How will leaving the EU effect us as anglers?

Sorry about missing Fridays forecast but , like many others, I needed  some time to process the shock news that more than half the voting public think we will be better off out of Europe. All I can say is get down to your local tackle shop and buy your rods and reels now, before the price goes up. For sure the prices will rise rapidly, as the pound is almost worthless and a huge percentage of our fishing tackle is imported. I hear many of those that voted to leave, saying we will have our waters back. Yes we have our 12 mile territorial limit, for us to rule over and decide our own quotas, but many of the fish that we rely on to return each summer and winter are caught outside of that area. We will have no say whatsoever on the quotas for those areas. So enough of politics, how has the fishing been over the weekend?

It has not been the most productive weekend but the first of the Bream are starting to show on Chesil and from the boats off Portland. Regular visitor, Chris Buxton paid Chesil another visit on Saturday and managed a PB Undulate as well as one of the first Bream. He even managed an elusive Mackerel. Thankfully reports suggest that the Mackerel have at last returned. Chris mentioned that he was still picking up a lot of May water on his lines. So much so that the lines were coming in thick with it.

Inshore fishing from the boats has improved recently. I was offered a place on Snapper yesterday and knew that I would regret turning it down. I wasn’t wrong. Luke put his customers onto some great Tope, which are one of my favourite summer species to catch from from the boat.

I was especially disappointed when I found out that Mandy Bundle had caught my nemesis fish, a cracking Undulate Ray.

Other charter skippers were having a good time as well. Paul Whittal of Offshore Rebel managed to get Sam Carr into a 30lb Cod on a wrecking trip.

We have some great articles for you this week and we will be kicking it off tomorrow with a Wrasse on Lure article. I am hoping to do the first of my live broadcast fishing shows on YouTube this week. I will release more details, as we finalise the day and time.

Chesil Beach: calm with lightly coloured water

Portland: calm with lightly coloured water.

Portland harbour: calm and clear water

Weymouth Bay: Calm with clear water

Chesil Beach forecast: We have a settled couple of days that should be good for Mackerel and also give us the chance to target those early Bream. Rays are on the cards, but are often difficult to locate. Expect Plaice from the Western end of the beach, but they will be at range.

The weather is set to get fairly windy for a few days, during mid week. This could improve the Bass fishing. Talking of Bass, we will be allowed to take one Bass a day from Friday.

Portland: Light winds will be good for the Pollock and Bass, but as with Chesil, the winds from Wednesday will make the fishing a bit more difficult for them, especially if you are targeting them on lures.

Portland Harbour: I fished the harbour yesterday, in an attempt to make an LRF video. One of the fish we were after was Wrasse. We could not connect with any Wrasse and ended up being plagued with school Bass. There was no sign of Pollock or Garfish.

Weymouth Bay:Peston Beach will offer sheltered fishing on Wednesday when the weather picks up. The piers should start to see regular catches of Mackerel, now they are around again. Once the water in the harbour clears up, the Mullet fishing will also improve.

Guiding: The new guiding season is underway once again. Although we can’t keep any Bass at the moment, we can certainly catch them. I am hoping that the winter fishing ban and the new commercial quotas, combined with an increase in the minimum landing size, will make for some great Bass fishing. I specialize in lure fishing and I am offering Fly fishing this year as well. I am still more than happy to go after the multitude of species in this area with bait, whether that is big Wrasse, explosive Smoothound fishing or targeting the tastier fish such as Plaice and Bream. If you want to book a session or find out more information drop me an email at [email protected]

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Ray of Sunshine

Further to my thoughts last week on how well the local beaches are fishing for all the ray species but specifically undulate ray. My mate Simon Bristow and his pal Phil came down from the Bristol channel to Poole to see if he could bag his first ever undulate ray. Undulates are a bit of a rarity up the Bristol channel way. So given the amount being caught around here he decided to have a bash at one our local beaches.

