Innehållsförteckning för Issue 593 från Sea Angler

AS WE ENTER THE second month of the latest Covid-19 lockdown, during which anglers are advised only to fish locally, it is fair to say opinion is divided. Some argue that anglers should not put themselves or others at risk of catching coronavirus, while others believe the freedom to go fishing is a valid form of exercise as well as being good for mental health. Fishing alone or with one other person is a pleasure that many will continue to enjoy during these troubled times, but spare a thought for those who live many miles from the sea. The frustration is intense and some people tell me they haven’t been out sea angling since before March 2020. Many have improved their rig-making skills or taken to casting practice in the…

MUSSELS Common throughout the UK, mussels are found attached to rocks in estuaries, over muddy, stony ground, on anchor ropes, pier and jetty supports, to the mid-tide line on breakwaters, harbour walls and also in large mussel beds along lee shores. There are seven types of mussels in UK waters, but the common or edible variety and the horse mussel are the ones mostly used for bait. The common is found along the shore, and the horse mussel in deeper water just offshore where it gets ripped from the seabed by storms and washes ashore. SEASON Mussels are available all year but are particularly effective as bait from September to April when rougher seas naturally rip them from their anchorage with some getting broken when bashed against stones, which makes…

SEA ANGLING HAS SEEN A MAjOR growth in participation during the Covid pandemic and this means many of the more popular venues get busier with anglers on a regular basis. For some, fishing crowded venues might be no real issue, but for others the thought of being shoulder to shoulder carries real concern regarding social distancing. Due to this added pressure on the popular marks, usually beaches, breakwaters and piers, fish numbers fall away due to either being quickly caught or the added activity pushing the fish into less disturbed areas. When subjected to heavy angling pressure, even when released, territorial fish may leave the area and it takes a period of time for the stock numbers to return. The only option is to seek out unfamiliar territory to get…

IT HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER OF emotions for anglers recently – a global pandemic, the disappointment of being plunged into another lockdown and fishing being off the cards, followed quickly by the news that the hard work of the Angling Trust had resulted in us being set free to fish again, all be it with some sensible restrictions. It was interesting to see the variety of reactions from anglers on social media. The majority were pleased to have fishing available, while others suggested they would rather stay away from the beaches. The question of what counted as local was raised many times and was very much in my mind when I contemplated a session with my son Luke. Reports of codling being caught from areas such as Fleetwood and…

Adam Pursell: “Foul-hooked or not, sometimes it makes for a harder catch. A fish landed is a fish caught. Well done that man.” Pete Lewis: “Superb fish and an angler who knows what it should be about.” Sam de la Rue: “Foul-hooked is even more impressive. Imagine reeling that beast in sideways.” Robbie Parr: “Foul-hooked or not, a rare sight to see and bet it fought well also.” Mark Lilley: “A catch is a catch, well done. I’d have like to see your face when that monster came up the beach.” Ian Wish: “During the colder months they tend to come closer inshore. In the Swansea/Gower areas where I live, there are usually numerous catches from January right up to late March and April.”…

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 TURBOT Shore: 20lb 2oz Eddy Barham Boat: 32lb 1oz Steve Scally BULL HUSS Shore: 21lb 9oz M Urquhart Boat: 23lb D Nicholson COD Shore: 32lb Adrian Lloyd Boat: 43lb 9oz Chris Proctor CONGER EEL Shore: 66lb 8oz Andy Eke Boat: 109lb 8oz Roger Beer DAB Shore: 2lb…

WINTER BOAT fishing is often about seeking out cod, but for those who like doing battle with the shark species then spurdogs are usually the target and thankfully they average into double-figure weights. These obliging fish are usually found in relatively deep water, although, when their numbers are plentiful they are occasionally encountered in much shallower water. In a few areas, typically west-facing rock marks that offer access into deep water and some Scottish sea lochs, they can even be caught from the shore. In the UK the best areas for targeting spurdogs include the Bristol Channel, the Irish Sea and the Western Isles and sea lochs of Scotland, along with many similar venues around the coast of Ireland. They’re even caught in the Thames Estuary now, as charter skipper…

