Table of contents for Issue 596 in Sea Angler

WITH LOCDOWN regulations eased in April, more of you are getting out fishing and, judging by all your catch pictures, getting some good results. Always be mindful of treating your fish with respect and return any you don’t keep to the sea as quickly as possible. Unhook your fish in the water if possible. Some sea anglers are now using carp fishing style unhooking mats, which many feel is the way forward particularly on rough or hard terrain. Public perception can be influenced by unintended poor handling sometimes caused by lack of experience. Always be aware that there are elements lurking in the background looking for excuses to condemn any form of angling. Consider also that populist campaigns and some television coverage may not always be in your interests. Who,…

1 SELSEY Always a stand-out venue every year for anglers seeking hounds. The West Beach is the popular area where evening flood tides in calm weather are considered best. 2 SKEGNESS The flat, sandy beaches along the Lincolnshire coast are well known for their prolific fishing for smoothhounds in the summer. Skegness is a favourite, but try Chapel Point, Huttoft and Sutton on Sea too. 3 ABERTHAW Fish two and a half to three hours either side of low water on mid-range to neap tides at this prolific venue in South Wales. Other top marks inlude Porthkerry, Marcross, Monknash, Newton and Sker. 4 THE SOLENT Many of the Solent venues produce hounds. Try the front of Hayling Island, where sometimes you’ll see the fish feeding close in to the beach.…

DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS THERE have been some major changes to the Clacton and Holland beaches in Essex. Gone are the wooden groynes evident since Victorian times, to be replaced with large granite rock breakwaters. Along with a regeneration of the beach with new sand pumped on to the beaches along the whole area at a cost of £38 million pounds, all this means that the fishing is now a lot more comfortable because the high to low tide does not move more than a few yards. The granite rock fishtail-type breakwaters run all the way along from Clacton Pier to Holland Sluice, a distance of about four miles, and create easy fishing bays. The seabed can be slightly rough the further you travel down along the Holland beaches,…

The knack in these smaller estuaries is to fish light and keep mobile. A two to four-ounce bass rod and either a small multiplier loaded with 15lb mono, or a 5000 sized fixed-spool reel with 20lb braid will cover all bottom fishing for bass, flounders and giltheads. Try two-hook rigs with size 2 to 1/0 Aberdeen hooks, depending on bait and fish size. Even big bass can be targeted on size 2/0 hooks. Mostly though, either a 9ft to 10ft spinning rod and 3500/4000 sized reel with 20lb braid covers a lot of the fishing, especially in the slack water areas away from the main tidal flow. For mullet, a longer 11ft rod casting no more than two ounces is ample when matched with a 3500 sized fixed spool carrying…

BASS ■ Shore: 19lb 13oz 8dr John Locker ■ Boat: 19lb 4oz Wayne Milton BLACK BREAM ■ Shore: 5lb 5oz 1dr C Le Monnier ■ Boat: 6lb 6oz Tony Heart COUCH’S BREAM ■ Shore: 2lb 15oz 1dr Lynton Carre ■ Boat: 7lb Becky Lee Hodges GILTHEAD BREAM ■ Shore: 9lb 8oz Scott Smy ■ Boat: 10lb 2oz Roger Simcox PANDORA’S BREAM ■ Shore: 1lb 2oz Baz Wheater RAY’S BREAM ■ Shore: 6lb 1oz Jordan Colwell RED BREAM ■ Boat: 6lb 4oz Patrick Meegan BRILL ■ Shore: 6lb 12oz Mark Griggs ■ Boat: 13lb 10oz Tony Hayward BULL HUSS ■ Shore: 21lb 9oz M Urquhart ■ Boat: 23lb D Nicholson BALLAN WRASSE ■ Shore: 9lb 4oz Darren Swift ■ Boat: 9lb Glen Carter CUCKOO WRASSE ■ Shore: 1lb 13oz Joe Edward…

