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Lovely day, with winds around force 4 from the NE, and High Tide at 11.30am.... just me (well along with about 50 others.....), as none of the usual fishing crew could make it.....
Started setting up my tackle around 9am at peg 150...... then horror of horrors....... I'd packed everything (and the sink), but NO HOOKS..aaaaaarrrrrrrrrhhhhhh..... Very nice chap next to me, called Jamie, came to my rescue, and gave me a selection to play with.......
Set up one rig for codling.... 1 up / 1 down, with 2/0 hooks, and an 8oz long wire lead. Baits... well lug, black lug, and squid, combo was the order of the day.... Couldn't double Pat., due to the lack of hooks (didn't want to have to keep asking people.. I felt such an idiot!!!!!) ..... so I wasted a lot of time baiting up......
Set the other beachcaster up for Bass, down the wall..... 3/0 pennell with whole squid or live pout, about 15 feet down.... Set both rods for cod and bass on the outside wall). Used the pike rod and a 1/0 hook for pout down the inside wall......
By the time I had got myself sorted, people around me were already pulling in codling..... Jamie managed a good sized dogfish as well .....
Took my first fish around10am..... a codling just over 14", then another slightly larger twenty minutes later..... things were looking good..... baited up... and no sooner had the bait hit bottom, than the rod tip banged over and the tackle went with the tide... had a fish all right, but it did mean having to walk down the Breakwater avoiding other peoples lines..... got the fish to the surface.... a nice dogfish of 2 to 3 pounds.. two chaps fishing where I had landed up.. asked if I needed a hand... I didn't think so.... rod and line were strong enough for the job..... BUT... fish came off the hook half way up... oh well I'd have only thrown it back anyway.....
By 11am, I'd also started catching pout, both large and small..... felt like winter was almost here at last..... after this I just kept pulling in codling, with the occasional pout.... it was very frustrating to be wasting fishing time by having the rig out the water whilst baiting up..... the chaps the other side of me (who had real troubles holding position 'cos they were not using fixed grap 8oz leads although they were still catching fish), pulled up what looked like a large dab. I then decided after chatting to another very helpful chap (who had caught 30 odd fish, mainly on the inside, and using beads), that I would try using the pike rod for flatties, with a 3 or 4oz rolling lead, with a bottom 6 foot trace with the single 1/0 hook, with a line of beads set above the lug only bait...... took a few pouting..... one whiting, and a number of codling (that rather bent the rod over...)... but no flatties for me.....
By the end of the day.. 3.30pm, I'd 5 nice codling for the pot, all around 1 and 1/2 pounds, and must have put back at least 15 to 20 smaller ones, not including the pout.... Most people seemed to have a very similar time.. the heaviest codling fell to the DSAA steward (over 6lb) along with a number of pollack, whilst he was also fishing for Bass....... Hastings Angling Club held their own mini comp... the winning weight was around the 10lb mark, with mainly a mixed bag of codling and pout, I think.....
A great days fishing, and if you read this Jamie, then a very big thank you......
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