THERE HAS BEEN A MAOR SURGE IN wreck fishing over recent years as people seek bigger more sporting fish to target. Couple this with a recent rapid rise, due to Covid-19 restrictions and the furlough scheme, in people returning to angling after years of absence, and wrecking skippers suddenly have a whole new audience. Many new wreck anglers think it is a route to instant success with guaranteed big fish, but it is not quite like that. Cast an eye around the deck when wrecking and you’ll typically see two anglers struggling, a couple doing okay, someone getting a few fish, but probably one catching more than his or her share. This isn’t luck, it’s experience. To reduce those odds more in your favour, here is what you need to…

I MAGINE GOING BASS FISHING, using the same tackle that you would when angling around the British Isles, only on this occasion it is probable, rather than simply possible, that you will catch a fish weighing into double figures and even 20lb-plus. In fact, depending on where, when and how you are fishing, there is a chance that you might catch one larger than 30-40lb or even bigger. Such a place and such dream fish really do exist. You’ll have to hop on a plane and fly to the north-east coast of the United States and fish for striped bass. The striped bass (Morone saxatilis), also called Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock or rockfish, is found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America from the St Lawrence River…

PAUL FENECH Shore angler and tackle expert Paul is here to solve your shore angling problems. MARK CRAME Suffolk-based Mark gets a thrill from fishing afloat on a kayak. Send him your kayaking queries. DAN SISSONS The Portsmouth angler 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. HENRY GILBEY Angler and photo-journalist Henry, based in Cornwall, will answer questions on lure angling. HOW TO ASK A US QUESTION Email: sa.ed@kelsey. co.uk or online: www. facebook.com/ seaanglermag…

CHRISTMAS OPEN ROVER, Stallingborough, North Lincs, 17 anglers Although he arrived 75 minutes late for this socially distanced rover match on the Humber, Mark Taylor caught a 6lb 1oz cod on his first cast and added another small one and a whiting for a winning 7lb 11oz. Simon Drayton was second with a 1lb 15oz codling and Chris Perry finished third with a 1lb 8oz codling. “It was the first match I’ve fished since August. I got stuck at work and turned up an hour and 15 minutes late and fluked a 6lb cod on my first cast,” said Mark. “I had a couple more fish on a very slow night.” Result: 1 Mark Taylor, Gt Grimsby, 3 fish, 7-11-0 (1pt); 2 Simon Drayton, Gainsborough 1, 1-15-0; 3 Chris…

FLOUNDER FISHING HAS declined in Southampton Water in recent years, but my visit to a largely forgotten stretch of shoreline on its western flank proved there is plenty to offer those who make the effort…and it’s an all-year venue too. The trip with my pal Steve Lawrence, who is something of a flounder guru, produced some good flatfish from the shallow mud flats of the Shore Road section at Hythe. Once at Hythe, this is an easy venue to locate by following Shore Road in a southerly direction. Just as you pass the last industrial site, you go over a small bridge where, on the right, there is free parking for about half a dozen vehicles. From this parking area you walk another couple of hundred metres to the south…

FISHING FROM THE BEACH IS TRULY SOMETHING special. The sound and the smell of the sea caresses your soul. The view of the horizon gives you a feeling of freedom and tranquillity. The ultimate moments are when the sun rises or sinks below the horizon and you forget that you are fishing as the scene is breath-taking. While these remain constant, things have changed quite a bit with regards to beach fishing techniques in recent years. These days this style of fishing can be done with a much lighter set-up than probably 80 per cent of beach anglers currently use. Yes, there are still matches decided in favour of those who have a long cast in their arsenal but at the same time many a competition is also decided when…

