7 Hours Driving... In search of a Coalfish!

With your Girlfriend living 6 hours away and close to the countries next big Kayak meet, I needed no excuses to chuck the kayak on top of the car for the trip as well.

The week before had me involved in a car accident that left the car undrivable (with a cracked subframe), so with a few days to go before the meet, I luckily found a replacement car in time!

Ouch!

So I finally made it to Flanborough

Then there was the fishing. We all met on Sunday morning to a fairly choppy sea, this meant the boundaries were reduced for safety. I had no local knowledge of the area and paddle with the guys that seemed to look like they knew where they were going was going to be my best hope. About 70 people fished and conditions were tough. I had a mackerel in the first half hour, then my first ever Weaver Fish which was a bonus. Strangley however, this was caught on a speed jig, fair and square in the lip, but the speed jig was bigger than the fish!!! I think they must forget how big they are sometimes!

So I thought I was going to be finishing near the bottom of the pack but started to hear over the radio that everyone else was struggling. What I did in the end was to paddle in closer to the start point so I could fish right up until the last few minutes. I chose to anchor because at times, without the drouge, I was drifting over 3 mph!

This proved my best move and the last 40 minutes produced some really good fishing, I just wished I had moved earlier. Having in previous years, never managed a Dab off of the kayak, I was now being plauged by them! Baited feathers were even catching them!

So in search of a better dab, I eventually managed one around 3/4lb, a personal best for me too. At this point with 10 minutes to go I was thinking what a shame it was to have come up here and not manged a Coalfish for my species list (I said before I came up that is all I wanted to catch), as we hardly get any down South. As I thought this, the 'dab rod' folded over and i thought it was going to be an even better Dab, then I could see a 'roundfish' coming up... Pollack, No a Whiting... NO... A COALFISH! I was over the moon, it also meant my 45th lifetime sea species.

I got back to the weigh in to find my coalie may be up around the top and I was over the moon to find out I managed 5th place! Thats the last two big kayak meets with a 2nd out of 140 and a 5th out of 70. On a personal level, I was very pleased, especially fishing unfamiliar territory and I think if the competition had been based on my specialty, species hunting, I think I would have been up there as well.

There was also a biggest bag of mackerel competition running alongside as well, It came down to 4th to 11th being decided on length as everyone just had one. Now I thought brilliant, I could be 4th or 5th in this as well, but then I realised I had be-headed my mackerel, making it lose a 'small' amount of length. Was glad the others found the funny side of it! It was actually quite a big mackerel and i estimated it to be 5th or 6th place but as it stood i finished 11th in that side competition!

On the next day, I was recovering from a small hangover and the Tope fishing everyone had planned, didnt happen. So everyone either went home or went in search of shelter from the wind! I chose the North Landing of Flanbrough for a hour or two and managed a nice Flounder, a first of a kayak for me! I also brought a Lobster right to the surface before it escaped my net!

So a productive and very enjoyable weekend both on the water and off it!

Two PB's and some great fights!

The usual half day on a Friday, combined with no wind and bright sunshine meant only one thing, time to get the kayak out! Parking was going to be a pain and after a mate couldn't join me on the trip, I decided on fishing my homeground out of Lyme Regis. Luckily, I eventually found a parking space and was afloat by around 3pm. The idea was to do some bait fishing for bream so after feathering up a bagfull of Mackerel, I paddled out a couple miles to vauge area I thought I stood a chance.

The fishfinder didnt pick up much rough ground so I must have entered the GPS co-ordinates slightly wrong. Anyway I eventually found a bit of rough ground, surrounded by flat, clean ground.

I used a bait dropper to send several cut up mackerel down to the bottom as groundbait and fished a combination of 3-up flapper rigs and running ledgers. I casted one rod away from the boat to where I knew there was some clean ground and dropped the other right below the kayak onto the rough ground, in hope of a Bream.
After around 20 minutes, the rod I cast away from the kayak soon slowly bent round and just carried on bending!!! I only ever use spinning rods but I may have to reconsider after this because I was in a stalemate with the fish for a good few minutes, I knew at this point it was a Ray. I only just managed to get it off of the bottom after alot of heaving and made slow progress towards the surface, after a good 15 minutes (using a 30g casting weight spinning rod) a beautiful 8lb 5oz thornback hit the surface.

