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I warn you this is very wordy! I haven’t done a write up for a while so thought I may as well get back at it. At the bottom of this article I have also included a short GoPro video of the session – still getting the hang of it so let me know what you think!
Druridge Bay – 22/05/16 – The hunt for Turbot
Stretching 7 miles across the Northumberland coast, Druridge bay bridges the coastal gap between Amble and the northern most point of Creswell. Partly owned by the National trust, this vast expanse of sand banks, mottled very sparsely with small patches of rocks and boulders at its northern and southern points, can offer local and travelling anglers some interesting sport when frequented in ideal conditions.
Druridge has long been renowned as a flatfish haven, with the potential to throw up the odd surprise bass and even codling in the right conditions. Among the usual Flounders, Dabs and Plaice, in recent decade’s one of the species that has established itself as a regular catch from this beach is the Turbot.
These localised fish – although not enormous – can provide anglers with the option to catch something a little different by optimising the use of light tackle and small baits to make the most out of the sport available. The bay acts as a nursery for small turbot and other flatfish species, particularly in the spring and summer months when there is an abundance of natural food available in the form of worms, copious amounts of small sand eels and shellfish.
Fishing Druridge successfully is not overly difficult – as it can fish at most stages of the tide. I like the last of the Ebb and throughout the flood, but have done equally as well at other times of the tide. One thing I will say is the Turbot do seem to be considerably closer to the shoreline up to around half tide upwards, after which you may need a bigger chuck in order to reach them. This can be attributed to the large sandbank running parallel to the coast and through the heart of the beach where, naturally, a lot of the fish tend to accumulate waiting for food items to be washed down with the current. As the bay fills up towards high water, there is a slight drop off just before the high water mark which fills up and can see fish moving in closer once more and back out again as the tide recedes.
Conditions are the thing to pay attention too – and thankfully with Druridge this once again is not difficult. A slight onshore breeze will generate some movement on the water; clear water with a slight surf or “lip” is perfect. Indeed most anglers who have fished this venue with any consistency feel that this is the ideal time to fish the beach and add Turbot to their species list – while also considering the possibility of a nice bass! Fish in these conditions and you could be on to a really good session where, in contrast, a flat calm can see the bay seemingly devoid of life.
The Session
Something different was definitely on the agenda as admittedly I’ve spent most of the spring lull chasing stocked rainbow trout at my local fly fishery and resisted the temptation to repeat this form on Sunday. My regular fishing partner Andy Copeland came up with the idea of trying Druridge for a change at what we hoped would be a nice easy going session with some decent sport. Dave Collins and Gary Pearson had also been in touch eager to join us as usual and so the plan was set for an acceptable start of 10am to catch the last of the ebb at the mark and fish the flood back. Of course it wouldn’t be a fishing session without muggins here forgetting something and, having arrived at Andy’s at 9am for the off, a short trip alone back home became a necessity to recover my waders! And so I arrived at Druridge around 10 minutes after Andy and Dave, who were just setting up.
Given the medium (ish) sized tide, I’ve opted for my usual beach fishing setup of 2 continental style match rods – a Yuki Taylor Q5 and a Sonik Gravity Surf. The latter is a 3 piece and is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. It sports a solid blank and mid-section with a surprising amount of grunt, tapering out beautifully to an ultra-fine tip with brilliant bite detection. It casts an absolute dream and feels well at home in this style of fishing. Both rods are paired with Penn Surfblaster reels loaded with 25Lb braid and leader.
Again considering the moderate size tide (4.8) I’ve chosen to fish 4oz watch leads as I want the rig to drift down tide – plenty of movement is the key. The lead is fixed behind 3 hook flapper rigs, tied with small size 6 Kamasan B940s on reasonably long 15lb fluorocarbon snoods. I think these hooks are a brilliant choice for this venue, small enough to suit the size of the species you’re after but well up to the job of getting to grips with a rouge bass that might find its way to your bait! Bear in mind that the fish here are not huge – adapt your tackle accordingly.
I opt to fish one rod with small worm/cocktail baits and the other with small bits of fish. Bluey is a bait that im really starting to appreciate more. Compared to mackerel, bluey lacks the fleshy toughness in the skin, but it makes up for that by packing a considerable amount of oil and scent that has real fish pulling power. The fact that it is softer I feel, plays to its advantage as well, as it breaks down more readily in water to allow the scent trail to travel further with the tide. That and Bluey was all I had in the freezer for such an impromptu session but I had every confidence it would bag me a few fish!
I use a small, handcrafted plastic baiting tool to bind small slivers of bluey to my hooks. Bait size is key here and im deliberately making my baits skinny and no more than 2cm tall and 1cm across – at least to start off with. I like to start small and work up once I’ve got an idea of the stamp of fish in the vicinity.