FISHING IS A SERIOUS PART of our mindful activities and why so many people find it essential to their peace of mind and good mental health. People often ask me why I fish. Fishing is part of my mental peace process. It forms a set of situations that can be experienced whenever I get out my fishing tackle. Some people cannot see the benefits although others understand my love of being in the countryside or watching wildlife. Fishing normally involves a quiet area but I also love to fish urban places too. How can both be part of the same mindfulness experience for the same person? The answer lies in the different elements of fishing. CHASE & OUTCOME The first element is like a chase. You need to understand your…

A WIDESPREAD SPECIES, smoothhounds are caught the length and breadth of the UK coast with May usually seeing their arrival in the English Channel. Then it’s only a matter of a few weeks before they begin to show further north. They can be in East Anglia or the Bristol Channel by the end of the month, before moving as far as Scotland. The peak fishing time is usually around June, and many areas can see excellent sport right through until late October in most years. Inshore waters usually see the majority of fish move in during the medium-sized tides that are increasing towards the larger springs. Hounds do not have any hard and fast rules with the type of ground they feed over, so long as there is a good…

Specialist SPJ rods are generally 6ft 3in to 6ft 8in long, in either one or two pieces with a butt joint just above the reel seat. They are very light and slow tapered, bending all the way through to allow the angler to work and pitch the jig. Being built from tough materials makes them deceptively strong and sensitive. Match the rod rating to the size of your jigs. As a rough guide for UK fishing, use power-1 for 80-160g jigs, power-2 for 120-250g jigs, power-3 for those 200g and above, and power-4 in areas of the UK where the water is deeper than 60 metres or in stronger current. Different manufacturers state a wide range of jig weights for each power band. Some rods are built with spiral wrapped…

FOUND ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY in southern and western waters of the British Isles, typically to the west of the Isle of Wight and south of the Isle of Man, small-eyed rays are particularly common in the Bristol Channel. They have a similar southwesterly distribution in Ireland, where they are caught in Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay in County Kerry. As with many of our species of fish, small-eyed rays are being caught in areas where once they were never recorded. In one or two areas these rays can be caught throughout the year, especially during mild winters, but most are caught from spring through until the autumn. They like clean and open ground, ideally in the close vicinity of sandbanks and with a seabed consisting of sand or gravel. Many small-eyeds…

WINNING QUESTION Q In rougher conditions my rod tip pulls over in the waves and prevents me from spotting bites. Do I need a shore rod with a stiffer tip section? ANDREW MCINTYRE, ST BEES, CUMBRIA PF says: All shore anglers encounter this at some point when fishing into a swell or rough sea. Purchasing a rod with a stiffer tip section will not remedy your problem. The best solution is to position the rod as high as possible in the tripod, enabling your mainline to be well above the waves. Of course, this is restricted by the strength of the wind, which could over blow the tripod, so don’t wander off anywhere. Try to watch the movement of the rod tip as it bounces with the wave action. It…

TRONIXPRO COMPETITION MATCH GT RRP: £444.99 – £454.99 I THIN it’s a fair assertion to make that the three-piece Continental rod market is somewhat saturated with options for shore anglers. Still, though, the real burning question on many anglers’ lips is “How do I know I’m making the correct decision when buying one?” It’s a fair comment and you can be forgiven for having a real sense of déjà vu every time you see a three-piece rod review appear. I know I do on each occasion one of these blanks finds its way into my hands. What exactly are the checklist points when searching for a Continental rod? I would hazard a guess that the first real head-scratching moment is based on price. Some of these blanks can set you…

AVAILABLE IN all shapes and sizes, fixed-spool reels have seen a resurgence among shore anglers during the past few years. Once jokingly called ‘mangles’, these reels are the most popular available, mainly because they aren’t too technical and can be mastered relatively quickly. Generally, they provide hassle-free fishing and offer a superior retrieve ratio. Unlike a multiplier reel where a fast wind may be required on occasions to lift your rig away from perilous snags, the fixed-spool can be wound more slowly and still generate enough lift as more line is retrieved back on to the spool with each turn of the handle. They also cast braided mainlines much better too, and any model with a deep spool can hold a huge capacity of mainline. Here, we showcase some of…

