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).

School bass.

The weather hasn't improved so it's often been futile going to the coast. However, the other morning it seemed calm so I decided to give it a go. I arrived at my chosen spot in the dark and set off along the rocks to where I wanted to fish. When I arrived I found the sea calm and gin clear in the light of my headlamp. A miracle!!!!

The tide was already well in so I walked a bit further until I could perch on a boulder and cast back towards the edge of the sea. First cast I was about to lift out the J11 Rapala and - wallop! I was into a fish. I played my bass (no monster - but game) in towards where I stood and lifted it out for a picture. I had to use the headlamp to provide enough light for focusing the camera. I returned my fish and popped the pliers into my jacket pocket in case I caught any more.

Two more casts and I was in again. I unhooked the bass at my feet and dropped it back into the sea. Four more times I repeated the exercise, missing only one bite. By now it was getting fairly light and I could see the form of my pal Bill walking towards me across the rocks. I went over and said, pretty optimistically, that I'd had six fish already. We both fished on for a little while and I missed another bite before deciding to leave Bill to it and walk back to my car. On the way back I came across another little bay that looked quite promising so I unshipped the fly rod (already set up with a 'reverse smelt' fly tied by my New Zealand pal Alan Bulmer). I'd promised Alan that I'd give it a go when I got the chance. Anyway, to cut a long story short it was only minutes before I felt a pull and struck to find myself playing a feisty little bass. An excellent end to a good morning's fishing.

P.S. Bill tells me that he had no more bites after I left so I'm glad I got up early..

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

First bass.

The pool of light from the headlamp is illuminating the fish..

On the fly.

My last bass taken on the beautifully tied, Bug-bond cased fry fly, tied by my pal Alan.

Close up.

Here's a picture of the fly still neatly hooked into the bass before I unhooked and released it.