Over the last set of spring tides the best of the ray fishing has been a few hours before or after slack water at high or low tide. This weekend we were on neaps with very little tidal movement. With the pride of Poole at stake. Could i produce an undulate in the very testing tidal conditions. Arriving at six pm the beach was packed with party goers and barbecues. Not exactly peaceful conditions. Still it’s not just our beach so we have to share.

Blasting out a single large Sandeel on one rod and worm on the other rod both with long traces .We sat back and waited with eager anticipation. So we waited and waited. 7 o’clock came and went. As did 8o clock. Eight rods and four anglers. Without so much as a sniff.

At 9pm I reeled in my worm bait and replaced it with peeler crab as dusk was approaching and the hounds may come in under the covers of darkness. The same Sandeel bait came in untouched! If a little worse for wear after the crabs had done their damage. Then got cast out again. Around 9.15pm the Sandeel rod nodded and continued to bounce around as the sweepstake started as to what it could be as it quite clearly wasn’t a ray!!!

School bass, gurnard, pout and dogfish and other abusive terms I received as I picked up the rod. I took up the slack and leaned back. I broke the lead out. Nothing. A few more turns on the reel and the rod bowed over, thump ,thump, thump as a good ray swam uptide shocking us all with its tentative bites. After a bit of gentle persuasion. Simon landed me a perfectly conditioned small eyed ray. Not the undulate I had promised or expected but welcome nonetheless.

 

I would like to say that was the start of an epic fishing session that we would never forget. However it was not the case and at 11pm me and Martin packed up. No more rays or even smoothound between us.

The next morning I checked my phone to find a couple of messages from Simon. After we had left. At around midnight Simon and phil started packing up for the long drive home. Both leaving one Sandeel baited rod out they had simultaneous bites on the last cast resulting in a 9lb 4oz small eye for phil and an 9lb 14oz undulate for Simon. His first and best undulate to date. Well done lads good effort. Just goes to show perseverance pays off.

Speaking of perseverance a massive well done to Tom whartnaby who was joined by Gareth Griffiths and Lee Jones. Two very talented anglers from wales. They had a mammoth session starting 2 am Saturday morning and continuing on until 1pm on Sunday morning. Fishing several different local venues that included Milford shingle bank and steamer point. 

Their fishing catch was short of unbelievable! Blonde rays to 7lb 4oz, undulate rays to 11lb 6oz, small eyed ray to 9lb 14oz, bass, smoothound, dogfish, congers, blennies, gobi especially, wrasse, congers and 32 good sized bream. Truly an epic session. Both in time and in numbers and size of fish. I spoke to Gareth and he commented that the fishing was made better by the scenery. I couldn’t agree more!! We live in a beautiful part of the world. We’re very lucky!

The Poole area is on fire right now! Midweek is the time to have the beach to yourself. 

I still have some spaces midweek for guiding. Plus the weekend guiding sessions are still available. Now is the time to get that pb ray!!

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Where are the Mackerel

After a very promising start to the year, with Mackerel being caught as early as February, I am very surprised that we are struggling to see any being landed locally. It is not just a local problem, as there seems to be a lack of Mackerel everywhere. Thinking back, we had the same problem last year. Perhaps I am just being impatient and the Mackerel are just arriving later each year.

I had my young nephew Charlie, staying with me this weekend. I had promised to take him fishing for the first time. Armed with my Fladen Rock Buddy LRF rod and a packet of Verms, we headed to Ferrybridge. A quick cast near the bridge pillars, soon found the fish. Charlie almost had the rod pulled from his hands, when it was taken by a 3 1/2lb Wrasse. Not bad for his first ever fish. I can safely say, that’s another youngster well and truly hooked.

Stu Holden sent in this report from his trip at the weekend. Fished Abbotsbury yesterday from 4pm to 11pm and had a couple of Hounds, plenty of Dogfish and 2 Undulate Rays, one of 9lb 2oz and this one pictured at 11lb 7oz and a PB Ray for me. Mackerel and Squid cocktails did the business and they both came in consecutive casts Best regards, Stuart Holden, Gillingham, Dorset. Three counties SAA.