The first thing to do is to take into consideration any travel restrictions applicable to your area and evaluate the time you have at your disposal. That narrows the field and allows you to concentrate on much smaller general areas. An Ordnance Survey map of that area will help streamline those options. Don’t dismiss all the popular marks. You’ll find that the majority of anglers will be closest to the car parks or access point, often within say 500 yards. On average, that’s as far as most people are willing to walk with all their kit. The fish move away from these pressured areas due to the constant noise and wading, especially during calmer seas, or they get caught resulting in reduced numbers. If you’re prepared to walk beyond that…

AFTER A VERY PROMISING start to the cod season on the Holderness Coast, things slowed down, mainly due to the changeable weather. Fishing had been particularly dire during the previous few strong southerly producing mild December weather but dragging loads of weed on to the beaches, making it almost unfishable at times. Anglers in East Yorkshire were desperate for some settled conditions. Along with my friend Adam Peacham, I’d been keeping watch on the weather and the long-range forecast suggested there would be a short weather window that promised for some good fishing. A light south-westerly was predicted on the Sunday, a light southeasterly on the Monday and a slight westerly on Tuesday before it would blow up from the north that night, making it unfishable for at least a…

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. Jordan Smith, Isle of Wight.  FISH: 10lb 5oz cod & 14lb 12oz undulate ray. BAIT: Squid and pouting. VENUE: The Solent. DATE: December 15. Ray Goodwin, Weymouth, Dorset.  FISH: 7lb 11oz 12dr ballan wrasse. BAIT: Crab. VENUE: Portland Bill, aboard…

HOW TO ENTER Send your pictures, name and address and details of the catch to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk £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.…

THOSE WHO FOLLOW MY exploits will know that I love uptiding. After all, I am from Essex where the method was invented. However, I’ve been using one particular trick in recent years that has transformed the way I fish big baits and livebaits, which I stole straight out of my carp fishing armoury. I wrote about livebaiting a few months ago, but thought I’d revisit it after a trip that I made before Christmas on my mate Roger Cooling’s boat out of Grimsby. It takes a bit of nerve and patience to fish a livebait all day, simply because it’s such a waiting game. But, if you’re not catching much anyway, what’s the problem? My favourite winter cod livebait when fishing in estuaries is a whiting, indeed it’s also my…

Q: What safety equipment is required or suggested on a kayak? Dean Porter, Anlwick, Northumberland MC says: First things first, look at what you must wear. Suitable clothing is required to keep you warm and preferably dry if you end up in the water. A drysuit is the top choice with a sufficient thermal base layer for the water temperature. I use the Palm Bora with a Weezle diving undersuit and booties and a hat. You need a decent Personal Flotation Device (PFD). I use a Palm Kaikoura, which has sufficient pockets to carry all my kit. On this I have a whistle, a line cutter on one shoulder and a blunt-ended serrated knife on the other. The last thing you want to do is drop your only means of…

SHIMANO VANFORD FIXED-SPOOL RRP: £179.99 - £199.99 The Vanford may be the entry-level saltwater and freshwater front-drag reel in the Magnumlite Series,but it is packed with features and designed for finesse and sensitive fishing. A front-drag reel available in seven sizes from 500 to 5000, with the biggest capable of holding 175 metres of 0.35mm line, it offers precise lure control thanks to its rotor and gearing. Being fitted with Magnumlite (MGL) rotor design, it means the line roller and bale-arm are on opposite sides, not the same side, to improve balance. With a lightweight line roller, bale and optimum rotor thickness, it is said to give a 14 per cent saving in rotation inertia, which increases sensitivity. Previously symmetrical, the rotor is now asymmetrical. The Hagane gear, produced by…