This sorted out my dinner for tomorrow night and after this I started to get plauged with Dogfish, I was going to give it another 10 minutes and head in when I landed a small Bullhuss of around 2lb. I then rang the local tackle shop to sort out a time to weigh in the Ray as I thought it could be a Lyme Regis Sea Angling Clubs best Ray for this year. As I was on the phone and about to pack up, my rod over the rough ground (with size 4's and 10lb snoods/traces) started going crazy! I hung up and quickly grabbed it thinking Bream!!! You could then feel it was too heavy for a Bream so I thought it may be another Ray.
I was wrong on both counts and after one hell of a fight, I netted a 10lb 7oz Bullhuss on a hook I usually use for Mullet!


I didn't mind bringing this fish in to weigh as they last for ages out of the water, so I landed in about half an hour and after a quick weigh in a few pictures, this Huss swam away with no problem, much to the horror of all the kids swimming in the harbour!

So two PB's, not bad for a quick session after work!

Finally a Break in the Weather

Well, after a 'busy' and not so sober week away in Rhodes, combined with the typical English weather and work commitments I managed to get out of Lyme Regis on Sunday the 22nd of July... Almost 2 MONTHS since my last trip. The plan was purley Bass and I only took out plugs. I set off around 4 in the afternoon after getting back from a mates birthday in Bristol.
The water was like a mirror and the water was crystal clear so it was screaming Bass! I did the mile and a bit paddle to a secluded bay, to a mark i've had good success from before. It wasn't long for the Bass to start showing and I crept up on them in the kayak. It must be said this is a huge advantage over boats as countless times the fish have disapeared as soon as a boat heads towards me.
I was watching them swim around the yak and the first Bass slashed at my surface lure (I'm afraid the name of this lure is a secret on this occassion, I got given these and was sworn to secrecy!!!) In fact, it hit the lure 6 times before eventually hooking up! It came in around 2lb followed by a couple more the same size. I went round the bay when that died off to hook into a few more small bass in the shallows, it was litterally a foot deep!

I soon realised the bay was teaming with these school Bass so a quick paddle to shore for a loo break and a bite to eat while I thought about where to go next... As it happened I was just into more small Bass and ended the night with around 20 and kept 2.

The next night on Monday (Two days in a row now!) was a rush home from work and got out on the water around 6.30. Met a friend out there that had never caught a Bass so the mission was to get him atleast one. Things were slow and all the small boats didn't get any all night but we ended up with 3 each, both getting two around 2lb and one around a pound. Think he's now caught the Bass bug! I lost a couple bigger ones this night, but they were hooked in the shallows and slashing around on the surface, and two threw the hook. A shame but this is normally the case when they thrash around on the surface as they have nowhere to run! Again these were caught within casting distance of the shore. Not only was it a good fish but ended up covering around 4-5 miles on some pretty stunning coastline.

Then it was fresh caught Bass for tea!

1st Of The Month Starts Well!

Friday meant a half day at work and the possibility of fishing out on the kayak. When I got home I was greeted by a mirror looking sea. I didn't need to be asked twice and I was soon out on the water, launching from a small beach near West Bay.

Conditions on the way out to my mark seemed perfect but when I was out there the tide was non-existent which meant covering ground while on the drift wasn't easy.
I had a nice little bite and thought I'd bring up my target Plaice, but I soon found out it was only a small Pouting. This was then followed by a small Ballan Wrasse and some Mackerel. A little excitement took place when I hooked a Dogfish that put up a good scrap, but then the fishing only improved when I made the decision to fish a little closer in.
There was a lot of may water around, which is basically a big algae bloom that from my experience, for some reason causes a dip in my fishing results.
Anyway, I battled on, fishing Rag hard on the bottom which was soon rewarded with my first ever Tub Gurnard off of the kayak and only my second ever caught. I was very suprised how well it fought and when it was released it shot of at some speed, highlighting its predatory insticts rather than just the scavenger most think it is.

Then very soon after I was rewarded with my persistance with a nice plump Plaice. This one was kept and given to my friends parents who said they love eating fresh Plaice. I was a little disappointed this ended up being the only one, but I suppose it means there's more for next time!

