August 2007

Welsh Danglers reports

August 2007

5th august - Mumbles pier

Barrelreef, Teggy and Blackcat travelled down to fish the pier after some good reports including triggerfish,a species none of us has caught.

Arriving at the pier at 9.10 am we thought we'd be ok for a good spot at the end of the pier........We were wrong it was chocka block at 9.10 and it only opened at 9!! After a little debate and as it was a lovely day we decided to go on the pier anyway and find a spot anywhere we could

We settled for a spot about two thirds along on the wooden section,casting towards the lifeboat house.

1st cast Teggy had a small goby which had taken a ragworm bait, a species which he has never caught. At least Teggy hadn't blanked for a change.

It went very quiet until just before high when Blackcat baited up with the only frozen peeler crab he had. As soon as it hit the water he had a stonking bite and was playing a good fish!

After a brief but spirited fight a very big triggerfish came to the surface.

Unfortunatly while deciding to lift it or borrow a drop net it came off and swam off.

A little while later Barrelreef had a good bite and after a good scrap he had a triggerfish on the surface below. After seeing Blackcat's fish escape, Barrelreef wasn't going to let this happen and Blackcat borrowed a drop net and after a few attempts got the fish in the net.

While liting the net we realised that another trigger was on the bottom hook but not in the net. a double shot, luckily it didnt come off and both fish were landed for photos. 1 fish had taken a squid head and the other a piece of mackerel.

Barrel's 1st ever triggerfish and two and once - Result!!

Teggy then got in on the action with 2 new species for him a black bream and quickly followed that up with colourful ballan wrasse, both caught on ragworm.

Around high water Teggy then had good bite and landed a triggerfish - another new species and after weeks of blanking Teggy has 4 new species and most fish for the day!

Teggy's trigger weighed in at 1lb 10oz and although we didn't weigh Barrelreef's triggers we estimated them at around 2lb, with 1 being perhaps a bit bigger.

Going by these weights the trigger Blackcat lost on the surface was easliy 3lb if not 4lb

All in all a very good day with bright sunshine and target species caught among others.......although blackcat was a little gutted to have lost his fish!

For a change teggy had a better day than anyone else

Teggy - 1 Triggerfish, 1 blackbream, 1 wrasse, 1 goby

Barrelreef - 2 Triggerfish

Blackcat - Blanked

Teggy with a trigger

Teggy and his blackbream

Teggy's wrasse

Barrel's double shot of triggers

August 19th - Llangennith WSF golden grey comp

Barrelreef met up with the other WSF members at JJ's cafe in Penclawdd after picking up a pound of maddies and half a pound of lug at Country stores, Gowerton.

Dave Lewis of Sea angler also met us at JJ's and handed out some tidy shimano hats and stickers. He announced there would be a prize for the biggest bass and the angler who caught the most golden grey mullet

We got to the beach and despite the heavy rain and wind the surf on Llangennith looked good. After a quick group photo we set off along the beach away from the surfers.

Most people were into fish quickly (mostly schoolies and flatties along with a turbot and a few golden greys). After some exellent advice off Dave Lewis about standing in the surf and 'feeling for bites'. I managed to catch my 1st golden grey mullet, in between a few schoolies and flatties. Fair play the golden grey really hit the maddies hard and on the light gear really fought well!!

After a few more flatties and school bass the fishing went a bit quiet for the golden greys with a handful of anglers inlcuding myself all catching one 'goldie' a piece.

Towards the end of the comp I had a good take but missed it. I quickly rebaited and cast back out and had a cracker of a bite, and after another good scrap landed my 2nd gg mullet of the day.

Final tally for me was 3 schoolies, 2 flounder and 2 gg mullet

All in all an exellent days fishing!! Good to meet up with all the WSF members and Dave Lewis.

Also an exellent day for me, I managed to catch my 1st golden grey and win a shimano reel as a prize for catching 2 of them!

Pictures courtesy of Dave Lewis

WSF members group photo

Sea angling at its best

Barrelreef with a golden grey

Dave Lewis presenting Barrel with the reel

August 19^th Newton

Fished newton today from around 2 til 6pm with Teggy and Blackcat over low water......didnt fish the point because of the wind but fished a few hundred yards to the left into the bay.

