Hard-Earned Fish 25-05-13

The weather forecast for the weekend looked good with light winds forecasted for both Saturday and Sunday.  I would have loved to fish both days but due to commitments, Saturday was the day.

I launched at 6:00 in the morning and everything looked good.  The sea was calm, the sky was blue, and what a pleasure it was paddling out as the sun came up over the cliff.

My plan was to lure fish on the drift over a mixture of clean ground and rough ground.  I would start the drift over clean ground and jig a Herring Rig using a 50g jig as the weight in the hope of Mackerel or Herring.  Then when over the rough ground, jig a Savage Sandeel in the hope of Pollack, Wrasse, or possibly Cod.  This method has been productive for me in the past producing a variety of species.

Herring Rig with 50g Jig

Savage Sandeel (bottom)

The day started well.  On the first drift, I hooked a Grey Gurnard over the clean ground.  The fish took a mini feather of the Herring Rig.

 

 

 

 

From then on, it was like fishing in the Dead Sea.  Apart from a very small Pollack there were no signs of any fish however, the weather and the conditions were still great.  

 

By 11 o'clock and no more fish, it was clear that this was going to be a difficult day.  My initial plan was to lure fish for the whole session however, whilst jigging the Herring Rig I managed to catch a Launce.

I decided to change tactics.  I would use the launce and fish bait on the drift.  One Launce was hardly enough bait for a long sessions fishing however, as I only intended to fish for another couple of hours that was fine.  The bait rod was set up with a simple running ledger and a fillet of launce and the drift began.

It did not take long before there was a tap on the rod tip and to my delight up came a Plaice.

I continued with this method until the bait ran out but I never landed any more fish.

Although the winds were very light all day, the direction had changed to onshore.  The sea at the launch site in the morning was flat calm.

The sea at the launch site when I came in was not so calm.

Knowing how easy it is, for the kayak to turn over in a split second if caught sideways on I always come in backwards.  It takes me longer but at least I am facing what is coming and can control the kayak easier.  It is amazing how, even with light winds, a combination of the direction of those winds and a spring tide can change the conditions so quickly.

Although I struggled to catch fish, I was pleased to catch something and despite a little bit of difficulty getting back to shore it was a good day.

Fish Finder Saved a Blank Day 18-05-13

I launched the kayak of the south coast of Cornwall early this morning and the plan was to drift over a reef that in the past had produced Pollack, Wrasse, and the occasional Cod.

The weather forecast was for force 3 to 4 offshore winds increasing to force 4 to 5 in the afternoon therefore, I knew I might have to come in when the wind started to increase.

 

On the way out to the reef, the conditions looked good and apart from some fog, rising up over the cliff it was clear and sunny.

In the past, I managed to find this reef using landmarks and lobster pot buoys, which was fine however, I could never be sure where the rough ground started and finished.  

About a month ago, I fitted a Garmin Echo 550c fish finder and it was now great to be able to see the structure for myself.

For me, the fish finder's main use is to read the depth of the water and the structure of the seabed however, recent trips have taught me that it can be useful to locate fish holding areas and the following is an example from a previous trip showing suspended shoals of Pollack.

 

I fished the reef for three hours and never caught anything and there were no fish showing on the sounder.  I decided to paddle about a mile to another rough ground mark that in the past had also produced Pollack, Wrasse, and the occasional Cod.  I fished this mark for another couple of hours but again no fish caught and no fish on the sounder.  This was rapidly looking like it might be a disappointing day!

As per the forecast, the wind started to increase therefore, for safety reasons I decided to move a bit closer to shore and the launch site.  I had never paddled this route before therefore, as a matter of interest; I kept the fish finder on.  The ground was looking featureless until some rough ground started showing with suspended fish above the rough ground.

I quickly despatched the drift chute, lowered the Savage Sandeel down amongst the fish, and immediately had a take and up came a Pollack.

When vertical jigging, one thing I like about the Garmin Echo 550c is that set on split frequency (200 kHz - 77 kHz) the 77 kHz will show the jig going down and the jig working.  This is a great help when trying to get the lure amongst the fish.

By the time I had dealt with the fish, I had drifted back over featureless ground.  I now had to try to find the rough ground and the fish again.  This I managed to do and down went the lure once more. Within a few turns of the reel, the rod bent over and another fish was on. Again, it was a Pollack.

 

This Pollack was a better-sized fish and took me longer to land and by the time I managed to get the fish on the kayak and remove the hook, I was once again over a featureless seabed.

I spent the next 30 minutes trying to find the rough ground and the fish once more.  No matter how many times I tried to judge the direction of the drift, I could not find the mark.  Unfortunately, I do not have GPS therefore, could not mark it as a waypoint.  I suspect the mark was not that large but at the time, there were a lot of fish showing.   A Garmin GPS Map 78 is definitely on the shopping list!

I then decided to stop for the day however, on a positive note, without the fish finder I would have blanked.  I simply would not have come across the rough ground and the fish.  In the past, I would have just paddled on very unaware of what was below.

The fish caught were definitely a bonus to a difficult day's fishing.

Below are few photo's from the day.

River Fal Thornback Ray Fishing 05-05-13

Thornback Rays migrate into the Fal Estuary from March to early May and this is the time for me to consider targeting them from the Kayak.  Although I am grateful for any species I catch, I enjoy targeting different species at different times of the year and today I decided to try for Thornback Ray.

I highlighted details of the Fal Estuary in a previous post and the method would be simple.  I would anchor close to the east narrows buoy, which marks the eastern outer edge of a narrow stretch of the main channel.  The east and west narrow buoys help guide the large ships into Falmouth docks.

