Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Sea Angler

UK sea angling suffered a great loss last month. I was deeply saddened to hear the news, on a damp October evening, that Mike Millman had passed away. His death came as no great shock: he had been ill for some time and knew the end was approaching. However, as I knew there would be, there was suddenly a gapping void in the history of UK sea angling. Mike had a meticulous archive of the history of sea angling which he had accrued over his nine decades, and while much of it was documented in his writing, I fear much more will now be lost forever. A contributor to Sea Angler since the very beginning back in 1972, Mike’s work ethic was formidable: despite being terminally ill he was still…

There are few greater sights in sea fishing: The water erupted in front of us. The still film shattering with thousands of panicked prey, followed by hundreds of pursuing predators. Summer had truly arrived and the blood thumped with vigour through our veins, as every cast was met with a huge hit on our lures. Little did we know what we were going to experience when we stepped out that evening, but it turned out to be one of my most exciting sessions in years. The grubby dock of Millbay, in my hometown of Plymouth, was my intended mark for the evening. This would be a post work hunt with my Big Lerf partner in crime, Rich Salter. Millbay, despite continued gentrification, still struggles to be called a beauty spot.…

The sea lochs of Scotland’s west coast are a rich hunting ground for skate, spurdog, rays and a myriad of other species. Some of them are less accessible than others and some of them (I’m talking about you, Loch Etive!) can be frustratingly difficult to fish for no apparent reason other than one day never being the same as the last. One of the easiest, most picturesque and most consistent spots (albeit not for skate or spurs) is Loch Fyne, which is part of the lower Clyde system and relatively easy to get to from most of central Scotland. The head of the loch at Cairndow and around the other side, just after the famous Loch Fyne Oysters, are easy to fish and safe for those less mobile or with…

YOUR FISHING CATCHES HOW TO ENTER Email only to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk Please supply these details: angler’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, type of FISH, weight of FISH, where caught, DATE caught, BAIT/rig, whether caught from shore or boat, if from charter boat, give name of boat, port and skipper. Please state if the FISH was retained or returned. Send us your entries and win some great prizes ■ SHORE LURE OPTION: Solaris 4000 or 5000 reel, RRP: £60, Epixor 15-50g rod RRP: £80 ■ SHORE LURE OPTION: Solaris 4000 or 5000 reel, RRP: £60, Epixor 15-50g rod RRP: £80 ■ BOAT: Classic CLX, RRP: £60 Cortez Boat Rod, RRP: £90 ■ SHORE BAIT OPTION: DSA reel RRP: £60, Wave Power surf rod, RRP: £80 YOUR TARGETS... Catch a FISH on…

The Bristol Channel is renowned for its fast-flowing coloured water, sometimes rendering it a daunting prospect for many anglers wishing to give it a try. However, I believe that within this natural phenomenon lies the secret of the success of many of its inhabitant species. The colour in the water is simply sand in suspension; when this falls out, it lays on the bottom creating vast sand bank areas. Over time, these areas become home to many types of life form such as crustacean and fish fry which, in turn, become the very food that many of our fish species rely on to survive. The speed of the water is dictated by the tides, which will vary depending on the current stages of the moon’s cycle. One of the families…

NEWS The first fluorocarbon fishing line was a carbon compound “vinylidene fluoride resin” fluorocarbon. Kureha started production in 1970, and in 1971 Japan’s first fluorocarbon leader “Seaguar” debuted. Manufactured using fluorine atoms contained in fluorite, the raw material is pelletised PVDF monomer produced from the extracted fluorine compound. These early fluorocarbon lines were originally used as leader material only, primarily in saltwater. Sunline was established in 1977 with a focus to create the highest quality line and quickly rose to prominence in the Japanese market. In 1981, Sunline launched Kyokurin Hard which was the first line with a waterproof hard resin coating. Soon after, in 1984, Powerd was launched in the Japanese market. Powerd was the first line launched with diameter and knot strength indication listed for the lines. This…

