Sea Fishing – Alan Yates’ Monthly Diary

A terrific hound taken from the Enterprise, West Mersea

Alan is back from bagging in Gambia and taking a look at getting the best from your smoothhound and mackerel fishing this summer.

Whilst most of the UK was shivering knee deep in water I chose the right time to jet off to Gambia in West Africa to fish the Gambian Beach Championships organised by Darlington angler, Bernard Westgarth.

To cut a long story short I got a tan and won a few quid in the four day event and had my string pulled every single cast with a succession of: cassava, stingray, butterfish, lady fish, jack trevally, sunpats, grouper and angel fish, so don’t believe those that say Gambian fishing is no good. Just like home it’s all about the angler’s ability and effort to catch.

Back home the fishing is between seasons and compared with thirty years ago the difference is mega! The rays are turning up everywhere that they never used to be seen, smoothhounds are spreading and getting huge and bass can now be caught all around the UK. In the south there are bream, mackerel and ,of course, dogfish galore with pin whiting plague the only moan. Indeed you can cast almost anywhere and expect to catch something although to catch a specimen of some of the species mentioned may be a bit more difficult.  I listen to anglers moan about their lack of shore fishing success when in truth, in certain respects and for certain species, it’s never been so good.

BUT just like Gambia you have to make an effort to catch and you won’t be successful sitting on your backside or just turning up. The key to success in modern day shore fishing is to travel – so many regions have species hot spots and currently that is the case with ray, smoothhound and bass. A little research and a move to a venue that is actually producing fish and your problem is solved; if you sit on the same beach week in week out throughout summer waiting for something to turn up you may well be disappointed!

Smoothhound are a classic example – their numbers and size has increased dramatically in recent years and the fact that they are regarded as catch and release has helped their numbers to increase. Its taboo to kill a hound nowadays and we can perhaps thank the mobile camera phone for the catch, picture and release habit of anglers in general. This has undoubtedly resulted in more and more of the species being able to increase in size. A double figure smoothhound is a powerful fish and the experience of hooking one is an experience all sea anglers should have.

Having found your smoothhound venue there is one step you can take to increase your chance of hooking a hound and that is to use peeler crab as bait. Smoothhounds are equipped in every way to hunt and eat crabs, they munch on other things too, but they are looking for crab most of the time especially in spring and summer when the crabs are peeling.

Common shore crab, edible crab, spider crab, hermit crabs – those are the baits for a smoothhound and they will outfish lugworm, squid, fish and all the rest on a majority of venues, boat or shore, for most of the year. So make sure to get hold of some peeler crabs when you go after smoothhounds.

Tackle wise from the shore some anglers fish with carp rods and that can be exciting although tide, weed and a rough bottom can render such light gear impractical on most venues.

One big plus with the hounds is that they prefer a calm sea with dusk a hot time – they will not show during a howling gale, switch to bass fishing short. But if it’s a long period of settled, balmy summer weather then head for a smoothhound venue with crab bait and it’s likely you will have your string pulled big time!

A few words about feathering for mackerel

Mackerel fishers making a mess or misbehaving is a common summer problem from many of the summer piers. Blood, guts, litter and urine is the disgrace that is common when large numbers of the public collect to catch mackerel on feathered lures. Such is the carnage as fish and fishers become more excited and frenzied that a real stigma is attributed to those that feather by those that don’t.

Proper anglers it is said avoid the feathering hoards like the plague. Well that’s OK until you want to visit the local pier for some mackerel for bait or for the barbecue. Well here’s a tip – Don’t go to the pier! Lots of beaches show mackerel towards dusk and because the beach requires some casting skill, unlike the pier, it tends to attract a better class of featherer!  Whilst we tend to use the old-fashioned description ‘feathers’ for mackerel lures, the modern lures are far removed from the old chicken feather lures of the past.

Far more details are put into lures nowadays and the different types offer lots of choice. However, the old basics are still the best in many anglers’ opinions so check out the Daylites, Tinsel, Dayglows and even Feathers, although the modern Hokkeyes do take some beating.

Here are a few feathering tips – Flashy fizzy, gaudy lures are often best when the mackerel are feeding well and a heavy lead works lures better than a light one because the lures fizz as they sink as well as when they are retrieved.

Check your lures for line breaking strain, many are cheap Far East patterns tied on inadequate breaking strain line with dodgy knots. (For safety on a crowded pier a 4oz lead requires 40lb line, 5oz 50lb line and so on)

Fish through all depths and distances, mackerel can be deep or shallow, at long range or very close; try all of the options if you are struggling to catch.

If you use six lures the shoal effect will attract more fish, but many anglers don’t want to haul in six fish a cast. So cut off the hook points of every other hook on your string of six lures - you retain its fizz, but only catch a maximum of three a time. 

For great sport from the beach a silver bar or sandeel-shaped spinner fished on a 12lb class spinning outfit is even more fun.

Remember mackerel flesh deteriorates rapidly in the sun or when fish are piled on top of each other. Store your catch in a cool box with a freezer pack to keep them fresh and only take what you need!

Venue of the Month

Samphire Hoe in Kent – it’s the selected venue for Sea Angler Magazine’s, Penn League Final and produces: wrasse, pollack, pouting, dogfish, bass, scad and garfish and is best fished low water up especially when the sea is calm and clear. The bottom is rock and kelp covered so expect to lose tackle.

For venues details, club booking etc contact Channel Angling, Dover.  Tel. 01304 203742 Web: www.channelangling.co.uk

Summer Tips

Don’t forget to return the summer tackle items to your tackle box. A set of feathers to catch mackerel is standard, but nowadays there are lots of mini feathered lures that can be used to catch sandeel, herring and other small bait and food fish. Look out for the smaller Shrimper, Sabiki, Hokkeye and other mini lures in your tackle shop.

A float can save you a blank day when the sea is flat and clear and only the odd garfish shows on the surface. Small but great fun to catch you can use a small cigar shaped float to fish for garfish baited with a strip of mackerel fished four feet under the surface.

A great way to fish is to cast out your standard bottom rig baited and then slide a short float rig down your main line via and American snap link clipped on the line. The float will stay in one position and a garfish will usually signal it’s hooked.

If you are looking for a beachcaster for summer check out the new All Round 16ft quiver tip model I have produced with TF Gear. It’s a three piece beachcaster in the Delta range. See the range of new tackle in the latest TF Gear 2012 catalogue available from your local tackle shop or via their website.