MORE FROM THE SEA.

Once was invited to fish out of Brighton where a friend of mine had another friend with a  charter boat.  We drove down and went out a few miles to catch –well anything really.  We caught the usual dogfish and mackerel on bait but it was pretty quiet.

Not sure why but I decided to try one of the rubber shad baits I had used in the past for pike.  About 7 inches long with a large tail and good wriggling action.  Well I dropped it over the side, touched bottom and did a bit of sink and draw.  This is where once again the Golden Balls effect came into play.   I shortly hooked a fish which didn’t really fight much and on it nearing the surface it glowed with colour from some way down.  The skippers assistant came over and asked what I had got on. “Dunno I said but its colourful   He netted it and  seemed quite impressed with its size.   “That’s a big Gurnard “he said so, I took his word for it. I had no idea.  Dropped over the side again and shortly had another take.  This was somewhat heavier and another similar but bigger coloured fish showed up down deep.   The assistant came across again looked down at the fish and shouted “ Christ Skipper, come and have a look at this”.   The skipper came over, let out some choice expletives and netted the fish with some care.  “Hell “he said, “That’s the biggest Gurnard I have seen in thirty years of skippering this boat. Must be close on the record.   Don't think I ever did bother to find out

I honestly can’t remember the weight of it but perhaps seven or eight pounds, Head like a Gargoyle and blue pectoral fins like dinner plates.   I took it home and set it up in a nice case. Perhaps the most impressive and unusual fish I ever did.  Sorry to have sold it years ago but wish I had kept it now.    I have a photo somewhere which I will try and dig out

2.  Portland Bill ,  Chesil Beach  55 years ago now. 

As you may know Chesil beach is composed of shingle and drops away into pretty deep water right near the shore.  I was feathering for mackerel at the Portland end and further up the beach others were doing the same.  Shortly became aware of a commotion further up the beach where a small cluster of anglers were gathering.  Curious I went up to see what was going on.   Seems that one of the guys had hooked something pretty big which had taken one of the mackerel we was reeling in.   By this time it was way out to sea and it soon became obvious he was completely out gunned and had no real chance of doing much about it.  After a while I decided to go back to my tackle 100 yards or so down the beach.

Unbeknown to me the fish decided to do a big semi circle and head back to the shore.  It seems it came quite close in and ran along the beach.  Next thing I knew I was dancing with mackerel as a shoal, so frantic to get out of the way of whatever predator was going past they literally panicked and beached themselves on the shingle all around me.  Wondered what the hell was going on for a while I can tell you.  However the beach was steep shingle and they soon regained the water, The fish, whatever it was eventually broke the angler  and peace was restored but it was quite an interesting experience at the time.

3.  Weymouth Pier.  Fishing off the pier with a lot of other anglers all of whom were being pestered by small wrass and very little else.  Shortly along the pier came the local expert, or at least that’s what he told everyone.   Mr bombastic in person he certainly was.   He ended up next angler down from me and to cut a long story short he fared no better.  Eventually tiring of catching small wrass liked the rest of us he reeled the  last couple hooked on his paternoster rig, let out a yell of frustration and flung the poor fish back out to sea still hooked on his tackle.  He then stomped off to talk to some other anglers he knew further down the pier.

Some time later his rod started to bounce around on the railing and was in danger of ending up in the sea.  I grabbed it and shouted to him he had something decent on.  He came with a rush, grabbed the rod and played what looked like a good fish.  He reverted to type and soon everyone knew he was  ‘ in’ and  telling everyone I told you so.

There were some steps towards the end of the pier and as we had no net I said would go down and try and tail it perhaps.   Well the fish was almost in range and it was in fact a really lovely bass, 7 or 8lbs I would say when in a flurry of spray it crash dived and promptly broke free.  Further expletives follow before he flung down his rod and simply stomped off.   He never came back while I was there anyway.  What the Chinese call loss of face I reckon.