Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Sea Angler

There’s no shadow of a doubt about it; light tackle tactics is my favourite way to fish. I try to keep it as light as possible wherever I fish. Even fishing the Florida Keys last year I was pleasantly surprised at the light tackle many of the boat captains were using to target snook, groupers and even the mighty tarpon. Meanwhile, here in the UK the tradition has always tended to go heavy – with some anglers using tackle that could bully a submerged Vauxhall Astra off the seabed in 100 feet of water. Sometimes this is due to the huge tides and other conditions here that prevent us using lighter tackle. On other occasions it’s probably a hangover from decades past when sea angling tackle technology was pretty primitive…

Given how well-established saltwater fishing is here in the UK and Ireland, I think it’s so exciting that one branch of it can still be growing and developing, literally from week to week. Anglers have obviously been targeting our magnificent bass on artificial lures for way longer than I’ve been around – 52 years, in case you were wondering! – but the growth in interest, and participation, in what we might call “modern lure fishing” is quite remarkable. Bass is one species of fish that, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t exactly “big”, yet look at how much so many anglers are enjoying their own lure fishing journey. I would argue that for all the ills which can be laid at the door of social media, it’s this which…

In association with MONTHLY WINNER £25 TACKLE VOUCHER WINNERS Fishingmegastore.com awards a £25 voucher prize to each of two winners - the youngster with the best shore fish and another with the top boat catch. The winners can use the voucher to select tackle from Fishingmegastore.com which is based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. ■ Send your Young Rods entries by email to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

Whether it’s spotting marsh harriers quartering the reedbeds in search of prey during the summer, white egrets appearing through the mist of an autumn morning, or peregrines terrorising the overwintering ducks, Oare Creek on the north Kent coast near Faversham is a beautiful place to spend any time. I love it. The creek empties into the Swale estuary which, as well as being a Marine Conservation Zone, isn’t a half bad place to fish either. There’s no doubt it’s got a lot going for it as a fishing location, all apart from one drawback: the creek is only navigable for an hour-and-a-half either side of high water. This means either an all too brief two-and-a-half hour fishing session or a nine-hour session over low water, with nowhere to go if…

SEPTEMBER • 5: Fishon bait n tackle open round 9, Hayling (millers), signing 6-7 fishing 8-12, £10 members, £15 non-members, under 18s free, no bait restrictions, catch and release 18cm and over, pre-booking by 3pm same day. For more information contact Ashley Dowdeswell: 07807 639872 • 6: Filey Fishing Festival 2025. Greatest weight of fish, weigh in at Filey Sports Bar & Lounge 2pm-6pm weigh in for 7pm, £10 entry, £2 super pool class1 £2 juvenile class. For tickets and info please contact Scott Blowman: 07934 049126 • 6: Skegness Pier Angling Club North Shore Road, Skegness, Lincs, 16:30 till 20:30 North Shore Road beach car park, Booking in from 15:00, Pegged £10 Entry. Contact Russ Parsons: 07385 150259, russinskeg@gmail.com • 6: Weston Outcasts SAC Minehead 3 match series, fishing…

In 1956, the Gower Peninsula became the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Approximately 70 square miles in area, it is renowned for its coastline, popular with outdoor enthusiasts which include a substantial fraternity of anglers. It is bounded to the north by the Loughor Estuary, believed by many to be one of the best flounder venues in the UK and by Swansea Bay to the east. The southern coast consists of a series of small, rocky or sandy bays and Worm’s Head at the south-westerly tip of the peninsula is regarded as one of the best rough ground bass venues in the UK. Gower includes the discovery site of the first human fossil to have been found anywhere in the…

At some stage it’s inevitable you’ll experience conditions when heavy weed in the water makes it impossible to fish effectively. This costs you valuable time you’ve put aside and now lost, causes unnecessary expense and is frankly both depressing and frustrating when high expectations of a good day’s fishing are killed by weed in the water. There are ways, though, to better predict not just the presence of weed, but to figure out areas on specific beaches where the amount of weed will be minimal and where fishing remains possible. Here’s what to look for. WEATHER PATTERNS Weather patterns are obviously the key driver in weed being present in inshore waters, but also it can dictate what type of weed you might be dealing with. Keeping an active eye on…

There are several factors that will govern the depth at which fish will be found at. Food availability, light levels, clarity of water and sea conditions all have an effect. The reliable way to gain a better understanding of where fish might be is to look at individual species in common depth scenarios. BASS Bass are obvious shallow water lovers. They move into surf just a foot deep, their rule being that if the water covers their backs, it’s fine. This applies if there is suspended sediment in the water that reduces the clarity of the water. If the water is clearer, then expect the bass to be further out in water of 3-feet or more where the added depth hides them better. Even big bass still have the primeval…

Fishing’s rarely easy. Not if you want to keep pushing your PBs and ticking off new species. It’s the challenge that keeps us engaged and coming back for more, buying yet another rod, neglecting the other half and pushing that extra mile (often literally, either yomping down the shingle or draining the fuel tank on the boat looking for a new reef). Sometimes, though, some of us let our enthusiasm run away with itself a bit. Switching from bait and lure fishing to fly gear was a challenge, but I managed that. Then, in clearly a fevered a peak of utter madness, I allowed myself to be tempted into trying for mullet on the fly – the curs’ed “fish of a thousand casts”. That was tough… but I got there…

