To Blog Or Not Blog?

Having been blown out by the weather in September I was itching to get afloat in October and have a final crack at the Bream.  Before the day I watched the forecast remain steadfastly favourable and looked back through previous years to see what had happened before.  As I looked back at these trips it struck me - 'what else can I say about Bream fishing on Atlanta out of Weymouth that I haven't already said?'.  The marks would be the same, the tactics the same, the bait the same and unless we caught a British record the diary entry would end up being the same.  I decided to give myself a day off and concentrate on fishing without dashing about the boat taking pictures.

So why am I writing this diary entry then?  I'll explain!

We were away from the mooring early and set off to the west side of the 'Bill' to try for some Mackerel.  I looked at the harbour scene as we steamed out and thought to myself 'this is exactly the same as last year' - any photos I might have taken would have replicated those I already have.  As we came past the Nothe Fort however, being a little earlier than usual, the sun was at a nice angle for an atmospheric shot - the kind you only get in Autumn.

Sunrise over the Stone Pier

The Mackerel fishing is very hit and miss at this time of year.  Chatting to the neighbouring skipper in the harbour we heard that he had managed 50 Mackerel the day before but only 2 the day before that.  When we arrived at the mark I lowered away and on the second drop managed a lively Mackerel.  Third drop and I had two more, but no others were showing to the rest of the crew.  Then they went away.  It is incredible that after a promising start we would end up with just three fish between seven of us.  It mattered not as Dave had supplied plenty of frozen Mackerel, live Rag Worm, frozen unwashed squid and live Hermit Crabs.  I also had my usual supply of party squid, which I think work so well for Bream, and Geoff and Mick had a large supply of Razor Clams they had collected themselves.

We headed west and anchored up over some familiar ledges where we would fish in sight of Portland Bill and with the beautiful Chesil Beach as a back drop.  I decided to start the day using my Penn Power Stix 40-90g spinning rod and a fixed spool baitrunner reel for maximum sporting value.  I rigged up with a size 4, two hook Wessex Rig, baited with mackerel tipped with party squid heads and lowered away to the bottom with just four ounces of lead.  The tide was pretty fierce to start with and although I had a bite each time I felt for the bottom I did not stay in touch for long enough to hook a fish.  On my second drop, having replenished my robbed baits, the 4oz weight found purchase and I had my first proper bite.  A minute later and I was landing my first Bream.  Not too large, but a good eating fish.  The rest of the crew also started to catch but nothing worth a photograph and I was happy that my decision not to write and entry for today was vindicated.

After two or three Bream, which were steadily getting larger, I decided that the spinning rod was becoming hard work.  Because the fixed spool reel is under slung it tends to get caught up with the safety rail when you're reeling in a fish and that means you have to hold the rod at an unnatural angle - a real pain.  I switched to my 5lb class Awa-Shima Ugly Battler and continued my fishing.  It was now that things started to get more interesting.

Geoff, who was also using a spinning outfit, hooked a reasonably heavy fish that clearly was not a Bream.  It also appeared too lively / heavy to be a dog fish.  After a fairly lengthy battle the fish surfaced - a strap Conger!  It was just a few pounds but gave Geoff's ultra light gear a real work out in deep water.  I mused that if I was going to write a diary entry it would have made a good photo, but resolved to focus on my fishing and left the camera in the bag.

I had a couple more Bream, a few poor cod and a very large Scad in the next half an hour or so.  More Bream came to the other anglers and Jack also managed a succession of dog fish (the only one's caught on the day).

Neil was next to liven things up.  At first he thought he'd hooked the bottom, but then he started to make ground on what was a dead weight.  We all offered opinions as to what it might be - a rock, weed, plastic bag?  As it surfaced we saw three legs break the surface and I grabbed the net.  Making a real hash of trying to net the catch the skipper relieved me of the duty and deftly brought Neil's prize on board - a magnificent eating crab that I'm guessing would have weighed in at around 6lbs.  It would have made a brilliant photo if I had intended to write a diary entry, but the camera stayed in the bag.  I'm also not sure anyone was brave enough to pose with the crab as it's pincers looked like they could sever an arm!

