Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

SEA FISHING

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

IF YOU'RE INTO PIKE FISHING TAKE A LOOK AT FRESHWATER PAGE 161

Not Ben's morning!

After our last blank fiasco with missed bites from small fish Ben and I were keen to try for an early bass again. The signs were not auspicious. At four thirty I crept downstairs in the dark so as not to disturb Lilian. I missed the last but one step and slipped, jarring my back which was already suffering from a surfeit of gardening. When Ben turned up it transpired that he'd done almost exactly the same thing and was also in some discomfort. We drove to the coast, grabbed our gear and set off to hike (hobble would be a better term), in the dark, over boulders, cobbles and slippery rocks to our chosen spot. Half way there Ben said that he'd forgotten his bag. I took his rod and carried on while he returned to pick up his kit.

As I arrived at the water it was just getting light, the sky was cloudless and despite a cold breeze the sea was flat calm and gin clear. I began to cast my little Angels Kiss lure (the same one I use for bonefish in the tropics) and about after a few chucks I saw, in the distance, Ben coming along the beach. I cast again and 'wallop!!!!' the plug was taken and a good fish was on. After a bit of a tussle I slid the bass ashore just as my pal arrived on the scene. Good start!

Before he could start fishing Ben's next disaster was to discover a broken rod ring, what a downer. He set about cutting off the legs of the broken ring and rethreading the line to tie on his lure again. I went back to fishing. It had occurred to me that my casting seemed particularly poor (at first I put it down to the small size of the lure), on inspection it turned out that I'd twisted the top section as I put the rod together so the line was making a complete turn round the joint. No wonder I was not getting much distance. Clearly I'd managed to land the bass despite the friction caused by the wrapped line - than heavens for braid I say. I corrected the error and my casts more than doubled. However, no more bites were forthcoming. I walked along to see how Ben was faring and, as I approached he hooked a rock and lost his lure. At this point we decided that enough was enough and opted for an early breakfast, that's fishing! It just wasn't Ben's day.

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

Lovely day.

First of the year.

Closer look.