Your first time shore fishing.

[steveuk1]

the first time i went sea fishing was in the summer on a family day out to seahouses, had bought a rod and reel from the car boot sale along with some hooks and weights, got some worm from the little tackle shop there and fished the end of the harbour jetty got nowt, saw some blokes fishing on the rocks to the right of me so me dad took me along there fust cast a whitie only small but got me hooked

[sfj21]

Used to go up to Blyth and Amble piers with me granda when i was about 9-10, never caught out but remember like they were yesterday. Used to stop for fish and chips at the end of the road in Amble near the pier.

He's not in too good health these days as he's in his late 70's but in the summer just gone we managed to get up to Fontburn on a rare sunny day. He can't walk very far so we fished the rocks in front of the cabin a stones throw from the car. I baited up his rod and he chucked it out only about 10 foot whilst i set mine up. We were laughing about his cast and sortin out the teas when his rod went daft and fell out of the rest. After struggling to get out his chair he got up and hooked into a canny 3lb+ rainbow. I've never seen him so happy! He fished for a couple more hours and then packed in as he was just chuffed he'd caught his first proper fish at 76. He couldn't wait to get back and tell the lads at Wessy Social. It made my day.

It's memories like this that make fishing so special to a lot of people. Good on your granda Andy. Warms the heart

[Beachlover]

My dad took my fishing to the Alcan beach I must have only been 11 or 12, I still remember the rod, about 12 foot long, blue in colour and it only had 4 rings on it, I could cast it about 40 yards with a tail wind, if the wind was in my face I couldn't get the weight off dry land! After about an hour of standing watching my rod and no bites I decided it was much more interesting just walking about kicking stones, digging holes, throwing stones into the sea etc, then a shout from my dad, went running back to see my rod dancing about, wound it in and it was a codling about 4lbs, never took my eyes of the rod after that.

[scaley]

shore fishing

Good to see that most of us started our fishing young with the guidance of our peers being parents,uncles etc and we
have never looked back.What has kept me interested all these years is the storys frome family of fish caught over the decades.
ie my old mans biggest fish was a 24lb cod from gareloch in Scotland i was there to witness this one, but my grandfather ex pitman from wearmouth caught a cod from wearmouth bridge on a handline with a bell,he had the head over his shoulder and the tail was on the floor.It would be nice to hear any other tales of the big catches from the past..

[seanyrooroo]

Blast beach, I was 4. Used a 9ft spinning rod, which was huge lol. I remember it was freezing cold and as flat as a fart. I caught 2 whities and my dad blanked. He got loads of stick from the family the next day. I couldn't go down fishing enough.

Who am I kidding?? I can't get down enough now lol

[TOMMY NEPTUNE]

Being born and brought up in Cullercoats over 50 years ago, my earliest memories were, of a gang of us aged about 7 or 8 each getting handlines from Storeys hardware shop on Whitley road in Whitley bay which was quite a large stockist of fishing tackle, and all going down to the Rock Bather and using penknives to prise limpets from the rocks, and using them as bait, the only thing I ever remember catching were blennies but that was it, I got the bug.....

[The Great Wallsendo]

digressing from the main theme slightly but a fishing yarn from my youth nonetheless...

Visited Scotland with the family when was a young teen...had a fish-off against my step brother...he had all my cast offs of "rubbish" gear and I was using the "latest"

The score 3-2 to him - and he'd never fished before...just goes to show that the fish don't care what gear you have

Good thread Jim - you writing a book?

[The Great Wallsendo]

Being born and brought up in Cullercoats over 50 years ago, my earliest memories were, of a gang of us aged about 7 or 8 each getting handlines from Storeys hardware shop on Whitley road in Whitley bay which was quite a large stockist of fishing tackle, and all going down to the Rock Bather and using penknives to prise limpets from the rocks, and using them as bait, the only thing I ever remember catching were blennies but that was it, I got the bug.....

That is sooo scary...that is exactly how my sea fishing in the north east kicked off too (seriously)

they were still selling fishing kit 20 years ago....I think the shop sells motorised wheelchairs now

[mickcave83]

i can remember my first time like it was yesterday, it was a mark 100 yards up from the town bridge some 20 years ago approx, wasnt bothered about the fishing, i just wanted to cast out all day

[fozally]

Must have been about 37yrs ago. My dad just got his second hand beachcaster and he must have got a deal cos' he also had a split cane fly rod for my big brother. I got the orange nylon handline.....bummer. Went to the old jetty at the Mill Dam (I think) which had a big winch on and some mongs were catching fish and crabs and putting them in the gear cogs and crushing them. Even then the Charvas were breeding. I was quite happy catching sprats and little coalies over the side while my dad and brother got nowt. Well and truly hooked.,

[peter.m]

With my Dad when I was younger than 10 years - the Groyne underneath Hengistbury Head, Christchurch, Bournemouth...caught a Wrasse

I fished there many years ago. Lovely place but got bugger all except a suntan

[scaley]

That is sooo scary...that is exactly how my sea fishing in the north east kicked off too (seriously)

they were still selling fishing kit 20 years ago....I think the shop sells motorised wheelchairs now

It would be a good idea to organise a nesa blenny fishing comp using only handlines baited with limpets,now that i would fish and probably win.

[willywetegg]

It would be a good idea to organise a nesa blenny fishing comp using only handlines baited with limpets,now that i would fish and probably win.

Not a bad idea Scaley, we could perhaps run it in conjunction with the annual P. Stephenson biggest Rockling match which will be held later in the season

I have really enjoyed reading some of the stories on this thread, I think that most people will be able to say that they can remember something similar to most of the posts. Keep them coming folks, great stuff.

Jim.

[5150]

Parents had a caravan at amble when I was a kid, dad used to take me onto the pier (thing was falling apart back then, used to terrify me!), he'd cast the rods out and I'd wind one in with help - I must have been 3yrs old at the time!

in 1977, when I was 7 we moved from Longbenton to New Hartley, started going along to Blyth harbour regularly, caught a lot of decent fish there in those days. Fished the pier a couple of times and also Seaton Sluice harbour was full of flatties that were great fun.

Progressed to fishing more marks once I got into my teens, by the time I was near school leaving age I'd regularly fish cullercoats or seaton sluice beach with my mate.

[cod basher]

Using an orange twine handline bought from Foxy's tackle shop, fished on the steps at Seaham North Pier using limpets and mussels for bait... caught coalie after coalie - nothing more than 3 to 4 inches in size but from that moment I was hooked and would race down to the steps after school to claim my spot, must of been about 1985 and about 9yr old. Aaaahhhh the memories come rushing back!