Sea Fishing & Walking in the UK

Garden, House and New Toys

We’ve not been fishing for what seems like ages, not through any drastic reason except that we finally got round to doing some much needed DIY round the house.

The main part of this is finally getting the rear garden, which floods all the time, paved with sandstone so we can actually do something with it rather than just watch the weeds get ever taller. This should hopefully be finished this week so we spent all yesterday painting the fence before the new stone is laid.

I did manage to get out during lunch a few times in Bolton and wander round Queens Park where there has been a huge hatch of Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum), Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) and a few beautiful Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens).

Common Blue Damselfly

Can you tell I like Damselflies?

There is a great website for The British Dragonfly Society which I always go to so that I can positively identify what species I am have seen.

On the fishing front, although we’ve not been out, we have purchased a couple of fly rods each. One for heavy / salt water and the other lighter for lakes etc. They all arrived this week with new reels, lines, flies, everything!!!! I was just like Christmas. There are few things better than getting a load of new kit to try out and it took a lot of willpower to do the DIY. I’ll write a new entry about it all once the rest of it gets here and we’ve had chance to play with it all.

And just to close this post I’d like to say how much we’ve enjoyed Springwatch this year – there’s been great chemistry between the presenters (Chris Packham had some big boots to fill but I think he did very well as a replacement for Bill Oddie), some fantastic photography and stories, and I’ve learnt a few new things about the wonderful wildlife in the UK. To say we were jealous of  Simon King filming at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, would have been a slight understatement – we’ve fished there (and caught Bass) , seen those Terns and chilled out almost exactly where he was sat – the jammy bugger!

Learning to Fly (fish) at Mere Beck

First View of Mere Beck - The Pond Outside the Shop

With the weather being so fantastic it was time for Wendy’s birthday present
- a bit early but what can you do?

It’s not every girl that wants fly fishing lessons for her birthday and who was I to argue, so after a bit of last minute day off juggling with work we went to Mere Beck Fly Fishery which is just up the road from where we live for a bit of tuition and an afternoon of fly fishing.

On arrival Gordon had already set up one rod then explained what goes where while setting up the other. The kit we would be learning on wasn’t cheap and was in great condition. We had a quick natter about the line, rod and reel rating (which is all to do with the ‘weight’ of the line) and flies then headed down to some water where we would have a go.

I’ll not go into all the details of learning to fly fish but after about an hour or so we changed the dry flies we’d been practicing with (dry flies float and imitate surface bugs – we were using them so we could see what we were doing) to ‘wet’ flies which would sink and imitate swimming fly larvae of all types. It took a while to get used to not seeing the fly in the water but after a bit of practice we could judge approximately where it would land and by the time we stopped for lunch we’d got the hang of it.

Wendy Showing Me How it's Done

After finding a beautiful spot next to one of the lakes at the far end of the fishery we sat for a while and just watched the wildlife do it’s thing in front of us while we had a bit of a break, a bite to eat and a can of pop. And the wildlife at this time of year here in Lancashire is stunning.

We saw a Stoat, numerous Water Voles, Kingfisher, Kestrel and all the usual suspects such as Moorhen, Chaffinch and Canada Geese. And that was just the big stuff – there were hoards of butterflies and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many Common Blue Damselflies.

Fisherman's Cabin - Great Place for a Brew

Throughout the afternoon we tried many different types of sinking and floating flies, all made to look like specific types of aquatic life but the fish weren’t feeding.

To be honest we knew the chances of catching something on this trip were slim to non-existent as the trout would be tucked away at the bottom of the lakes or under some reeds, waiting for the light to dim and the temperature to drop. It would have been great to catch something but it wasn’t realy the reason we’d gone.

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post the main reason we wanted to have a go at fly fishing was to see if it was something we could learn as a new method of sea fishing, primarily to target Bass during the summer.

Did it succeed? You bet it did. When I picked up the rod which weighed less that most of the leads I cast into the sea my instant thought was

this will make roaming around the coast a damn sight easier.

All you’d need would be a reel, spare spool, rod and flies – compared to what we normally carry this would be almost weightless! In my head I’ve already got a few marks sorted where I’d like to try for Mackerel, Pollack and of course, Bass.

In fact it’s got us so fired up that we’re thinking as well as getting a set of gear each for salt water we’d get another lighter set for ‘normal’ fly fishing for those days when weather, tide times, bad timing or just plain bad luck mean you can’t fish in the sea no matter how hard you try. I know there are some fly fisheries very close to where we stay on Anglesey.