Then off I went, back to the car before the gates in the carpark were locked. I stopped on the way in by a pot buoy and picked up a couple tiny Corkwing Wrasse and took my species total for the day to 7 species and 1 new species from the kayak. Overall a productive and enjoyable day on a rare dead flat sea. I havn't mentioned previously about my slight obsession when it comes to species hunting. It's just amazing how many species are in our waters. This year I am trying to catch 35 species from the kayak and the Gurnard puts me up to 17, so still a long way to go!

I also got to use my new C-Tug Trolley for the first time today and first impressions are excellent, no sign of it wanting to tip up on uneven ground and very easy to manouvre, folded up and down quickly and effectively but will just have to see if it lasts the test of time...

Lyme Regis Species Hunting & Battleship

A last minute trip was made for a short kayak trip out to see the battleship HMS Edinburgh, anchored up off of Lyme Regis when I looked out my window this morning. The idea was to paddle up and take some pictures before going off for a short fishing session.

I took a few photos as I got closer to the ship, I asked one of the crew who was handing out military leaflets on the shore, ''How close am I allowed to go?'', ''50yards'' was my answer...

Got rather close and was admiring the vessel when I look up and see a chap with a machine gun looking right down his scope at me. He followed me while I circled the front of the boat and then I thought I'm off fishing before I get shot! The ship itself was huge when I paddled up to it, the picture from the front shows how far it sticks out of the water, it looks like it should just topple over!

Quick toilet stop with the ship in the background, I covered a fair few miles in the end. The ship is a couple of miles in the background. A quick relaunch saw me paddle for the fishing grounds I wanted to try.

Anyway the fishing was ok, for species hunting anyway. I got some good experience anchoring and snagging twice but managed to break free both times... Eventually! I had to let alot of my anchor line out and paddle at full speed to break free but it worked both times. In the end I had a few Pout, a first Poor Cod from the kayak, Dogfish galore, Ballan and Corkwing Wrasse, Mackerel, a Garfish and a Black Goby which was a new fish for me. So with 8 species and 1 new one I was fairly happy. Below is the picture of the Corkwing Wrasse and Poor Cod.

Then a picture of the Back Goby, at first I thought it was a Rock Goby but after checking with someone it was confirmed as a Black Goby. This was due to the fact it had an elongated dorsal fin and the Rock Goby does not have this.

Now the best moment and catch of the lot... I hook something that is a very heavy weight and it seems like I am stuck on the bottom. However, a fish is definitely hooked, so I keep a bit of pressure on it hoping it will pull free when I realise it is slowly coming up. Whatever it is, it's really heavy!!! I'm thinking a big Ray had sucked bottom at this point, then after 5 minutes of heaving and anticipation I see a Garfish on the top hook. I think surely there is a Ray on the bottom hook.
NOPE, IT'S THIS ON THE BOTTOM...
A ROCK FISH!

On the way back in I saw another kayaker fishing at anchor. He was pulling up lots of mackerel and I had a good chat with him. We spoke about Bass fishing so I offered to take him to a few marks in the summer and guarenteed him at least one or two, lets hope that hasn't jynxed me! It's also clear this sport is really taking off and it's great to be a part of it.

Anchor Trolley Set Up

Anchoring is one of the most dangerous things about kayak fishing. I will show you how I have set up my system and try to explain how to use it correctly. The picture below shows the bits needed for the anchor trolly.

Firstly, you cannot just drop anchor and tie it to any part of your kayak. This will drastically increase the chance of capsising and basically just put you in an uncomfortable position, therefore you use what is known as an anchor trolley. The way this is set up consists of two small bungees at either end of the kayak that act as a sort of shock absorber. These will then be connected to pullys in order for a rope to rotate from bow to stern.

The picture above (right) shows the lower line running through eyelets to keep everything 'tangle free' and tidy. The top of the line is left free running so the loop can be pulled to the bow or stern.
This loop will help guide your anchor line to the bow or stern to give a stable and safe anchor while preventing it twisting up with the anchor trolley. On the other picture above (left) is the cleat to secure the anchor line, this also provides a safety 'quick realease' function should you need it. I have seen a few incidences, one of which another kayaker was being dragged by his anchor rope by an ignorant boat user, and your life may be on the line so to speak.