PROS PREMIUM & STANDARD CHEST WADERS RRP: PRICES VARY CHEST WADERS ARE POPULAR AMONG many shore anglers as a means of not only getting out into deeper water but also to keep dry and clean. The PROS Premium and Standard chest waders offer good quality at reasonable prices. Available by mail order from a number of sources, It was Martin McGowan at The Angling Hub tackle shop and online store in Tralee, County Kerry who highlighted this brand to Sea Angler. You may have seen them being worn by James Earle, who was pictured holding a bass on the cover of Sea Angler issue 593. The Premium chest waders sell for €69.99 in Ireland, while the Standard version costs €55.99. They stock sizes 42-46 (6-12). They are also available in…

IF THERE IS WORD TO DESCRIBE match angler and rod builder Julian Shambrook, it would be grafter. His passion not only for fishing but also his incredible strength and belief to make his business a success is inspiring. Nowadays, Julian is probably better known for his Anyfish Anywhere beach rods, but his love of sea angling started as a nine-year-old in Torquay, Devon. Later, with his friend Henry Gilbey, he put shore fishing on our television screens with the ‘Fishing on the Edge‘. Not content with just going fishing, he took on the challenge of seeking success on the match circuit. The competition scene became addictive and 25 years later with heaps of wins and a cache of international medals, he still enjoys the thrill of putting his hand in…

April and May: There is a realistic chance of catching a few thornback rays, especially towards the southern end of the beach. These fish are normally taken on squid/bluey wraps presented on a pulley rig. Thornbacks normally show during the flood tide at night and in daylight if the water is coloured. June and July: Smoothhounds become the main target as they filter over the mud flats in search of peeler crabs. Night sessions are recommended. Make sure you keep your rachet set on the reel because double-figure fish are a real possibility and fight like crazy in the shallow water. The action can be superb. For the hounds, I prefer a running leger rig with a single size 3/0 uptide hook and a peeler crab bait. My own hook…

Q What is your angling background? MD: Until I was 20, I was mainly active in freshwater fishing but for the last 20 years I have focused more on saltwater, but I still regularly fish in freshwater. I can be found on any type of fishery. Q What’s your favourite type of fishing? MD: Although shark and bass fishing are my favourites, I consciously choose a species and fish for it in a targeted manner. I decide which technique is most effective and what I enjoy most. I fish with my friends in search of special fish and we prefer the larger species, such as big smoothhounds, tope, stingrays and big bass, but I enjoy the smaller species too. Every year I set myself two or three goals, which can…

One of the reasons many anglers won’t walk is because they carry too much kit. I’ve been guilty of this too. Recently, I’ve emptied both my beach box and my rock fishing rucksack and have gone through every item of tackle. If you’re ruthless but sensible, you can save a surprising amount of weight. Ask yourself, apart from rough ground fishing, when was the last time you lost more than four weights in a single session? I carry four weights for clean beach fishing and six when fishing mixed rough. I’ve ditched my rig wallet for walkabout trips and carry just four of each rig I favour for that specific mark. I take a small box containing a few spare hooks, swivels and links, one spool of leader and a…

MATCH ANGLER HARRY Coxhead made an unusual catch while pleasure fishing on the famous Chesil Beach in Dorset. The Turkana Pro-team member, who lives in Weymouth, caught a superb 24lb 12oz angler fish, but was honest enough to admit that it was foul-hooked rather than caught fairly. Harry, a 31-year-old plasterer, was fishing on Chesil alongside his pal Ben Assirati, who spotted the fish cruising in the margin at the deep-water beach. “He’d seen it 10 feet out, cruising along the top. I didn’t believe him and went to look,” said Harry. “It turned out about 30 yards but started to come back. I decided to put my bait in front of the fish and retrieved my rig, but it ignored it. Eventually, as I retrieved my bait I foul-hooked…