I am desperate to get my first Smoothound this year. So far I haven’t tried for one, as when I have had time between filming and guiding, I have not been able to get hold of any Peeler crab. Reports from the beach this weekend, suggest I might not need Peeler. Fishing Tails photographer Gavin managed an 8lb Hound on Black Lug and Bill Morris, the distributor for Trabucco rods in the UK, decided to put a pesky Spider crab that he caught, to good use. After cutting it up into bite sized chunks and securing it on with some bait elastic. He decided to go light with one of the Trabucco Athena rods rated at 160g. Using only 90g of lead and .22mm line, he was able to blast the crab bait out to where the Smoothounds were cruising. The result was a hectic couple of hours with hounds well into double figure in weight. Amazing sport and fun on light tackle.

Chesil Beach: calm with lightly coloured water

Portland: calm with lightly coloured water.

Portland harbour: calm and clear water

Weymouth Bay: Calm with clear water

Chesil Beach forecast: After yesterdays blow, the beach will start to settle again. This normally brings in Bass and Rays. At some stage the Mackerel will show, but it is more likely to be towards the end of the week. The tides look good for Plaice fishing at Abbotsbury.

Portland: the island should return to the same good form that it was before the blow, with lots of Wrasse and Pollock .

Portland Harbour: plenty of Wrasse and small Pollock from Ferrybridge and the reefs at Sandsfoot Castle.

Weymouth Bay:As Usual the piers have continued to fish well. Not so the beach at PReston. It may improve with a chance of Ray at night and Dabs and Flounder during the day.

Guiding: The new guiding season is underway once again. Although we can’t keep any Bass at the moment, we can certainly catch them. I am hoping that the winter fishing ban and the new commercial quotas, combined with an increase in the minimum landing size, will make for some great Bass fishing. I specialize in lure fishing and I am offering Fly fishing this year as well. I am still more than happy to go after the multitude of species in this area with bait, whether that is big Wrasse, explosive Smoothound fishing or targeting the tastier fish such as Plaice and Bream. If you want to book a session or find out more information drop me an email at [email protected]

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Happy 20th Anniversary Weymouth Angling Centre

This weekend see’s the 20th anniversary of Weymouth Angling Centre and all the team at Fishing Tails, would like to congratulate them for the great service that they provide 7 days a week. The staff are some of the most knowledgeable in the business and really know what they are talking about when it comes to fishing, as can be seen from staff member, Mark’s headline picture of a Stingray that he caught in the Solent recently .

As part of their anniversary celebrations the shop in St Edmonds Street in Weymouth are having a massive give away tomorrow. Every customer that spends £10 will get a free goody bag and the chance to win some great prizes, including a custom built Century rod. Weymouth Angling Centre have a brilliant range of fishing tackle and they are the only shop in the area that stocks the new range of Fladen LRF gear, including the great Rock Buddy shore jigs that I have been having great success with recently. I will certainly be making a trip to see them some time tomorrow, so if you see me in the shop, feel free to stop me and ask for advice. If you check out there Facebook Page  you will find Stephen Collet’s latest LRF video featuring the shop.

Picture credit: Finnbarr Webster

So back to the fishing and whats been happening? It has been a fairly quite week on Chesil, as brisk SW winds for most of the week, have made fishing uncomfortable at best. However many of those the put in the effort have been rewarded, as packs of Smoothound cruised up and down the beach. Once they arrived the fishing was excellent. Martyn SPooner and his mate fished Abbotsbury for the first time in 2 years. Despite gusts of 25mph and driving rain, they managed to get through the Spider Crabs and find some lovely Smoothounds.

So I know you guys and girls that are reading this on your mobiles at work, probably won’t have the time to watch this video, but once you get home and have a few minute to spare,  have a look at our latest video and the first in the Catch and Cook series. In this one we head out on a wrecking trip aboard Flamer from Weymouth. Target species Cod and Pollock. check out just some of the fish we caught and what Gavin did with the Cod to create a delicious meal.

Chesil Beach: calm with lightly coloured water

Portland: calm with lightly coloured water.