Below (left) is a picture of the anchor set up, you can see the floating anchor line (10-15ft) going through the loop and onto a divers reel. This holds around 80m of line (around 200kg braking strain). A buoy is connected to this so when the floating line is released it is easy to retrieve. From this is around 1.5m of chain. This has two reasons, one is to sink the line to the bottom so the pull is sidewides on the anchor, helping it grip. The second is to prove a safety release. You can see a cable tie (below) that takes the strain of the anchor at the top of the anchor, this has a small cut in it to weaken it. If your anchor then gets snagged, a strong pull will snap it and revert the anchor, pulling it out backwards.

So this is how it is rigged, but how do you use it correctly? Well firstly BEFORE dropping anchor you must run the floating anchor line through the trolley and pull it to the bow or stern, however prefered. The reason for this is if the line pulls tight before this is done you put yourself in a dangerous situation as you will now be anchored from the side.
Once that is done you can now drop anchor, the standard recomendation is 3 times your depth. If you do not have a fishfinder then drawing lines on the anchor rope every 5 meters will help you judge it.
It is always good to practice in safer conditions if it is possible, so try flat and calm waters that are shallow, even if you can stand up, just to practice the routine.
I hope this helps and any suggestions or questions i'd be happy to help.

Maiden Voyage - Swanage Ocean Classic 2012

After running around all of Friday night, I rigged up the last bit of my fishfinder and battery, made a couple more scratching rigs and loaded the car ready for the trip across to the Swanage Ocean Kayak Classic competition. This was going to be my first trip from my new Ultra 4.7 and it was equipped enough to give the competition a real go although it was far from a finished project. With all the running around setting the kayak up, I forgot to pick up my bait that night, so hope was hanging on Swanage having some spare worm and with 140 people entering, I wasn't too confident!

I arrived nice and early and set everything up and then went to have the briefing from the organisers. The safety brief was actually very interesting as I learnt a few tips I didnt know such as waving the paddle vertically in the air is the standard 'SOS' signal.
The format was explained and the competition was to be decided on the most number of species caught, you photograph the fish next to your card, then release it alive. This was a great way of doing things as it must have saved hundreds of fish and kept kayak fishing in the 'good press'. If things ended up as a draw the first person that weighed/signed in would win so if you caught alot of species quickly, you could come in early but would also gamble that no one had more than you or managed to catch more in the extra time they had at sea.
I set off around 10 and dropped down with some small course hooks and pulled up a Shanny (or Blenny) on the first drop. Next I started drifting after breaking my anchor trolley and picked up a Garfish and a Mackerel.

A tip for anyone making an anchor trolley is not to buy the style of elastic bungee in the first photo below as the cord is only stapled and this is very weak, this is what broke during the competetion. Anyway, lesson learnt and the next photo shows what I have now done which seems a lot stronger than my original idea. I will do a write up in my next post about the whole anchor system.

The next plan was to target Wrasse and after a 1/2 mile drift I finally landed one. I knew one more fish in the next half an hour would put me up there so I paddled straight out into the deep water, dropped anchor with a load of rubby dubby and was soon graced by the for once, elusive Dogfish. I can also add this was the first time I have ever netted one of these!

I had around 45 minutes left so the decision was made to head in. This proved to be a wise choice as I made it in as the joint highest species after one other person. That is also how it stood, 133 people landed and I sat in second place.

I was over the moon at this and ended up winning a Prowler Elite 4.1 which I will review and post at a later date. I was still amazed how only 5 species won it, especially as 19 were caught between everyone on the day including Brill, Bream and Undulate rays! Two lessons I learnt during the day that I would recommend to any kayak fisherman is take your wallet out of your back pocket BEFORE you launch and dont wear a hoody under your drysuit, it was extremely uncomfortable all day to say the least!

The kayak itself was the first time i had used it, compared to my old perception freedom, it was a dream to paddle. The kayak cut through the water even in a bit of chop and it was weird to think how a heavier and bigger kayak can be easier to paddle. The flip centre hatch was amazing, so much storage which is what solved the main problem I had with my other kayak. This along with my dry vittels well, worked wonders.
Finally, I will add a bit on the safety of this event. It was second to having a personal lifeboat crew. The two safety boats did extremely well monotoring everyone and the communication over the radio was brilliant. All in all a wonderful day to be involved in and a huge thank you on my behalf for what I must say was the best organised fishing event, especially of this size, I have ever been to.