Making Hay

As Waaak Baines always says.

Well, it's certainly getting colder, as you'd expect for the end of September. North westerly wind, nippy first thing in the morning. 

For the last couple of weeks we've suffered from a deluge of cormorants. They work at low water, in groups of ten to twenty, strung across river.

I absolutely hate the things, the damage they do is devastating. How long it can go on before they vacate the area to annihilate another place is anyone's guess.

Yesterday, I retired the season's most successful lure, a tiny hard plastic shallow diver, about 5 cm long, bought from Nine Seven Tungsten. They do a great range of lures and the best braid I've used.

Those little lures were the princely sum of £3.50 each and the braid was only a tenner. You can't beat that.

The lure had been repeatedly cast against walls and concrete ( accidentally of course ), the little eyes had come off, the lip was broken, as was a piece at the tail. I must have had in excess of thirty of forty bass on that one lure.

Today I decided to have a go on the ebb for a change. It was late afternoon and had warmed up a bit. Lovely in the sun when sheltered from the wind.

As I was standing on the mud fishing, I heard the sound of stones being thrown around me. 

"Bazza, you twat, I know it's you" 

Silence.

He carried on hiding behind a bush for ten minutes before coming out as I hooked a fish. Just in time to take a photo for me.

I had another one shortly afterwards. As the wind dropped the mullet showed. Time for a go on the baited spinner.

I had some flatworms in the van. I opened the bait box and gagged. They'd been marinating for several days. I just about managed to thread one on the hook without being sick.

First cast a follow. And the next one. And so it went on, but they wouldn't take, until out of the blue one did, right under the rod tip.

A cracking fish to end the session.

I may well have another go tomorrow.  Happy days.

The Grand Slam

In Florida and the tropics The Grand Slam is a bonefish, permit and tarpon on the same session. 

In north Essex/Suffolk, it's a fly caught mullet, bass and a sea trout. Well, it is as far as I'm concerned. 

Bully wanted a mullet on the fly, although he started bass fishing, whilst I had a wander, looking for fish. It didn't take long, I found a couple of dozen mullet patrolling the shoreline a foot or two out.

I whistled to him and beckoned him over.  He gingerly made his way across the mud and cast the fly in the right spot. After what seemed an age he had a take, struck and lost a fish. Shit happens.

I set up further long. There were a few fish about, but not many. However, from my slightly elevated position I could see exactly where they were swimming. Several fish passed over the flies without interest, then out of the blue, the indicator was pulled off the mud ( I was ultra close in ) and across the water.

I struck and pulled into a nice mullet that plodded about a bit, but came in fairly easily. A good start.

We moved to different mark, further upriver, Bully on the fly and me after a bass on the lures. A surface stick bait to be precise.

Second cast I was in. A cracking fish of 3.5lb or so.

The tide continued to push in and we were forced off the mudflats, just making it, across two creeks which were filling up quickly.

As the flow increased, the water coloured up. A change from a surface lure to a tiny shallow diver resulted in a savage take under the rod tip.

An absolutely beautiful sea trout of about 3lb. 

We moved a short distance and watched as a couple of sea trout repeatedly hit bait fish in the three to four inch range. We tried for ages, changing lures and retrieves, but failed to hook one.

I did have another nice bass on the little sub surface plug though. It hit the lure with such ferocity I was sure it was another sea trout, but not so.

A brilliant session.

On The Munch

Isn't that what the carpies say when the fish are feeding ? Well,they are.

Yesterday was cool and windy. I drove over the bridge and pulled over, "just for a look".

Ahh, I'll just give it twenty minutes I thought, as I grabbed the lure rod, already made up, from the van.

Four top water hits and every one missed.

On went a small, slow sinking plug. First cast, WHACK, a bass was on.

Another bass of a similar size followed quickly.

Today I had another go. Mullet were feeding in the mud pit. I toppled over and broke my fall by flinging out an arm and went up to my elbow in mud. Oh well, that's part and parcel of mullet fishing here.

I was due to meet Waaaak a bit further down river, so jumped in the van and moved to the next mark. The tide was already pushing in and after having two half decent bass on a small surface lure I went on the hunt for a mullet.

I found a group that looked like they were feeding and put the fly in the right place. A minute or two later the indicator slid away and a fish was on. It thrashed around a bit as I hustled it in, I couldn't hang around as the tide had begun to flood a couple of small creeks and I was in danger of being cut off.

Waaaak arrived and we tried for a bass. We failed, but had two hits on the surface lure and saw a sea trout strike twice, so an interesting session.

Plenty of fish about at the moment,  it's a great time of year.

Sticky Business

After a few days work it was time to get the fly rod out for a go for the mullet. I'd no idea what to expect, as I'd not tried for five or six weeks and these fish change their habits regularly. 

As soon as I got to the water I noticed a few fish feeding. Creeping up to them, I stopped ten yards from the edge, any closer and I'd probably spook them.

The cast was spot on, just a foot out in inches of water. Within a minute or so I had a take and as I struck the fish thrashed on the surface and beached itself. A bit unsatisfactory !

I went to walk through the mud to unhook it but found myself stuck ! Properly stuck. A few minutes of wriggling and I was free. As was the fish, it had got itself back in the water and shed the hook. Just needed the circus clown music.

I did have some bass on surface lures, mostly smallish but one decent one.

Back again this early this morning. Curiously quiet, but after moving a few minutes down river I nabbed an absolutely mint fish on a sub surface plug. Sorry, "crankbait".

I've a feeling there's going to be some good fishing on the mullet and bass this autumn locally. Fingers crossed. 

End of the Summer

Back home after four and a half weeks, another great trip with a few ups and downs.

Three van tyres replaced ( long story ), six hundred quid please. 

Stuck down a lane in Denmark, wedged in between two big tree branches. Ended up with a burning clutch and a smoke filled van. 

1300 miles

One rod broken, two quiver tips snapped.

Fished the rivers/canals Ijssel, Waal, Princess Magriet, Leeuwarden city canal, Niewe Graffe of Holland, the river Susa in Denmark, the Baltic in two places in southern Denmark.

Caught a perch from a canal side restaurant whilst waiting for our food. I didn't know whether to feel proud or ashamed when others diners stared.

Some clonking perch in the Baltic, plus a couple of small sea trout. A few goby species too.

5lb plus ide from three different rivers, topped with one of 5lb 13oz from the Susa. An absolute monster.

Ten roach over two pounds and one of 3lb 4.5oz.

Lots of bluenose to 2lb 13oz.  And bream.

Two asp to 8lb.

One asp/ide hybrid, interesting fish.

Lure fished for over a week ( very short sessions ) without having a single sizeable fish until I got those asp. 

Some cracking free park ups in Denmark and plenty of harbourside Camperplatz.

Three hundred plus miles on the bikes. Might not seem much, but S only leant how to ride a bike a few years ago. Enjoyed the cycling as much as the fishing. Well, almost.

Some lovely seafood on the island of Falster in Denmark. 

Incredible bird life. Saw a pair of white tailed sea eagles in Naestved, Denmark, another WTSE on the Waal, along with a pair of peregrines, an osprey,  loads of storks, herons, greater and cattle egrets, absolutely fantastic. 

A beaver too.

Back home now, waiting for the tides to be right for local bass and mullet.

A great trip once again, I'm missing it already. 

Autumn fishing coming up, plenty to look forward too.