BASS SHORE Sam Church, Bournemouth, 12-8*, Southbourne, Dec 13 Sam Curtis, South Wales, 9-4*, Bristol Channel, Jan 16 Craig Clay, Grimsby, 8-6*, Cleethorpes, Dec 17 Chris Young, Clunderwen, 8-6*, Milford Haven, Dec 17 BASS BOAT Lewis Webber, Pill, 15-5*, Minehead, Dec 20 BULL HUSS SHORE Matilda Björklund, Plymouth, 8lb 8oz* & 9lb 8oz*, Cornwall, Jan 1 Alistair Devall, Milford Haven, 16lb*, Amroth, Dec 23 Christopher Green, Porlock, 11lb*, Porlock, Dec 20 Goran Kauric, Tralee, 10lb-plus*, Valentia, Dec 20 Kevin Madeley, Paignton, 10lb 7oz*, Torbay, Dec 29 COD SHORE Stephen Arnold, Caldicot, 9-2, Ogmore, Dec 29 Cobi Baxter, Amble, 9-0, Hauxley, Jan 14 Gary Chew, Hornsea, 9-0, Hornsea, Dec 19 Bayley Errington, Cramlington, 13-14, Boghall, Dec 19 Gintys Glusakovas, Poole, 8-6, Chesil Beach, Dec 24 Dan Greaves, Bridgwater, 10lb 8oz, Somerset…

ANY CONVERSATION AMONG British boat anglers about the best venues will turn to Weymouth, the Dorset port that serves as home to the largest fleet of charter vessels anywhere in the UK. It will only be a matter of time before someone mentions one of that port’s veteran charter skippers, Colin Penny, and his famous charter boat Flamer. Having fished with Colin on many occasions, I rate him as one of the very best skippers in the UK. Recently I had an opportunity to ask Colin about his life as an angler. Q How old were you when you first started fishing and particularly boat angling, and what do you remember about your first trips? Colin Penny: “I was about 12 years old when I went of my first boat…

MANY BOAT ANGLERS neglect to carry or even use one a marine chart because they rely on electronic plotters, but if you become too reliant on technology you run the risk of coming unstuck if those gadgets develop a fault. Apart from being an essential aid to navigation, a sea chart is one of the most useful tools in a dinghy angler’s armoury. These maps are invaluable for helping to locate likely marks for the various species of fish found in the area you are fishing. A large-scale chart of the area you are fishing has a mass of useful information to help you locate and catch fish, including the precise location and nature of banks and reefs, isolated depressions, tide rips, wrecks and even the composition of the seabed.…

WINNING QUESTION Q: I ve seen anglers using a weighted lure as the sinker for feather-style or baited traces to catch a variety of species from piers and rocks on Northern Ireland’s east and north-east coast. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this particular method? ROBERT WILSON, BANGOR, COUNTY DOWN PF says: Shore anglers generally use feather rigs for targeting mackerel and by using a weighted lure, such as a spinner, instead of a lead weight, they’re adding extra attraction to the rig. Most rigs come with six feathers attached to the trace but can be quite difficult to cast. In some instances, having them all grabbed by a fish makes it rather difficult to land too. To make it easier and better for conservation, cut the rig in…

Once upon a time, the two common surfcasting weights for fishing and tournaments were four ounces and six ounces. As technology evolved and tackle became more sporting with the arrival of lightweight glass-fibre, five ounces of lead weight turned out to be the Goldilocks size; just right for most beach work, and also the sinker that gives most casters their best distances. As metrication took over in the tackle trade, five ounces gradually disappeared from the shelves and 150g (5.3oz) became the standard. It suits most casters’ speed and strength; it’s nicely matched to most 4-6oz rods whether for pendulum, off-ground or Euro-style fishing. A wired 150g sinker easily holds bottom in typical currents and conditions. Coupled with lines around 0.35mm, free-running reels and modest bait sizes, 150g is ideal…

