Another plan B

My intention was to be on Skye this weekend but minor car trouble put pay to that for the time being. Another plan B operation was deployed resulting in really enjoyable local session.

The rod was bent to the butt eye on a regular basis when I found the spot. Laughing, sitting alone, floating on a piece of plastic on a Saturday night in Ayrshire-who would have thought it. Pollack are just a lot of fun.

Cuckoo Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse, Pollack ,Coalfish and Mackerel made up the species tally.

It was a nice evening for the most part, maybe should have stuck with my drysuit right enough. The ride back in was lumpy and wet when the wind kicked up from the East after the sun set.

 

Staying flexible

With the ragworm gone yesterday and weather still a bit up and down I dropped back to the fresh stuff today. High winds and rain in the morning led to a lovely afternoon which saw me fall asleep in the sunshine during a lull in the action. It was like two completely different days. I opted to mix it up again, drop shot worm and lure – the Perch were having both. To disprove my theory from previous bait/lure sessions the best fish of the day took a worm. Only two Bream today but my drysuit is still caked as I made the mistake of bringing this one in for a picture. Another great days fishing with a lot of action. It would be nice to get some light winds so I can go and hunt the Perch- this approach is making me lazy! I’m not too precious about it though, sometimes it pays to be flexible.

I’m reverting back to the centre camera mount next time out. Not sure if the shots I lost were down to the camera focusing on the Lowrance or the rod butt in the foreground, maybe it is was condensation? This was the biggest Perch today-typical.

A day on the float

Once or twice a year I head to this spot, normally to float fish for the Wrasse that inhibit the kelp here. It was a traditional trip for Rodney and me over the years, tragically he passed away last September. We had a lot of fun here, plenty of fish - good times. I’ve used lures and ledgered for them but there’s something about just watching a float bob in the waves. Rodney thought so too, I stuck with this method today.

Gordon had a slow start (he was in Jim's spot from last year ;0) - as usual I provided words of encouragement from my hotspot)

This one had some damage which is healing. There's a bull seal that has no fear- it's a very big animal. No idea if Wrasse are on the menu?

 The Ballan Wrasse were all pretty small today, nothing larger than the two here. What was strange was the incredible numbers of Corkwing Wrasse.

 I usually catch a few, today the mark was loaded. A prolific days' Wrasse fishing on the whole though. I might try again in September with some crab,there should be a lump or two about by then.

A different angle

This was the second choice venue for today as it would have been pretty sloppy this morning where we initially planned to fish. Gordon was in his SIB and I was in my Outback and plan “B” was to catch a few species again. The venue presents a few hazards so won’t name it for references in searches, if you know it, you know. If you fish it, be very careful.

Going back a number of years when it was in better condition I had some memorable days and nights on here, Conger, Wrasse and Cod including a double shot of 12 pounds and 5 pounds-happy days! It was interesting viewing it from a different angle and using the Lowrance to have a look over the detail on both sides of the structure.

The plan was to scratch around the legs. It produced 16 species the last time Gordon tried this. So, the re-match from a few weeks back was on!

The water was a really odd colour no doubt down to the recent heavy rainfall. The species count was below our expectations, possibly as a result of this. I managed  Ballan, Goldsinny, Long Spined, Short Spined Sea Scorpion, Rock Goby and Mackerel( I think I took todays honours)

 

I picked up a cracking Ballan Wrasse which Gordon weighed for me - 3 pounds 10oz

The fishing was ok but I wont be hurrying back for obvious reasons. The old pier is showing its age.

This will provide an idea of the structural integrity although some of it is still pretty solid.

.

 

 

 

 

Fishing for Unicorns

I’ve resorted to armchair angling this last week having been knocked sideways by an ear infection. Would never have known this could be such a shit thing. Feels like I've spent a week underwater with a bad hangover and a temperature over 100 for a 24 hour period thrown in the mix, just for a giggle. Not good, day 4 of Amoxicillin and still my hearing is at about 40% ?

