Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

SEA FISHING

05 July 2002

Preoccupation

Last Saturday morning Steve Pitts picked me up at 04.00hr and we went for a plugging session. We knew that it would be low water and that we were a bit late (dawn is about 03.30hr at the moment) but we went anyway. It was a pleasant morning with not much wind, for once I had left the fly rod at home (Steve took his). After about an hour of fishless flogging it was full daylight and we had covered a fair stretch of coast. Steve called that he was into a fish and I watched as he played it in the flat calm water. By the time the fish came to hand I had my camera ready. Steve's catch proved to be a nice wrasse and I took several pictures before he returned it to the sea. A little later he also had a small bass on the same plug - also returned.

A little while later we were both feeling ready for some breakfast so we set off back towards our starting point. As we reached the little sheltered bay where we had started fishing it became obvious that there were lots of fish there. The water was less than knee deep over the flat rocks and there were lots of mullet and probably some bass (it can be hard to tell them apart when all you see is the flick of a tail) tailing and swirling as they grovelled for Idotea woodlice in the loose weed.

Steve tried casting a small shrimp fly into the feeding fish but it was difficult to know how best to detect a bite from fish that were not moving about. He was briefly in contact with one fish which, after jagging on the line, came off.

The next morning we went down again (this time at six o'clock because the tide was later) armed with fly rods, and a float rod. Typically the fish were less numerous than on the previous day and there was a stiff breeze which made it difficult to control the light tackle. We fished live Idotea under the float and little brown flies on the fly rods but neither of us had so much as a sniff. Better luck next time!

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you.'get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Steve into his wrasse.

Not quite at first light.

Ready to land.

The fish rests quietly in the water after a good struggle.

ready to unhook.

As usual lip hooked on the tail treble.

'Worth another picture.

Ballan wrasse are amazing creatures with a huge variation in colour.

Casting a shrimp fly for mullet.

In this shallow calm water you have to keep off the skyline or the fish have gone!!!

A whelming mullet.

Difficult to get pictures (I had many duff shots) but this is what the feeding fish look like. Note the amount of weed in the water's edge - this attracts the Idotea and they attract the fish.