Supper Saturday

[Sinbad]

Took Sinbad out for a run on Saturday with Alun J after hastily aborted planned trip to Christchurch ledge. (Those bass will have to wait - and I'm sure they will as the water is still so warm)

 

First light, absolutely no wind in Ringwood despite Alun's call that it was blowing old boots . Still took some persuading to change plans, as there was still no wind on my way down to Christchurch! A few Force 6 gusts and swaying tree branches changed my mind permanently!

 

having stopped to pick up some Rag, launched the boat off Parkstone, and steamed straight over towards rockley park - pretty usual stuff for the harbour - confused wave patterns and a few larger ones over the cuddy, until we were on a more westerly course.

 

First mark hooked onto the channel bouy at Rockley, produced just one nice flattie

and the inevitable wannabe dace - conditions were fishable even in the strong southerly and ebb.

 

Then decided a move up river was needed - and carried on up the harbour to some flatter water by the wareham channel entrance - a few more boats (saw Nik nak?)- one right in at holton mere and a few at the entrance approach. Alun took another flounder and we both had consistent sport from the 8" bass on float tackle and light ledger - until a few solid thumps and the bass became sizable. Alun getting the first and myself the second. Strange to be fishing in a metre of brown water for flatties, and expecting a lethargic slow pull of the float - only to be bullied by a runaway steam rocket crashing through your swim.

 

Our bait was being systematically raped by hoardes of green back crabs, so both of us looking at the dwindling rag converted to crab baits for the bass to no avail. 1430 saw us steam back to the quay for fresh rag supplies and back out for the first of the ebb. This produced the miniture bass, yet more crabs and a couple of very pi###ed off eels, pulling like good fish in the tide.

 

Best moment was watching the dipping sun reflected off rockley park with a perfect rainbow lighting up morriconium quay (not that the fishing wasnt also a good moment). Was great to be out in the harbour on our own and away from 'society', blew a few cobwebs away, and had a few fish for supper.

 

Oh and just to add to the discussion on taking fish to eat, we have to get this into proportion. I applaude the biological arguments regarding fish age and genetic inheritance, I have learnt alot and try still to do. But remember we are in a thinking minority, the majority of our country think and know nothing of how our food is prepared, and think fishing and for that matter farming is 'cruelty to animals'. No amount of scientific argument is going to convince these ignorant people of our rights to take what we catch. Whilst we are practising conservation in whatever best means that is, the 'antis' are voting us out of our sport on a different argument. Our only salvation may be that sport fishing (or rather what you and I call recreational pastime) can be commercially more valuable to the government than foxhunting ever was. For all the fish landed by recreational anglers, this is trivial compared to the tonnes of fish landed on european shores fished for within UK waters by foreign trawlers. Lets keep the advice flowing so we can be better anglers, but not expect us to become vegetarians when the fish we return end up in a trawler net somewhere.

 

As for the fight a 12lb bass gives, these are rare fish and rare experiences, (i'm still waiting!) but I dont think this situation has changed much for 30 years, if reading the angling press over the years is the measure. but lets face it, we get many hours of pleasure from fishing for lesser specimens and rightly so, and all the fights on light tackle from bream, smoothhounds, tope, conger etc, all far out -weigh the almost insignificant struggle I had with my 8.5lb bass. Dont mourn the loss of this Bass - I bet the chances of another angler catching it would have been slimmer than Shirgar winning next years Grand National.

 

 

Another thought... Fish ... Enjoy... tell others about it......or

Post... Whinge about things you cant change... Dont Fish...

[Maverick Martin]

Nice report Paul

 

Wish I had the ba**s to go out this week end but a lie in seemed more inviting at the time

 

Martin

[Swainiac]

Nice report Paul.....I think it would be interesting to see just how many decent Bass have been caught over the past couple of years, from a personal experience, my average has certainly got higher, with new venues and tested methods employed, producing many fish over the eight pounds, a few of nine, and one of twelve, so a glance in the club fish book may show we are either better at tweaking out larger Bass, or indeed they are more prolific?? Who knows?

 

Rich

[great white]

Nice report Paul

 

And interesting to read everyones views on keeping fish.

 

There are no wings on me, and although I return my share. I like to eat some that I catch so I try not to over preach conservation

 

However the harbour is about 90% nursery area, so bass taken in it can not be kept, [they actually should not be delibratly fished for ether]

That is until tomorrow November 1st

 

Charlie

[Sinbad]

Charlie

On reflection - I think you are right, must have mistaken the harbour byelaw regarding speed above 10knots for also being able to keep the kitchen happy.

 

We returned about 30 small bass - it was impossible to avoid them... only way would have been to stay in the lounge with the TV on.

 

Paul

[john c]

Probably covered many times before but what is the significance of Nov 1st. Can you fish for Bass after this date in the nursery area???

 

Regards

John C

[Sinbad]

Simple Answer, Yes!

 

John

Try the search facility on the site using 'Nursery'.

 

or perhaps someone will add the link to the article ?