Innehållsförteckning för Issue 602 från Sea Angler

There are two main ways to catch a big cod and both involve fishing deliberately with a big bait on nothing less than size 3/0 hooks. There are so many pin whiting about that smaller hooks are no longer practical unless you livebait with a whiting, which is your second option. Squid and worm cocktails on size 4/0 hooks are killer baits for cod. Balance bait size to the casting distance required, especially in rough onshore weather. Give yourself the best chance of success with plenty of quality bait, including black or yellowtail lugworms, Calamari squid and peeler crabs – and change the bait every cast for the best presentation. Large cart crab baits are very popular now, particularly in the North. Trying to cast a live or dead whole…

Pulley Pennell: The most practical rig for fishing with large baits for cod, especially over rough or mixed ground, and a good choice for fishing at long range on clean ground. The baited hook(s) are clipped close to the lead weight until released on impact with the sea and that means maximum streamlining for casting distance. When a fish is hooked the lead weight is lifted up in front of the fish and out of the snags. The hooklength should be shorter than the rig body. One-hook clipped paternoster: The original cod rig, this simple mono paternoster can be used with a single hook or two in a Pennell. Again, it can be constructed with a long or short hook snood depending on what is required. You can clip the…

FOUND AT THE END OF A long and fairly shallow storm beach stretching all the way to Pwllheli, this mark features patches of light rough ground at medium to long range in places, especially after rough seas. This is a venue better fished at night due to its shallow nature, often very clear water, and it can be very busy with other beach users between June and September during fine weather. It’s also a popular big match venue, from time to time. It offers some shelter from direct south west and westerly winds and, as a result, weed is less likely to be a nuisance here during rough weather and you can get a few hours fishing when other local marks are unfishable. SEASONAL SPECIES Summer produces school bass and…

GETTING THERE Fishing at the Town Hall end at low water is generally safe with no gullies to fill in behind the angler on the flood tide. Always be vigilant. For those fishing on the promenade over high water, be aware it can get busy with joggers, dog walkers and cyclists. Take care with bait and baited hooks and during casting. Parking is not permitted on the promenade and the police are on regular patrol. Seek free parking on the streets around the Town Hall and Guinea Gap and walk down on to the promenade. Limited parking is available to the north of the Town Hall or close to the Guinea Gap swimming baths. To get to the Town Hall and swimming pool, leave Junction 1 of the M53 and…

A SMALL SEASIDE TOWN IN ESSE, Walton-on-the-Naze has fairly shallow, flat beaches with wooden and concrete breakwaters, as well as a promenade with colourful beach huts. Fishing is reasonably comfortable from the promenade over high tide, giving you four or five hours of fishing time before the tide drops and then it is a case of moving down to the beach. As you head to the north of the town and the Naze peninsula, the ground gets rougher with steep cliffs behind and a hard seabed of London Clay. Some good fishing, including a few surprise species, can be enjoyed along the whole stretch in summer and winter. I’ll cover the pier another time. SEASONAL SPECIES Spring brings the first bass that stay until late October. After a long barren…

BASS BOAT ■ Dave Hollands, Essex, 14-0, Clacton, July 26 ■ Paul Hutchings, Westward Ho, 12-3*, Watchet, Sept 3 ■ Simon Kingshott, Torquay, 17-4-3, Torbay wreck, Sept 10 ■ Steven Mayle, Lowestoft, 9-0*, Gorleston, Sept 5 ■ Daniel Taylor, Ramsgate, 12-3*, Ramsgate, Sept 15 ■ Jon Watts, Southampton, 11-4*, Solent, Sept 9 BASS SHORE ■ Mike Harries, Carmarthen, 11-0*, Carmenthenshire, Sept 4 ■ Kris Lucas, Whitehaven, 14-2*, Whitehaven pier, Sept 17 ■ Miraj Majumber, East London, 11-0, Brighton Marina, Sept 23 ■ Connor Mitchell, Weston-super-Mare, 7-0, Watchet harbour, Sept 5 ■ Rob Redman, Dolgellau, 8-3*, Mawddach estuary, Sept 7 ■ Gary Richardson, Prestatyn, 7-7*, Prestatyn, Sept 10 ■ Paul Woolley, Anfield, 8-10*, Criccieth, August 27 BREAM BOAT ■ Ray Goddard, Haywards Heath, 4-0 black*, Plymouth, Sept 13 ■ James Linnane,…

