Innehållsförteckning för November 2023 från Sea Angler

Booking a charter trip is a straightforward enough process; or is it? It’s been many years since I actually booked a charter trip for myself and a group of friends, but after many months of resisting the request from a bunch of mates at my local pub, this year I finally conceded and set about organising a trip for what essentially was a group of novice boat anglers. Of course, I have a fair amount of experience fishing aboard charter boats the length and breadth of the British Isles, so I had a good idea of exactly what I wanted to arrange. Even so, I had to deal with the inevitable spanners in the works while attempting to choose a date that was A) suitable for the fishing we hoped…

SHORE COD November, arguably, offers the most consistent chance of a shore cod. This winter should see some fish in the 6lb plus bracket left over from the 3 and 4lbers that some regions saw during the winter of 22/23. TIDE TALK The bigger spring tides, with their more powerful tide flow, pull in larger numbers of cod tight inshore, especially in rougher seas. The best cod tides this month fall from the 10th to the 18th with the 12th to the 17th looking prime. Later in the month tides from the 23rd to the 30th are good, with the peak tides for cod being between the 25th and 28th. On surf beaches, cod show from low water, but the peak feeding period is generally the middle hours of the…

I had just begun working on this feature when Paul Cottell, the Angling Trust’s Wyvern division records officer, rang to say that two superb giltheads, both shore caught, had been entered for the division’s June and July “Fish of the Month” award. The biggest weighing 9lb 9oz 4dr from Salcombe was by Plymouth angler Dave Horrill, a personal best in the shore category. The other of 8lb 5oz 12dr taken from the Plymouth Sound shore by Stephen King was also a personal best. This excellent start to the exotic bream season is a welcome indication that great catches can be expected. In the 1980s when it mysteriously began to leave the waters of the Western English Channel and Atlantic Cornwall the red bream, with the exception of mackerel, had been…

Usually, where you fish aboard a charter boat is a free for all on a first come, first served basis. Some boat skippers, though, employ a round-robin system. It’s less common, but you move deck position every hour or so; this determined by the number of anglers and the amount of time likely to be fished, divided equally. This equalises opportunities as best the skipper can, though some angler groups choose to do this themselves anyway. There is no guarantee then where you’ll be fishing, so you need to have the versatility to instantly adapt to any deck placing and fish it to its maximum. In football, players capable of playing out of position are one of the most valued alongside strikers, which proves the point of being able to…

Tom Foster from Watchet caught a cracking bass of 7lb when fishing off Watchet Harbour using mackerel. On an earlier trip at Minehead Harbour he also caught a 6lb 4oz specimen. Alex Bausola was fishing with his dad when he caught two bass in the same session from a beach in Kent; one weighed 12lb and the other 8lb. Both were caught on squid and mackerel using a running ledger with 4/0 hooks and 4oz lead. Frank Harris, aged eight, from Canterbury with a 2lb 2oz ballan wrasse caught while on holiday at Loch Long at Arrochar in Scotland. Frank was using ragworm on a float. 15-year-old Jayden Kingswell with a 22lb 8oz tope caught from a local mark on the Isle of Wight. Lexie Groves caught this 2lb 6oz…

I don’t know if it’s due to our ‘at-your-fingertip’ ability to look things up in an encyclopaedic instant via our smartphones, whether it’s borne from our sanitised, social media-worthy rendering of life through pictures, or even if it’s the result of something else altogether that I’m simply missing. Whatever it may be, it has led to the increasingly restrictive development of a never-ending need to quantify, classify and pigeonhole almost every single facet of life. I’m not talking here of science, of the discovery of chemical elements or the biological taxonomies that allow us to understand the living world that surrounds us. These are, of course, essential for understanding our environment and our place within it. No, I’m thinking about the fact that we seem to have swung drastically toward…

