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Fed up with fishing the rivers and piers and fancying a change I headed to my old stamping ground for a session on Horden this afternoon. With HT at 2:20 I got to the beach around 12:15 to find the big seas have carved right in to the spoil shelf making it a right bugger to get down to the beach now. After a bit of scrambling I managed to get down and set myself up in a nice gap between a couple of other anglers about 50 yards before the White Rock.
After just my first cast I realised I shouldn't have bothered with the climb; with two hours still to go before HT the wash was coming to within 20 yards of the shelf already. I decided the sensible option was to climb back up and fish off the shelf but this was easier said than done as the shelf is a good 6' plus and pretty much sheer all the way along that section now. Fortunately I managed to find a spot with a small ledge half way up and with a bit of a stuggle managed to get myself and my kit up onto the top.
The plan was to fish two rods, one close-ish in with small hooks and Bluey, the other at long range with a two hook clipdown baited with rag on one hook and bluey on the other. Things stayed quiet as the tide flooded, all baits were coming back untouched buit at least it was a lovely afternoon to be on the beach:
Shortly after the tide turned I got my first bite, a good rattle on the closer rod and a 25cm codling was soon on the beach to beat the blank. As the ebb kicked in the fish seemed to switch on, another two small codling coming to the closer rod then the "best" fish of the day - a 30cm codling taken at long range. One more undersize codling to the closer rod and it was time to pack in an head to the folks house for dinner; the tide was two hours back by now and it was getting to the point of having to climb back down on to the beach.
Not a bad little afternoons sport - 5 codling between 25 and 30cm may be nothing to write home about but it beats blanking any day and is probably as good as can be expected until spring finally makes an appearance and things warm up. I had hoped fopr a cheeky little Plaice as I've had them from here at this time of year before but the water was absolutely filthy to a good 800 yards out so no chance of that one.
All fish were taken on Bluey, the ragworm was not touched all day.
After just my first cast I realised I shouldn't have bothered with the climb; with two hours still to go before HT the wash was coming to within 20 yards of the shelf already. I decided the sensible option was to climb back up and fish off the shelf but this was easier said than done as the shelf is a good 6' plus and pretty much sheer all the way along that section now. Fortunately I managed to find a spot with a small ledge half way up and with a bit of a stuggle managed to get myself and my kit up onto the top.
The plan was to fish two rods, one close-ish in with small hooks and Bluey, the other at long range with a two hook clipdown baited with rag on one hook and bluey on the other. Things stayed quiet as the tide flooded, all baits were coming back untouched buit at least it was a lovely afternoon to be on the beach:
Shortly after the tide turned I got my first bite, a good rattle on the closer rod and a 25cm codling was soon on the beach to beat the blank. As the ebb kicked in the fish seemed to switch on, another two small codling coming to the closer rod then the "best" fish of the day - a 30cm codling taken at long range. One more undersize codling to the closer rod and it was time to pack in an head to the folks house for dinner; the tide was two hours back by now and it was getting to the point of having to climb back down on to the beach.
Not a bad little afternoons sport - 5 codling between 25 and 30cm may be nothing to write home about but it beats blanking any day and is probably as good as can be expected until spring finally makes an appearance and things warm up. I had hoped fopr a cheeky little Plaice as I've had them from here at this time of year before but the water was absolutely filthy to a good 800 yards out so no chance of that one.
All fish were taken on Bluey, the ragworm was not touched all day.
NESA Lure Fishing Challenge 2011 Winner
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