Portland harbour: calm and clear water

Weymouth Bay: Calm with clear water

Chesil Beach forecast: Get yourself some Peeler Crab and spend some time targeting the Smoothounds. They wont stay around in large packs for long, so it is well worth a trip down. If you have Peelers and head towards Abbotsbury and West Bexington, you have a good chance of a decent Plaice as well.

With the water almost clear now, we should see the Mackerel back inshore. However they have not been getting many from the boats, so it may still be a little time before they return.

Portland: Brilliant rock fishing on Portland at the moment. Wrasse and Pollock in plenty of numbers. As usual if I get a chance to get out after them this weekend, I will be using soft plastic lures. A lot of people lack the confidence to try lures, and thats fair enough, especially as they are so easy to catch on Ragworm. Float fish or on the bottom, either way you should catch them. My top tip is fish the East side of Portland on the Flood and the West side on the Ebb.

Portland Harbour: I have spotted lots of Mullet in the harbour this week. They seem to be Thick Lipped so get out the bread and try floated crust, or set up a small float and use small pieces of bread. It really is a good idea to get some bread mashed up with some water and regularly feed it in as ground bait.

Weymouth Bay:As Usual the piers have continued to fish well. Not so the beach at PReston. It may improve with a chance of Ray at night and Dabs and Flounder during the day.

Guiding: The new guiding season is underway once again. Although we can’t keep any Bass at the moment, we can certainly catch them. I am hoping that the winter fishing ban and the new commercial quotas, combined with an increase in the minimum landing size, will make for some great Bass fishing. I specialize in lure fishing and I am offering Fly fishing this year as well. I am still more than happy to go after the multitude of species in this area with bait, whether that is big Wrasse, explosive Smoothound fishing or targeting the tastier fish such as Plaice and Bream. If you want to book a session or find out more information drop me an email at [email protected]

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Short fishing trip for Rays

As I left for my holidays the summer was really hotting up, not just in temperature but in fishing terms as well!  With big stingrays, large smoothound, bream and bass all being caught locally in good numbers I was almost disappointed to be going away. On arrival back in the UK. I caught up with Fishing Tails and some social media sites to find things had got even better with Smoothound getting bigger and being caught in higher numbers.

That was all the incentive I needed and by Tuesday night I was down at the beach armed with a bucket of peelers and a flooding spring tide, ready to get my fishing fix. With it being so warm shorts and tshirt was the dress code for the evening. My favourite type of fishing.

After setting up two rods both blasted as far as I could get them. I noticed the angler next to me ,Cliff Brand, bent in to a good fish. After a good tassle Cliff walked a 12lb undulate ray up the beach.

After a few snaps the pregnant female was carefully released. We got chatting and I learnt he caught it on a running ledger baited with small frozen Sandeels, I congratulated him and went back to my smoothound fishing.

Minutes later Cliff came up the beach and offered me a bag of Sandeels. What a star! Out went Sandeel on a pulley rigs on my second rod. and within seconds I had a screaming take. I wound fast and swept the rod to set the hook. only a little resistance and a few light lunges told me it was a small ray. At a couple of pounds it was a carbon copy Cliff’s double earlier, just in a smaller version.

An hour later later I helped Cliff land and release a slightly smaller undulate around 8lbs.

Walking back to my rods,I saw on the ray rod the line was bellied into the water, a classic slack line bite!
Cursing myself for not paying more attention I wound in the slack and line taught I leaned back and felt the solid thump of a ray at the other end. fish on, another undulate! At this point my phone died, so it back up the beach again for to Cliff to do the honors with his camera. Legend!

By this time it was getting on for midnight and it was getting too cool for shorts. As I packed up ,Cliff shouted over, he was into another near double undulate. What a night a couple of hours fishing with five undulates in the bag. Incidentally between us we never even saw a smoothound!
After the success of Tuesday. I decided to have another go Saturday night. Conditions were going to be very different as I would be fishing the outgoing ebbing tide to low water around 10pm. With plenty of tidal movement I was confident I might get a smoothound on peeler but I wasn’t sure about the ray?