WHERE I LIVE IN KETTERING, Northamptonshire, it is about as far from the sea as you can be in the UK. I grew up as a freshwater angler, with a passion for predators. That led me to saltwater angling and a decision to seek fish at the top of the food chain, anything over 100lb. The seas around the UK offer some of the best shark fishing in the world, in fact there is a vast wealth of big-fish opportunities in the UK that would surprise most anglers. You only have to look at the success of recent big fish captures by the likes of Dan Hawkins (Reel Deal Charters) and Kev McKie (Size Matters) to see the obvious potential. The porbeagle shark is an amazing creature, a close relative…

I LOVE MY BASS FISHING, WHETHER it be chucking lures about on a warm summer’s evening or manoeuvring a boat into three feet of water and gently lobbing a single ragworm out with just one ounce of lead. However, it’s the late autumn and winter months that I really look forward to, because that’s when the really big girls come out to play. Sometimes I’ll be fishing the offshore banks with lures for them, but what I really look forward to is fishing a live or dead fish bait underneath a float over a reef. Float-fishing with livebaits, be they mackerel, a sandeel or pouting is an extremely popular method for catching bass in the UK, especially at this time of year. Nothing beats the thrill of watching your float…

WITH INSHORE FISHING at night often far more productive than during the day, it is not surprising most boat owners will try such a session, but this requires extra care and planning. As exciting as this might seem, working out a solution to anything that goes wrong in darkness is invariably more problematic than during daylight. Minor engine problems, a fouled anchor, a rope tangled around the prop, problems with the electrics, and the danger of hitting large objects floating on the surface, all need to be taken into consideration. Then there is the problem of other boat traffic, especially commercial shipping. Many of the most productive fishing marks are uncomfortably close to shipping lanes and my advice is don’t even think about fishing these at night. When choosing a…

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 and photo-journalist Henry, based in Cornwall, will answer questions on lure angling. DAN SISSONS The Portsmouth angler will provide answers on the sport of light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic. HOW TO ASK A US QUESTION ■ Email: sa.ed@kelsey. co.uk or online: www. facebook.com/ seaanglermag…

Most serious casters fix their reels low on the rod handle, so should we all follow suit? Plenty of pros and cons need factoring in if you’re straining for every last metre of distance on the field. Beach fishing is a different world where the advanced stuff is best ignored because it rarely makes much difference. Try both ways and see how you get on. The first hurdle to overcome is the radically different feel of switching reel control to the “wrong” hand. Letting go of the cast feels awkward, regardless of whether the reel you use is a multiplier or a fixed spool. Multiplier spool control can be an issue as well, so it’s best to start with brakes and magnets set fully on. Take your time, keep the…

Looking for a fishing diary? Then check our illustrator Andy Steer’s latest publication : ‘The Fishing Logbook 2022’. Measuring 8in x 10in and priced at £4.99, it is a great way to accurately record all your fishing sessions. It allows you to keep a detailed journal of the water and weather conditions, catches and most successful baits. There is even space to sketch beach diagrams and hot spots. The printed book is available via Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/dpa/ B09F1N369K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_YR3MKP2Y3HFEB8CDFP20…

WIZTOOL HOOK SHARPENER RRP: £19.50 Produced by the Danish company, Geoff Anderson, this hook sharpener is designed for hooks that just require fine tuning. The WizTool is made from aluminium trioxide ceramic for optimum sharpness on your hooks and has two flat sides for sharpening, two V-shaped polish tracks and a drilled hole for fine-tuning the hook point. The sharpener weighs 28g, is magnetic and corrosion resistant. ■ Available from www.spritefishing.com RAPALA X-RAP MAGNUM STICK LURES RRP: £23.19 Hitting the tackle shops now are the new Magnum stick 17cm lures. Weighing 88g, these lures cast far and swim in wide curves, making it a natural for fast and aggressive retrieves. Once stopped, this lipless bait dives head-down with a flutter to induce a saltwater predator to pounce. A scalloped internal…

