Weed And Fishing Don't Mix

Wrasse Saves The Day

Selsey, West Sussex, UK

I wouldn't normally blog about something like this, but can you imagine as a best man, organizing a Stag Party for your brother with 5 guests who are mostly carp fisherman with the promise of catching a shark? Well, the rest of the stag do went brilliantly to say the least, involving go-karting, camping, surfing, lap dancers and steak dinners. But the fishing was a completely different story, We arrived at Selsey, Smooth hounds were our target, we had 30 live peelers crabs and pulley rigs with 2/0 Mustard Big Guns hooks, everything seemed to be right, except for the weed, tons of it covering the beach, floating from the beach to about 10m out, every cast instantly picked up weed until the current dragged the rig to far. We were all a bit gutted, but in good spirit, we moved, packing up 5 tents and 7 rods and tried again on a less weedy beach a mile or so away. we managed to keep a few rods out for about an hour before the weed came and total stopped the fishing once again, it stayed permanently unfishable for the rest of the trip.

Ballan Wrasse Saves The Day

As I said in my last post, fishing doesn't always go to plan, and even occasionally it goes better, but this trip was different as so many people were involved, I would of moved again or gone home if the circumstances were different, but united as a Stag party, we all agreed that as it was nearly dark, it would be better just to camp the night. We were all too tired after a very long 5 hour drive and hard partying. But I have to say, I really do believe that if you have a line in the water you have a chance. And I did get one bite, and as line was being peeled from the spool on the baitrunner, I struck, convinced that this was a Smooth hound, I felt the fish fight, the sheer relief and excitment of believing that we will at least get to see a fish. Then fishing reared its magical head, with its twists and turns of the unknown, What I landed to my suprise, in my opinion was better than any Smooth Hound, A 2lb 13oz Ballan Wrasse, massively beating my Wrasse PB, they do love to eat crab, but with their small mouths catching one on a big Tronix size 2/0 bigdog hook and whole peeler crab bait with the weed situation made this a very lucky fish, and a very welcome guest to the beach. And allthough the fishing didn't go to plan, the 7 of us made the most of the night, camping on the beach as good friends, reminissing about old times, with burgers and beers watching the sunset, what more could you ask for?

Sabiki Fishing, Samphire Hoe

Wrasse Rattling Fun

Samphire Hoe, A20, Dover, Kent. CT17 9FL UK

Samphire Hoe, Pick A Spot, Any Spot

Sometimes in fishing, things just don't go to plan, and that certainly is the case more often than not.But it's the little surprises that keep fishing interesting. And after a unsuccessful day and night fish at Dungeness targeting Bass, all I managed to land was 7 Whiting during a half hour of madness during the nights high tide. The rest of the time my rods, yes all three, stayed as still as a post, and all my baits returned to the beach untouched. The thought of heading home in the morning during the hottest and longest spell of weather the UK has seen in 36 years, Seem like a wasted opportunity, I was on the South Kent coast and I wasn't ready to admit defeat. So a change of venue it was.

Baited Sabiki Rig Does The Job

I headed to Samphire Hoe, a mile long seawall built on reclaimed land from the spill of digging the Euro tunnel, now a beautiful park at the base of the famous white cliffs of Dover. Having never fished Samphire before, I was maybe a little unprepared, but wanted to target some summer species. I had some feathers and a light spinning rod and thought I had a good chance of getting some Mackerel and maybe a Garfish. But after spinning for a hour with various different feathers, not a thing.I hadn't even seen anyone else catch a fish either and most of them were fishing bottom baits at range, I knew that the bottom was like a tackle graveyard, with big boulders and weed, and I wasn't prepared to tackle this rough terrain just to join them. "What to do?" my arms were tired so I lazily started  jigging a sabiki rig down the side of the sea defence wall. then it dawned on me to use the 6 size 10 hooks of the sabiki rig and bait them with small 10cm chunks of the black lug worm that I had left over, and see if I could winkle out a few Wrasse.

Tropical Looking Corkwing Wrasse

I lowered the baited rig carefully to the bottom and immediately a succession of very quick rattles on the rod tip, saw me excitedly lift the rod and reel in, but no fish just empty hooks. I re baited and again the rig had been in the water for just a few seconds, the rod tipped rattled, I lifted the rod Immediately, and due to the braid and very light spinning rod with fast action, I knew I had a fish on, It was a lovely little fight and then I saw my first UK Wrasse for many years come floating out the sea. It was tiny about 3oz or 4oz, but a new species this year, that gave me more of a thrill than dragging Whiting onto Dungeness beach with a beach caster.

Ballan Wrasse, Definitely A Girl

I had found a method that worked and I managed to land 1 Ballan Wrasse and 3 x Corkwing Wrasse in the next 30mins. It was real fun, and to be honest I missed a load of bites, but it was constant action!. But then out the blue with my rod resting at an angle against the sea wall, a bite that just pulled the rod tip so hard it bent right around and behind the wall until the ultralight rod lifted violently into the air, I was lucky that I was close enough to grab it! then it was fish on! a great little scrap of a fight and something a little bigger but I really wasn't sure what fish it was, untill I got a closer look at the fish as I swung the fish over the wall. A 10oz Pollock! which nearly claimed my pride and joy "Snowbee 4 piece travel rod". But it was another new species to add to the year! And a great way to end my first and very short session at Samphire Hoe.

Tiny Pollock Nearly Took My Rod

The change of venue had worked, I had made the most of the fantastic weather and even added 3 new species for the year list. I really enjoyed the fishing at Samphire Hoe, although the fish were small, it was really fun catching them on the light fishing gear. And I'm glad I didn't hook anything bigger because without a drop net I wouldn't of landed it, Which of coarse is now on my shopping list as I would love to return and see if I can catch anything a bit bigger over a longer session.