As the morning wore on and the tide dropped off we caught more, and better, Bream.  Geoff however was ploughing his own furrow and leaned into another heavy weight.  At first it looked like the bottom but then we saw the head shake and it moved.  Geoff was still armed with an ultra-light spinning outfit and he was undoubtedly connected to a heavy fish.  Geoff settled in to a long battle.  He would make ground before the fish would take a slow, but unstoppable run back towards the bottom.  I'm guessing this went on for the best part of 10 to 15 minutes.  Just as it looked however that Geoff would land the fish it took another strong run and buried itself in the bottom.  The line went solid and there was nothing Geoff could do.  He tried to give the fish slack to get it to run free but with no luck.  Eventually the terminal tackle gave and Geoff was able to retrieve his line but sadly with no fish.  When he got his gear to the surface it proved to be the hook that had given out, breaking at the bend under the strain. 

A worthy 'one that got away' story if I had been going to write a diary entry - which I wasn't!

Dave the skipper called that we had five more minutes at this mark whilst he warmed the engine and then we would head off to try for a Portland Autumn Ballan Wrasse which can run huge at this time of year.  I lowered one more time and bagged my 10th keeper of the morning - a nice fish of around 2lbs I guess.  I had returned a fistful of fish as well so was very happy with my morning's sport.

In the short trip to the west side of the Bill I packed away my Bream gear and set up my Sonik SK4 12-20lb rod with a running leger rig.  I like to use a very strong size 1/0 Catfish hook for Wrassing as they have such strong jaws I like the extra comfort of the extra thick steel.  Wrasse are not shy either so no need to worry about the level of finesse with a hook like this!

Dave switched from his regular anchor to a special grapple anchor that has soft metal legs.  This means he can anchor on very rocky ground and if the anchor gets stuck he can power out of the snag with the boat which straightens the legs on the grapple to release it.

At this mark it was time to try one of the lively hermit crabs.  Having learned a painful lesson before I remembered to nip off the hermit's big claw before attaching him to the hook!

I lowered the bait to the sea bed some thirty feet below.  Instantly there was a small tap, then another, then my bait was smashed with a force I don't think any other fish this size can emulate.  When fishing like this I maintain a strike stance at all times as you cannot give a Wrasse a second to get to the rocks or kelp or you will lose it.  As the fish hit, I lifted and wound like mad.  My rod almost folded in half before it stiffened and transferred the fight from the rod to the reel.  I managed a couple of quick turns before the fish took line.  It was enough to keep it out of the bottom and I had a tug of war with what I thought had to be my best Wrasse ever.  The fish surfaced and it was a beauty.  Dave flashed the net and a lovely 4lb 1oz Ballan was mine - 2oz shy of my personal best.

Beautiful Autumn Wrasse

I asked Dave to take a picture for me with my Camera and considered that had it been a personal best I may have been tempted to write a diary entry.  What a shame if I had caught a personal best and missed all those other photo opportunities earlier in the day!

Wrasse fishing is a strictly 'catch and release' game.  Dave was telling us that many anglers turn their noses up at a chance for a Wrasse session as they are focussed primarily on filling their freezers.  They miss out on some of the most exhilarating sport that sea angling can deliver in the process.

I re-baited as a couple more Wrasse came to the boat in the 1lb to 2lb range.  A quick drop and I took up my stance again (it must look a bit odd I think but it seems to work!). 

It was only a few seconds and I had the faintest of tremors up the line. 

Then nothing.

What seemed like an age passed, but was probably ony 30 seconds, and I dared not move.

Then.....WHAM!......the rod was nearly wrenched from my hands.  Another incredibly muscular fight from this fantastic reef fish and I had another smashing prize at the surface.  The skipper made the call that this one would be larger and he was right - 4lb 10oz, my personal best.

My Personal Best

So there it was, the day had turned out to be so good I would have to commit it to my diary.  Pity I didn't take more photos earlier in the day!