As for what gear we’re going to get that going to take a bit more looking into – the information is out there, I’ve been looking at the United Kingdom Saltwater Fly Fishing and the Nick Hart Fly Fishing website,  it’s just going to take a while to sort out what we’ll need – rather than what we want…

Time flew and it seemed the afternoon just vanished so we handed back the gear to Gordon and after a chat and a cold can of coke from the fridge in the shop left just as a few people started to arrive, the ‘peak’ time at the moment being fishing into dusk. Until now we’d had the place to ourselves – probably because the fishing was poor during the heat of the day but we didn’t care – learning something new is easier without an audience.

Will we go back even though it’s not sea fishing? Hell yes!

Wendy Getting the Hang of the Roll Cast

Early Morning Smoothhound Hunt

The 'Rock Channel', low water a mile past the 'T' Groyne, Wallasey

Just how fantastic has the weather been this past week?

I’ve never walked our local River Douglas so much, nor seen so much wildlife – from Arctic Terns flying up the river searching for fish to Painted Lady butterflies ‘dancing’ in the evening sun, it’s just been magnificent.

I’d been looking forward to giving the ‘Rock Chanel’ a go for years and now that I’d finally got some decent chest waders from Scierra I set off at 7am Sunday morning, armed with peeler crab as bait, to meet up with a few of the guys from wirralseafishing.co.uk at on Kings Parade, Wallasey, in front of the ‘T’ Groyne. Our target was to be the early summer run of Smoothhounds, we knew they’d caught a few from the boats in the area we were to fish although obviously further out. It was going to be big fish or blank.

The trek to this mark needs to be experienced first hand, it’s not nick-named ‘The Long Walk’ for nothing. It starts off as you wait for the tide to ebb enough to get across a deep gully that will give you access to what will become a sand bar bar running about a mile and a half out towards the far horizon. We managed to get across with inches to spare from the top of our chest waders then slogged through knee to waist deep water or soft sand to the end of the sand bar for about 1/2 hour – it felt like years and I was absolutely knackered by the time we got there.

Just a quick safety note here: Chest waders are essential and you need to pack up fishing and leave an hour after low water – the tide floods quicker than it ebbs and where we were fishing you wouldn’t be able to see it coming in behind you.

Looking NW from The "Rock Channel'. Not a soul in sight - perfect...

We launched our crab laden 3/0 hooks into the rapidly appearing channel and waited…

And waited…

And waited some more. As the sun beat down on us I was thankful that I’d brought a few cans of pop to drink and that my waders were breathable – some of the guys had full rubber or neoprene waders – how the hell they managed in the 25°C heat I’ve no idea.

If the Smoothhounds had of been there we should have caught almost straight away according to Kev, who’s had them (with photographic evidence) and an hour after low water we packed up and headed back.

As we got nearer the ‘beach’ where the sun had attracted a horde of people it was good to see the life-guards getting people off the bank and warning them of the incoming tide, most of whom would have been swimming to get back to shore an hour later.

So, no hounds yet but they’ll be here soon, and when they are I’ll be doing the ‘long walk’ once again to get them.

No New Windows but Great Weather

Silverdale - looking across Morecambe Bay to Arnside Knott

Although I’d planned to have a go at sea fishing somewhere this weekend my plans were thrown out almost as soon as I’d made them.

We were due to have some windows replaced but the bloke was late and when he got here they were the wrong size so that didn’t get done. While he was here, supposedly fitting windows I was going to go and buy a new bait pump (mine is trashed) but as it would take me an hour there and another one back I wouldn’t have been able to make it back in time for the other bloke to come and quote for re-flagging the back garden.

He was also late – grrrrr.

This now meant that no matter what time I got up to the shop I wouldn’t have been able to pump bait for either Saturday night or Sunday.

Realising that the piscatorial gods were set against us, on Sunday we went up to the tackle shop and purchased the new a narrow bore bait pump, which is easier to work, and a few other bits and pieces but we also took some lunch with us and went for a bit or drive round the Silverdale area until we found somewhere to park up and enjoy the weather.

And what great weather we’ve had this weekend – it seems a shame that we didn’t manage to get out fishing but the house, I suppose, has to come first – dammit.

Another Sea Angling Washout at Fleetwood

Talking Tactics - Fleetwood Channel

With South Easterly winds and the weather playing silly buggers I didn’t hold out much hope for today’s sea fishing match up at Fleetwood but still, it’s always worth a go – with sea fishing you’re never 100% certain what’s going to happen or what you’ll catch.

As I’d successfully given Wendy my cold I arrived on my own and met up with a few like minded fools that were daft enough to brave the weather. And boy did we have some weather, cold winds from the SE and then about an hour before the end of the match the heavens opened, it was incredible and I was just thankful I’d decided to take my waders else I’d have been soaked.

Compare the picture above with the ones taken a month ago – how can the weather be worse now than it was then – looks like we’re in for a typical British summer.

