I took myself off down to Shields again yesterday, calling in to Moonfleet for some ragworm to add to my now dwindling stocks of summer mackerel.
I got down to Shields for about 1.30pm, parked up and then got sand blasted when I went for my parking ticket! I thought; 'Hmmm Aye!'
Anyway, the harbour side looked canny enough through the railings and the wind wasn't that bad, so off I went.
I stopped more or less halfway between the brigade hut and the gate
I'm pretty sure the gate was still open but wasn't really fussed
The harbour side was okay
The sea-side;
South Shields Pier 1st October 2013-a bit windy - YouTube
"Aye well" I thought, "this'll do me" So I set up my new rod, just a cheap Ron Thompson surf caster I grabbed from Go Outdoors for £9.99
and had a shot or five.
I was having "issues" with bite detection initially;
Then decided to drop over the side and sit below the walkway, which worked a treat.
I had a couple of decent bites but couldn't connect. Then a bloody great big seal popped it's head out of the water about 40 yards away and just sat there watching me.
I started talking to it, basically telling it to bugger off but it just sat there staring, till I cocked up a cast and nearly hit it:red:
It buggered off then quick enough
anyway, after a bit I decided to get back onto the top and spotted these folk having a great time;
Kite surfing on South Shields Beach, 1st october 2013 - YouTube
I took a load of photo's and a few bits of video, as the fishing wasn't really happening, then I decided to give the "Walkway" a go for the first time.
I packed up and drove along the front, only to find no space at the walkway, so parked up in the car park next to the sailing club- a poond all day
I then walked the 1/4mile or so to the start of the walkway and found a spot more or less in the middle.
I tried the spinning rod and float for about 20 mins, then managed to hook the bottom and lost the lot, with no bites, so decided to set up the big rod again.
I had another couple of decent bites, then hit one that hooked up. It was heavy and pulling around a bit as well, then it got even more lively and heavier still, then "ping" the 40lb leader parted.
When I got the line in, it looked like it had been cut with a knife, at an angle and very clean, with no abrasion or scuff marks, so I guess there was something solid and pretty sharp out there somewhere
It's a lovely spot the Walkway, pretty clean and tidy from what I saw, though I didn't walk the full length.
Mind, there was a lad who took a pee in the corner of the wheelchair access ramp, not on at all really.
There were one or two using foul language as well, not much of an issue on a pier or whatever but not really a good idea in area where the residents are already pee'd off with anglers, it just gives them more ammo when it comes to community meetings with the coppers and council etc
I can see the writing on the wall for this excellent spot, it'll end up out of bounds for anglers, just because of a few ignorant, thoughtless people.
I'm not sure how you get the message across, to the folk who think it's okay to eff and blind and have a pee, more or less against someones garden wall.
Thing is;they can't see anything wrong with it, or they wouldn't do it:angel:
So what chance have you got?
Anyway I caught nowt but had a cracking afternoon all the same
thanks for looking and sorry for the lack of fish
Steve.
I got down to Shields for about 1.30pm, parked up and then got sand blasted when I went for my parking ticket! I thought; 'Hmmm Aye!'
Anyway, the harbour side looked canny enough through the railings and the wind wasn't that bad, so off I went.
I stopped more or less halfway between the brigade hut and the gate
I'm pretty sure the gate was still open but wasn't really fussed
The harbour side was okay
The sea-side;
South Shields Pier 1st October 2013-a bit windy - YouTube
"Aye well" I thought, "this'll do me" So I set up my new rod, just a cheap Ron Thompson surf caster I grabbed from Go Outdoors for £9.99
and had a shot or five.
I was having "issues" with bite detection initially;
Then decided to drop over the side and sit below the walkway, which worked a treat.
I had a couple of decent bites but couldn't connect. Then a bloody great big seal popped it's head out of the water about 40 yards away and just sat there watching me.
I started talking to it, basically telling it to bugger off but it just sat there staring, till I cocked up a cast and nearly hit it:red:
It buggered off then quick enough
anyway, after a bit I decided to get back onto the top and spotted these folk having a great time;
Kite surfing on South Shields Beach, 1st october 2013 - YouTube
I took a load of photo's and a few bits of video, as the fishing wasn't really happening, then I decided to give the "Walkway" a go for the first time.
I packed up and drove along the front, only to find no space at the walkway, so parked up in the car park next to the sailing club- a poond all day
I then walked the 1/4mile or so to the start of the walkway and found a spot more or less in the middle.
I tried the spinning rod and float for about 20 mins, then managed to hook the bottom and lost the lot, with no bites, so decided to set up the big rod again.
I had another couple of decent bites, then hit one that hooked up. It was heavy and pulling around a bit as well, then it got even more lively and heavier still, then "ping" the 40lb leader parted.
When I got the line in, it looked like it had been cut with a knife, at an angle and very clean, with no abrasion or scuff marks, so I guess there was something solid and pretty sharp out there somewhere
It's a lovely spot the Walkway, pretty clean and tidy from what I saw, though I didn't walk the full length.
Mind, there was a lad who took a pee in the corner of the wheelchair access ramp
, not on at all really.There were one or two using foul language as well, not much of an issue on a pier or whatever but not really a good idea in area where the residents are already pee'd off with anglers, it just gives them more ammo when it comes to community meetings with the coppers and council etc
I can see the writing on the wall for this excellent spot, it'll end up out of bounds for anglers, just because of a few ignorant, thoughtless people.
I'm not sure how you get the message across, to the folk who think it's okay to eff and blind and have a pee, more or less against someones garden wall.
Thing is;they can't see anything wrong with it, or they wouldn't do it:angel:
So what chance have you got?
Anyway I caught nowt but had a cracking afternoon all the same
thanks for looking and sorry for the lack of fish
Steve.