Had some lug left from the golden grey comp the previous day and some bits and bobs from the freezer for bait

Very quiet until tide turned then right after it turned blackcat had a nice little schoolie on lug.

Then Barrelreef baited up with the only frozen peeler the last lugworm and had a cracking bite and landed a suprise codling of between 1 and half - 2lb.
No more bites after that so we called it a day.

Blackcat - 1 bass

Barrelreef - 1 codling

Teggy - Blanked

Blackcat and his schoolie

Barrelreef with his codling

Aberthaw 23rd Aug

Valley boyo and Barrelreef fished Aberthaw for a few hours over low water........Valleyboyo with a spinning rod and rubber eels was going to have a crack at the bass.

While Barrelreef took a beachcaster and managed to pick up the last six peeler crabs in fishing World tackle shop to add to the 6 frozen he already had to try and bag a hound.

Conditions seemed good but after a few previous blank sessions at Aberthaw, expectations weren't that high.

After leaving Valleyboyo at the outfalls Barrelreef wandered over to the ledges and set up.......a few guys already fishing landed a good smoothie while Barrel was baiting up and after a quick chat they said they had caught 4 altogether and were catching them on rag!!

Anyways 1st cast Barrel had a good run and connected with a hound and after a real good scrap, landed a nice 10lb 1oz starry to crab.

After a quick photo the fish was released and another bait cast in. It had only been in the water for a few minutes when another hound took it. Another starry at 9lb. What a start to a session!

Valleyboyo then came over and said he had caught 2 schoolie bass, but with the light fading he packed up his spinning gear. He thought Barrelreef was joking about the 2 hounds until he saw the pics for himself on Barrels phone!! (forgot the digital camera)

Barrel then had another good take on rag (which the other guys gave me when they went) and crab cocktail and after mucking about in the surf Valleyboyo dragged in a big common hound that dropped the scales to 12lb 2oz. A pb and a new species (1st common).

Valleyboyo was now a bit gutted he hadn't brought a beachcaster. so Barrelreef offered to let him a have a go with his rod if they had any more takes.

The fishing was hectic and Valleyboyo had 2 good runs both of which he missed.....the silly bugger!!

With Barrelreef now taking his turn in came another starry hound at 9lb 8oz.

With the fishing this good and Valleyboyo pleading for another crack, Barrelreef let him and after a good take he hooked a good fish and after a real good fight, Barrelreef jumped in the surf and beached Valleyboyo's fish.

Valleyboyo's 1st hound off the shore and a real good one at that a cracking common hound of 13lb 6oz!! A pb and 1st shore smoothie!!

With another 2 missed runs, it was a hard decision to call last cast with the fish still around, but with time pushing on and bait running out Barrelreef used up the last crab bait and landed common hound at 11lb 6oz to finish the sess.

An awesome evenings fishing!!! One of the best Barrelreef and Valleyboyo have had!! 6 smoothies for over 65lb in weight!!! 4 double figure fish and not that many fish can fight like a smoothie!!

What a jammy sod, Valleyboyo is though. His 1st time fishing for months and he lands his best ever shore fish on Barrelreef's rod!!! lol

Barrelreef - 3 starry smoothound, 2 common smoothound

Valleyboyo - 1 common smoothound, 2 school bass

1st hound fo the sess - 10lb 1oz

Valleyboyo's pb - 13lb 6oz

Barrelreef's pb - 12lb 2oz. Should have turned the headlamp off

11lb 6oz common

26th -27th August - Manorbier/Saundersfoot

While camping at Manorbier for the bank holiday weekend. Barrelreef and Blackcat had a short spinning and feathering session on the rocks at Manorbier on th 26th but failed to catch.

The following day with reports of mackerel showing off Saundersfoot we had another few hours fishing off one of the rock marks

Beachcasters baited with ragworm and mackerel were cast out while the boys did some more spinning and feathering.

Blackcat noticed a bite and reeled in a double shot of tub gurnard... a new species for him.

No other bites came on the beachcasters and the mackies had seemd to have moved on although Barrelreef did catch a joey mackerel on a spinner. 1st mackie on a spinner for Barrel.

not the most productive of sessions compared to the last few weeks fishing exploits but enjoyable all the same.

This was a double shot for Blackcat but the other gurnard came off the hook and fell back in the sea