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As I had to be back before lunch I decided not to trek down to Weymouth to meet the guys so I opted to take the yak out for an extreme early paddle. Decided to target Chichester Harbour on a spring tide - LW approx 7am HW approx 1PM.
Prepped with SM270 and my fly gear as I generally know the marks and features that I could use both on. Car packed and kayak locked to the roof using the correct key this time I was all set - weather was looking OK with a possible break and wind change mid morning.
Got up at 3.15am to trek the hour plus down to West Wittering - got there about 4.30am - rats the gate is locked to get to the car park! u-turn and get down to West Itchenor down the river where I go from with Justin. Unpacked, suit up and launch - its about an hour paddle up river to get to the area I wanted to fish even with the tide still going out - bit of a breeze but hey I can cope.
After disturbing some monster mullet in the shallows I got to the areas I wanted to fish - it was a big spring low so alot of ground I hadn't seen before was exposed to the point of me walking the kayak in a few inches of water to get back to the main channel.
Some lovely wide gulleys with 2 foot of water and japweed - disturbed a few bass hanging out as I glided past early on - should have stopped for a fish but the weather was glorious and no wind I was content to absorb and soak it all up
Bit rougher in the open sea and nothing doing apart from weed - water clarity was OK so I headed back in towards the channels and gulleys. Stopped on a large shingle island and plugged around the back where the current rips through - nowt doing so I moved over to wading the shallow gullys. Changed to a crustacean pattern - wilf's skittle in dark green to be precise as the wind had dropped as it swinging round. *Dink* mid strip a small nibble oh its still on ... I had to smile as the 2010 account was opened with possibly the smallest Bass I have ever caught - all 6oz's! that smile turned into a chuckle - it was starting to drizzle and wind picking up so I decided to head back. On the way back the scores of terns hitting the sandeels where too much to resist so a hard paddle back upstream to intercept was worthwhile - changed to a Duo Tide Minnow in sandeel with decoy singles on - had 5 more schoolies upto a pound - amazing paddling through breaking fish with terns diving and plucking all around (uncannily not one went for the tide minnow!). Something to note - the juvenile fish always hit the back single - lip hooked all five and just missed one hit over that 30 minute period.
Lesson learnt - 4 plus hours paddling hurts the next day - do more gym work!
Looks like I also need a drogue or rudder - the wind tends to push the kayak sideways making it difficult to fish, cast and strip.
Roll on the summer!
Prepped with SM270 and my fly gear as I generally know the marks and features that I could use both on. Car packed and kayak locked to the roof using the correct key this time I was all set - weather was looking OK with a possible break and wind change mid morning.
Got up at 3.15am to trek the hour plus down to West Wittering - got there about 4.30am - rats the gate is locked to get to the car park! u-turn and get down to West Itchenor down the river where I go from with Justin. Unpacked, suit up and launch - its about an hour paddle up river to get to the area I wanted to fish even with the tide still going out - bit of a breeze but hey I can cope.
After disturbing some monster mullet in the shallows I got to the areas I wanted to fish - it was a big spring low so alot of ground I hadn't seen before was exposed to the point of me walking the kayak in a few inches of water to get back to the main channel.
Some lovely wide gulleys with 2 foot of water and japweed - disturbed a few bass hanging out as I glided past early on - should have stopped for a fish but the weather was glorious and no wind I was content to absorb and soak it all up
Bit rougher in the open sea and nothing doing apart from weed - water clarity was OK so I headed back in towards the channels and gulleys. Stopped on a large shingle island and plugged around the back where the current rips through - nowt doing so I moved over to wading the shallow gullys. Changed to a crustacean pattern - wilf's skittle in dark green to be precise as the wind had dropped as it swinging round. *Dink* mid strip a small nibble oh its still on ... I had to smile as the 2010 account was opened with possibly the smallest Bass I have ever caught - all 6oz's! that smile turned into a chuckle - it was starting to drizzle and wind picking up so I decided to head back. On the way back the scores of terns hitting the sandeels where too much to resist so a hard paddle back upstream to intercept was worthwhile - changed to a Duo Tide Minnow in sandeel with decoy singles on - had 5 more schoolies upto a pound - amazing paddling through breaking fish with terns diving and plucking all around (uncannily not one went for the tide minnow!). Something to note - the juvenile fish always hit the back single - lip hooked all five and just missed one hit over that 30 minute period.
Lesson learnt - 4 plus hours paddling hurts the next day - do more gym work!
Looks like I also need a drogue or rudder - the wind tends to push the kayak sideways making it difficult to fish, cast and strip.
Roll on the summer!