REMINDER Penn Sea League entries will only be accepted from the match organiser or officials of the club concerned. If results are not returned to Sea Angler within a month of the event, the event will be declared void for Penn points.. LATEST MATCHES EAST ANGLIAN TEAMS OF FIVE & OPEN Shingle Street and East Lane, Suffolk, 63 anglers Six fish for 360 points, worth 7-8-0, secured top spot for Kevin Eley, fishing for the Bennett’s Roofing team, at peg 37 in zone C. Second was Ian Bowell, Breakaway, at peg 56 in zone D, with one ray for 350pts (7-4-11), with Robert Austin, World of Fish, catching four fish for 270pts (5-10-0) at peg 64 in zone E to take third place. ■ Result: 1 Kevin Eley, Bennett’s Roofing,…

Your at-a-glance match events planner • = Penn Sea League Please note that some fixtures may be postponed or changed due to Covid-19 regulations in various parts of the UK. MAY 2: Reel Fun League rnd 3 & open, Littleton upon Severn, 10am-2pm, pegged, one rod, three hooks, £15 entry, book and pay in advance only, Steve at Reel Fun 01275 848652. 8: Reel Fun open, Littleton upon Severn, 4.30pm-8.30pm, pegged, one rod, three hooks, £50 league entry, £15 entry, book and pay in advance only, Steve at Reel Fun 01275 848652. 8: Chesil League rnd 8 & open, West Bexington, 2pm-7pm, booking is essential, Dave Lane 07977 132951. 9: Welsh FSA East Region Shore League & open, St Brides, Ivor Smith 07854 829590. 9: Herne Bay open, 10am-3pm, £30…

MAY 2011 ■ Dave Morris, from Rainham in Kent, copied another angler’s tactics and bagged himself a 24lb blonde ray. Fishing from Royal Charlotte, skippered by Mick Coker, out of Folkestone, he caught it after switching to a bluey bait. ■ Portsmouth angler Scott Martin landed a 27lb blonde ray on a squid bait while fishing on Mick Gill’s Buccaneer, out of Portsmouth, Hants. ■ A strip of fresh mackerel produced a 15lb turbot for Dave Harding when the angler from Wells, Somerset, was fishing on Jeff Clarke’s Duchess, out of Weymouth, Dorset. ■ A 10lb 4oz cod was the best of seven for 34lb taken from Howick in Northumberland by Paul Arkle. It was a 19th double-figure cod from this coastline for the angler from Bedlington. ■ A mackerel…

ALTHOUGH I CONSIDER MYSELF A kindly soul, I’m not giving anyone an Ordnance Survey map with my bass hot spots highlighted in magic marker. This is mostly because coves and beaches that develop a reputation on the grapevine attract interest from those who set illegal nets too close to shore and peddle undersized fish to restaurants out of the backs of vans. Therefore, my geographical advice is general. Locating bass is actually fairly simple. Go where their food is in good supply and where the fish won’t need to work too hard for their meals. It is unfair to describe bass as lazy though, but it’s anglers who can be lazy. They’re the ones who can’t be bothered to roll out of bed at half past daft to catch a…

DOVER WAS ONCE THE PREMIER place to fish in Kent, with its two piers and a breakwater being popular attractions. Currently there are none available. This caused problems for many anglers with limited mobility because the lower deck of the Admiralty Pier was open to disabled and the older anglers who could fish from their cars. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel in the shape of Ramsgate’s East Pier. It might be the answer because anglers can drive on and fish for free. There are toilets on the pier too. When you drive on to this pier it is advisable to park as close to the railings on the inside to allow access for port authority vehicles. SEASONAL SPECIES Although in general the fish may…

DOTTED ALONG THE 6IKM OF THE Holderness Coast running from Flamborough down to Spurn Point are some extremely productive marks, with possibly the most popular being Hilston. Due to the continual erosion of the cliffs on this coastline, it is important to consider your access because you will need to get down the muddy cliff to the beach. After a dry spell, the mud will harden and pathways will be formed by other anglers; these are known locally as ‘get downs’. However, after a spell of heavy rain, it can become extremely sloppy and treacherous with many of the access points being washed away. Extreme caution should be taken to avoid becoming stuck, or simply stay away until another dry spell occurs. Always make sure you have planned a safe…

