Speices Comp 10th Sept

[Mike Fox]

Had to get out and fish this species comp, after weeks with windy weekends, but the low tides would mean we would struggle to get out on the 7.30 bridge from Poole, and all the best spots would have been taken by the 9.30 bridge!

 

We popped out into Poole Harbour on Saturday afternoon, and picked up a buoy to spend the night, reckoning we might be in with a chance of an early start, so booked in 7:00 till 2:00 as our "shift" for the comp.

 

Well, the alarm went at 6:45, and we struggled on deck to face the rising sun, dew covered decks, and the faintest hint of an Easterly breeze. First teas and coffees co-incided with the rag hitting the water, to see if an unseasonal flounder or bass might be interested, but with the huge springs, the gear was washed down tide in seconds, together with masses of green "lettuce" weed that filled the lines every drop. Carol somehow squeaked out a small bass (5 points), before we dropped down harbour for a dangle at Brownsea Castle.

 

Well, we beat the ferries to the Castle, but the tide was boiling in at nearly 4 knots (we can hold 6 knots!) and discretion over-ruled boldness, so we moved to the tidal "lee" of Stoney Island, and rigged a drift so we would enter the slacker tides of South Deep. Great in theory, but an hour later, just a small bass for George and I each. All equal again!

 

Our next planned spot was to fish the Swash Channel, but frankly, battling that ferocious flood tide, it took ages to get out past the chain ferry, and we knew it wouldn't be possible to fish it with that tide, so went out through the East Looe channel to fish the Poole Patches.

 

Carol hit a pollack first drop on the first drift, which would have gone almost a pound. Good job it was a species comp, cos it was still a 5 pointer, but it proved to be the last of the day. Well, we continued drifting again and again, the tide being much weaker here in Poole Bay, and the wind still E2 or so. We also had gurnard, wrasse, mackerel, black bream and a solitary scad. Unfortunately, the fish seemed to all go off the feed at the same time, and after a couple of blank drifts, we decided to drop the anchor. Hit the ideal spot first time, dropped over the mark, and started groundbaiting.

 

Was it worth it? Nope, almost nothing in the next 45 minutes before we decided it was time to move again. We reckoned we needed a shallower area of mixed ground to broaden the species mix, so moved over to Boscombe Pier on the last of the flood to try our luck. We hit the small bream, Carol and I bagging up quickly. Carol dropped a nice small bass of about 2lb on the surface before she could get it to the boat, and George got one of his favourite garfish on float to add to his tally.

 

We stuck it out there for an hour or so, adding fish to the tally, but no more species, and after a final move back to the Patches to try to add to numbers, we called it a day at 2:00 p.m.

 

Final check showed 8 species between us, to rag, mackerel strip, squid and slipper limpet, with a total of 27 fish. We struggled. We should have used different tactics to duck tide, travelled less, and fished more! Still, that's competitions!

 

Mike

PS Forms now submitted

Edited September 10, 2006 by Mike Fox

[Newboy]

I believe if you touched the leader before the fish fell off, the fish counts, confirmation please Charlie.

[great white]

You are correct Kam

 

In our comps , the fish counts if the trace or short leader are touched, I say short leader dilibratly because I do not feel that a fish at the other end of a 25ft leader that spits the hook or fouls the bottom in shallow water could be deemed "Caught"

 

There is no need to heave a fish onboard for it to count.

 

If this were not true we would not be able to t bar large fish in the interest of safety to Fish and crew alike.

 

Charlie