If you’ve ever found yourself somewhere on the spectrum of becoming obsessed with one objective check this short film out,£2 on demand @ Vimeo. I can’t say that it cheered me up to be fair, but it is thought provoking. Particulary when you can recognise a little part of yourself in the storyline.
Fishing For Unicorns from Chris Rady on Vimeo.

Video from yesterday

Loch Ken -Perch, Bream and Pike from Martin A on Vimeo.

A day where one GoPro battery just wasn't enough!

Feed them- they will come

Not much I could do wrong yesterday. I decided to anchor up and let the fish come to me. The forecast indicated it would be windy and at points it was, pushing 20mph from the NW, it was a good call.  I did the same thing once last year, early season and the results were ok.  Stewart and I did the same two years ago and also from a boat last autumn. The action was non-stop when we found the fish.

The tactics were simple- dropshot worm and lure over a bed of maggots. When Stewart and I fished this spot last year we didn’t see a Bream all day. My thinking was the Perch gave them too much competition. The Bream were on the scene first, and then the Perch and they seemed to come and go in flurries. Considering dropshot isn’t a preferred presentation for this species, they scoffed the worms like there was no tomorrow. I alternated between lure and bait but the lure side of things just didn’t seem to be doing it for the Perch. When I’ve done this before and had them competing they seemed happy to hit the lure, on each occasion it’s also been the best fish of the day that’s came via this route.

 

By late afternoon I moved operation having had enough of the wind and the Bream. I only had one decent Perch which might have gone 2 pounds. My drysuit, rods, kayak and everything in it was a disaster zone. Messy this bait fishing! I’ve got some serious cleaning to do today at some point and I might need to take a chisel to my drysuit, Bream smear, yuk! After ten minutes, I was back in business catching fish regularly (minus the Bream) I decided to have a couple of drifts over the spot I had been feeding with a lure.

 

The best comes to the lure again

It was brief but brutal battle with the fish ducking for a snag, tearing off under the kayak and leaving me spinning around in the wind, just brilliant.

I worked a few trees/snags as I peddled back and momentarily thought I had hit the jackpot in extra time. About ten seconds later I realised it was a Pike.

 

This was one of my favourite spots for Perch last year. I’ve been here each time I’ve visited the loch in 2016 and not had a Perch. I think I’ve hooked this fish on every visit. The first time it came off, second time I think I possibly foul hooked it as there wasn’t a tooth mark on the lure. So this time after a quick picture I swam it upright in the net 50 yards away. Let’s see if the Perch relocate themselves, it’s a nice piece of real estate for a fish.

This structure extends a fair bit to the left of the screen coming together in a point and merging on the bottom. A good example of traditional sonar and downscan providng structure separation. Not so long ago this was cutting edge. When you have a look at what some people are running today it's now legacy tech. Still does a good job mind. I've saw this dotted with Perch which appear as little spots, most of the time in clusters of 3-5 fish.

A super days fishing. I'm feeling it today though, 13 hours on the kayak , well and truly rinsed.

 

 

 

 

Not that we’re competitive

Anyone who has fished out of Port Logan knows it has the potential to deliver a variety of species. On any given day almost any fish that swims in the seas around Scotland can be caught here.

I couldn't catch Wrasse for toffee but eventually managed one, Gordon's bogey fish was a Dab.

There were plenty of Haddock  when we drifted over the right type of ground.

We lost count of the Grey Gurnard we both caught. Who would manage a Red or Tub?

I got two Tub Gurnard before Gordon pulled this one back

The solitary and unexpected tiny Ling was one of the deciders!

 

Poor Cod, Cod, Whiting, Pollack, Ballan Wrasse, Cuckoo Wrasse, LSD, Ling, Dab, Tub Gurnard, Grey Gurnard, Mackerel, Thornback, Plaice, Haddock and Short Spined Sea Scorpion.

