that’s not essential. Whether bumping your lures along the bottom or fishing midwater, fish slowly and try to ensure the pace is just enough to…

Contains clear, concise, easy to follow step-by-step knot-tying illustrations by Andy Steer of recommended sea fishing/big game fishing knots and set-ups. This publication should help you to gain a solid base of reliable, tried and tested knots, enabling you to land more fish. It will also help you protect the environment and save money by losing less tackle. Disclaimer: No responsibility in any way is accepted for incidents arising from the use of this material.Paperback: www.amazon.co.uk/ dp/9071747271/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_9M.MFbWMHPV9SeBook: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00S72QYX0/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_…

PENN FATHOM II 20 LW RRP: £189.99 Because the Penn Fathom II 20 LW is designed for extreme use, I took it out on my charter boat, AlyKat, out of Minehead, Somerset, with a view to testing its durability by targeting congers. With several fish up to 30lb soon taking our offerings, the Fathom, with its reinforced level-wind line-lay system, was more than a match. With its 5.5:1 retrieve, it is easy to think that you can simply winch a fish aboard. Of course, this is never the case, and hefty fish should always be played in the usual fashion. When the going gets really tough, the Fathom stood its ground. It has a robust look and is comfortably sturdy in the hand. Its full metal body and side plates…

PENN MAG4 BEACHCASTERS RRP: FROM £312.99 Many will see the launch of Penn’s new flagship Mag4 beachcasters as a breakthrough into a higher price band. Within this range there are three rods covering a variety of mixed and rough ground fishing. I got my hands on two of the three – the Mixed Ground rated for casting six ounces (170g) and the Surf & Rock rated eight ounces (225g). There is also a Mixed Ground seven-ounce (200g) version. Each of these three-piece hybrid rods (styled Medium, Medium/Heavy and Heavy) is 4.27 metres (14ft) long and designed to be used with a Penn 515 Mag4 reel for ultimate casting performance. With these rods being hybrids, anglers can actually use either a fixed spool or multiplier reel with all three versions. As…

FROM READING THE RECENT BASS blog: ‘Bass legislation - A Summary’, it is clear that 1988 was a turbulent year in the history of regulations relating to bass management and the fight to protect immature fish from the rampant exploitation that was occurring at the time. Mind-boggling amounts of bass were being caught and transported to the continent (as there was little demand for bass here in the UK at that time), such as one boat alone that had taken 85,000lb (38.5 tonnes) of bass in a few months and two lorries a week were regularly travelling from Wales to France with an estimated £700,000 worth of bass. Initially, there was hope that this slaughter could be halted with the proposed introduction of a Minimum Landing Size of 36cm for…

DECEMBER 2011 ■ Dorset angler John Knight caught an 11lb 4oz turbot and 7lb brill on consecutive drifts, while fishing from Silver Spray, skippered by Sam Cumming, out of Poole, Dorset. ■ Fresh mackerel strip produced a 7lb 2oz plaice for Isle of Sheppey angler Dave Hughes while fishing the Varne Bank aboard Andy King’s Louise Jane, out of Dover. ■ Cod had arrived at Chesil Beach in Dorset, with a 15lb 8oz fish for Tony Newbury, of Poole. His catch followed reports of other fish of 15lb 1oz and 14lb 3oz from the big beach. ■ Analysis of angling-related search and rescue incidents highlighted poor maintenance of boats, a lack of life jackets and little knowledge of safety procedures. The worry conclusions were listed in a report from the…

SEEMINGLY ON THE ENDANGERED list, the mud-dwelling flounders of Poole Harbour have been increasingly difficult to locate during the past few years, yet when given the correct tide and weather conditions there is a realistic chance for anglers to catch a few fish. Being the world’s second largest natural harbour there is certainly plenty of scope to find them due to the numerous small inlets that hardly ever see a rod, especially along the more remote western shoreline. During a bitterly cold day during early January 2021, just a couple days before the third lockdown came into force, I joined my old pal and flounder ace Steve Lawrence from Poole to tackle Redhorn Point, which is located in the south-west corner of the harbour. We used the Studland/Sandbanks chain ferry…

LOCATED ON THE ERODING Holderness Coast, Hollym beach, known as The Runnels, usually has a gully running from the south side of Withernsea down to Holmpton. For the last couple of seasons the access to the beach from the high cliffs of Holmpton has been almost non-existent due to the coastal erosion, so it is best to approach from the safer lower cliffs and steps adjacent to the bunker at The Runnels. SEASONAL SPECIES Early spring is rated for bass or a run of cod. In spring and summer, this is a good venue for a mixed bag of fish, such as dogfish, thornback rays, codling and smoothhounds. Expect bags of cod and whiting in winter. TACTICS This mark can be fished on almost any tide and you can often…

GETTING THERE The area is very accessible. Parking is only a very short walk to the fishing. Leave the M5 at junction 22. Go straight across the roundabout and pick up the B3140. Follow the road and go straight over the next roundabout. You then need to turn left at the mini roundabout, which takes you on to Oxford Street. Drive up Oxford Street and take the third turning on the right which brings you on to College Street. Drive all the way up College Street until you reach the Esplanade. The seawall can be accessed from various points up to the left and right hand side of the Esplanade. TACKLE SHOP ■ Thyers Fishing Tackle, 1A Church St, Highbridge, TA9 3AE. Tel: 01278 786934.…