After a couple of hours it got quite breezy and I was beginning regret wearing shorts. I had a fleece on, but shorts were probably the wrong choice for the conditions. The breeze was also bouncing the rod tips around which was making bite detection difficult. Watching carefully I noticed a slightly out of synch flutter on the ray rod, I picked  it up the rod and slowly leant back. The rod bent over as a ray picked up the bait and slowly swam uptide.

After a few hairy moments with weed jammed in the leader knot I beached another undulate around 8lb.

Ten minutes later. I had the smoothound I had originally set out to catch on Tuesday. It was only a pup but welcome nevertheless.

Over the weekend and all of last week I have heard of undulates being caught all up and down the south coast and in good numbers. I feel that this in part has been due the conservation of this species on a commercial basis. It really is starting to become evident that given the chance these fish are benefitting from the commercial fishing ban on them and long may it continue.

Recently I received an email from Shane Munford who is also benefitting from the undulate success story. Fishing several marks along Southbourne beach he has caught small eyed ray to 4lb 8oz and several undulates to 13lb 8oz.

He also has set himself a task of species hunting. Something I have not tried myself!
Using different methods to target specific fish. Saturday he was using worm baited small sabaki feathers to target weaver fish. With a little persistence he caught this spiny critter.

They don’t have to be monsters as long as it’s the species you’ve set out to catch. . Well done Shane!

Needless to say all the marks from the Purbecks to Hurst castle are all in full summer swing. As well as the rays and smoothound, there are lots of smaller species available too as Shane proved.

With the longer summer nights I will be offering guiding trips throughout the week nights. As well as weekends day or night.
Mullet, bass, ray or smoothound or any other species. With hours tailored to suit all needs!!

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Fishing Antigua

Apologies for the lack of posts over the last  few weeks as I’ve been working lots of hours and not doing much fishing. I needed to bank some money for the holiday of a lifetime I had booked.
Lying just off the coast of Venezuela is the jewel in the caribbean crown the tiny tropical island of Antigua!  This small island roughly the same size as the Isle of Wight and basks in the calm caribbean sea to the east, with the rough Atlantic to the West. The island boasts 365 beaches, one for each day of the year, that’s a whole lot of fishing potential!

I was staying on the east side of the island in the Jolly beach resort for a week at the end of May. Situated next to the Jolly harbour, which is full of superyachts of the rich and famous. I had no means of transport other than on foot. So the other 364 beaches would have to wait until I win the lottery in the future. Jolly beach itself is a mile and a half long expanse of pure white sand flanked at each end of the bay by high cliffs.

I had done a little research as to what species or type of fishing was available and the list was quite impressive, tarpon, snook, permit, bonefish, snapper and barracuda to name but a few!
This led me to a dilemma, what to take?  I had a half decent travel spinning rod buts for tackle, I wanted take everything including the kitchen sink. With only a few kilos hand luggage allowances some cutbacks had to be made.
A small fixed spool loaded with 30lb braid a couple of lead heads with shads. One or two Toby spoons along with some surface plugs saw to the spinning side. As for terminal tackle ,a packet of 5/0 circle hooks,a spool 40lb amnesia line,a few 1oz bombs and that was it.

On my first day after having spent a token amount of family time. I was itching to get fishing! Using the same basic principles as back in the UK. The plan was to sight fish, work up and down the beach, away from the main crowds, looking for fish signs. Breaking shoals of bait fish or signs of swirls on the surface or dark shadows moving around. Casting and retrieving soft plastics as I walked.

The first day I caught nothing and saw nothing.

That first evening whilst waiting for the rest of the family to get ready. I had a wander down to the beach at sunset. There was a fellow English angler with the same ideas as me.(Sorry mate I never did get you and your friend’s name).
This guy had been there a week before me and was full of useful hints and tips. He was casting off for the beach to the beds of eel grass some 50 yards offshore. With a running ledger and squid for bait. It was there that he had landed snapper up to 10lb in the week previously. He assured me this was by far the most productive method of fishing he had experienced though he did mention he had seen large barracuda working up and down the beach at first light.

Day two my mission was to find some squid!