 

So Gordon took the honours on the day with a 14 to 12 victory and a total of 16 species to the boat. With a little more time and better weather in the late afternoon we might have got the total to 20.We didn't get around to  targeting any of the main predatory species but ended up having a laugh and a great days fishing scratching around for the small stuff. It was good to catch up with Gordon again and our trip of course, was not without incident! ;0)

 

 

 

 

Doubling up

Thankfully I managed to find the time to get a trip in, two in fact Saturday and Sunday. I decided to target Bass launching  late on Saturday afternoon just after low tide. I knew the tide cycle was just about at the bottom of a set of neaps, not a great prospect but I don’t know this area from kayaking perspective so it wasn’t a bad thing first time around. As I made my way along the coast I had my first contact with a fairly large sea mammal. I did get a decent look at it and referring back to some images it looked to me like a white beaked dolphin. Not particularly common apparently and especially not so close to shore, interesting just the same.

It didn’t take me long to get hooked up on my First Pollack which took a trolled Redgill Evo. Catching a few fish seemed to spark the interest of the colony of seals as they slipped off the rocks to come and investigate what was going on. At one point I seemed to be leading a small flotilla with two heads to my right on the inside and two on my left. I made sure the drag was set as I had visions of a snatch job, Power Pro doesn’t break easily and 15 pound strain and a tight drag would possibly be enough to unseat me at close quarters.

I picked up a few of these in the slightly deeper water and rough ground.

They didn't get any bigger and this one took a surface lure closer to the shore in the weeds

Some WW2 structure connected to the Mulbery Harbour project. I could see this holding some fish but not for me on this occasion.

 

As the tide increased in height there were more signs of life in the bay with some bait and a few terns. I think I fished it pretty well covering the weed beds and gullies but the only Bass I saw was a small schoolie that tried to sink my lure. What was interesting was that I saw a few Sea Trout as well.

 

I had another troll in the deeper water and had a few more small Pollack and a little Cod for some variety.

The next leg of the trip saw me sleeping in the car on arrival and then a 5.30am start.

 

I was itching to get amongst some big Perch, another thing I’ve not really made a start on this year. In fact any size of Perch had different ideas as 4 hours later I was yet to have a bite! I tried all my spots, drop shot and shads and I was about call it quits. This was pretty unusual for me here to be fair but gave it another move and caught one about 4 inches- a very late start indeed. This improved my moral a little so I fished with a little more focus and went on a late run of fish before the beating was over at 1pm.

Overall the fishing was a little disappointing but I won’t catch anything sitting at home or working. Great to be out again, till next time.

 

 

 

 

Dodging the showers

Where has the time gone, 1^st of July? After work sessions don’t really cut it for me but that’s all I had time for.

Some spectacular showers on the coast tonight. Thankfully I dodged all but one, not sure how I managed this as I seemed to be surrounded by sheets of rain and black clouds to my left and right. As the sun began to set it made for a nice backdrop with the low angle of sun breaking through the cloud emphasising the grey and pastel colours in the distance. A very cold start to July as well with two layers and a shell- fantastic!

It’s been two years since I’ve been here but things haven’t changed much. I’m still a seal magnet which told me there were probably a few a fish around.

 
I appreciated catching a couple of Bass tonight, yep, not very large but certainly welcome.  With the pace of life at the minute I can feel the season moving faster than I want it to.  I’m not sure being relaxed about my objectives is working for me… : 0)

Home

It was a nice break but a week was way too short. When I managed to get out fishing it was more of a miss than a hit. I picked up a severe infection in both feet which curtailed me somewhat. The upside to this was it made for a more relaxing time over last few days. The unsettled windy weather wasn’t helpful and the last morning was typically the flattest day since we arrived. I still blanked over a couple of hours hobbling along the rocks and beach. I could however see things changing a little and there were a few signs of life.