ALLAN SAUNDERS IS ONE OF LIFE’S survivors. His energy and vivacious nature is infectious and after hearing a part of his story, I approached him with an idea to interview him about his life and how he nearly lost it to addiction issues. After 35 years in the frontline as a community psychiatric nurse, I feel qualified to say it’s not an exaggeration to state that angling saved Allan’s life. He was several times on the brink and angling helped him turn several corners. He’s well regarded in East Coast fishing circles, not just for his angling and advice to others, but for his charity work and never-ending gusto for helping people out. Q Firstly, tell me how you got into fishing? AS: My early childhood years were spent in…

BASS BOAT ■ Adam Cawley, Beer, 10-0*, Beer, Nov 17 ■ Anita Lilley, Poole, 11-8, west of the Needles, Nov 5 BASS SHORE ■ Ian Conibeer, Ynysforgan, 10-6*, Carmarthenshire, Nov 14 ■ Chris Gamble, Padstow, 9-13*, Cornish estuary, Nov 7 ■ Steven Gatland, Modbury, 12-0, River Tamar, Nov 13 ■ Lui Hollomby, Hedge End, 8-8, Chesil Beach, Nov 9 ■ Joe Latham, Chilton Trinity, 17-8, Bristol Channel, Nov 7 ■ Chris Locke, Newton Abbot, 10-8*, Bristol Channel, Nov 14 ■ Dean Roper, Gwent, 12-4*, Sully, Nov 13 BULL HUSS SHORE ■ Ryan Johnson, Minehead, 12-5*, Bossington, Nov 11 ■ June Stokes, Bridport, 8-8*, Burton Bradstock, Nov 4 COD BOAT ■ Luke Groom, Ogmore Vale, 16-0, Port Talbot, Nov 10 ■ Antony Richardson, Pontypridd, 14-8, Penarth, Nov 10 ■ David Sims,…

• The Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is the world’s largest flatfish. Its geographic range stretches from Canada and Greenland east towards Northern Europe and Russia. Limited, mainly, to the Arctic reaches, in some instances it occurs g all the way down to the 36th parallel. • Typically found in deep water, halibut also appear in shallow water, particularly during autumn and winter. Here, they settle in areas with sand, abraded pebble and rocks, clay, and scattered vegetation. • Halibut are fierce but slow-growing predatory fish that feed on everything from herring, eels and crabs to coalfish, trout and salmon. They become sexually mature at the age of seven to 10 years depending on the habitat, but can live up to 60 years. In the meantime, they can reach lengths of…

BEFORE I DELVE INTO THE depths of why I like wearing a flotation suit, I must explain something. Regardless of what manufacturers try to tell us, buoyancy aids and flotation suits are not lifejackets. A true lifejacket will turn an unconscious wearer with their face upwards in the water so that they can continue to breathe. Buoyancy aids and flotation suits only have the ability to help the wearers help themselves, which means you must remain conscious and be able to swim if you end up in the drink. Proper lifejackets come in various forms. Some get all their buoyancy from a foam filling, while others have either manual inflation or are activated by a CO2 canister. They also come in a range of buoyancy ratings, but the minimum standard…

JUST LIKE THE giant trevally and the immensely powerful cubera snapper, the mullet snapper is a relative newcomer to the tropical sports fishing scene. Also known as the smooth snapper, the mullet snapper (Pargo Lisa) has a long, slender body displaying a series of distinct longitudinal lines, which set it apart from most other snapper species. Averaging perhaps 10-20lb, the IGFA record of 45lb 12oz was caught in 2007 off Cerralvo Island, La Paz, Mexico. TOP TACTICS Like almost all snapper species, these are almost always caught near structure, typically submerged rock piles and reefs. Some fish are hooked in surprisingly shallow water and become almost impossible to pull into clear water before they reach cover. Therefore it is essential to use suitable tackle. Most are caught in deeper water,…

Removing a mussel from its shell is easy if you know how. It’s called skeening. I was shown how by a Yorkshire cobble fisherman, who used a short, blunt-pointed knife. I use a metal broad-bladed table knife. The knife does not need to be sharp, just strong, because you have to lever the shell open with the point of the knife. When you look at the shape of the mussel, the inside edge has the beard that is used to attach the shell to a surface for strong anchorage. The point of the knife is pushed between the shell where the beard is, before twisting the knife handle to partially separate the shell. With the fingers, or knife, ease the two halves of shell apart. Use the point and edge…

JAMES MADSEN Bristol Channel angler James Madsen is here to solve all your shore angling problems. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. MARK CRAME Suffolk-based Mark gets a thrill from fishing afloat on a kayak. Send him your kayaking queries. HENRY GILBEY Angler, blogger and photojournalist Henry, based in Cornwall, is our lure expert. BEN BASSETT The Plymouth angler and blogger will provide answers on the sport of light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic.…

As previously detailed in this series, those rigs where the hooklengths hang freely from the swivels are called flappers, while those allowing the hooks to be fitted on to cascade swivels or similar are known as clipped rigs. Last time we showed you a two-hook Bomber rig where the snoods were clipped. This time it is a one-up, one-down, which is a variation on the theme of a two-hook flapper. In this instance, one hook snood positions a bait below the lead weight while the other places it above the sinker. Another versatile choice, it can be used to catch many types of fish, where the hooks can carry the same bait or a different option on each. Hook sizes can vary with, say, size 4 to 1 fine-wire versions…

To answer the many questions about leader drop lengths, I’ll focus on the areas that can make a big difference. This involves a bit of measuring and testing at first, but, later on, experience will let you find the right length for any rod quickly and mostly by feel. Bear in mind that so far as beach fishing goes this is not the exact science it must be for tournament casting. Somewhere in the ballpark is usually good enough. Consider half the rod length as generally a good starting point for this exercise. The underlying rules are these: The longer the drop, the softer and more slowly the rod comes under compression, also called loading or bending. The shorter the drop, the harder and more quickly the rod begins to…