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If you want to find out more info about sea fishing reels, check out www.myseareels.com

2018 Update – Minimum Landing Sizes (MLS) and protection status for common UK Marine fish

We have updated the MLS page to reflect the new Bass rules for 2018.

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The dust has now settled over the new Minimum Landing Size (MLS.) for Bass so we thought it might be interesting to test your knowledge of the MLS. and protection status of some of our most common UK Marine fish. No cheating this is not a test of your Googling skills we genuinely want to see how knowledgeable you all are!

As a bonus everyone who finishes the Quiz will get priority access to our new MLS reference  page where you can see all the size restrictions we know of!

The quiz is now over – results will be posted soon

See our new MLS page here

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Salmon & the Carp Angler

John Gierach once wrote

“…. how often do you have a chance to get skunked while casting a fourteen-foot spey rod in the shadow of a castle built two hundred years before the American Revolution?”

You’ll be thinking that I quite like John Gierach. Well, I think I do. I like his writing and his attitude in his writing; and I get the feeling that I’d kinda like to meet the guy and share a beer with him. Although I’m rather afraid we’d discover that we’re both grumpy old buzzards with not very much to say to each other. A bit like going down the pub with your best mate, but without the comforting warmth of familiarity to fill the silence.

But to return to his quote, for me the answer is well, every feckin’ day to be honest.

And frankly, after a while it becomes rather tedious getting skunked, eaten half to death by ravenous midges and invariably ending up “drookit”, to use the Scottish term. This last being a rather onomatopoeic description of one’s status after a classic spring or autumn day exposed to the vicissitudes of our local climate. Of course it’s not always as bad as this. The summers can be even worse.

Having said all this, it is actually possible to catch a salmon, once in a while. I know this because I’ve caught one. Just the one, mind. And therein lies the rub. You can wait an awfully long time for a salmon, even if you live on the banks of one of the most hallowed salmon rivers in the world.

Our local newspaper, which labours under the somewhat grandiose title of the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald, carries a not-so-weekly fishing column which tells you pretty much everything you need to know on this score; provided you know how to read the signs. Firstly, there is very little comment or even any sense of passion from the columnist, and this is your first clue. It’s as if a lifetime of recording, and presumably experiencing, essentially quite mediocre catches has stripped the author of any enthusiasm he may have once held for his subject. That’s assuming that you even manage to spot it due to either its complete absence (a very bad sign), or its brevity; in which case you’d be forgiven for confusing it with the local camanachd or bridge club scores. If you don’t know what camanachd is, by the way, do look it up. It’s far more interesting than the fishing report although maybe not quite as enlightening.

It’s been reduced over the years to a (very short) list of the barest facts and figures:

“12/5/15 Mr Brown (visiting angler) 9 ½ lb grilse, Tarric Mor on a spinner. Returned.”

This in itself is pretty telling, but it’s on the rare occasions that some sort of detail is recorded that you get a real feeling for just how truly depressing this whole salmon fishing business can be. A fairly typical report would read as follows:

“The Smith party took their usual week and landed a fine cock fish of 15lb”

Read that again, in case you missed it. Yep, one measly (okay, pretty decent) fish for a whole week of effort. For the entire party!

If you thought that was bad, reading further would be enough for even the most patient fisherman to question the sanity of the enterprise:

“This was X’s first salmon, having been returning to the area for 23 years”

And I can assure you that this is by no means an exaggeration.

However, each to their own, and as John Gierach cheerfully points out, it’s not every day you get to blank in such glorious surroundings, steeped in history. Unless you happen to be a local of course, in which case as I’ve stated earlier, it sucks.