Unfortunately the fishing for me, Millsy and Dave  turned out to be just as bad as I’d predicted with no bites let alone any fish but to either side of us Shacky, Sparky and JP managed a few Flounder, Eels and the odd Rockling. Looking back at it now there doesn’t seem to be any reason for our failure to connect with fish,  lack of peeler crab for bait may have had a bit to do with it but then Dave blanked and he was using the same Peeler as Shacky who eventually won the match.

Fishing! It does your head in!

Undoubtedly the best part of the day was seeing a small Porpoise swimming up the River Wyre and then a couple of hours later swimming back out again. I’ve seen them in North Wales but never in Lancashire so that was definately worth getting up for.

Summer Approaches Swiftly

Not much to report this week as work has been a bit busy and I’ve had a bit of a cold – you know – the type of cold that turns your face into a ball of slime. Not nice.

The good thing is, after hearing the Swifts screeching last night, I saw a couple on the way to work this morning. It seems the birds know summer is on the way even if the weather doesn’t – it’s hammered it down for the past couple of days, turning the garden into a pond.

Party tomorrow for my Dads 70th then hopefully a bit of sea fishing on Sunday, not sure where yet but I think the BLAS boys are having a match up at Fleetwood so we may join them up there for an hour or two.

A Weekend of Westerlies, Weed and Escaping Bass

The 'Bay' to the Right of Stanley Embankment (A5), Anglesey, Looking North East

We set off on our Bank Holiday journey just before noon last Friday and after stopping off at Colwyn Bay promenade for some lunch called in to Anglesey Tackle Centre to have a quick chat with Gareth and pick up bait for the long weekend ahead. Needless to say after wishing for good weather it had turned a bit blustery but we were fairly sure we’d find somewhere to fish.

Our first stop was to have a go at Broad Beach, we’d been told it would be too windy to fish it but decided to give it a go anyway. It was just on the side of manageable as we fished the tide up but after a while, and after loosing a fish as it snagged me round a rock I’d previously tripped over (yes – I know!!!!), we grudgingly agreed that it was indeed far to weedy to fish.

Anglesey 1, Stuart & Wendy nil.

Saturday morning greeted us with bright sunshine and yes, you guessed it, yet more wind. After quickly working out wind direction we decided to drive down to Aberdaren, at the far end of the Lleyn Penninsula – this turned out to be one of our more stupid choices due to a few reasons;

1. We’d forgotten about the major roadworks between Caernarfon and Trefor where the speed is limited to 30 mph.
2. We got stuck behind the worlds slowest driver on one of the narrower B roads, which meant,
3. We arrived at the mark with little time till high water.
4. The wind shifted and seemed to gain in strength blowing more weed at us.
5. The weed… I’ve never not been able to wind in due to weed before and after both of us loosing gear to rafts and rafts of the stuff we made our way back to the cottage.

2 nil to Anglesey…

We woke early on Sunday, quickly ate breakfast, made our lunch and headed towards Ty Croes where we would fish the tide 2 hours down to low water and 2 hours back up. It looked a little choppy as we drove past Cable Bay but at least from the rocks weed shouldn’t be a problem. We parked up and made our way to the mark only to find we’d obviously not got up early enough! A few guys had beaten us to it, damn! There aren’t really many snag free marks here so we quickly back tracked to Cable Bay where we’d seen from Ty Croes that the mark was empty of anglers. After a short hike we got to the mark and yep, there were people there, double dammit! They’d arrived in the 10 minutes it took us to get from Ty Croes to Cable Bay.

Sod it, lets go for a walk.

We dumped the gear back at the cottage and drove to across the A5 to Penhros Country Park but after looking at the tide flooding into the bay and the lack of weed or wind, we quickly went back for our Bass gear. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours and did actually see some fish swirling on the surface, either Mullet or Bass and then it happened. BANG! The rod tip didn’t just twitch it arced over as a fish took my Peeler crab bait. I struck and I felt it shake it’s head as it dove into the rocks, then after about 10 yards of mayhem I felt it come off as it dived through the weed. I was a little upset as you can imagine and we fished ‘hard’ for another hour but to no avail.

3 Nil to Anglesey.

On Monday the weather showed us that it was not yet summer. The temperature dropped dramatically as the rain and wind lashed the island making fishing anywhere almost impossible, or at least very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. We spend the day reading and drinking hot mugs of tea while praying for a break in the clouds that never arrived.

Tuesday dawned overcast and still windy as we bid our farewell to Anglesey until we return in a couple of months and after a final brew and slice of cake at the Penmon Lighthouse cafe we made our way home.

Did we enjoy it even though the fishing was, to say the least, a bit rubbish? You’re damn right we did. There is hardly anywhere else I know that instills such calm and rest as Anglesey and missing those few fish just makes us more eager to go back and even the score.

