Still without a definite idea of where we intended to fish, we called up the barrage and booked a spot in the 7.30 AM lock out
As today was the first fine and flat sea forecast, all 3 locks were full and it resembled the wacky races when we got through the other side
Out of the 25 or so boats that went through the locks, around 20 headed west so I headed back up the channel towards Clevedon
Got the pick down and rods out by about 8.30 and it was a full hour until anything showed an interest in any of our baits
Soon the dogs (few) and congers (many) were seemingly suicidal, with the eels going to around 16/18lb and the dogfish going.....well dogfish size
We were close to a charter that two friends were on and they had picked up a small codling since they had been there (7.30) and not much else, so moved a bit closer in to Ladye Bay
We stuck it out and I was rewarded, after dropping a couple of fish, with a plump 3lb plus codling that was stuffed with prawn
Thinking that there may be a good shoal coming through, we stayed up until high with no other cod coming over the gunnels, but plenty of the previous species
After speaking to one of the 2 mates on the charter, we moved out to the English side of the middle grounds and dug in on a rough bit of bank
With it being a small tide, we had to wait an hour or so for a bit of a run of tide and as soon as it started, so did the fishy interest with a constant stream of conger, just the odd dog, a couple of small whiting and a nice few thornies to about 10/12lb
While thinking about a run down to the foreshore for the last hour, I noticed a rod give that slow pull down, then a bit of a bounce
With a good flow of water and the rod bent over (it's only a cheap outfit that lives on the boat for mates that don't have any gear) The rod holder, ex miner, quite small, 76 and has chronic COPD, was struggling a bit and went to hand the rod over
Knowing he'd only dropped straight down off the back and in about 30ft of water, I explained he only had about 10ft of line to reel in and to keep at it
With the line coming up directly behind the boat and the fish trying to stay deep, it could only have been a decent cod and when it surfaced I wasn't wrong (for once)
One knackered old fella and one fat 9lb cod on the deck (that had a small flattie in its guts) and that was pretty much the end of our day, as I wanted to get the 3.45 lock back in before the Armada started jostling for position in the dark
Talking to the other boats in our lock and there were quite a few good doubles caught today, everywhere from Sully (and probably further west) up past Clevedon
So they are about Luke, get them twins fired up and back to Cardiff
Over and out