September is the time for the annual gathering of boat enthusiasts, the Southampton International Boat Show, and this year’s event was just as spectacular as the pre-event publicity suggested. The weather wasn’t kind during the weekdays, which did affect the footfall, although many exhibitors we spoke to seemed more than happy with the number of real punters they were seeing. We’ve picked out the best new fishing boats and products on offer from this year’s show. BOATS There were plenty of great angling boats to view – from RIBs and SIBs to aluminium hulled craft, from kayaks to 25 footers and beyond. Aluminium boats are becoming more popular in the UK amongst boat anglers and we’ve already reviewed a few. Aluminium boats are hard wearing and need minimal maintenance (these…

Most sea anglers probably started off casting small lures from the shore. I can attest to this having spent most of my youth wandering along the busy working harbours where I grew up targeting codling, coalfish and scorpion fish, and yomping over the hills to fish remote rock marks targeting specimen pollack and ling using small metal lures. Every hit is equally as exhilarating! I am still an avid lure angler and like a moth to light, I eagerly test out any interesting-looking metals when I come across them! Unfortunately, fish stocks are lower, and the average stamp of fish appears to be ever-decreasing. However, this does force us to think differently about things – what can we do to have the edge over other anglers? How are we going…

We sea anglers all love a decent hoody and just about every fishing tackle manufacturer has an offering, but not all are equal. It’s up to us to decide which ones are worth our hard-earned money and which are worth giving a miss. Vass as a brand have a history in textiles that dates back to 1950 and they’ve been in the sea angling market since 2009. In the 14 years since they have built a reputation for doing things a little differently. I have recently spoken at great length with one of the owners of the company, Chris Hvass. I had seen him at angling shows in the past, including The Big One at Farnborough. He is a guy who has a passion for materials, innovation and sea angling.…

This month one lucky reader will win an extremely versatile all-round boat fishing combo from PENN. The two-piece 7ft 2in 30lb Warfare boat rod features a powerful carbon blank, heavy duty guides and a x-gimbal which fits into a fighting belt. The rod is paired with a PENN 30LW reel featuring high quality drag washers, line capacity rings and a level wind to lay the line on the spool smoothly. This combo is ideal for taking on heavy-duty species such as congers, cod, tope and rays in deep water. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize simply enter below. Good luck! FEATURES: ■ Lightweight graphite frame and sideplates■ Forged and machined aluminium spool■ HT-100 carbon fibre drag washers■ 2 shielded stainless steel ball bearings■ Line capacity…

No other venue on the Fylde coast divides opinion more than the Gynn Wall. It has as many haters as those who love it. What is undeniable is that it offers easy access and is suitable for any age and abllity to fish it. Any fish that can be caught locally will, at some stage, be caught on the wall. The section we are focusing on here, the Miners’ Home stretch, is just over half way along and tends to be a bit less crowded. The ground, tactics, baits and access are the same as any other part of the wall. SPECIES Winter sees whiting, dabs, rockling, codling and flounder. Plaice, dogfish, bass and thornback rays and the odd turbot and sole start to get caught in spring before smoothhound,…

This is a top-rated area for the shore angler and, aside from the difficulty of access by virtue of the distance from parking areas, I rate it as one of the best in the greater South West; the effort put in will always be rewarded. SCABBACOMBE SANDS This is the principal mark for bass, usually at first light on the bigger tides. Peeler crab gets the best response. The headland is a top wrasse area and it was here that an 8lb-plus specimen was caught by Paignton angler John Case. It was mounted and can be seen at Paignton SAA’s headquarters in Cliff Road. The population of conger along this coast is considerable and dedication during the night hours can produce eels in the 35lb class. During the summer and…

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 this list at…

THAT FIRST MEETING Picture the scene – 75 bass anglers converging on Weymouth for an open meeting about the future of bass angling. It’s spring 1973, and for some the night before is a long one, including four guys from Kent and Sussex – Brian Harris (Editor of ‘Angling’), Terry Hill and David Greenough (Art Director and Advertising Manager of ‘Angling’), and John Darling, the well-known columnist, author and general bass nut. They drove through the night in a camper van from London, no doubt to the strains of the car radio and ‘Angie’ by the Rolling Stones, ‘Money’ by Pink Floyd and ‘Band on the Run’ by Wings. Meanwhile Clive Gammon drove from his native south Wales and had a hotel bed to look forward to. Others had even…