As it happens, the bluey begins registering some small interest on the Sonik rod that would have otherwise been insignificant or even missed on a standard beach rod. The bite becomes shy but I let it develop before easing the rig back to shore with a slight pull of the tip. This is a tactic that has worked in my favour in the past when targeting flatfish as it gives the bait movement and drags the watch lead across the seabed – kicking up small rifts of sand as it’s drawn backwards. This can be a cracking way to instigate a take – and sure enough the tell-tale urgency of a fish grabbing at its escaping meal shortly follows. A few more seconds and a gentle lift registers life at the end and shortly after a small flounder comes through the surf to my feet. A quick look over to Dave – “IM NOT BLANKING!”
Safely unhooked – it’s returned to the water – and the rod is recast with fresh bait. Not long after im registering more interest on the same rod and this time, with a little more coaxing and moving the bait, I feel a confident tug suggesting a slightly better fish which transpires to be a nice little turbot. Off to a good start. At 10cm it’s a decent stamp for the venue – although they do occasionally turn up in excess of 2lb. Target species crossed off at least.
The next few casts produce much of the same – small turbot and flounders on practically every chuck. Most of the fish seem to be coming in quite short – and while experimenting with distances, im finding most of my double hook ups are coming within 20 - 30 yds of the shoreline. Bluey seems to really be separating out the good fish as well – as its not long before I have another slightly bigger turbot at my feet, with a small palm sized flounder above it for good measure.
Meanwhile on the ragworm rig – I’ve had a couple of flounders and a nice surprise in the form of a double shot of small plaice and a then a 3rd plaice by itself. Magic.
To my left Andy is also tallying up the fish with multiple Turbot, Flounder and Plaice all falling to his 2 up 1 down set ups. A while later we’ve also had a Dab each to round of the full list of north east flatfish and Davy is getting some major stick from both of us. He’s still had his fair share though of Flounder and Turbot and eventually gets a solitary Dab as well.
Gary also turns up eventually and starts as he means to go on – bringing plenty of turbot and a nice sized flounder to the shore.
The dog walkers are out in force and it’s a case of not leaving your gear unattended for too long for fear of having something nicked or peed on. One couple at least follow great practice and put their dog on a lead as they approach us – which I commend them for. It’s a sad fact that unfortunately, as with most sports, we as anglers are our worst enemy. Carelessly discarded or unattended fishing tackle can cause man’s best friend (and other wildlife) a host of problems, and the inquisitive mutt will think nothing of wolfing down a freshly baited hook which has time and time again lead to injury or even death. I will provide no excuse to any angler guilty of negligence, however it’s good to see the potential hazards recognised by responsible dog owners and they’re all too happy to hear my approval.
Weed!
The tide is pushing us back fiercely now and im finding myself constantly mobile – baiting hooks, casting out, moving everything backwards, retrieving and releasing fish, moving everything backwards, casting back out and so on! One thing that can make this process a lot simpler (which I neglected to carry on this trip) is a medium sized bait tray. Either one that attaches to your box, rod stand or has a stand of its own – it is a really handy way of keeping everything to hand in one place – bait, elastic, scissors, baiting tools etc. to make it easier to shift about, and those that attach to stands have the added bonus of once again keeping dangerous items out of the way of the prowling dogs!
As we’re pushed up the beach and the tide begins flowing over the top of the first sandbank we were standing on – unhelpful amounts of weed and kelp begin to suddenly become a hindrance. It’s not making things unfishable, but it’s not helping matters either. Myself and Andy agree on the probable cause, that the rising tide is pushing the weed up the bay and the undertow is depositing it at the base of the slope in the sandbank. Presuming this is the cause, we expect that as the tide comes over the top of the sandbank and back over the other side, it should hopefully clear – which turns out to be exactly correct and we continue to catch fish consistently.
Finally the last cast of my day comes and I decide to try for a winner and up the bait size on my bottom hook slightly to see if there’s a better fish out there – and a finger sized helping of bluey is lashed on to my comparatively small hook! I send this one out at distance – purely because we have been pushed about 40yds up from the original sandbank we were standing on and im trying to get over it and into the gap at the bottom of the other side where I think the fish will be lying.
About ten minutes later my rod tip gives an almighty thump, a far better bite than I’ve had all day. Then nothing…..
Thinking I’ve missed the chance I give the rod another gentle pull backwards and sure enough its followed almost straight away with another thump and im into a better fish. Dragging it through the remnants of weed I finally get it through the surf and the biggest turbot of the day (14cm) is flopping on the beach.
Again, not the biggest fish in the world, but it doesn’t have to be. Druridge gives you the opportunity to do something a little different and enjoy some good sport from these fish and we’ve all enjoyed ourselves. The guys stay on to fish a little longer while I’ve got to get away for a family engagement. It’s been a beautiful day in the sun with some enjoyable fishing and im already looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully have a good enough day to justify another write up!