The only decent salmon I’ve ever caught came about by, as I now know it, sheer good fortune and the ignorant bliss of the neophyte. I’d got this classic cane rod, paired up with a nice Youngs Beaudex and an equally classic double taper line. I’d been frequenting a little pool on the Dulnain, not far from home, casting various white concoctions in the hope of fooling a sea-trout. On the evening in question I’d bullied a few parr who should’ve known better (and certainly did afterwards) not much bigger than my fly, and had let my last cast drift on the dangle towards the near bank. Bang! A thumping great weight caused the rod to arch over and tore off upstream. It was a merry tussle, not the least because the fish then decided to return downstream, causing me to have to pass the rod around two intervening bushes. It was all very exciting and, to use a hackneyed phrase, the tackle was tested to its limits. I don’t think the rod ever recovered, to be honest. Anyways, eventually I had banked a beautiful, fresh run fish of around 7 or 8 pounds. Not bad going, especially on antique tackle with a 4lb tippet. As I said, I can’t claim any real expertise on my part; I was convinced I’d landed a sea trout and proudly displayed the photos to anyone and everyone I could accost.

One of my mates finally broke the spell:

“That’s a nice grilse”

“What’s a grilse?”, I said……

I’ve still to hook a sea-trout from the Dulnain, incidentally

At this point you’re probably thinking you’ve done a hell of a lot of reading for just one fish story. Hey! Welcome to the world of the salmon fisher, bozo! You could maybe console yourself with the thought that you’ve invested far less time in reading this than you might have to for a salmon of your own. You might even come to the conclusion that, for all the pomp & mystique that surrounds it, this salmon fishing malarkey isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Well, that’s not for me to say.

“Never knock another man’s hobbies”, is one of my mottos and, as J.G. suggests, where else can you wet a line…..?

I would suggest Spain, for a start……

p.s. a friend has suggested that I may have made a typo with regards to the word “carp” in the title….

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[unable to retrieve full-text content] If you want to find out more info about sea fishing reels,...

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If you want to find out more info about sea fishing reels, check out www.myseareels.com

Autumn Fishing in Dorset and Chesil Beach

Autumn is without a doubt the best time for sea fishing in Dorset. We still have all the summer species around, but the winter species are now starting to show, so you never know what your next catch will be. It could easily be a hard fighting Smoothound from Seaton or a tasty Cod from Cogden. Exactly 2 years ago today I landed an 7lb Bass on bait from Ferrybridge in bright sunshine.

The variety of fish that have been caught over the last weeks has been incredible. Mackerel are still around in significant numbers as are Bream. Garfish have turned up and are more than happy to take a small lure or float fished strip of Mackerel. Night fishing adds even more species, as Conger and even Bull Huss make an appearance. James Pritchett had this little one from Abbotsbury, on a Cod bait.

One fish that has been around in surprising numbers these past few days are Plaice. A lot of anglers target them early in the season, when they return in March from spawning. The September fish are normally more numerous and definitely in better condition. Andrew Carter had a number of lovely conditioned Plaice at range. One took a Squid and Lugworm bait meant for Cod.

The Plaice are feeding heavily, to put weight on for their move to the winter spawning grounds. I often find that Lugworm is a better bait at this time of year. Chris Morris was another angler that managed to find a plump autumn Plaice.

It wasn’t the only fish Chris managed to catch. He also managed a few nice Sole and a Cod at the same time. Thats what I would call a good session.

Unfortunately the trawlers are well aware of the number of Sole coming from the beach and have been out in numbers. Lets hope the Sole and Plaice stay closer inshore than the boats can.

Conditions:

Chesil Beach: Calm with lightly coloured water

Portland: Calm with clear water

Portland Harbour: Calm with clear water

Weymouth Bay: Calm with clear water

Chesil Beach forecast: This should be a great week for fishing from Chesil. Conditions are perfect for just about everything. We have a spring tide, combined with calm conditions and the arrival of the autumn Cod. Expect Bream, Gurnard, Trigger, Bass and Cod from the Portland end of Chesil. To the West, we should see Sole, Plaice, Dabs, Rays and Smoothound.

During the day there will be lots of Garfish and Mackerel, with Bass chasing the Mackerel and bait fish. As dusk approaches the Scad will move in and can be caught on float fished strips of Mackerel or even Mackerel feathers and lures.

