Thursday weed fest in the harbour

[Graham Nash]

I arranged with my oldest grandson to have a bit of a "bonding trip" today. 

 

He's 20 years old, doesn't work, doesn't have any intention of working and doesn't see why he should work! So grandad offered him a day out fishing free of charge! Thursday was chosen as the day (not that it makes any difference to him, but that was the day he chose). I rearranged my diary and ordered the bait.

 

Its been arranged a week or so, with excited texts going back and forward all week. Good (small) tides so should get us out into deeper water. Plan was to get the boat in early, motor down to the quay, he'd jump out and pick up the bait from Mike at Poole Sea Angling and we'd be out of the harbour by about 7.30.

 

12.40AM this morning I get a text, "don't worry about fishing grandad, I just remembered I'm going to Bournemouth this morning!

 

PAA! 

 

So plan completely changed. 

 

My normal crew were all at work, and the one who wasn't at work had broken his ankle last weekend! 

 

After exhausting all (2 or 3) friends I have, I ended up putting the boat in the water on my own towards the end of the tide, (at Ridge Wharfe slipway that can be a scary exercise) and decided to stay in the harbour for a few hours. 

 

I think I must have beaten the club record for seaweed. Every cast resulted in a huge lump of the stuff covering the weight and the hook. A couple of moves just brought me more weed. I had a couple of possible nibbles, but no fish! 

 

After my worm supply was exhausted I gave up and had a very slow motor back through the harbour towards Wareham. I had a red and white lure trailing behind me at 3 knots and had 3 small bass take it. I'm not sure of the legality of lure fishing in the harbour at this time of year, but I wasn't intending on keeping anything (to be honest, I wasn't actually expecting to catch anything after the trip I'd had).

 

Anyone wanna adopt a 20 year old grandson?