Cheers for reading and for those interested – here’s the video. J
Druridge Bay – 22/05/16 – The hunt for Turbot
Stretching 7 miles across the Northumberland coast, Druridge bay bridges the coastal gap between Amble and the northern most point of Creswell. Partly owned by the National trust, this vast expanse of sand banks, mottled very sparsely with small patches of rocks and boulders at its northern and southern points, can offer local and travelling anglers some interesting sport when frequented in ideal conditions.
Druridge has long been renowned as a flatfish haven, with the potential to throw up the odd surprise bass and even codling in the right conditions. Among the usual Flounders, Dabs and Plaice, in recent decade’s one of the species that has established itself as a regular catch from this beach is the Turbot.
These localised fish – although not enormous – can provide anglers with the option to catch something a little different by optimising the use of light tackle and small baits to make the most out of the sport available. The bay acts as a nursery for small turbot and other flatfish species, particularly in the spring and summer months when there is an abundance of natural food available in the form of worms, copious amounts of small sand eels and shellfish.
Fishing Druridge successfully is not overly difficult – as it can fish at most stages of the tide. I like the last of the Ebb and throughout the flood, but have done equally as well at other times of the tide. One thing I will say is the Turbot do seem to be considerably closer to the shoreline up to around half tide upwards, after which you may need a bigger chuck in order to reach them. This can be attributed to the large sandbank running parallel to the coast and through the heart of the beach where, naturally, a lot of the fish tend to accumulate waiting for food items to be washed down with the current. As the bay fills up towards high water, there is a slight drop off just before the high water mark which fills up and can see fish moving in closer once more and back out again as the tide recedes.
Conditions are the thing to pay attention too – and thankfully with Druridge this once again is not difficult. A slight onshore breeze will generate some movement on the water; clear water with a slight surf or “lip” is perfect. Indeed most anglers who have fished this venue with any consistency feel that this is the ideal time to fish the beach and add Turbot to their species list – while also considering the possibility of a nice bass! Fish in these conditions and you could be on to a really good session where, in contrast, a flat calm can see the bay seemingly devoid of life.
The Session
Something different was definitely on the agenda as admittedly I’ve spent most of the spring lull chasing stocked rainbow trout at my local fly fishery and resisted the temptation to repeat this form on Sunday. My regular fishing partner Andy Copeland came up with the idea of trying Druridge for a change at what we hoped would be a nice easy going session with some decent sport. Dave Collins and Gary Pearson had also been in touch eager to join us as usual and so the plan was set for an acceptable start of 10am to catch the last of the ebb at the mark and fish the flood back. Of course it wouldn’t be a fishing session without muggins here forgetting something and, having arrived at Andy’s at 9am for the off, a short trip alone back home became a necessity to recover my waders! And so I arrived at Druridge around 10 minutes after Andy and Dave, who were just setting up.
Given the medium (ish) sized tide, I’ve opted for my usual beach fishing setup of 2 continental style match rods – a Yuki Taylor Q5 and a Sonik Gravity Surf. The latter is a 3 piece and is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. It sports a solid blank and mid-section with a surprising amount of grunt, tapering out beautifully to an ultra-fine tip with brilliant bite detection. It casts an absolute dream and feels well at home in this style of fishing. Both rods are paired with Penn Surfblaster reels loaded with 25Lb braid and leader.
Again considering the moderate size tide (4.8) I’ve chosen to fish 4oz watch leads as I want the rig to drift down tide – plenty of movement is the key. The lead is fixed behind 3 hook flapper rigs, tied with small size 6 Kamasan B940s on reasonably long 15lb fluorocarbon snoods. I think these hooks are a brilliant choice for this venue, small enough to suit the size of the species you’re after but well up to the job of getting to grips with a rouge bass that might find its way to your bait! Bear in mind that the fish here are not huge – adapt your tackle accordingly.
I opt to fish one rod with small worm/cocktail baits and the other with small bits of fish. Bluey is a bait that im really starting to appreciate more. Compared to mackerel, bluey lacks the fleshy toughness in the skin, but it makes up for that by packing a considerable amount of oil and scent that has real fish pulling power. The fact that it is softer I feel, plays to its advantage as well, as it breaks down more readily in water to allow the scent trail to travel further with the tide. That and Bluey was all I had in the freezer for such an impromptu session but I had every confidence it would bag me a few fish!
I use a small, handcrafted plastic baiting tool to bind small slivers of bluey to my hooks. Bait size is key here and im deliberately making my baits skinny and no more than 2cm tall and 1cm across – at least to start off with. I like to start small and work up once I’ve got an idea of the stamp of fish in the vicinity.
