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Summers still hanging around. 6/10/07
It's hard to believe now as I look out of the window at the grey skies and drizzle in Jarrow, that only twenty four hours ago, I was fishing at St Abbs, seventy odd miles from Tyneside, in warm, almost summer like weather.
The tired legs have healed, the wheelchair, needed since my last exploits in the Borders has now thankfully been confined to history and with settled weather on the cards, it was now time to see if I could once again make it down and then my God, back up those Scottish cliffs without the help of air, sea rescue!
Some good cod fishing can be had in this area every Summer and Autumn but due to the cumbersome tackle required to beat the rough terrain, the fighting qualities of the cod and the clamber down cliffs, I prefer to fish with light tackle that enables the angler to easily move around, looking for pollack, wrasse and coalfish that give the light rod enthusiast some fantastic sport with spectacular scenery as an added bonus.
On this occasion I arrived at my chosen mark without a hitch and decided to try a spot of spinning, just to see if anything was out there. To my surprise, just like two weeks ago there were still loads of mackeral around eagerly taking my spinner. I quickly caught a good number of these fish and decided to floatfish strips of fresh mackeral in the hope of a big pollack taking the bait, catching in the process lots of coalfish to around two pounds, great fun! Could these be the last shore caught mackeral from the area this year?
My angling buddy decided he would persist with the floatfishing while I turned my attentions to the Ballan wrasse fishing that had been so good only two weeks ago but before I had time to set up my wrasse bashing gear he had a very good fish on that was quickly stripping line from his reel and heading out somewhere in the direction of Norway. After a minute of what was most likely the Loch Ness monster being hooked, bang! it was off, gutted to say the least, we inspected his 30lb mono hook length to find he had been bitten off by something with a canny set of gnashers! Who knows what it was? Ling, Catfish, could it have been somekind of shark, we will never know. I have heard of anglers being bitten off by big fish in the past from the area. A wire trace will be packed in the tackle bag next time!
Wrasse catching:
The fishing was a bit slower than two weeks ago but I did manage around ten Ballans this time, biggest three pounds and it fought like a pitbull on my light rod!
Good weather and a decent days fishing was had but no pollack turned up, maybe it was a bit too bright for them?
As beer o'clock was fast approaching and darkness would soon descend we reluctantly left this great place.
On the way back up I stopped for a breather, the mackeral I kept for my winter fishing were taking a toll on my legs again and as the light was quickly fading, I took a pic, you don't want to do this climb in darkness!
I really hope I get the chance to fish here again this Autumn, next time I may be pursuaded to dust down the cumbersome cod rod and wire traces.
Until that time comes, tightlines from Jarrow Viking and his sunburned knapper! That's a baldy head for you non Geordies.
P.S. The Loch Ness monster is alive and kicking in the sea off St Abbs. I hope I get a picture of it soon! L.O.L.
The tired legs have healed, the wheelchair, needed since my last exploits in the Borders has now thankfully been confined to history and with settled weather on the cards, it was now time to see if I could once again make it down and then my God, back up those Scottish cliffs without the help of air, sea rescue!
Some good cod fishing can be had in this area every Summer and Autumn but due to the cumbersome tackle required to beat the rough terrain, the fighting qualities of the cod and the clamber down cliffs, I prefer to fish with light tackle that enables the angler to easily move around, looking for pollack, wrasse and coalfish that give the light rod enthusiast some fantastic sport with spectacular scenery as an added bonus.
On this occasion I arrived at my chosen mark without a hitch and decided to try a spot of spinning, just to see if anything was out there. To my surprise, just like two weeks ago there were still loads of mackeral around eagerly taking my spinner. I quickly caught a good number of these fish and decided to floatfish strips of fresh mackeral in the hope of a big pollack taking the bait, catching in the process lots of coalfish to around two pounds, great fun! Could these be the last shore caught mackeral from the area this year?
My angling buddy decided he would persist with the floatfishing while I turned my attentions to the Ballan wrasse fishing that had been so good only two weeks ago but before I had time to set up my wrasse bashing gear he had a very good fish on that was quickly stripping line from his reel and heading out somewhere in the direction of Norway. After a minute of what was most likely the Loch Ness monster being hooked, bang! it was off, gutted to say the least, we inspected his 30lb mono hook length to find he had been bitten off by something with a canny set of gnashers! Who knows what it was? Ling, Catfish, could it have been somekind of shark, we will never know. I have heard of anglers being bitten off by big fish in the past from the area. A wire trace will be packed in the tackle bag next time!
Wrasse catching:
The fishing was a bit slower than two weeks ago but I did manage around ten Ballans this time, biggest three pounds and it fought like a pitbull on my light rod!
Good weather and a decent days fishing was had but no pollack turned up, maybe it was a bit too bright for them?
As beer o'clock was fast approaching and darkness would soon descend we reluctantly left this great place.
On the way back up I stopped for a breather, the mackeral I kept for my winter fishing were taking a toll on my legs again and as the light was quickly fading, I took a pic, you don't want to do this climb in darkness!
I really hope I get the chance to fish here again this Autumn, next time I may be pursuaded to dust down the cumbersome cod rod and wire traces.
Until that time comes, tightlines from Jarrow Viking and his sunburned knapper! That's a baldy head for you non Geordies.
P.S. The Loch Ness monster is alive and kicking in the sea off St Abbs. I hope I get a picture of it soon! L.O.L.
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