So, here we are. Easter weekend, and Neptune decides to allow us to sail. Not all weekend. Just today. Just as a little tease. And today was dire, and today was awesome. Quite a day. But, I guess you know it is going to be an interesting day, when as you emerge from your home, the fox sitting on the neighbours roof gives you a casual glance, before returning to staring towards the direction of the soon to be rising sun.
Undressing BIF1, I really noticed how little care of her cosmetically I have taken. A lot of winter algae stains, which I will go sort this coming week. But she fired up beautifully, and seemed eager to play. Max, Stuart and Scott were all waiting at the allotted time, and soon we were heading out into a slight swell, but mirror calm surface, strewn with lots of debris from this last storm.
Quite soon after clearing the marina entrance, Max spotted a pair of harbour porpoise. It was nice to see, and a small consolation for the colour of the sea. Neptune was really releasing all his defences today, starting with the interesting combination of may rot and river water. Imagine tea with milk, and a dash of lime. Something like that. Viz for the first sailing was at best two feet. It was not looking good. I headed for one of my favourite early season spots over slack tide, which was really most of this session.
And here, we met more defenders of the fishes. Well, not really defenders of the fishes, but fishing is rarely good when competing with two adult and two teenage bottle nosed dolphins for the fishes attention. The dolphins tend to win. At first they were at distance, but when the tide turned they came to have a look at us. I even got a downscan image of one. Amazing.
As for the fishing... Max had the biggest of 2 bass, the other one of which fell to my rod, but other than that, quite predictably in the coloured water, it was whiting and pouting giving the tugs. I did bump something quite solid. Hesitant to call cod, but not impossible. However, with dogfish hitting lures and also feeling very solid these days, I leave my mind open to the possibilities.
2nd sailing, and it was my pleasure to welcome aboard Abdumalik for his first ever fishing experience, plus regulars Lee and Mike. Lee and Mike of course realised the fishing was likely to be poor, but Abdul... first time out... It could go wrong...
With us heading out on the strongest part of the flood tide, and plenty of movement, I elected to try the slow jig / isome routines a try. In part, its a great way to feel things like touch down from your lure, when you havent handled a rod before. And happily, quite soon, he had his first ever fish. A whiting hitting the HTO Frolic.
But the plaice that we were really hunting, simply refused to play in the mucky water. Lee did have a beautiful grey gurnard, and other tings were landed, just nothing flat. With the tide slackening off, we headed out a bit further, and found much cleaner water. Clean, but with tiny green particles clearly present. May rot commeth.
Here, we were rewarded with very little at all sadly. Lee managed the first mackerel of the year aboard BIF1, but that was it really. And yet, as if to salvage the session, those dolphins returned, much closer to the boat, to give us a great little display. Pretty special. And with warmth on the skin, and still quite calm seas, the poor fishing really didn't bother the guys. There were big smiles jumping of BIF1 on her return to dock.
And that's all folks, for perhaps ten days or more, with BIF1, looking at the forecasts of what is about to come upon us. I am available for shore work on baits during this time, with bass eating season starting this coming Monday. Full liability insurance (guides and ghillies policy) Criminal checks etc etc. Max 2 rods. Shore work on lures... still not on the menu at the moment. Always hunting...