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).

Mixed fish.

No more pages for a couple of weeks I'm afraid so here's a bit of a mixture from a couple of my latest efforts. One afternoon I went to try and catch a carp. As usual (stick in the mud?) I was freelining big lumps of crust on barbless hooks. It was quite a pleasant warm afternoon and although I could see plenty of carp they didn't seem very keen. I generally don't bother to throw in free offerings with the idea that if a crust is taken I want it to be the one on my hook. Anyway, after losing two or three baits without a sign of a carp I eventually dropped a couple of crusts under a bush by my feet. Half-an-hour later I noticed a swirl under the bush so I reeled in, rebaited, lowered the crust under my rod tip and laid the rod down. Sure enough it was only about five minutes before a pair of big rubbery lips sucked the crust in, the rod tip dipped sharply and the carp was on. To be honest, despite the fact it was a decent fish, it wasn't a great battle and the fish was soon in the net. After that I couldn't buy a bite so I went home for my tea.

The following day I felt like a change so this time I put on a small plug and went over to the river. I was hopeful of a seatrout despite the low water and bright sunshine. As it turned out there wasn't much doing although I did manage to land a couple of small trout. The lure I was using was one given to me by my pal Alan some time ago. It's excellent but it has the problem of many small plugs - trebles that are too large! The front treble has a nasty habit of catching on the lip and the two trebles sometimes link together. Of course the lure is still a good fish catcher and you might wonder why I dont simply change the hooks for smaller ones. The problem is that finding very small (size 10 or 12) strong treble hooks seems to be very difficult. You'd think that the game anglers would use them but if they do I can't find a supply.

I've also been bass fishing again this morning - my last chance for a couple of weeks. Yesterday I had a morning session with my mate Rob and we managed to land half-a-dozen fish between us on the usual plugs, so I thought I'd have another go today. This time I was on my own and I fished for barely half-an-hour, at first light, before returning for breakfast. Knowing that the fish had been eating small sandeels (Rob told me), as they do at this time of the year, I started with a small Rapala. Once I'd had a fish on that (second cast) I picked up the fly rod and although it was slower I managed a couple more. Finally I switched to the spinning gear again, this time using a Crystal Minnow. Before I packed in I managed nine more bass - very satisfying after the slow start to the season.

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

The carp.

Only a few big scales and really plump in the body.

Different view.

I just unhooked it in the net and released it.

A trout.

This one took within inches of the far bank and was heavily spotted.

The lure.

This little plug has a very good action but I must alter the hooks.

Second trout.

not much bigger but hardly any spots.

Close up.

You can see the difference from my first trout.

A bass!

Not big but welcome.  This one took the small Rapala.

-and another.

This time on the fly (delta eel).  No bigger but a better battle

-and on the plug.

The crystal minnow was quite effective.

-yet another.

Again on the Crystal Minnow - they all took the tail treble of the relatively large lure.