FANCY WINNING SOME QUALITY mono, braid and fluorocarbon from Sufix by catching a great fish? In our catch competition, your target is to catch one over the weight given on our nominated species list. If you do, enter our contest and you automatically stand a chance of winning either our shore or boat bundle. Each issue we award a superb Sufix package to the captor of the best shore fish and best boat-caught fish, both chosen on merit. There is no choice of prize which is awarded at our discretion. Mike Mowbray, Godshill, Isle of Wight.  FISH: 14lb 8oz undulate ray. BAIT: Bluey on a pulley rig. VENUE: Chale. DATE: March 17 Paul Millman, Brixham, Devon.  FISH: 28lb 12oz blonde ray & 18lb 6oz spurdog. BAIT: Squid. VENUE: Small-boat fishing…

Entry by email only to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk – please supply the following details: angler’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, type of fish, weight of fish, where caught, date caught, bait/ rig, whether caught from shore or boat, if from charter boat, give name of boat, port and skipper. Please state if the fish was retained or returned. YOUR MISSION TARGETS... Catch a fish on this list at the weight or above in your region to qualify for the chance to win prizes in our Mission catch competition. To enter, send us the details requested on the entry form (left) and email that information and your picture to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk THE RULES... ■ Only fish caught since April 2021 are eligible. ■ We must see a picture of the fish. ■ We may…

I’ve been an angler for more than 50 years and it keeps me sane, although many who know me might not agree. If I do not go fishing I am moody and on edge. Getting out into the fresh air and meeting people was initially a great way of relieving the stress of work. In these strange and difficult Covid times, angling has been widely acknowledged as a benefit to our mental and physical health. Among those who are retired, many take up angling as something to occupy their time. Around 10 years ago, Steve ‘Robbo’ Robinson, from Grimsby, got together with Jack Barlow, Nigel Crabtree and Steve MacGregor to form the Friends Fishing Group. The club has gone from strength to strength and the fishing has benefited their physical…

This has been written about before, so my tips are a starting point. Take a look at the many video clips that are available. Try to avoid placing the rod butt under your armpit. Instead run the rod along the underside of your forearm and elbow to make it easier to work and feel how it is imparting movement into the jig. When first lowering the jig, remember that if it is allowed to freefall straight away it will naturally swoop or flutter slowing its descent. For the first few seconds of the drop, slightly thumb the spool to create just enough resistance to keep the jig vertical. After those few seconds you can feel when there is enough line out for the resistance of the reel’s spinning spool to…

CORONAVIRUS CURTAILED overseas fishing trips for UK anglers and put a massive strain on those businesses delivering holidays to some of the world’s best saltwater fishing destinations. Martin Founds, who runs the popular Anglers’ World Holidays company, gives his verdict and offers advice to those looking to sample the best overseas fishing on offer. Q How and when did you start specialising in angling holidays? MF: A long time ago, 1978, and it feels like a lifetime ago. It was restricted to coarse fishing in Ireland then. The first serious sea fishing location was Norway. In recent years we have progressed to just featuring the Troms region in Northern Norway, which is the very best area that offers the most prolific big-fish action. Q How different is it to organise…

PAUL FENECH Shore angler and tackle expert Paul is here to solve your shore angling problems. MARK CRAME Suffolk-based Mark gets a thrill from fishing afloat on a kayak. Send him your kayaking queries. DAN SISSONS The Portsmouth angler will provide answers on the sport of light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. HENRY GILBEY Angler and photo-journalist Henry, based in Cornwall, will answer questions on lure angling. HOW TO ASK A US QUESTION ■ Email: sa.ed@kelsey. co.uk or online: www. facebook.com/ seaanglermag…

WINNING QUESTION Q I have been looking into buying an underwater camera to film fish but there is so much to consider. It’s so confusing. Can you help? DIANE JONES, ST ASAPH, DENBIGHSHIRE DL says: My Sea Angler contributor colleague Dave Barham has been doing underwater filming for a few years, so I quizzed him for some information. He told me that at one time the Water Wolf camera was the choice of many, but these are no longer made. However, check out the GoFish Cam, which he has seen for £159.99 on the Aldi website. Such a camera can be used in many ways, from trolling with lures to casting and retrieving, or sitting it hard on the seabed. Dave adapted his by taping an eight-ounce watch lead to…