Portland Harbour: Bass and Garfish can be seen chasing the bait fish around Ferrybridge and Castletown. Large shoals of Mullet can also be caught from the area between Castletown and Portland Marina.

Get out there with a lure rod and see what you can catch, you will be surprised how effective it is.

Portland: If I was asked to give one mark that you would be guaranteed of catching fish this week, it would be Portland. You can make it easy on yourself and use Ragworm float fished or hard on the bottom for Wrasse, or you could go light and use soft plastic lures for a great sporting experience.

Dawn and dusk will see Pollock caught from most of the rock marks. Use a white sidewinder or Metal X Bubblehead lure for best results.

Weymouth Bay: The harbour should still have plenty of Mullet in it, but they will soon leave to move to open water. The piers are good for numbers of smaller fish, but Mackerel and Bass often show.

Guiding: I have a number of slots that I have opened up for guiding over the next couple of weeks. Bass, Wrasse, Garfish and Pollock on lures and fly, or just about every species on bait.

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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Bass and Cod on Chesil

I am guessing many of you have looked at the weather forecast for the next few days and thought I don’t fancy going out in that. I look at the conditions and it makes me almost tremble with excitement. I know that this is one of the best opportunities that I am going to get, to try and catch a big Bass and a few Cod in the same session. Yes it will be rough, but I am looking for the breaks in the weather and even if they are only going to be for 3 or 4 hours, I intend to take advantage of them. The first one looks like tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, so I have booked my Lugworm and Peeler Crab.

I know the first of the Autumn Codling have started to arrive. My friend Roger Morgan landed this plump fish on Saturday night and missed a few slack liners as well.

I mentioned Bass earlier, they are going to be my main target as my records show, this month has produced the best large Bass immediately after a storm. The best being this near 12lb Bass from my friend and fellow fishing guide Paul Black

I always favour live peeler crab or Mackerel heads at this time of year. The chances are, you won’t be able to cast out far with the wind in your face, but you don’t need to. Just get your bait clear of the surf line and your line won’t get buried under by the waves. I will be using an Up and Over rig with 4/0 hooks. Hopefully I will give live updates via social media whilst I am out and about. Just be aware to not get too close to the water as conditions could well be dangerous. I wear either a life jacket or flotation suit in rough conditions and never take any chances.

Bass and Cod are not the only species that will take advantage of the feast that the storm will stir up. Undulate Rays often come in when it calms slightly and there have been some lovely rays caught recently. Gav Cuthbertson had this 13lb Undulate on Whole squid recently, proving that there are a great diversity of species to be caught this month

Conditions:

Chesil Beach: Very rough and coloured. It will be unfishable on a number of days.

Portland: Rough with coloured water

Portland Harbour: wavelets with lightly coloured water

Weymouth Bay: wavelets with lightly coloured water

Chesil Beach forecast: The beach will be rough and coloured for most of this week. The main species will be Bass and Cod, but there are plenty of other fish around. As the conditions start to improve, you have a good chance of Gurnard, Rays and Conger, as well as Dogfish and Pout.

Portland Harbour: If you don’t want to face the high winds and rough conditions, then the harbour is a great choice. The water is clear enough for lure fishing. There are plenty of Mackerel, Garfish and some nice Bass around Ferrybridge, Sandsfoot and Castletown.

Those wishing to stick with bait can expect Flounder and Wrasse, as well as small Bass and Pollock. Float fishing strips of Mackerel will produce Garfish and Pollock.

Portland: Conditions are less than ideal for the island. The Wrasse don’t like rough coloured conditions and neither do Pollock. However is doesn’t deter Conger, Bull Huss and Bass. With the winds from the SW, Church Ope Cove should give reasonably sheltered conditions.