Up until the 1926 blue skate were recognised as being an entirely separate species, before scientific opinion of the day decided that they were really just common skate. Not convinced, a few years ago CEFAS, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, instigated a tagging program and commissioned research to find out more about blue skate. Their results have confirmed that blue skate are indeed a separate species from common, or flapper skate, Dipturis intermedius. In 2010 blue skate were reclassified as being a separate genus, Dipturus batis. The giveaway characteristics to help identify a blue skate include a well-defined, pointed head, and their distinct body colouration. They are only rarely caught by anglers as they tend to live in very deep water, which usually means fishing well offshore.…

Steve Huff is a legend amongst south Florida’s saltwater angling guides and was inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) Hall of Fame in 2010. A specialist in tarpon fishing he holds many accolades including helping one client to six different tarpon records on four separate line classes. He has been an innovator in fishing and fishing tackle throughout his career. He is responsible for the development of the double 8 loop, a very strong and reliable connection when using 60-100lb stiff mono or fluorocarbon line. Step-by-step A. Take the leader or hook length and tie a double overhand knot.B. Pull it tight until it curves over itself forming the first figure of eight.C. Pass the line though the eye of the hook and then back through the top…

My first impression of this new addition to the PENN stable of boat rods was that it appeared both well-made and attractive, though modest in livery. The unique ‘solid spiral’ armour technology uses reinforced spiral shaped carbon fibres. This creates an extremely slim blank that delivers a boat rod which is both light and incredibly strong. The Fuji stainless steel guide frames cover the blank perfectly keeping the line from coming into contact with the blank at all times. They are smartly finished with Fuji alconite guides. The screw down reel seat is of fairly heavy construction and holds the reel perfectly with no signs of unnecessary movement under pressure. The EVA handles are designed to give comfort and warmth making fishing with this rod a pleasure, especially when holding…

They say that you can’t improve on perfection and 30 years of designing and selling high quality multi-purpose clothing would attest to that regarding Titan Fishing, a veritable British institution in the angling and outdoor communities. Most of you will be familiar with Titan – they’ve been at the top end of waterproof, breathable clothing for many years and are the choice of professional, match and amateur anglers due to the quality and detail of their products, and the guarantee of long-lasting and hard-wearing clothing. The first version of the famous Titan breathable smock was introduced to the market 30 years ago; company founder and designer Alan Lund released his original version of the three-quarter length smock which is renowned (and rightly so) as a classic of its kind. Alan…

John Locker was born in County Durham and grew up in North Yorkshire. He moved to the South West when he joined the Navy and after six years of service has been based in Cornwall ever since. A lifelong angler the 37-year-old has held the British shore-caught bass record since 2012 and in 2018 started his YouTube channel, The Fish Locker, which currently has over 339,000 subscribers. SA: When did you start fishing and who inspired you when you started? TFL: I am from a fishing family in a fishing town. It’s in my blood and has always been a passion. When I started it was John Wilson who I most remember. SA: What’s your favourite type of fishing or species to fish for? TFL: My favourite species changes with…

MATCH FISHING HOW IT WORKS ■ With £10,000 in tackle prizes the points, based on entries, are awarded to the top three plus section winners and captors of the largest fish caught in each designated Penn match. Penn also awards a prize of a Spinfisher fixed-spool reel to the angler scoring the most points in matches shown in each issue. If there is a tie, the winner will be the angler whose total is from the greatest number of results and is then chosen on merit by the editor. An angler can win only one reel during the year. To win a prize you must be registered with the Penn Sea League – supply your name, address, phone and email. Send fixtures, results and league registration by email to Ian…