Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

SEA FISHING

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

14 May 2006

The spice of life!

The fishing has certainly improved over the last few days. Not only have I had a number of pollack on the fly tackle but after being frustrated by failing to hook numerous tiny bites on a plug (garfish????) I switched to an ABU Tormentor (a little smaller and giving me bit more distance) and after several more misses I hooked and landed my first mackerel of the year.

One evening I went with several pals to see if the bass and mullet were in after seaweed fly maggots. It was just like the 'Old Days' with five of us using different tactics. Clive had two small bass on a plug, Ben had a near four-pounder on a J9 plus a smaller one, I had a small one and lost another bigger one on a wet fly, Adrian had two mullet on maggot flies - his second one was a beauty and fought for ages before he could net it, then Nigel, who had plugged and fly fished away for nothing all evening, switched to a maggot fly baited with a few of Adrian's maggots and promptly had a hard fighting mullet just before the tide fell and the shoals dispersed for good.

The sea was calm, there was no wind, the mullet were feeding like crazy and all in all, it was a wonderful evening. There is no doubt that sea fishing and mullet fishing in particular can be incredibly frustrating but the excitement of catching good fish on fly or spinning gear makes up for all those times when you can't buy a bite despite the fact that you can see fish everywhere. Hopefully, with the nice settled weather we are having at the moment it can only get better and soon it will be a matter of trying to decide what you fancy doing rather than wondering where you might stand a chance of a bite.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you.'get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Fly caught.

I do enjoy catching pollack - even if they're on the small side.

My first mackerel.

I must have had twenty or thirty mini bites off 'something' before I finally caught this mackerel.

It's on!

In fact Adrian had already played this fish for a good five minutes before I picked up the camera.

It's tiring.

The mullet boils on a short line after a long hard fight.

Got it!

At last it's in the net - still a bit thin but what a beauty.

Well hooked.

The poly fly and maggots are well inside the mullet's big mouth.

Nigel's in!

At last!  Nigel's mullet surges away in a characteristic powerful run.

Nearly there.

On a short line the fish splashes and sets off on another run.

Whew!

Nigel shepherds his fish ashore and prepares to pick it up.

Success!

Not the biggest mullet ever but a good fish and very satisfying after all that hard fishing.