Which style of casting is best, and which rod should you buy? Given that there’s so much information around, how can it be so hard to find the answers? In one sense it doesn’t matter what we do or what we do it with. Modern outfits make it easy to throw baits far enough to catch plenty of fish. Technique-wise, one simple way is to lay the rig on the deck and propel it into the air with a steady left-hand pull on the rod butt. It is the next step up the ladder – the angler’s wish to improve – that prompts big questions about styles and gear. Pendulum or off-ground? Long rod or short? Multiplier or fixed spool? The deluge of advice and recommendations seems to imply that…

HELLY HANSEN CREW HOODED JACKET The new Crew hooded jacket from Helly Hansen is a highly versatile fleece-lined garment featuring classic marine styling and function, with a hood for added protection. Manufactured from Helly Tech Protection fabric, the two-layer construction is waterproof, windproof and breathable, meaning it’s guaranteed to keep you warm and dry. Featuring a Polartec fleece lining and collar, it is full seam sealed. Available in seven colours (orion blue, royal blue, grey, white, alert red, navy and black) in sizes from XS to XXL, it costs £140. ■ For more info, visit: www.hellyhansen.com POP-UP LIGHTS Traditional bow navigation lights are vulnerable to damage from wayward equipment, such as a mishandled boat hook, fumbled anchor chain or dropped toolbox. If not immediately repaired, it can compromise the safety…

■ With £10,000 in tackle prizes spread over the two divisions, points, based on entries, are awarded to the top three, section winners and captors of the largest fish caught in each designated Penn match. Penn also awards a prize of a Spinfisher fixed-spool reel to the angler scoring the most points in matches shown in each issue. If there is a tie, the winner will be the angler whose total is from the greatest number of results and is then chosen on merit by the editor. An angler can win only one reel during the year. To win a prize you must be registered with the Penn Sea League – supply your name, address, phone and email. Send fixtures, results and league registration by email to: sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk MONTHLY WINNER…

ANGLERS IN THE UK ARE accustomed to some exceptional fishing for smoothhounds, but it was only 10 years ago when a mysterious type of boat sport began near the Dutch coast. Since then these sharks have become a major shore angling species on our side of the North Sea. On the day I first fished for these sharks I caught four and was over the moon. Almost ten years later it is my favourite type of fishing, but these days it is from the shore. Smoothhounds are a smaller variety of shark but without the teeth associated with their bigger cousins. Instead of teeth, they have hard bony plates to crush their prey. They have all characteristics of a shark but their food consists of crabs, hermit crabs, ragworms and…

OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A wilderness of barren sand, the Southbourne beaches to the east of Boscombe Pier are surprisingly productive especially throughout the spring and autumn. Nocturnal small-eyed rays are the main target during April and May but between September and the end of the year a wide variety of species put in an appearance including rays, soles, plaice, gurnards, bass and even a few small smoothhounds. To check out the area’s potential I met up with my old mate Steve Lawrence for an evening session to target the once popular but now rarely fished Fisherman’s Walk section, which is about one mile to the east of Boscombe Pier. The Blue Flag beach is among a group of sandy beaches along the Bournemouth seafront. This was December and I arrived…

SMALLER ESTUARIES ARE OUR forgotten fishing grounds and only seem to attract specialist anglers who realise their full potential and are happy to keep things quiet while reaping big rewards. Some of these estuaries are less than half a mile wide with narrow main channels. In the South West, these venues wake up in April, but along the Welsh coast and the southern coast of Ireland it’s May before things start to move. Longer daylight hours, increasing sunshine and warmer air temperatures heat the shallow upper sand and mud banks, warm the water and attract the fish. The natural species cycle is the key to consistent success. There is a wealth of fishing in these out of the way estuaries from now, across the summer and well into the autumn.…