East Narrows Buoy

Just to the east of the buoy is the once land that was flooded when the glaciers melted during the last ice age.  In this area, there are maerl beds.  The maerl grows in up to 30m of water in the UK and the Thornback Rays hunt for food amongst the maerl.

Maerl beds of the River Fal.

The tackle would be a 7'6" 12-20lb boat rod and an Abu 6500 reel loaded with 15lb nylon and a 30lb leader.  The running trace would be 4' to 6' of 30lb Fluorocarbon with a Wishbone Rig.  A wishbone rig is generally used for Plaice fishing however; I find it useful for a variety of species as it has the added benefit of being able to fish two baits on the same rig meaning more scent.




Lynx Wishbone Rig as Example

I intended to try for some fresh bait on the way to the mark and was hoping for fresh Mackerel, Herring, Sandeel or Launce by jigging a Herring Rig however, just in case, I had some frozen Mackerel with me.  Herring is natural bait for Thornback Rays along with Sandeels, Whiting, Dabs, and Crabs.

An ideal launch site for me is the St Just in Roseland Boatyard.  There is a launch fee of £3.00 payable to the boatyard.  From here, I have about a mile and a half paddle to the east narrows buoy.

St Just in Roseland Boatyard

 

 On the way to the mark the both the weather and the sea conditions were excellent.

Stopping on the way to see if I could catch some fresh bait, I managed a few Launce.  Frozen bait is fine but it is always better if you can have fresh.

Freshly Caught Launce

Once anchored at the mark the wishbone rig was baited up with two fillets of Launce.

The banks of the main channel of river Fal are shallow and I was fishing in about 15-20 feet of water therefore, rather than lower the bait to the bottom I cast it away from the kayak.  With the bait on the bottom, the waiting game began.  To keep myself occupied I occasionally jigged a Herring Rig and managed to catch a tiny Gurnard, which was returned but what beautiful fish, they are.

The fishing was slow but eventually there was a few gentle knocks on the rod tip followed by a pull and a fish was on and I was pleased to see it was a Thornback Ray.

Thornback Ray

That was the only Ray caught but I was very pleased to catch one.  The weather was great and the paddle back to the launch site was a pleasure.

Back at the launch site, what a lovely evening to end a day's fishing.

 

Porthluney Pollack and Wrasse 01-05-13

Porthluney Beach, Caerhays on the South coast of Cornwall is one of my favourite locations to fish from.  Apart from the easy access, it gives me to the fishing grounds of Veryan Bay it is also an area of outstanding natural beauty.

At different times of the year, this area can produce a variety of species and with a combination 24 years shore fishing, and nearly two years kayak fishing, my species totals 21 that includes:

Bass
Cod
Coley
Conger Eel
Dab
Dogfish
Flounder
Garfish
John Dory
Mackerel
Plaice
Pollack
Pouting
Red Bream
Scad
Sea Trout
Silver Eel
Thornback Ray
Turbot
Whiting
Wrasse

The variety of species potentially available and the outstanding natural beauty draws me back year after year.

During the winter months and the onslaught of the winter seas, this area is rather exposed making kayak fishing very limited therefore; in general, I fish this area from May through to November. 

 

My plan was to drift over some rough ground marks using lures, which in the past has produced Pollack, Bass, John Dory, Mackerel, and the occasional Cod. 

Lures that have been successful for me for this type of fishing are Savage Sandeels, Savage Sandeels Slugs, Twin Tails, and Nordic Herring. 



Twin Tail and Savage Sandeel

 

 

Nordic Herring with a Paternoster Savage Sandeel Slug

 

When lure fishing, I like to have four rods set up with different lures for two reasons. One, so that I can experiment and see what is working on the day and two, if I lose a lure on the rough ground, I can quickly resume fishing with another rod rather than having the hassle of setting up again.

The method used is simple; the lure is lowered to the bottom, jigged a few times, reeled up a few turns, and lowered back down.

The weather forecast was light offshore winds increasing during the afternoon therefore; I launched early to take advantage of the weather.



On arrival at the mark as usual, the drift chute was set to slow down the drift and the fishing began.

First fish landed was a Ballan Wrasse, which took the Savage Sandeel Slug.  I do take a few of these fish each year for the table and despite what many think skinned, they are good to eat but on this occasion, I had some in the freezer therefore, the fish was returned.

Next fish was a Pollack, which also fell for the Savage Sandeel Slug.

Next fish was also a Pollack, which this time took a Savage Sandeel.

By this time, the offshore wind was getting stronger and I decided to take a break closer to the launch site and see how the weather developed.  One of the great things about kayak fishing is that you can land in some beautiful places inaccessible by boat or from the land.

Great place for a break.

The wind was clearly getting stronger which would make the fishing hard work therefore, I decided to stop for the day and head for home.

After a long tiring fishing session there is always a warm welcome and a wide range of refreshments at the Caerhays Beach Cafe.  The cup of tea, a sausage bap, and a piece of homemade cake was a very pleasant end to a day’s fishing.

Caerhays Beach Cafe

Jan the proprietor, always shows great interest in the catch particularly if it is her favourite Sea Bass.  On this occasion, I could only show a couple of Pollack.

Pollack is a member of the Cod family and celebrity chefs have labelled this fish a sustainable alternative to Cod. Undoubtedly, it is far more abundant than Cod and it is good to eat but not as good as Cod.   I found that if you cook Pollack without the skin it vastly improves the flavour.

From a fishing point of view, on light tackle Pollack provide great sport. When you hook a Pollack over rough ground or a wreck, the repeated dives as the fish tries to get back down is great fun.

As always, with me, the pleasure of fishing is also the meal it provides and it was off home to prepare the days catch.