As it happens, the bluey begins registering some small interest on the Sonik rod that would have otherwise been insignificant or even missed on a standard beach rod. The bite becomes shy but I let it develop before easing the rig back to shore with a slight pull of the tip. This is a tactic that has worked in my favour in the past when targeting flatfish as it gives the bait movement and drags the watch lead across the seabed – kicking up small rifts of sand as it’s drawn backwards. This can be a cracking way to instigate a take – and sure enough the tell-tale urgency of a fish grabbing at its escaping meal shortly follows. A few more seconds and a gentle lift registers life at the end and shortly after a small flounder comes through the surf to my feet. A quick look over to Dave – “IM NOT BLANKING!”
Safely unhooked – it’s returned to the water – and the rod is recast with fresh bait. Not long after im registering more interest on the same rod and this time, with a little more coaxing and moving the bait, I feel a confident tug suggesting a slightly better fish which transpires to be a nice little turbot. Off to a good start. At 10cm it’s a decent stamp for the venue – although they do occasionally turn up in excess of 2lb. Target species crossed off at least.
The next few casts produce much of the same – small turbot and flounders on practically every chuck. Most of the fish seem to be coming in quite short – and while experimenting with distances, im finding most of my double hook ups are coming within 20 - 30 yds of the shoreline. Bluey seems to really be separating out the good fish as well – as its not long before I have another slightly bigger turbot at my feet, with a small palm sized flounder above it for good measure.
Meanwhile on the ragworm rig – I’ve had a couple of flounders and a nice surprise in the form of a double shot of small plaice and a then a 3rd plaice by itself. Magic.
To my left Andy is also tallying up the fish with multiple Turbot, Flounder and Plaice all falling to his 2 up 1 down set ups. A while later we’ve also had a Dab each to round of the full list of north east flatfish and Davy is getting some major stick from both of us
. He’s still had his fair share though of Flounder and Turbot and eventually gets a solitary Dab as well.
Gary also turns up eventually and starts as he means to go on – bringing plenty of turbot and a nice sized flounder to the shore.
The dog walkers are out in force and it’s a case of not leaving your gear unattended for too long for fear of having something nicked or peed on. One couple at least follow great practice and put their dog on a lead as they approach us – which I commend them for. It’s a sad fact that unfortunately, as with most sports, we as anglers are our worst enemy. Carelessly discarded or unattended fishing tackle can cause man’s best friend (and other wildlife) a host of problems, and the inquisitive mutt will think nothing of wolfing down a freshly baited hook which has time and time again lead to injury or even death. I will provide no excuse to any angler guilty of negligence, however it’s good to see the potential hazards recognised by responsible dog owners and they’re all too happy to hear my approval.
Weed!
The tide is pushing us back fiercely now and im finding myself constantly mobile – baiting hooks, casting out, moving everything backwards, retrieving and releasing fish, moving everything backwards, casting back out and so on! One thing that can make this process a lot simpler (which I neglected to carry on this trip) is a medium sized bait tray. Either one that attaches to your box, rod stand or has a stand of its own – it is a really handy way of keeping everything to hand in one place – bait, elastic, scissors, baiting tools etc. to make it easier to shift about, and those that attach to stands have the added bonus of once again keeping dangerous items out of the way of the prowling dogs!
As we’re pushed up the beach and the tide begins flowing over the top of the first sandbank we were standing on – unhelpful amounts of weed and kelp begin to suddenly become a hindrance. It’s not making things unfishable, but it’s not helping matters either. Myself and Andy agree on the probable cause, that the rising tide is pushing the weed up the bay and the undertow is depositing it at the base of the slope in the sandbank. Presuming this is the cause, we expect that as the tide comes over the top of the sandbank and back over the other side, it should hopefully clear – which turns out to be exactly correct and we continue to catch fish consistently.
Finally the last cast of my day comes and I decide to try for a winner and up the bait size on my bottom hook slightly to see if there’s a better fish out there – and a finger sized helping of bluey is lashed on to my comparatively small hook! I send this one out at distance – purely because we have been pushed about 40yds up from the original sandbank we were standing on and im trying to get over it and into the gap at the bottom of the other side where I think the fish will be lying.
About ten minutes later my rod tip gives an almighty thump, a far better bite than I’ve had all day. Then nothing…..
Thinking I’ve missed the chance I give the rod another gentle pull backwards and sure enough its followed almost straight away with another thump and im into a better fish. Dragging it through the remnants of weed I finally get it through the surf and the biggest turbot of the day (14cm) is flopping on the beach.
Again, not the biggest fish in the world, but it doesn’t have to be. Druridge gives you the opportunity to do something a little different and enjoy some good sport from these fish and we’ve all enjoyed ourselves. The guys stay on to fish a little longer while I’ve got to get away for a family engagement. It’s been a beautiful day in the sun with some enjoyable fishing and im already looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully have a good enough day to justify another write up!
Cheers for reading and for those interested – here’s the video. J
but well worth a read, nice pics as well.
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