Let The Anglesey Adventure Begin

There have been a few reports of some good fish coming out all around the North Wales and Anglesey coastline, including a brace of Bass to one angler of 7 and 8 pounds and a Gilthead Bream so we’re off.

Everything is packed;

* fishing gear – check
* walking gear – check
* birdwatching gear – check
* photography gear – and check

At this rate I’m going to have to buy a bigger car.

If all goes to plan (which I doubt) the weather will stay as it is and produce a slight surf to bring the Bass in but be gentle enough to flatten the sea on the western side of the Island to give us a chance for some Thornback Rays.

And while we’re on the subject of Bass… what is it with people calling them “Sea Bass”, is there some type of land or air Bass that I’m not aware of? It’s a Bass! All the other varieties are called a ’something’ Bass, the European one is called a Bass or if you want to be pedantic it’s full name is European Bass or Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as Morone labrax.

I guess it’s to avoid confusion with some of the American varieties such as Large Mouth Bass which live in fresh water. Sorry – it’s just a pet hate of mine that things get renamed for no apparent reason, or at least non that I can see (don’t even get me started on Marathon vs. Snickers)

Hopefully the next entry will be full of images of huge fish or if not, at least some good scenery.

Riverside Steam & Vintage Vehicle Rally

Johnsons Tractor Driven Thresher

In my endeavour to practice, practice and practice some more with my new camera we visited the “Steam & Vintage Rally” at Riverside Touring and Holiday Home Park, Banks, Southport, which was just up the road from where we live which we’d seen advertised on a few road side signs the previous few weeks.

Even though the ‘park’ is only a few minutes away I’ve never had any reason to visit before and I was pleasantly suprised by the overall cleanliness of the place and the facilities on offer to the visiting camper. If you’re thinking of visiting the Southport area I definately consider looking at the Riverside Park.

We had a wonder around for a couple of hours in the glorious weather, looking at all the steam engines, trucks and tractors from the past decade. Some of the tractors had been used by the same families for five generations, a testiment to the manufacturing quality rather than how tight we are up here in the North West, or at least that what I’m saying.

There was a display of custom bikes with amazing paint work on them, the one above being a three wheeler converted from an old VW Beetle.

Tucked away in a corner, out of harms way, we came across a demonstration of wood carving using a chainsaw. I’ve never seen anything like it, the finished pieces, once treated and varnished for protection, were amazing and you’d think they’d been sanded but it was all done with a chainsaw.

In another corner of the event was a falcon display. We’d hoped these guys would be here and it was fantastic to see a the birds up close, the one above is a Bengal Eagle Owl which no matter what the handler did would not look into the camera.

RSPCA Steam Engine

It just goes to show – sometimes it’s worth taking notice of the signs that spring up all over the place advertising this or that event.

Fantastic Weather at Fleetwood, Fishing the Channel

Fleetwood Channel - Looking East Towards Knott End

We woke this morning to a truly stunning day and as we made our way to Fleetwood to fish a Blackpool and Leyton Angling Society (BLAS) match the weather just seemed to get better and better. Shacky and JP were already there and not soon after Sparky and Millsy arrived so we made our way down to the edge of the channel. Fleetwood channel is actually the estuary of the River Wyre and is kept clear (and deep) as Fleetwood is a working port with regular sailings to Northern Ireland and The Isle of Mann

We cast just to the edge of the faster moving water so that our baits could stay anchored to the sea bed rather than be dragged out to sea by the swiftly ebbing tide and, where we were hoping the fish would be hunting in the back eddies for food.

A Small Flounder for Wendy

It took a while for bites to start but a slight shift in wind (more like a light breeze) direction from East to West resulted in Wendy landing a very plump rockling, shortly followed by Sparky.

Then it developed into a two horse race as Shacky landed a Flounder, then Wendy, then Shacky again, all the while myself and the other guys congratulating their success, honestly.

Shacky finally landed an eel which with the other fish won him the match, with Wendy coming 2nd and Sparky third.

It was hard fishing, we tried all sorts of baits; Lug, Squid, Mackerel, Peeler Crab and it didn’t really seem to make much difference – Wendy was catching on Lug, Shacky on Crab.

But what a lovely day to be out, blue skies, light breezes and flocks of birds taking to wing opposite us whenever they were disturbed. There was even a seal swimming around in the channel that every so often would vanish then a few minutes later appear somewhere else with a fish in it’s mouth. Sometimes fishing is better left to the natives while we just watch.

The venue has produced some good fish, and in quantity, which is why the BLAS guys picked it for this time of year, but for some reason the fish just weren’t playing today…

…at least not for me.

Looking West Down Fleetwood Channel