While I’m not perhaps the most die hard enthusiast when it comes to cod fishing, I do enjoy having at least a few sessions on them each winter.
Following a lengthy hiatus due to work, studying and general life, I spotted earlier in the week that finally, after weeks of settled conditions, there was a bit of sea forecast for Thursday. Thrilled at the prospect of going fishing for the first time in 2 months, I got myself a few packs of fresh black lug worm from the local tackle shop and raided my somewhat depleted freezer for a load of year old cart sticks and some ropey looking squid that had been refrozen following the last Wales trip.
I didn’t care – I was going and that was that!
It was obvious from the forecast that marks were going to be limited. I’d arranged to meet with Tony, one of the lads off the SAR forum, as we both had similar plans in mind in terms of marks that would be suitable during what was forecast to be a pretty big northerly sea! By the time I arrived at the first mark Tony had already been fishing well over an hour and had a codling of size for his efforts. I managed a couple of fruitless casts here before the tide receded and we upped sticks to a mark a little bit down the coast.
There’s a skeer here that gets exposed towards low water giving access to multiple holes thick with kelp. We still had a bit to go before it was safe to wade on so fished to side of it for the first couple of hours. This proved a good decision as we were into fish pretty early, nothing massive but all going size with the best probably just over the 2lb mark. I was getting them on squid and blacks while Tony seemed to be getting the slightly better stamp mostly on cart. Most fish were sent back kicking, the 3/0 circle hooks having done a good job of lipping most fish with only one of them being badly hooked and kept for the table.
With over half a dozen fish between us, eventually the tide had dropped enough and we trudged along the first part of the skeer now that it was exposed. First chuck into the jungles; not much time passed before I had a good thump on a cocktail of squid/lug/cart and once i struck it was obvious that this was a better stamp of fish. It kept low most of the way in but thankfully avoided the worst of the snags before popping up to the surface, it’s gob open wide in protest, defeated. This one was also destined for the fryer so was quickly dispatched. I’d later find out when weighing it at home that it was 5lb 8oz – not bad for first chuck!
Surprisingly the rest of the evening was slow, in fact save for a couple of tentative nibbles from smaller fish I didn’t manage to connect with anything else. Tony on the other hand hooked into something that put a fairly heavy bend in his T1000 and probably would have been the fish of the night, although sadly we never saw it as the hook came away. Another hour or so passed without much interest then on the last cast before home Tony winkled one out at 4lb 7oz.
Suitably content with the evenings efforts, we called time at around 1am.
It was great being out again after so long – hopefully get another chance in the coming weeks.