Inevitably, angling clothing has moved on rapidly over the decades thanks to advancing technology. Gone are the days of stiff outdoor wax jackets that needed constant re-proofing, woolly jumpers that were bulky to wear and heavy when damp. Who can forget sou’wester-type hats and the heavy waterproof bib and braces outfit that barely let your legs bend? With winter imminent, here’s a breakdown of the key items of clothing. BASE LAYERS In the old days, keeping warm meant adding extra layers and that belief still exists today, but things have moved on. A proper base layer designed to hold heat but dispel sweat in cold weather, such as a Long John type two-piece set, is the way to go and is worth at least two layers of normal clothing and…

One of the defining features of Light Rock Fishing is using a rod within a set casting range of one to seven grams in conjunction with a fine diameter low breaking strain line, yet there isn’t necessarily a definition of what constitutes an LRF reel. The first thing to think about is how a reel balances once attached to your LRF rod. These reels range from 1000 to 3000 size, but what you choose can be influenced by where you use it and your preferred line. For instance, if your light rock fishing is mainly down harbour walls and usually for mini species then perhaps a 1000-size shallow spool reel would be best. Likewise, a 1000 reel is ideal for a very fine diameter line, such as PE 0.2, because…

AUTUMN IS THE CROSSOVER OF summer and winter species. Fish that overlap in their migratory habits have increased in numbers, while colder water species like the cod family have been affected by the changing seasons. Perhaps the water temperature stays higher for longer, which might explain why southern anglers often struggle to catch any cod yet hooking winter bass is no longer considered unusual. Traditionally, the shortening daylight hours and falling temperatures meant the arrival of cod, but it’s fair to say UK cod stocks are so diminished that your quest to catch one from the shore may be long and fruitless in some areas, but not all. An important decision at the start of the cod season is venue selection. Most anglers like to fish their local beach or…

Very few sea species demand a specific design of rod to catch them. Any beachcaster rated to cast from five ounces or more can be used to catch virtually any sea species around the UK, including cod. Much depends upon where you fish. Rocks and weed demand a stiffer more powerful blank. Many winter cod anglers who are seasoned to the worst conditions opt for the more powerful rods rated between six and eight ounces. Clean ground fishing in a big sea still demands a rod that can blast out a bait through any weather and for this many chose the longer lengths up to 16ft. Autumn and winter cod fishing is often about fishing in a weed-filled, big surging surf or swell, and strong tides with large bait loads.…

WHEN I LEFT COLLEGE, one of my plans was to have a guided fishing session with shore ace Gareth Griffiths in order to achieve two targets. The plan was to go across the Severn Bridge to the South Coast in search of an undulate ray and then visit Brean Down in search of a thornback. We planned to leave South Wales in the afternoon to arrive in time for a night session and would fish until the early hours of the next morning before heading up to Brean. This was going to be a long session, easily more than 30 hours. After a video call with Gareth, during which he explained the types of rigs required, I got busy with some tying. The main rig was a long Pennell pulley…

THIS IS A SMALL SAND AND ROC beach located between Sully Island and Lavernock Point in South Wales. Over low water on the larger tides it provides access to one of the best shore marks located at the eastern end of the Bristol Channel – the Sand Spit. SEASONAL SPECIES This long finger of sand produces lots of fish of various species. Throughout the autumn and winter it used to be the best venue for cod, but those boom days are gone, although each year cod still get caught during the colder months. It is an excellent mark for rays. Typically this meant thornbacks and an occasional small-eyed or spotted, but in more recent years it has been the arrival of lots of blonde rays that has attracted anglers to…

NESTLING ALONG DEVON’S SOUTHeast coastline, Sidmouth beach is a largely forgotten venue but it has great potential and is certainly worth checking out especially the Jacob’s Ladder section on its western fringe. There are fairly high cliffs behind a shelving sand and shingle beach, which gives way to clean sand just before the low water mark. Expect some varied action from mid-March right through to the end of the year. Towards the western end of the seafront, there is a large, long stay car park at Peak Hill Road near the Jacob’s Ladder section. From here it is a few hundred yards down a zigzag path giving access to the beach next to Jacobs Ladder (the white steps down from Connaught Gardens). SEASONAL SPECIES Starting the year off on a…