BASS BOAT ■ Callum Smith, Newport, 13-6*, Nab Tower, Feb 27 BASS SHORE ■ Mark Bellow, Ilminster, 12-13*, Bristol Channel mark, April 12 ■ Damian Belmont, Tonyrefail, 7-9*, Porthcawl pier, March 16 ■ Luke Crofts, Rochester, 10-0*, Humber, April 2 ■ Jordan Griffiths, Camborne, 10-5*, South Cornwall, March 20 ■ Dave Porter, Llandaff, 7-10*, Cold Knap, March 30 ■ Alex Richards, Swansea, 13-14*, Gower, March 31 ■ Will Stephenson, Hull, 7-2, River Humber, April 1 BULL HUSS SHORE ■ Barrie Chambers, Plymouth, 14-1*, Plymouth, Feb 6 ■ Kev Madeley, Paignton, 10-10*, South Devon, April 3 ■ Jack Meredith, Porthcawl, 12-5*, Porthcawl area, April 10 ■ Dewi Thomas, Llannor, 9-1*, Morfa Nefyn, March 19 ■ Phillip Waring-jones, Swansea, 12-14*, Cornwall, April 2 COD BOAT ■ Tom Baxter, Plymouth, 15-7, Watchet, April…

£25 TACKLE VOUCHER WINNERS Fishingmegastore.com awards a £25 voucher prize to each of two winners - the youngster with the best shore fish and another with the top boat catch. The winners can use the voucher to select tackle from Fishingmegastore.com which is based in Glasgow and Edinburgh.…

BEING ABLE TO CORRECTLY trim an outboard engine is an essential skill for anyone who drives a boat. A powered craft with its engine trimmed in the right manner is faster, more fuel efficient, comfortable for the crew and, most importantly, safer at high speed. Properly trimmed, the hull moves through the water with a slight bow-up attitude. With insufficient trim the bow continually tries to force its way through a bulge of water rather than skimming smoothly across the surface. Too much trim and the engine forces the boat out of the water, causing the bow to slam because its weight continually battles with the thrust of the engine. STARTING OFF Assuming the sea is flat calm and the ground you will be covering is deep enough not to…

The world's greatest fishing Species and venues for your angling bucket list WITH NORWAY STILL growing in popularity as a sea angling destination, it has introduced travelling anglers to huge coalfish rarely boated in UK waters. We’re talking fish in excess of 20lb or even 30lb, which are an incredibly hard-fighting. While the British boat-caught record for a coalfish stands at 35lb 5oz, a specimen caught in 1986 at a wreck near the famous Eddystone Reef, the IGFA all-tackle record is held by an enormous fish that weighed an incredible 50lb, caught in 1995 at Saltstraumen, Bodo, Norway. DESTINATIONS Fish to more than 30lb are commonly caught off the Shetland Islands, Norway and Iceland. These are the places you should plan to visit to experience the very best of sport…

Each month we’ll award a prize to the best shore, boat and lure/LRF question. ■ The shore winner receives two spools of Sufix Tritanium Neon Orange 0.35mm mainline, two spools of 80lb Sufix Zippy Shockleader and two spools of Sufix Shock Max 0.18mm-0.50mm tapered shockleader worth £52. ■ The boat winner receives a 300m spool of Sufix 50lb X8 Stealth Green braid and a 250m spool of Sufix 50lb Matrix Pro braid worth £53. ■ The lure/LRF winner receives five of the new Rapala MaxRap lures worth £65 To view the full range of Sufix and Rapala products, visit: www.sufixfishing.fishing and www.rapala.co.uk T&Cs: * One prize per winning question will be chosen by the editor. Prizes cannot be exchanged and no correspondence will be looked into. We reserve the right to…

DAIWA SALTIST SURF THREE-PIECE ROD RRP: £245 DAIWA PRODUCES SOME OF THE BEST shore tackle in the world and, as such, is renowned for knowing exactly what an angler demands in terms of rods. Yet, it has struck me that I never see huge numbers of the company’s shore rods being used on the beach. It’s odd because they are incredibly good, honest outfits. I still use a couple of Daiwa two-piece shore rods and I’ve always got along well with them. They are lightweight, impeccably finished and offer superb performance. Adding to that, they don’t cost a fortune either. The latest outfit to cross my path is the Daiwa Saltist Surf blank. It’s a 14ft three-piece rod and designed to be coupled with a fixed-spool reel. I’m primarily a…