There are three main phases to every cast: preload, acceleration/leverage and release. Preloading means creating suitable tension in the leader so that the rod tip begins working (bending) right from the start. In the Easy Cast method, for instance, it is laid under the rod where it resists the rod tip’s pull just long enough and just strongly enough to take any slack out of the leader and to get the rod working. Good preload and no slack almost guarantee a decent cast without a backlashed reel. The same principle applies to extended off-ground styles and pendulum methods. Layouts and swings are adjusted so that the rod tip comes under pressure at exactly the right time and position to create the perfect prelude to the cast’s main power flow. The…

SHORE ANGLER PART TWO When the Society was formed in 1973 the following aims were agreed, “The aims of this Society shall be to develop and improve the interest and techniques of angling for bass, and to encourage conservation and research of the species throughout the British Isles.” These were well-written and are more-or-less relevant to this day; the first half covering the ‘club’ side, the second covering work on conservation and our own research in support of it. The only change has been a move away from ‘conservation’ (conserving current stocks) to ‘restoration’ (getting bass stocks raised to their former levels, with effective management). THE EARLY ISSUES From the start the main issues were gill-netting, no legal Minimum Landing Size, no protection for immature bass in nursery areas…

Penn’s new Conflict lure rods are their first designed specifically for UK inshore species. Released last year, the Conflict series offers three models – the Conflict Inshore, Conflict XR Inshore and the Conflict Elite. Each model is available in different lengths ranging from 7ft to 9ft 6in, and each with a different casting range. For the past few months I have been using one of the rods from each of the three models. CONFLICT I have been using the Conflict Inshore 9ft 6in Max 45g. At around the £150 mark, the Conflict is the lowest priced rod in the range, so I was not too sure what to expect. However, I was very quickly impressed. Out of the bag, the overall finish of the rod looked a lot more refined…

With the leaves falling from the trees and the crispness in the air we are now approaching winter. Living in the far north of Scotland, summertime means we are blessed with a more hours of light than virtually anywhere else in the UK. Come winter though and this changes quite dramatically. Soon enough we are all reaching for those head torches and making sure they are up to spec, ready for the coming winter’s fishing season. Good quality headlights are as vitally important as appropriate footwear. At the end of the day, a good quality lamp can quite literally mean the difference between getting on or off a rock mark safely during those long winter nights. Having used many brands of head torches over the years I have refined what…

Use mono-leader crimping to create a small, strong connection to swivels, clips and hooks when using heavy mono where a knot may not be possible. Step-by-step A. Pass the tag end of the mono line through one barrel of the crimp sleeve. Pass the mono through the eye of the hook or swivel you have chosen. B. Then return the mono through the second barrel of the crimp sleeve leaving a loop on which the hook or swivel can move freely on. Using a flame melt the tag end of the mono to form a bulb or blob. C. Move the tag end so it sits tightly with the bulb butting against the crimp sleeve and unable to pass through the barrel of the crimp. D-E. At this point, by…

Sperm counts in western men have more than halved over the past 50 years. This has led to an alarming drop in fertility rates in westernised countries and the rate of decline has doubled since 2000. This is a complicated issue involving many factors. During the 1970s the average sperm count per 1 millilitre was 100 million. Today, the “normal” count is only 49 million. But what on earth does this have to do with reduced flounder numbers in estuaries? I believe that a significant contributor is the advent of plastics. There are hundreds of research papers which show that declining sperm numbers are due to the increase in micro-plastics and their effect on reproductive hormones, not only in man but also in other animal species. Plastic production has been…

SHORE FLOUNDER December is a good month to start thinking about a specimen flounder. The big flatties are starting to leave the outer estuaries and move onto the beaches prior to moving out for spawning. TIDE TALK Inside the outer estuary channels, look at the small neap to middle sized tides as offering the best chance. Any tide from the 3rd to the 11th falls right, especially the lifting tides from the 7th to the 11th. The next tide window is from the 20th to the 24th with optimum days on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th. Look for estuary fish on the channel bank sides, and especially around estuary mouths where there are mussel beds, or in deeper holes scoured out in the main channel. On the surf beaches, though…