Whilst I was preparing another Hermit crab one of the other anglers on the boat (and I'm sorry I didn't catch his name as he was a really nice bloke who kept us laughing all day - in fact he and Mick would make a good double act) decided to try Dave's other suggestion for this mark - working a shad back in the tide.  Well what a good call that was as he caught a smashing Codling of around 6lbs or so.  These fish are very different to the pale sandy coloured ones caught in deeper water, and this one had almost dark stripes along it's flanks (I was too busy Wrassing to stop for a photo though).

I managed a small Wrasse and then another of around 2lbs.  I then had what was undoubtedly the fiercest bite I had experienced all day.  I had flicked the bait a little way out behind the boat as I had read somewhere that Wrasse are territorial and I was worried that I might have caught all the ones under my peg on the boat.  This proved to be my undoing.  The fight started as had the others but with the fish taking far more line.  With an already shallow angle on my line I could not stop this fish going to ground and he jammed hard in the rocks.  Geoff suggested I try giving the fish some slack to see if he would swim free.  I did this, gave it a few seconds, and wound again.  I retrieved my gear but the fish had spat the now 'crabless' hook with disdain.

I managed another couple of fish in the 2lb category and one more larger fish of around 3.5lbs - my best day on the Wrasse by a margin.

Whilst this was going on Neil, of the edible crab fame, was also finding some nice fish.  He had a smashing Wrasse in the 3 - 4lb bracket and then had another strong take from a fish that was very different in fighting style to a Wrasse.  It turned out to be a very greedy Bream that had taken his Hermit Crab - a nice fish just a whisker short of 3lbs.  Grab a photo for the diary was my first thought!  I did have a better one  of Neil but this was the best one of the fish and the fish won.

Neil Hides Behind A Bream

Geoff continued his trend of finding something different by catching a beautifully marked Scorpion Fish.

I mentioned earlier that Wrasse fishing is definitely a catch and release sport.  Wrasse have a tendency for their swim bladders to over extend during the fight and this can seriously impact their ability to be returned successfully. The skipper was prepared for this though and carries a US designed venting kit that is a surgical quality hypodermic needle that can be used to remove the excess air from the fish if required.  Dave performed this procedure on a number of the Wrasse we caught and they all went back incredibly strongly to fight another day.

Encouraged by the cod taken at this mark Dave suggested we try a drift through a ledge on the edge of the race where there maybe more cod.  He suggested drifting with shads or even feathers.  I opted for a string of three blue and white lures on 3/0 hooks, two of which I baited with mackerel strip.  I felt a number of plucks at my lures and lost a couple of baits as we drifted.  I then had a hit from a very lively but not enormously heavy fish.  It was certainly no cod.  I was hoping it might be a Bass but was very surprised to find I had caught a 2.5lb Bream - so much for small hooks and small baits.

Whilst we did not catch a mass of fish with this technique, Mick proved the theory and landed another nice Codling of a similar size to the first.  After 20 minutes or so Dave called for lines up and we headed off to our last mark for the day.

Inside Weymouth Bay in the Autumn there is a strong run of squid, some of which can be really quite big.  Most of us had squid jigs and Dave had some for those that didn't.  I had two new jigs in my bag and opted for the largest which is roughly prawn shaped and coloured in tiger stripes.  This I connected to a 3' flowing trace running off a small luminous boom.  The method for catching squid is to lower to the bottom and then retrieve slowly for about 10 turns of the reel before repeating.  If you get a take you must keep retrieving with steady pressure.  If you let the squid have any slack line it will get off the barbless jigs - never pump and wind.

Dave set up the first drift and for a couple of minutes there was nothing.  Then a shout from the other side of the boat meant someone had found the squid.  Then we all found them.  Dave ran around like a maniac trying to net them all and avoid getting inked!  It was like a battle zone for a brief while with squid firing water and ink in all directions including down the back of my neck!  In three drifts we filled two large containers with some beautiful quality fish and set off home more than satisfied. 

The Smiles Say It All

It is beyond my narrative skills to explain why Mick is wearing a hat made from a pair of underpants - you would have needed to be there to get the joke!

Today was an extraordinary day afloat.  Perfect weather, great company, fantastic fishing and a personal best.  What this trip showed me is you can never be sure of what you are going to experience on a day at sea and I will think twice about dismissing a trip as 'more of the same' in the future.

Contact - steve@madpolka.co.uk