IT'S A BREAM CAP'N...
....but not as we know it. A couple of three hour windows opened up for me last week on the tidal Arun. Results, as usual, were not as spectacular as the potential was, with numerous vigorous bites culminating in just one fish for me and two for Tony.
I've fished this estuary on and off since I was a kid when as a south-west Londoner, Littlehampton was our 'local' seaside. In all those years, I never heard of or saw any fish caught other than bass, mullet, eels and the very occasional flounder. When I met Tony, his phone held a catalogue of surprises as he showed me pictures of the other species he had caught from the river, namely black bream, whiting, dogfish and even an undulate ray as well as the usual suspects.
I had as many bites but hit none and truth be told we were both disappointed with the return from so many bites. It was obvious that I needed to change something for the following morning. In the end I cobbled up a pennel hook arrangement using size 6 and 8 match hooks. The same squid and frozen black lug cocktail would have to suffice for bait.
My modifications worked to some extent. I caught one and lost one but it was a harder morning's fishing. There was a lot more weed and I had to switch up from three to four ounces of lead. Even so I missed way too many bites and bites are at a premium in the sea. Next time, I will make a better job of the rig and maybe parcel the baits with elastic, however I bet the bream will have moved out and whiting will be the quarry. The sea is a dynamic venue and hard to keep up with from 200 miles away.
I've fished this estuary on and off since I was a kid when as a south-west Londoner, Littlehampton was our 'local' seaside. In all those years, I never heard of or saw any fish caught other than bass, mullet, eels and the very occasional flounder. When I met Tony, his phone held a catalogue of surprises as he showed me pictures of the other species he had caught from the river, namely black bream, whiting, dogfish and even an undulate ray as well as the usual suspects.
We met up on the Thursday morning at our usual spot and for the first hour nothing happened. The tide was rising but it wasn't until the salt water reached us that it all kicked off. Bite after frustrating bite, the tip would pull down viciously on occasion but mostly they were the typical hard rattles of black bream. Tony caught a nice one eventually and we were both moved to excitement for a moment until his bass turned out to be a fair sized eel.
I had as many bites but hit none and truth be told we were both disappointed with the return from so many bites. It was obvious that I needed to change something for the following morning. In the end I cobbled up a pennel hook arrangement using size 6 and 8 match hooks. The same squid and frozen black lug cocktail would have to suffice for bait.
My modifications worked to some extent. I caught one and lost one but it was a harder morning's fishing. There was a lot more weed and I had to switch up from three to four ounces of lead. Even so I missed way too many bites and bites are at a premium in the sea. Next time, I will make a better job of the rig and maybe parcel the baits with elastic, however I bet the bream will have moved out and whiting will be the quarry. The sea is a dynamic venue and hard to keep up with from 200 miles away.
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