Folkestone

Folkestone Warren  4th May 1998

Drove down to the Warren with Karen for a 5.30am start...... the forecast was good..... light winds force 3 to 4 from the North / North-East ..... in reality as the Warren is south facing, the sea was calm with just a slight breeze of force 2 or less. Cloud cover was due to break-up during the morning, and high-tide was at 6am or so.

Found one other chap fishing when we arrived on the first apron.... nothing to report, as he had only just started.. said he was ledgering for Codling, Bass, or anything!!!

Walked on up to the Nags Head and set-up. Pike rods (3lb T/C), Mitchell 300 spinning reels, with 17lb silver thread (to resist abrasion from the rocks). Used a variety of Rapalas (13cm Jointed in firetiger, blue, and black livery, 14cm Husky Jerk ,in blue and orange, and Rattlin Rapalas in fire tiger and gold.). I also tried out a small silver ABU Krillette.

6.20am: Having been fishing for almost a hour, with no sign of any fish, I was greatly encouraged as I saw a flash of silver, and a tail disappear, just a I lifted the Blue 13cm jointed Rapala out of the water. The fish was small, at only about 2 lb or so I would estimate... but a Bass none the less.

After a while, I changed over to the jointed firetiger.......

6.45am: Just drawing the Rapala in, about 25' or so, when I felt the classic stopping resistance of a bite...... the Rapala held, and up came a small bass..... Karen stepped in an brought it to shore with the landing net...... 35cm Bass, but a baby at just over 3/4lb ... took a couple of photo's and returned it .... not really the 15lb'er that I wanted, but maybe it will be one day..... :-)

7.20am: changed lures a number of times...... then cast out with the Krillette .... as this sinks rapidly, and the ground is rocky, a rapid retrieval was required from the moment it hit the water, so that it raced just under the water at a few feet or less..... suddenly the water exploded about 40' away...... out jumps a Garfish, with the lure in it's beak...... after a short fight, and with Karen at the Net, the Garfish was landed..... we measured it at 60cm, took a few photo's and again released it.......

8.10am: things went quiet, changed around the lures between us, had to stop using the Krillette as I almost lost it twice in the rocks...... but nothing in the way of fish..... Karen went and sat down for a coffee-break ....... about 60 to 70 feet out, that water again erupted with garfish.. not after our lures, but after fry, or perhaps fleeing a bass... anyway we continued on but to no avail..... the tide dropped still further ...... decided to go, and on the way give the first apron a quick going over as we did...... nothing.. :-( ...... packed up and left for the 85 mile drive back to Surbiton at 9.30am. Stopped off on the way at Den's Tackle in Hythe, who had managed to get hold of another Mitchell 300, for me...... I do so love their action, and the locking bar on the bail-arm........ now if I could just test one out, with a 15lb Bass..... ;-)

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