The blue shark is one of several species of requiem shark found in deep waters throughout the world’s temperate and tropical oceans. Preferring cooler waters than most species of shark, blue sharks migrate long distances. Globally blue sharks are listed as ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The current British record is listed as being 218lb, with a fish caught off Looe, Cornwall, in 1959; however, in recent years several larger fish have been caught and released. The International Game Fishing Association ‘All Tackle’ record is much larger, with a 528lb fish caught off Montauk Point, New York, in 2001. Blue sharks are found off the coasts of every continent except Antarctica, from as far north as Norway and as far south as Chile, ranging from…

When it comes to ‘flicking fluff’, as in flicking fluff a very long way, Hywel Morgan is one of the very best there is. Actually, that’s not quite true. Hywel Morgan is ‘the’ best there is. You see Hywel, son of Welsh game angling legend Moc Morgan, holds the record for the longest cast ever recorded in an official competition, a staggering 80.49 metres. And that’s not all: Hywel also holds the world record for simultaneous fly rod casting, having somehow achieved the jaw-dropping spectacle of casting 66 rods at one time. Oh, and I almost forgot, he is also the world fly-casting accuracy champion! The likeable Welshman’s ability with a fly rod does not stop at publicity stunts at the numerous game fairs, angling shows and other events at…

Travel the world and ask the most experienced anglers you can find. I guarantee you they will tell you that fishing is a lifelong learning journey. At no point has any angler said to themselves “That’s it. I’ve cracked it. There’s nothing more to know”. Outwitting animals with a hard-wired survival instinct evolved over millions of years makes mastering fishing a particular challenge – especially when you take into consideration the constantly changing three dimensional factors that affect fish patterns and behaviour. Spoiler alert: you will never ‘crack’ it! And that’s the addiction of fishing and why we keep coming back for more. However, if you are one of many, many anglers who would describe themselves as beginners or intermediate – particularly if you’ve reached a point of moderate success…

It is the same every summer. I’ll be standing on a beach, casting for mackerel, and I see a dad and his young son. The son, trying his best to cast the heavy set of feathers on a snooker cue of a rod that his dad has given to him, will be getting frustrated as he is only able to cast a few yards. If he doesn’t give up quickly, he will likely become snagged, leading to less fishing for dad and more litter in the sea. It is so predictable, yet so avoidable. UK saltwater fish are relatively small. If you consider that most anglers are trying to catch mackerel, bass or wrasse, then we are over-gunning our tackle considerably. The average mackerel is around 30cm long, the average…

ASK THE EXPERTS When sending your question, please remember to include your name and address CHRIS KENNEDY Chris is a specimen hunting specialist based on Sark and answers shore fishing questions. DAVID MITCHELL David is Sea Angler’s editor and is an expert on sea angling policy and conservation. BEN BASSETT The Plymouth angler and blogger will provide answers on the sport of light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. DANNY PARKINS Southwest based Danny has worked within the angling trade for 20 years, as well as guiding anglers. BRIAN PASK Brian is a qualified sea angling coach and casting tutor who works with young people and experienced anglers to improve their fishing skills. SHORE ANGLING…

TRONIXPRO BIG GAPE AND SUPER MATCH HOOKS Tronix have two ranges of Japanese made hooks out now. The first is the Big Gape Hook, a strong hook pattern ideal for shore fishing for larger species and when boat fishing. Featuring a wide gape and a shorter, medium hook shank that makes it ideal for big worm baits and for large fish baits. The second is the Super Match Hook, developed for anglers who need maximum confidence in their hook but also the finesse to capture a wide range of species in a pressured fishing situation. To improve bait presentation, a Limerick style bend keeps the hook point clear to ensure more enquiries are turned into positive bites. Big Gape available in: 2/0, 4/0, 6/0 and 8/0. Super Match available in:…

Most of you will be aware of the British rod manufacturing titans, Century. The friendly, family-run operation hails from Washington, north-east England, and have been at the forefront of quality made, British sea fishing rods with ties to world-class tournament casting and avid real-time anglers alike, with countless records tied to the extensive catalogue of rods produced over the years. The company is renowned for using the latest, greatest custom machinery, and have access to a wide range of contemporary, cutting edge materials to produce some of the finest quality fishing rods available. With a reputation for reliability, and an individual manufacturing record for each rod produced in the factory, there is a steely confidence that you have when you pick up and use one of their rods that in…

Ross, my boat partner, and I managed to get afloat in our boat Lucky G in mid-June, but the word around Eastbourne was that mackerel were few and far between. We scraped together some squid and frozen lugworm from the freezer and hoped we could find a few strings of mackerel to boost our chances. It wasn’t to be, and after three hours with the feathers out we still had none. The squid found us a few small bream and the lugworm produced a few pout. I put one of the live pout down and had a terrific bite that ripped it off after a couple of strong pulls. That was just about it after three long hours’ fishing. Just as we decided to pack it in, I had a…