In association with Jaden Moyle, from Abedare, had this cracking 10lb 2oz bass on Aberavon Beach in September. He was using a joey mackerel on an up-and-over rig. It was Jaden’s personal best and his first double figure bass. He was suitably chuffed! The fish was returned safely Ronnie Battrick had this 5lb 2oz bass while fishing for flounders during a competition held in Poole Harbour. He was using worms. After this he’ll no doubt be back fishing again! Jacob Noble caught this chunky autumn mackerel while fishing on Whitby Pier The smile says it all for Ewan Mildare Pryce when he caught his first ever mackerel. He caught it on The May Queen from Cawsand which was being skippered by his mate young Antony Newcombe, aged 12, (his dad,…

I was sorry to hear that yet another long serving UK charter skipper has decided to call it a day. Weymouth based Colin Penny, someone with whom I have fished on many occasions and who I regard as being a good friend, has decided that it is time for ‘Flamer IV’ to move on to her next owner. I have absolutely no compunction in saying that, of the great many skippers that I have had the pleasure of fishing with throughout the near 50 years since I first stepped foot aboard a charter boat, Colin is one of the very best. Having said that, anyone who has ever spent a day aboard Flamer with the two of us would think we didn’t get along, or even like each other, such…

Today’s small boat angler is blessed with many festivals and competitions they can enter across the UK and Ireland: from small competitions run by a local club to nationwide events that attract big money sponsorship and some of boat angling’s top names. While these festivals often come and go, the one constant, and arguably the first of this type of small boat competition, has just completed its 36th festival. We are, of course, talking about the Rosslare Small Boats Festival. FESTIVAL HISTORY RSBF has run continuously from 1985 to the present day, barring two years when Covid-19 affected travel to Ireland. Originally based solely in the Irish port of Rosslare, in 1994 the organisers decided that Rosslare was no longer a suitable venue. They informed the competitors that from 1995…

REVIEW July 4th 2022 was a sad day for the British fishing tackle industry: Zziplex, one of the UK’s heritage fishing brands, closed its doors and stopped making rods. It was the end of an era; one that had spanned since the spring of 1980, which included the highs of once dominating the tournament casting circuit and being the first choice of many match anglers and specimen fishermen alike. For some, this was a void that could never be filled and a desperately sad turn for British rod manufacturing. After all, quite some years earlier, we’d observed the loss of Conoflex, another iconic British rod manufacturer who soared to enormous heights in its heyday. In July last year, social media and forums were full of posts expressing nostalgia, shock and…

A common thing in sea angling media is to see reviews of tackle tests on a specific product, but rarely do we see a side-by-side comparison looking at products from two rival brands. With squid, or ‘eging’, season well underway, I thought I’d take a look at the performance of the world’s most dominant squid jig brand, Yamashita, from Japan, versus Fiiish, from France, who are well renowned for soft and hard plastic lures and have recently entered the squid fishing market with an innovative new design called the “Power Tail Squid”. To provide some context and background, I have been a die-hard user of Yamashita Warm Jacket jigs, either in the 3.00 or 3.5 size. For those of you who know the range, I particularly love the 490 glow.…

NOVEMBER ● 11: Yorkshire Federation of Sea Anglers, Easington 11-5pm meet 10am Easington Lane, Keith Mumby 07340 758013 or via Facebook page, Yorkshire Federation of Sea Anglers. Contact Keith: keithmumby@btinternet.com ● 11: Southern League round 11 of 12 & open, Goring 7-midnight, pegged, measure & return, undersize fish count as 1oz, £15 match entry, £5 pools, £10 pair, team of five free, 2022 League entry £25, booking ends one hour before start, book only, Darren 07919 073232, Mike 07983 579596, Ian 07736 004714 or Ant 07775 691916. Nick: southernleagueandopens@gmail.com PENN PLUS ● 11-12: SAMF Teams of Five, Skegness, booking in Friday 7-9pm, HQ North Shore Holiday Park Elmhurst Avenue, Roman Bank Skegness PE25 1SL, Saturday Day 1 fishing 9-2, AGM 7pm Saturday. Day 2 Sunday, fishing 9.30-2.30pm, Presentation 5pm. Prebook,…