Weymouth Bay: Another option for those seeking shelter. September is a fantastic month for so many different species. The piers will produce, Wrasse, Pollock, Mackerel, Pout and Bream, to name just a few. Preston will produce Mullet, Garfish, Gurnard and different flat fish. The fish can all be caught at short range.

Guiding: I have a number of slots that I have opened up for guiding over the next couple of weeks. Bass, Wrasse, Garfish and Pollock on lures and fly, or just about every species on bait.

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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A Brief History of Slime: Fly fishing for Carp

At first glance, fly fishing for carp appears to be a very modern phenomenon; all deer-hair pellet flies and punk camo clothing. But you’d be very wrong! What if we told you that fly fishing for carp is probably as old as fishing itself? And the first reference to fly patterns specifically for carp date back to a German text from around 1500!

Fast forward to the 20^th century and Peter Cockwill (as ever!) was very much in the vanguard of experimental UK fly fishers, targeting & catching his first carp on Ivens Nymph patterns in the 1970s. Other famous UK angers also targeted carp surprisingly early on, including Arthur Cove & Bob Church; but it was John Wilson who first publicised the idea of using fly fishing tackle for them in both his writing and his original TV series “Go Fishing” in the 80s; unashamedly super-gluing trout pellets onto a hook!

But the real origins of fly fishing for carp in the modern era can be found in North America. The seminal article has to be Mel Ellis’ “Those Copper Coloured Bones”, published in Field & Stream in 1966. He was the first to coin the term “freshwater bonefish” for carp & the name has stuck ever since. And he’d been doing it for quite a while before that….

 http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/CarpHunters/CarpHuntersArticles/Those%20CopperColored%20Bones.htm

Probably the most famous book on the subject has to be Barry Reynolds, Brad Befus & John Berryman’s “Carp on the Fly, A Flyfishing Guide” from 1997. But arguably the best, and by far the most exciting, early book is George von Schrader’s wonderful “Carp Are Gamefish”, published in 1990. It’s a great read but becoming increasingly collectible so can be tricky to track down. John Geirach also devoted a whole (& very humorous) chapter to the subject in “Another Lousy Day in Paradise” 1996.

Lurking in the background like a jovial antichrist is the somewhat unlikely figure of self-styled “Carpfather”, Ian Colin James. An ex-pat Scot from Clydeside, he moved to Canada as a young man in the late ’70s, became an expert exponent of fly fishing for carp & set up one of the first carp on fly guiding services in the world. An outspoken advocate of the art, he has written a number of highly informative (and amusingly confrontational) articles on the subject, none of which will endear him to the UK’s pellet flinging aficionados! Sadly he died far too young in 2015, but his writings can still be found online. Try “Carping: Fly Fishing’s Crack” 2006 for starters, http://www.flyfishersrepublic.com/tactics/carp-on-the-fly/ Preferably with a cold beer!

More recently fly-fishing devotees from across the planet are discovering that carp are indeed gamefish; stalking and sight fishing these large, powerful fish with innovative fly patterns and ultra-modern fly tackle. There has also been a rapid proliferation of articles & books from around the world; but it’s safe to say that the Americans have been at the forefront of modern development, with notable contributions from Spain, Portugal, South Africa and most recently, South America. Have a look at this wonderful article by Jose Rodrigues from Portugal for inspiration:

 https://www.scale-magazine.com/former_scale/2012-12/#/48

Sadly the UK seems to have an unpleasant fixation with stocked fisheries & pellet flies, although a couple of activists such as Jamie Sandford are pushing the boundaries & challenging convention. Check out the Carp Champions page on Facebook.

‘Must-reads’ for your coffee-table are Kirk Deeter’s “Fly Fishing for Carp; Tricks and Tips for the Determined Angler” 2013 (probably the modern ‘bible’ on the subject; also published as “The Orvis Guide to Carp), Dan Frasier’s “Orvis Beginner’s Guide to Carp Flies” 2015 & Jay Zimmerman’s “The Best Carp Flies: How to Tie & Fish Them” 2015.

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