LOCATED TO THE WEST of Winchelsea beach in East Sussex, Pett Level marks the western end of the sea defence wall and where the Weald sandstone cliffs reach their eastern-most point. The beach is mixed ground that fishes well after rough weather and can regularly produce flounders, silver eels and bass. At Cliff End, the ground consists of boulders, shingle, sand and mud. It is here that flounders work up the gullies on a flooding tide. It’s always worth checking out the mark at low tide to discover where a carefully aimed cast can put your bait as the water floods. Another option is to walk out over the reef and fish the turn of the tide at low water, where a long cast can find bass waiting to come…

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…

MANY ANGLERS DREAM OF catching a fish weighing more than 100lb. For 12-year-old Christopher Stokes it came true during a recent boat fishing trip in the north west of Scotland. His dad Chris senior has been taking the youngster up to Scotland for six years. They always book two days on Bluefin charters, skippered by Roger Eaton, out of Dunstaffnage, near Oban. Dad Chris has been visiting Scotland and targeting common skate with Roger Eaton for well over 20 years and his personal best currently stands at a whopping 205lb. Now, all his attention was concentrated on getting the lad his 100lb fish. Both father and son are fishing mad and enjoy numerous fishing adventures, particularly in the Bristol Channel, throughout the year. This year’s Scotland trip was in August…

ALBACORE, also known as the longfin or white tuna, are found in temperate and tropical waters all around the world, even off the coast of Ireland. Being pelagic predators, they have a varied diet but are unique among tuna in that their primary food source is cephalopods, that is squid and cuttlefish, with fish making up a much smaller portion of their prey. Albacore form schools based on their stage in the life cycle, but also combine with other tuna species such as skipjack, yellowfin and bluefin, and once grown, schools are highly migratory. The current IGFA all-tackle record for albacore is held with a fish that weighed 88lb 2oz, caught in 1977 off Gran Canaria. TOP TACTICS Given an average size of between 10-30lb, albacore are the ideal size…

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 Why are some of the small jigs and spinners fitted with just a single hook, when surely a treble hook will result in more caught fish? JUSTIN FERGUSON, BISHOP AUCKLAND, COUNTY DURHAM DL says: Increasingly lure anglers are switching to using single rather than treble hooks, which contrary to what many think are actually much more efficient than trebles. Single hooks invariably result in a solid hook hold in the corner of the fish’s jaw, whereas trebles often rip and tear the fish’s lips resulting in lost fish. Single hooks, especially if barbless, are clearly the best choice when you intend to release fish. Q What is chunking? MARK WATERS, CHIPPENHAM, WILTSHIRE DL says: Chunking is loose feeding of bait, where small amounts of cut fish chunks are thrown…

Many anglers keep a diary because it helps them improve their chances of catching under certain conditions. I’m a lure angler and wouldn’t be without a fishing journal. Keeping a diary and improving your skills are what can make a rounded angler, whether you fish from shore or boat. Fishing isn’t all to do with luck and any information we can gather should be used to give us an advantage. The Internet and online angling forums are great but your fishing diary is tailored to your style of fishing and your own marks. It’s no surprise that many charter skippers keep a log of their catches at the many marks they visit. An old notepad or a year planner is all it takes to get going, although some anglers get…

The drop-down pulley, also known as the pulley dropper, is ideal for presenting a big bait at distance on a long, flowing hooklength that fishes on or near the seabed. By attaching the Genie Bent Rig Clip to the top swivel and clipping down the hook, the rig is streamlined for casting but the snood is released on impact with the sea and slides down the rig and works like a flowing trace. This makes it a good choice when fishing for rays because the bait will be well away from the grip weight. It is also used smoothhounds and cod. The snood normally has two hooks in a Pennell formation in order to carry a larger bait. Our diagram includes a Gemini Genie Premium Pulley Swivel, but other devices…

What a great deal we’ve got for you here. You can get a Penn Rampage II Surf rod and Shakespeare Agility Surf 80 fixed-spool reel for £149.99, saving £66.99. In fact, the reel normally costs £66.99 so, in effect, you are getting a free reel when you buy the three-piece rod. The Penn Rampage II Surf is 4.26m (14ft) long and is rated to cast 80g to 120g, making it ideal for light beach fishing. Built with a blend of 24-ton carbon, this continental-style rod has Fuji O guides, hi-viz tip, black shrink tube grips and a rubber butt cap. It is designed to be light, responsive to bites yet features a progressively powerful fast-taper blank to maximise casting and fishing performance. It comes in a cordura tube. The rod…

