What a month May was! Record breaking temperatures (I’m not sure we should be excited about that and what that possibly means long term…), some light winds and some epic surf was a recipe for a brilliant month of fun.
I’ve had the boat out a few times in May which, in the last couple of years is a month I’ve missed. I’ve been obsessed with getting the boat ready for the summer and autumn and going “offshore”. It might only be 10 miles, but in a 16ft boat, that feels like offshore. In the last few weeks I’ve done the exact opposite catching fish around the coast and venturing no more than a few miles off. This was ideal for introducing one of my kids to the boat who was desperate to get further out but hadn’t had the opportunity to go on a calm day. So we built his confidence up slowly. The last thing I want to do is frighten my kids on the water, they’ll never go again if I do that. We picked a fine morning and plodded our way over the gentle swell to a pinnacle on a reef that usually produces a few fish. I would normally fish the reef with lures for the hard fighting Pollack but since this was something new, we dropped down some small hooks baited with squid for whatever might come our way. First fish came to Joss and not only was it a first for him but a first for me and the boat, a Comber (rhymes with Homer)! These things used to be rare and up until that point I thought they still were. But half an hour later we realised there were loads down there. Normally associated with deep, warm water, they occasionally get caught further west in the height of summer. Here we were in the cool spring temperatures further east than I had heard of them being caught before and they were a borderline nuisance. If you don’t believe the scientists, look at nature, it’s changing out. After the Comber we caught the inevitable Cuckoo Wrasse. These too can be a nuisance but, if it’s your first ever Cuckoo, you cannot fail to be wowed by their colours. They are breath taking.
I towed the boat to work a few days later and was back out for another go on a Friday afternoon, straight from the factory. This time fishing even closer to shore, right in the mouth of the river. It couldn’t have been more relaxing, drifting in the sun, a single rod dragging a bait across the bottom in the hope of a Plaice. I’ve not caught one for years, I’ve not fished for them, so I was delighted when the rod rattled and a little set of orange spots came up through the clear water. Flat fish fight so much harder than their shape suggests they will, especially on light spinning rods. It might have made a tasty meal but it was lightly hooked so I slipped it back more than happy with the result. I then pushed further out looking for something different and it came I the shape of a Red Gurnard, another fish I haven’t seen for years. I rarely fish with bait on the bottom these days, preferring instead to use lures. But that means there are so many species I miss out on so it was great fun to be catching something I hadn’t seen for years. And the Comber were still there in numbers.
During a break in the sunshine we had a look for a Gilthead bream in the estuary. We enlisted the help of Mike to give us the best chance of catching something. We headed to a mark we haven’t fished for well over 10 years so the memory need refreshing of where we needed to park. With the truck tucked in a bush, the four of us set off down the valley through the long grass for the water. The tide was on it’s way but when we arrived there were just inches of water in front of us. We took the opportunity to gather some extra bait and got the rods ready for the tide. We quickly spotted swirls just under the surface as the first fish pushed past us on the flooding tide. At the same time lots of weed was in the water so we held back until this past and we could fish properly. The worm baits soon had loads of fast bites, typical of bream, but we couldn’t hit anything. A few missed bites is understandable but this was everything. It pointed to there being lots of small fish in front of us. I dug through my tackle and found a pack of small size six hooks. We changed the rigs on the boys’ rods and in minutes they were hooked up to their first little Gilthead bream. It’s always exciting catching the first of any species so the photos were duly taken before the fish slipped back. Mike and I persisted with the standard tackle in the hope of a larger fish but it wasn’t to be. Then the rain came so it was time to bail out and head for home. Another really fun afternoon doing something we hadn’t done for years.
There was then a bit of a boys weekend with a mate of mine. The weekend does tend to end up with beers and more beers but, before then there’s always time for fishing. On our way to Bristol we made a short diversion from the M5 to a pretty little complex of lakes. There were all heavily stocked with carp so there was little point in trying to catch anything else. With the weather so warm we took one rod between us, a sack of dog biscuits and had loads of fun for a couple of hours, feeding those hungry little fish, taking turns catching and being grille and generally enjoying life. There was nothing big but that’s not why we were there, it was just about mates, catching some fish and putting the world to rights. I seem to do a lot of that!
We rounded the month off in the last of the fine weather with another trip on the boat. The day was split in half. I got on the water very early in the morning, mostly to get a space in the car park on the busy weekend. Pushing quietly down the river and out into the bay, I first tried towing lures hugging the rocks going in the direction of my intended destination but there was no sign of life. After rounding the headland I opened up the engine and raced across to the next spot, a reef that’s full of tide and just occasionally, it’s full of bass too. I could see there was no one else fishing which I like. Too many engines going back and forth puts the fish down. On my own I could switch off the engine whilst drifting and fishing and then going back to the top of the drift, I could take a wide arc around the key areas to try and not spook the fish. The water was absolutely full of sandeels which was a great sign but the fishing proved to be slow. As with all spots, there’s better bits of the drift where fish dart in and out of the rips and slowly I picked off a few fish. Nothing big but great fishing. I did pause briefly for a chat with Mike and friends who were in the area on a big fancy boat. It was beautifully calm and sunny, hanging out on boats with friends, living the dream! Not long after they gave me the heads of a pod of Rissos dolphins (they used to be rare too…) cruising my way. I joined the Rissos for a short while. They really are special, their aging white flanks. You can see where the old mariners’ tales of fantastical sea creatures came from when you spend a bit of time on the water. And the Rissos are here because the octopus are here, like they never were before. Where will it end? We’re not far off from seeing something that now almost feels inevitable… Around midday the family arrived on the beach so I head in, picked them up and we spent the rest of the day exploring the coves, jumping off the boat and snorkelling in the clear water. It was stunning.
After checking in with friends at the end of the day it sounded like the fishing was slow everywhere, which was odd given the favourable conditions, but then that’s fishing, it’s not easy and it would be boring if it was. The weather now is looking rather unsettled for several days so there’s no chance of any boat time so it’ll be a change of approach again and looking for something else to enjoy.
What a wonderful waste of time!
