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).

A real mixed bag.

My fishing grandson Ben has been staying this week. Despite the weather we managed a couple of fishing trips. In fact on the morning that he was due to arrive I went to the coast and despite the presence of gill nets right across the little bay I was fishing I managed a bass or two, none of them of any great size.

Anyway, between the gales and downpours we managed a trip to Swanage pier. Now I haven't fished there for many years and since it was low water and the middle of the afternoon I was not too hopeful. We took a packet of mediocre ragworm and I set up a couple of lighweight, two hook paternosters. Within seconds Ben was into a fish which turned out to be a sandsmelt, the first that he'd ever seen. To me it shouted out 'LIVEBAIT' but by the time I'd grabbed a circle hook and a cork from my bag it had come unstuck and wriggled back into the sea. We didn't get another one but Ben caught me a small pollack which spent the rest of the session trying to attract a bass before I unhooked and released it.

While I was not catching bass Ben landed a succession of wrasse - corkwings and small ballans, a couple of pollack and ultimately (after saying "I'm going to try and catch a blenny grandad!") a gattorugine blenny. Jammy little devil. All in all it was a fairly successful trip. Ben must have landed several dozen fish of five species and for a youngster that's pretty good sport. Next time we must go after something bigger.

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

Gill net.

A bass.

Closer.

Ben on the pier.

Ballan.

Corkwing.

Gattorugine.

Closer.