THE NORTHUMBERLAND COAST HAS some outstanding scenery with some fantastic fishing to go with it and Marden Rocks is one of my favourite venues. Situated a short walk north across a beach from the beautiful village of Alnmouth, it stretches for around half a mile with Foxton beach to the north and Alnmouth beach in the south. Fishing can be done all along the front and from the skeers to the north and south so the is plenty of choice for the roving angler. Featuring heavy kelp, boulders and gullies, this is ideal ground for fish to feed over. Over the years Marden Rocks have produced many match-winning bags with some weights exceeding 20lb and individual cod weighing into double figures. SEASONAL SPECIES Although cod are the main target, summer…

THISISALONGSTRETCHOFPROMENADE along the Wirral side of the Mersey with the Seacombe ferry terminal at its southern end and Wallasey Town Hall to the north. At the mid-point is an area known as Guinea Gap. It is predominately a high-water mark, although some low-water fishing is possible at either end of the stretch where a sandy beach is exposed at the Town Hall or directly from the promenade at the ferry terminal end. SEASONAL SPECIES Noted for codling fishing in the late autumn and winter, in recent years the area has become a popular location to target smoothhounds in the summer. The other main species are bass, dabs, flounders and whiting, together with occasional bonus conger and bull huss. Codling catches can be excellent at low water in the mid-autumn period…

GETTING THERE Situated midway between Seaton and Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth is approached via the A3052 which skirts along the northern edge of the town. Head towards the western end of the seafront near the Jacob’s Ladder section where there is a long stay car park. If just visiting for an evening session, which is recommended, there is some free roadside parking after 6pm. TACKLE SHOP ■ Seaton Angling Centre, The Harbour, Seaton EX12 4AA, tel: 01297 625511. ■ Hook, Line & Tackle, 42 Rolle Street, Exmouth, tel: 01395 487540.…

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. Simon Davidson, Kettering, Northants. FISH: 550lb porbeagle shark. BAIT: Mackerel. VENUE: Reel Deal (Dan Hawkins), Ilfracombe, North Devon. DATE: September 13. See pg 52 Stuart Wilson, Wick, Caithness.  FISH: 176lb common skate. BAIT: Herring on a Pennell pulley rig. VENUE:…

THE WEEKEND HAD ARRIVED and I had been itching for the chance to head up into Northumberland, a stretch of coastline dominated by forests of kelp along with deep, rocky gullies and golden beaches. Anglers have many fishing choices, ranging from scratching for flatfish to fishing big edible crab baits for resident cod from the kelp shoreline. Good numbers of codling had shown since the previous big tides and with a couple of weeks’ worth of settled weather, flat calm seas and big tides it was a good opportunity to get out. With the weather forecast predicting a strong westerly, the options were narrowed to somewhere offering shelter from the wind. My dad Ryan chose Craster. Located in the middle of the Northumberland coastline, this small village has loads of…

THE GLOBAL coronavirus pandemic remains firmly in our minds, particularly for the tragic number of daily fatalities, months of lockdowns, social distancing and many other generally bad news stories. Yet, while much of the population was complaining about not being able to go to the pub or that they were bored with being stuck at home, one sector of our population had never been so busy – the NHS workers. Support for them grew to a massive extent with seemingly endless numbers of well-wishers trying to bring a bit of cheer to the exhausted staff. One of them was skipper Haydn Ross, who came up with the idea of offering some free charter trips on his boat Tuskar 2, based at Cardiff Marina. After telling me of his plans, I…

1 Adjust your lead: Instead of using a drilled bullet-type lead, slide a link swivel on to the rig instead, to house a plain bomb weight. This way you can increase or decrease the amount of lead according to the tide strength. 2 Fluorocarbon hooklengths: No matter how clear the water may be, it’s worth investing in some top quality fluorocarbon to use for hooklengths. Always carry a spool of 20lb fluorocarbon line. 3 The correct hooks: If you carry a selection of hooks, you will be able to match your choice to the size of bait being used. I carry trebles, circles and even size 4 carp hooks for use with live sandeels when going afloat. 4 Black out: A good tip is to wrap your floats with black…

