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).

Two short sessions.

Although I've been away on holiday my pals tell me that, despite the warm weather, the fishing has been pretty slow. One or two bass have been caught locally but they've been few and far between. Anyway, yesterday morning I decided to have an hour's spinning into some deeper water at first light. At least I didn't have to get up TOO early because at the moment it gets light round about 05:30. I put on a big, Pearl Evo Redgill and when I began to cast and retrieve from the rocks it was about 05:15 and still pretty gloomy.

I persisted for about an hour altogether and probably had about a dozen bites. They were just little tugs and pulls at the lure and I assumed that they were pollack too small to get it into their mouths. Conditions looked pretty good and when my pal Rob emailed me later in the day we decided to give it another go the next morning. Both of us took spinning rods and fly rods - just in case! In view of my missed bites, this time I added a tiny white Redgill as a dropper about 30cm ahead of the bigger eel. I often use these tiny eels as droppers or on the fly rod. I replace the rubbish hooks with stronger stainless ones. This serves the purpose of giving the lure a bit more weight so it sinks quicker and allows for the possibility of having to play something bigger. I wrap the shank of the hook with thread and add a dab of superglue to stop the lure slipping round the bend.

To cut a long story short it was calmer and even easier to fish than on the previous day. Neither of us had a sniff on the fly gear and we didn't see any sort of fish dimple the surface or follow a lure (as they often do at first light). However we both had bites on the spinning tackle and this time I even managed to hook and land a couple of them - small pollack as we'd surmised. Well done the dropper! Again we only fished for about an hour and it was very pleasant. On the way back up the cliff we had a good view of a deer standing only a few metres away. At least we'd had a bit of encouragement so I must try again soon.

First pollack.

Smaller.

Free.