The missus wanted to go shopping and  was very suspicious when I jumped at the idea! After visiting every shop in Jolly harbour. It would seem there was no squid to be found and there was a shortage of squid on the island!

So it was a case of resort back to plan B.

In between family time and trips to the bar for rum punch, obviously for the ice as keeps you cool!
I worked up and down the beach casting and retrieving hopping the lead head through the eel grass when bang!
The lure stopped dead. The rod hooped around and line tore off the light clutch. Regaining some composure I eased the unseen fish towards the beach. All I saw was a flash of silver and then it really took off. As the reel screamed I thought it’s a @#$%÷### bonefish.

As I gained line and the fish tired a little . I got a better look and was slightly disappointed to see an angry looking barracuda looking at me.
Disappointed is the wrong word, I would have preferred a bonefish, but this little barracuda gave up a cracking fight.

After a few snaps I went for a release but at this point there was mayhem on the beach as all the locals came running down the beach shouting and screaming as I let go their free meal that evening. I am all for catch and release but in lesser off countries gifting a family with the fruits of my sport may mean a family gets to eat a good square meal that evening. After apologising and making a promise to the guys that they could keep anything else I caught, I resumed fishing. My promise proved to be the kiss of death as after that I never had any more action, not a bite not a sniff.

A trip to Jolly harbour had me with my heart in spasms as 100lb tarpon rolled on and around my lure with no interest!

Days later I met fellow English angler Anthony, an Antiguan fishing regular, who pointed out to me the large snook working up and down the gutter at the waters edge. I cast lures in front of it, to the side of it, behind it, nothing! These fish were very hard to catch on lures. I have to concede that fishing at dusk or dawn with a big squid bait might have proved more successful!
On most of the menus on the island ,lobster is the speciality,  oddly enough when we were there it was off the menu. On enquiry i found that it was close season for them so that they can spawn and catching or keeping any lobster during close season is punishable by law.
Imagine my surprise ,whilst cooling off in the shallows, I nearly stepped on this beauty.

To add insult to injury. Once again out came the locals shouting and screaming. This time it was a prized delicacy and I really was public enemy number one ,as I released this beauty to make lots more baby lobsters. That really was it far as catches are concerned. I can’t complain though about the lack of fish. I saw loads, the rolling tarpon, the heavyweight snook in the gutters, the big stingrays in the shallows are fishing memories that I will carry in my heart forever.

Out of the water the comical pelicans,the mongoose, huge frigate birds hassling the local gulls. Little hummingbirds buzzing from flower to flower outside our apartment.
It truly is a tropical fishing paradise.

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Carp off the top…

What’s this, Bassman doing Carp fishing you say!!

Well folks, this is a guilty pleasure of mine and where I learnt how to play decent fish on very light gear, surface fishing with bread around the various lakes on offer locally

This is Bake Lakes just over the border into Cornwall which is a short drive from Plymouth

There is a good average stamp of fish and I know how to fish through the dead period when the sun is still high.

I am currently sponsored by Tronixpro and use very light set ups to maximise sport, here’s the HTO Rockfish 73

A 1-9g LRF rod which I’ve been testing on a multitude of species, this being the most challenging and fun

The last flick of the day produced a half decent 13lb 8oz mirror Carp off the top using 5lb HTO Light Game Braid and an 8lb Yozuri trace, a balanced drag and a bit of patience pays when using tackle this light on double figure Carp.

I know these aren’t big fish in the Carp fishing world  but on this ultra light set up I assure you it’s fantastic sport!

Hope you enjoyed my guilty pleasure, I’ll be back on the Bass very soon….

p.s I have a new collective blog/website and guiding business in Plymouth employing local sub guides to cover lure fishing, LRF fishing, Bass and Mullet, also Kayak adventures with a fully qualified instructor who can give you  proficiency training and give you the confidence to stay afloat. This is very exciting for Plymouth and we look forward to following in Sean’s footsteps and giving you a great trip when you’re in Devon. please follow the link to our humble website Fishing Guides Devon

Day/evening ticket plus day licence  can be purchased at the venue.

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