Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

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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).

After the lull.

I was away in Cornwall (not fishing) last week with my youngest son Dan and his family. When I returned at the weekend my third son Richard was still over here from Brazil and wanted to go fishing. To be honest nothing was right about the conditions but we went anyway - down to Worbarrow Bay for a dabble. It was the morning of a bright sunny day and the sea was gin clear - not auspicious! We flogged away with lures for an hour or so but neither of us had any sort of bite. The following day Rich went off to Brussels before his return to Brazil and I went carp fishing. The carp were, for a change, mad on but I'll write about that later.

My next trip was on my own. Up at 03.30 and on the shore just after 04.00 but was I too late? It was already getting light. I hurried along as quickly as possible to my chosen spot over the boulders, cobbles and ledges. I'd mislaid my headlamp (Richard and Ana had 'tidied it away' I later discovered) so I only had a little hand torch to guide me past the tricky bits. As I made my first cast there was a distinct glow in the eastern sky. There was lots of weed cast up onto the beach by the recent onshore blow and the sea was full of drifting kelp holdfasts. Was that a knock? It was! Encouraging!

I cast again and this time I was into a fish. It wasn't very big - perhaps a-pound-and-a-half - but much better than nothing. I walked back up the shore and took it's picture using the torch to let the camera focus in the gloom. The bass was unhooked and returned and I went back to fishing. Bites were frequent but mostly they were missed. I guessed that the fish were small and the lure (a 172mm Evo Redgill) was a bit big for them. Over the next half hour I managed to land three more, all of similar size. there was one other person fishing a bit further along and as it got light I recognised him as a friend of mine. I walked along for a chat to find that he'd landed one and had about three bites on his Rapala - clearly the fish were quite locallised. I had a few more casts and shortly I hooked a better fish, getting on for three pounds, before I decided to pack in. I looked at my watch and it was 05.30. All in all I'd probably fished for just over an hour (allowing for walking time) for my five bass. Very enjoyable!

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

Richard fishing.

This was our abortive trip to Worbarrow. Pleasant but fishless.

My first bass.

This one took on the second cast. Note the glow of my torch, used to try and focus the camera.

Closer.

The same little fish - it looks as though it's in mint condition.

My last bass.

Twice the size of the others and a much better fight.