Q What is the difference between monofilament and fluorocarbon line? Does it make any difference when catching fish and, if so, what are the pros and cons when using fluorocarbon? JASON KERR, BASILDON, ESSEX JM says: Fluorocarbon is much harder than monofilament because its construction has tighter packed molecules. Fluorocarbon has a higher tensile strength and is more abrasion resistant. When breaking strains are compared to monofilament, fluorocarbon has a thinner diameter and disappears from sight quicker under water, making it harder for fish to see. Using fluorocarbon can definitely increase catch rates in crystal-clear water. It can also be very useful as a leader when lure fishing over rocky terrain because of its higher abrasion resistance, especially when using a lower diameter. The main consideration for me is the…

Q What would be the best way to rig some curly tail lures that I got in an LRF starter kit, dropshot or jighead? JODY BURTON, SALFORD, MANCHESTER DS says: I think the best advice I can give regarding the presentation of curly tail or grub-type lures is to keep them moving. The tails are only working and moving when the lure is under motion, so whether it is dropshot or jighead just keep winding and pull the lure to get that tail vibration happening. If the plastic is super soft, you will get away with a slower retrieve. Q I am amazed by the sheer number of species that will take a lure, but as a boat angler I often wonder where to start with lures rather than using…

Location Make a note of the where you intend to fish and be specific about exactly where you were on that mark. Sometimes the smallest details are the most important. Moon phase/tide As we progress in our fishing , small details in the size and state of tide can help us out greatly. Making a note on what stage of the flooding/ ebbing tide is useful. Some people find that larger spring tides that coincide with a new moon or full moon can produce more fish. Yet on some marks this may not be the case, with some spots fishing particularly well on neap tides. Neap tides occur during the first and last quarter of the moon phase. All this information is important to an angler, whether lure or bait…

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 PREVAIL II UPTIDE 303 70-300g RRP: £134.99 WiTH UPTIDE FISHING TAING UP A large percentage of my charter business here in the Bristol Channel, I was keen to see how this new model from the Penn stable performed. Billed as a modern uptide rod, providing a combination of strength and performance, its wide casting weight range of 70-300g (2½- 10oz) certainly covers almost everything an inshore angler could ask for. I tested the rod on a fairly shallow sandbank in search of rays. The two-piece rod consists of a long tip and short butt. Coupled with a small Penn Fathom multiplier reel, the 100 per cent graphite blank was soon bending under the pressure of some good sized blonde rays. It’s soft tip action, coupled with a powerful butt…

PENN TIDAL 420 SERIES RRP: FROM £109.99 Continental style rods are a lot of fun, particularly when fishing light, and when used in conjunction with finer mainlines you can achieve some great casting distances. There are many types of these rods with varying styles and, of course, price. These can be great for beginners because they are usually quite forgiving when learning to cast, and some have found favour in the demanding world of match fishing too. Anglers are seeing an influx of good continental-style surf rods in the lower price bracket meaning you can acquire a really nice rod for very little money. The new Tidal 420 series from Penn, which is a range of four slightly different rods in the lower price bracket, really caught my eye. I…

PENN PLUS ANYFISH ANYWHERE TWO-DAY OPEN Llandudno, Conwy, 314 anglers Anglers from Kent filled six of the top 10 places, including the top three, in this popular two-day event in North Wales. With 157 anglers in each match for an overall prize fund of £15,000, there were two anglers who scored zone wins on both days and the match was decided on fish points. Robbie Taylor (pictured top) put in a superb performance to not only win his zone on both days to score a perfect two zone points, but finish first in the two matches. Robbie won zone C on day 1 and B on day 2 and recorded 1,428 fish points. Runner-up Tommy Wells also had a pair of zone wins, taking zones D and A respectively, but…

NOVEMBER 2011 ■ Channel Islands angler Richard Le Provost thought he had hooked the seabed but it turned out to be a British record Couch’s bream. The 9lb 4oz 5dr fish was caught when Richard was fishing from his own boat off the west coast of Guernsey. The previous best was 6lb 9oz 7dr. Richard still holds the record. ■ Mark Buckner, from Portsmouth, boated a 22lb 12oz blonde ray on a mackerel strip bait while fishing off Selsey, West Sussex, on Rob Hickin’s Sea-Juicer. ■ Although new to boat fishing, John Preston, from Bolton, caught a 25lb 10oz blonde ray while fishing from Owen Malia’s Dartmouth boat, Outlaw. ■ A total of 616 blue sharks were caught and released during 2010-11 by boats out of Looe in Cornwall. Best…