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).

Back to some real fishing - at last!

It's wonderful to be fishing again and to get the latest news from my pals. I'm even confident enough to hike along the rocks at the crack of dawn and to spend an hour or two spinning. Although I've caught a few fish (bass, pike and perch) in the past couple of weeks, not everything has gone to plan. Typically, my two biggest fish, both bass, were hooked on good-sized, free-lined, fish baits. Each of them escaped for no obvious reason. The best, and last, one was just on the verge of being slid ashore when the large (8/0) circle hook popped out. "Never mind Mike!" (or words to that effect) I muttered as it swam away.

Bill, Nigel and me fishing together again.

One of my first post-op sorties was to the river with my grandson, Marcel. Now Marcel is already a competent coarse angler. He normally goes with his dad Mark, who is a very good fisherman: this year they have been catching large carp, chub and barbel in numbers, but I thought I'd like to introduce the boy (he already towers over me) to a spot of 'grandad-style' perch fishing, using live minnows and small circle hooks. To be honest the fishing wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but we had a couple of decent ones. The best perch was about two pounds but, unfortunately, it slipped out of his hands and escaped as I was about to take a picture. We also had a small pike which emphasised the need for a fine-wire trace when fishing where there are pike.

A decent perch taken on our livebait.

Marcel with a smaller perch.

... and a better one - even if he looks slightly less pleased.

...and a little pike.

I've also tried bass fishing a few times and to tell the truth it has been a bit slow. At first I was reluctant to hike about the rocks until I felt more confident about my health. The initial, trial, trip was to an easily reached spot with my pal Martyn and after we'd tried with bait for a while it was clear that nothing was going to happen. I switched to a Pearl Evo-Redgill and almost at once landed a rather long, thin bass which fought pretty well. At this juncture I was more than pleased to catch a fish (any fish).

My last-gasp long skinny bass.

My confidence at rock hopping quickly improved and eventually, encouraged by a phone-call from my pal Nigel, I ventured out for a spinning session from the rocks. This time, between us we managed four schoolies - not very exciting but better than nothing.

Nigel prepares to unhook a small bass.

An even smaller one for me on the Evo Redgill (rotten picture).

Apart from the two lost bass I mentioned earlier, that has just about been 'it' for me so far. However, I'm sufficiently long in the tooth to expect a few unproductive trips and hopefully it won't be too long before I have some better pictures to show. Just to finish off I thought that you might like to see a couple of wrasse caught by my friends Will and Anne Gascoigne on one of their cruises to Norway. The male cuckoo wrasse would surely please even the most died in the wool wrasse hater (take note Bill!).

A decent ballan for Will.

..and a wonderful, gaudy, male cuckoo wrasse.

– PLEASE TELL YOUR TWITTER, FACEBOOK, EMAIL FRIENDS ABOUT THESE BOOKS.

HOOKED ON BASS

Written with Alan Vaughan. NEW PRINT OF THE ORIGINAL: IN PAPERBACK. Copies available from all good book shops RRP £14:99 - "Waterstones"

ANGLING ON THE EDGE

Copies can now be ordered (printed on demand) from Steve Pitts at £34.00, inc. Royal Mail Insured UK Mainland Postage.

To order a book send an E-MAIL to - stevejpitts@gmail.com

FISHING FOR GHOSTS

Written with David Rigden. Copies from "The Medlar Press"

THE SECOND WAVE

Written with Steve Pitts this is a SEQUEL TO THE BESTSELLER "Operation Sea Angler" IT'S AVAILABLE ON PAPER FROM - "Veals Mail Order" AND ON PAPER OR FOR YOUR KINDLE FROM"Amazon"