LIGHT ROCK FISHING IS THE most convenient and opportunistic arm of angling. You hardly need to prepare your tackle in advance because you have lures ready to go. All you need to do is tie them on to the end of your line and get them in the water. This makes it easy to go fishing at the drop of a hat, whether it’s for 10 minutes or 10 hours. However, there are some crucial items whether you are getting started or a hard core LRF angler. BRAID Braid is my first choice for lure fishing. It gives ultimate sensitivity due to its lack of stretch and the very low diameters aid casting especially with ultra-light lures. Generally LRF requires a braid of up to a PE 0.6 diameter braid…

THE TERM ‘SCRATCHING’ STEMS from the world of match fishing. When fish are playing hard to get, competition anglers resort to scratching around in the edge, close to the shore, trying to winkle out a solitary flatfish or a tiny rockling. By simply replacing powerful rods and speedy multiplier reels with much lighter options and adopting a touchy-feely tactic in terms of rigs, it’s fascinating to learn what is feeding right at your feet. BAIT Ideally, if you follow in the footsteps of successful match anglers, by far the best baits to use will be those that have movement. Wriggling maddies (sometimes known as harbour rag) are small and add plenty of movement when packed on to a hook in bunches. Tiny matchstick white ragworms do the same too and,…

IN A DRASTICALLY REDUCED match fishing season due to Covid-19, where the annual Penn Sea League was curtailed to barely six months of competition, the outcome went to the wire with Irish angler Troy Francis securing the prestigious Premier Division title by a single point over his nearest rival. It was always likely that some big events would dominate proceedings and so it proved, with the winner from Killarney in County Kerry scoring the bulk of his 37 points thanks to his victory in the 27th Paul Roggemann European Open Beach Championship in East Yorkshire, where he was up against 1,300 anglers. He gained two more lots of Penn points thanks to a win worth two points at the Tralee Bay open at Kilcummin, and then five more for winning…

THE JOY OF FISHING In the middle of last year a guy posted on a social media shore fishing group to ask if anyone fancied a trip to Scotland. I said yes, and several people from all around the county did the same. I’m from Devon, and the others were Steve Nurse from Redcar, Mick and Kane from Newcastle, Manex from London, Tyrann from Middlesbrough (who had the idea) and Allan Saunders, from Arbroath in Scotland. We created a WhatsApp group and soon discovered that some of us were experienced anglers, some weren’t, but it was never an issue. Finally, we all agreed on a date and began planning for the four days of fishing. We tried Allan’s local spots and walked Arbroath cliffs, but the fishing was slow. Who…

Asso Lines are a huge range of well-known products produced by Gruppo DP, one of the biggest monofilament companies in the world. Our winner gets an Asso package consisting of Bullet Proof, Classic, Ultra, Ultra Cast, tapered leaders, Ever Green braid, Ultraflex (50m) and Oblivion (100m). Contents, worth just over £100, may occasionally vary. BULLET PROOF – originally designed for carp fishing, but its durability attracted sea anglers. Available in six breaking strains. CLASSIC –its high-impact strength, low stretch, superior abrasion resistance and durability mean anglers use the 50lb, 60lb and 70lb as shockleaders. Available in 15 breaking strains. OBLIVION – described as ‘another dimension in monofilament’, this is for making rigs. It has no memory and is very supple. Five breaking strains. PE EVERGREEN – The eight-fibre construction of…

FEBRUARY 2011 Fourteen-year-old Tyler Hallet caught the fish of most people’s dreams when he boated a 34lb cod during a trip on Grey Viking II, out of Brighton Marina, East Sussex. The  youngster from Portslade fished a whole cuttlefish on a size 8/0 hook. Former Sea Angler contributor Andrew Rackham bagged a personal best cod of 21lb while fishing from his own boat off Lowestoft, Suffolk. He was fishing with his pal Paul Kerry when the big cod took a double squid bait on a Pennell rig. He also caught a 15-pounder. A lure fished over an English Channel wreck produced an 18lb cod for South Coast angler Kevin Justice, who was fishing on Silver Spray, out of Poole, Dorset. While using a Dexter Wedge lure, Allan Painter caught a…