When I arrived here it seemed things were just the same as they were six years ago on my last visit but it seemed to change overnight. I hadn't spotted a Pelican since Wednesday and the beach, compared to 6 years ago was almost devoid of crabs. Neither seemed to like the conditions. I even threw in a couple of bread rolls one evening and these remind untouched. So no monster Jacks from the beach this time around unfortunately. Having caught a new species and number of fish on my birthday last Tuesday as well as a few fish on Wednesday I'm happy at that.

We stayed at the Riu Yucatan this time, nice hotel. We had some wildlife at close quarters in the grounds.

Howler monkeys woke us up most morning. One particular male somewhere in the trees  liked to tell us who was king of the swingers about 6am.

 

I spotted these flying insects and climbed a tree to take this shot in macro mode. It was still a reach and I was struggling to keep my balance.With the sunlight on them it didn't turn out exactly as I wanted but it's still an interesting shot.

They did not like the attention and started to swarm me. Before I picked up more insect bites or another injury I got out of dodge.

A common pet for some. I think these are spiny tail Iguana which could be spotted most afternoons.

These were real characters tearing around the hotel grounds at dusk and dawn. Common Agouti which are related to guinea pigs. Some are the size of a small dog. Not that you see it in this shot but they have long legs and are quite fast and agile. They seemed to freak a few nervous visitors out initially till they got used to them.

I cant remember what these bird are but they are very common. They would have the fillings from your teeth though. Turn your back at breakfast or lunch and they would be off with what was on your plate. 

I took this while lying down on a sun lounger. Lynne had a snack at the time and it watched on waiting for an opportunity - as we all do I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can blank anywhere

I’ve been lucky and had very few blank sessions this year but today it was my turn. The tides have moved on and the weather is more unsettled. I’m now fishing the drop and not the start of the flood. Having a couple of hours at dawn suits me but even in the short space of time I’ve been here I’ve noticed the general activity changing as the tides do what they do here and at home. I did however see the intended target about 7am this morning. From my position on the rocks in the background in one of the images below I spotted two big Jack Crevalle. They were moving fast and hard on the bottom, they are here.

I  also had half an hour on the beach this afternoon thinking the Palometa would at least put a bend in my fly rod. These were noticeably absent from the various spots in the gutter at the start of the beach. I'm told I'm having a rest day tomorrow:0)

One last cast as always

 

 

Smashing time

I’m now in the market for a new pair of Costas after a minor accident yesterday. I’ve had these since about 2002, they’ve done well to survive this long. Ironically of all the places they’ve been and could have been lost or broken I dropped them lense down on the floor as I entered my room.

I put the fly rod to work yesterday afternoon and had some fun with the Palometa. They took a fancy for a Petterson breeding shrimp fished along the gutter about five yards off the beach. Line management wasn’t great with breaking waves and getting the fly line caught between my toes regularly. Let’s face it though, not the worst problem to have.

Stormy conditions this morning with lightning on the horizon at dawn. The fishing was slow. There were a few Needlefish around and I also managed a couple of Cero Mackerel before it was time for breakfast.

 

 

Playa del Carmen

First session this morning, the place is alive with Needlefish and unfortunately also mozzies.The stretch of beach I’ve decided to fish has scrub directly behind it. This seems to be a good environment for insect life! Quite a few fish about as well so I’ll see what I can pick up during the week ahead.

Yellow Jack ( I think)

 

Dead sticking for dummies

Sometimes work puts me in the right place at a time that suits me. So I managed a short session after I finished work today. I all but packed in Bass fishing in 2015 with only a couple of blank sessions fairly early on, my angling efforts were spent elsewhere.

It was nice to get a fish at my first attempt this year.

The deadly technique - cast the surface lure out, close the bail arm, hold the rod between my legs and adjust my glasses while putting my hat on - at the same time wait for the rod to be pulled from between my knees.

Unusually I also had a Garfish crash the lure shortly afterwards. I did catch one in 2014 but these on whole appear to be few and far between. Apart from one follow that was it, can’t complain really as I recognise luck when I see it.