WHY CHESIL? I often get asked by clients to take them to fish Chesil Beach in Dorset. Why is this? One reason is consistently seeing successful Chesil anglers posting their catch reports on social media. The other reason is its long-standing reputation as a good cod mark and one that still produces fish while targeted cod fishing from other, once famous, venues is a thing of the past. It’s a venue that can throw up the most unusual fish so there’s always a chance of a specimen and a very unusual catch. If I could choose anywhere to take clients I would choose Chesil too. The reason being is it’s consistent as far as catching decent fish goes. Even in the wrong conditions there’s always a strong chance of landing…

Freshwater West is located at the western end of Pembrokeshire’s spectacular Castlemartin Peninsula. It’s a classic west facing Atlantic storm or surf beach, which has the added advantage that it also offers excellent rough ground fishing on its southern flank. When fishing a surf beach timing is everything. The absolute prime time is invariably either just before or just following a decent onshore blow. Lookout for that first substantial push of onshore swell, which more often than not precedes an advancing Atlantic low. These swells form perfect ‘tables’ of calm water between each rolling crest as they reach ever shallower water, before gently curling over and starting to break. It is the powerful action of this ground swell that rips the shellfish, marine worms, small shrimps and sandeels out of…

TALES FROM THE TIDELINE Softness. That is the first thing that crossed the boy’s mind as he trailed along the beach, glancing all round him at every minor detail as he went. This beach, a beach he had fished so many times before, a place with which he was so familiar, now seemed to be dissolving gently in front of his eyes with the oncoming dusk. As the day slid toward its slow closure, he drank it all in: the soft pink hue suffusing everything, the chill edge to the air, the gentle swill of the tide’s edge pushing its way up the beach, like a memory forming. “You okay?” Grandad called from just up ahead where he plodded through the sand with his friend. It had taken an age…

In that early year just ahead of the outbreak of the First World War boat angling was thriving. One of its devotees was H.C Nicol who, in September 1912, reported that he had caught a whiting of 5lb 2oz in Cornwall’s Mounts Bay off Penzance, for which he had witnesses to the capture. The weight and his fish was accepted as the best ever by the organisations controlling the sport. Four months prior to the catch of the whiting Nicol had fished the Seven Stones Reef off Lands End and had taken ling of 45lb that would remain the heaviest known until March 1974 when Plymouth angler Terry Walker upgraded it by a mere one pound; but it was enough. I remember it well. It was a bitterly cold January…

The John Dory, also widely known as St Peter’s fish, has a wide distribution around much of the world. Along the coast of northern Europe they can be found around much of the southern half of the British Isles, including parts of the North Sea. They are widespread throughout the Mediterranean and can be found around the entire continent of Africa. John Dory can be caught in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific, including New Zealand, but are absent around the Americas. John Dory are a demersal, coastal marine fish. They make excellent eating, and consequently command a high price when caught commercially. It is extremely unlikely that John Dory could be confused with any other species as they are so distinctive in appearance.…

BOAT ANGLER BoatLife, the exhibition which takes place in Birmingham in February, has been backing a series of new angling events in the UK. They are really designed to bring anglers together in competitions and are organised by a group of anglers based on the South Coast. Following on from the recent ‘One Mackerel Challenge’ organisers Will Parkinson and Darren Mckell brought anglers together for another event based in the waters around the Solent. The first event in September featured anglers who were only allowed to use one mackerel during a whole day’s fishing – quite a challenge as it turned out. This second Lymington-based event was a more conventional lure only competition. For this challenge all fish caught were counted and measured using measuring boards and date cards, and…

HISTORY V ass has a deep heritage in the world of clothing, footwear and materials dating back to the 1950s, and a legacy of excellence in the manufacturing of textiles and footwear. Chris and Marcus Vass are responsible for the ever-growing selection of products that we see in the angling world. Year on year, their passion, will and innovation have driven the brand to being a first choice when it comes to items like waders and rainwear. THE BEGINNING Their father, Niels Vass, was the founder of the company around 70 years ago. It all started with footwear and quickly progressed to textiles, with his influence being significant in some of the world’s largest fabric mills. His entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and drive led to forays into the world of interior…