Malc

Someone already did it 😁

I bought an ABU 6000C, 2nd hand, in the 70's and its still going well and I was told at the time that they were a lifetime buy, and I would not normally splash out £300+ on a reel so it was never on my mind to buy, but seeing it in the shop window I thought that it was a cheap so googled it and then slowly ran in and asked to see it. Lovely tight action and hopefully it will see me out just like the ABU.

Bargain-ish marquessa 20, just needed a good clean and the heavy braid stripping off, happy days!

Welcome! However...you need to get an anchor/drogue trolley set up on your kayak or you will be getting worse than just tangled up in it

They are both bucket mouthed and good hunters, I had one of around 7-8lb on a soft plastic lure and as I went to pick it up by the gills a good sized brown crab dropped into my palm! When gutting them they are usually found to have fish (flats, blennies and other bottom dwelling fish) and crustaceans in them unless it's the height of summer when they are full of sandeel and/or sprats. Anyway I will try it when the weather calms down a bit.

I have been going out when possible between storms to throw mainly small baits at dabs and whiting and hoping a codling might like a nibble too. The first two ✅️ but as for codling they are in short supply unless you have a small fortune to waste on peeler and cart and even then the fish have been small. Last night I went out with my scratching gear and my heavy gear the idea was to have fun on the scratching gear and have the other rod set up to hopefully catch a whiting on the lower hook (no. 2) attached to a 6/0 manta extra an inch or so above. I had used a similar set up when I lived in Cornwall but didn't even get the pouting I was after for bait. I was hopeful as after I set out the big rod I put out the scratching rig and had bites within a minute that resulted in a double shot of whiting and dab. I eventually got a dab on the bigger rod on the last cast, I thought whiting when I saw the bite ! Anyway, does anyone use this from the boat before I waste my time? Yes I could scratch for whiting and put one on a heavier rig but a lot of the time they get affected by the pressure change and handling.

Yes, for common skate! I presume that cod would wolf them down but as they were washed up I had no way of knowing how fresh they were. I like them as they take on flavours or can be in the background like melt in the middle fishcakes. Or dredged in 70-30 flour and paprika then egg and then breadcrumbs made from leftover brioche rolls 😋

Looks lovely there and clean water too

Had to secure my hat with 6" nails! It was enjoyable as sometimes the rod was just in the tripod and I would get a bite. Plus there were plenty of people coming along to see if they could see the damage, travelling home I also saw that the small dredger that has a hooked bar was travelling down the Tyne so they may have spotted it and it is going to retrieve it?

Had another 3 hours trying again for some bigger whiting but sadly the majority were too small to bother filleting but I kept one and a dab that were deep hooked and will keep for tope bait. I was top rod again as I only saw one codling and 3 whiting caught elsewhere, and I had 5 casts that didn't result in a fish, all caught on herring and lug with herring getting 80% or so of the fish. It was interesting to see a dive boat going to see if they could find the dome from the lighthouse but it was far too rough and a big tide too and they returned within an hour. We also had to shift our gear to allow a cement mixer to reverse all the way to the end! Check out the damage...

No but I did take 3 sizeable whiting, mostly because they were deep hooked

Additional pictures. Happy enough with the fishing as no one else caught due to them having huge hooks and baits, casting for the horizon and not seeing the bites anyway due to using mono!

After the debacle yesterday I got the right tide and set off with a bit of hope and optimism that I might get a fish or two. The beach has been remodelled by the storm and I thought it better to get as far up the pier as possible, which meant nearer the gate than the beach, the rest being out of bounds as the top is missing off the lighthouse and a large section of the end wall too. Set up my tripod and light rod and sent a 2 hook flapper with herring and lug with a tip of mackerel 60m out onto what I hoped was still sand. First thing was definitely a crab, pull down and a ping and eventually I reeled in a partially mangled herring but just lobbed it back in. Next was a proper rattle, dab or whiting? Dab! Bit of a tiddler but a start, then a whiting, then a bigger dab. It went on like that for 2 hours with only 3 casts without a fish and only one crab! Sea life has been hammered though, lots of dead things on the beach, including a couple of octopus!

So the plan was to go fishing yesterday with 2 plans in mind, one a LW mark and the other a HW. I decided on the HW and got the tides wrong! About to go out and check the tide and it says the next low tide is 3 hours time...not good for a HW mark and I couldn't get to the LW mark at the right time as its further away. However we aren’t required for grandparenting today so I am off out to the HW mark, which by reports is fishing OK.

Haddock are in the 1-2lb range so I have only taken one which was bleeding from the gills. They are an irregular catch but even getting caught from the shore, when the weather calms we might get a few as we change the bait fishing during the winter.

Cod whiting coalfish and haddock. The latter has been getting more common over the past few years. EDIT- Missed off pollock somehow 😕

Apparently the pier structure (wall possibly) has also been damaged so not good for those who regularly fish there or those who can't access beaches and rock ledges.

This is the local beach between the two Tyne piers, its called Little Haven 😀 Unfortunately a poor picture due to sand and sea spray constantly hitting the windscreen but the dome on top of the south lighthouse is missing and I know that they build them with keyed stones but we could lose some more of it.

Lots of people dusting off their big rods in anticipation of fish moving inshore due to the easterlies and I might be able to join them, but first I have to shake off this cold. Sunday or Monday might be good as the swells subside.

Mini sabikis work well up here but ensure that the mono is strong enough if you get a couple of mackerel as I got snapped off and felt awful

Don't forget brown crab and after our holiday, anchovy fillets and not the tiddlers in jars! Not sure if I will ever get one up here 🤔 Agreed, 1 minute or 1 hour generally for squid. Have you ever had fresh herring?

Sounds like a great day, fab photos too.

Yum!

I'd be happy with that...or a 4-lber!

What size squid was it and also what is the average size you get please? I've always wanted to try for them, hoping for a settled spell soon to try for them from the kayak