After visiting Madeira for the first time last year making the most of the direct flights from Jersey we decided to go back for a week at the end of September. Having traveled all over the island last year and ticking off most of the tourist stops, this was to be a beach holiday, just a week chilling out. It wasn’t a fishing holiday – my long suffering wife is enough of a fishing widow here – but I was granted permission to take a couple of travel rods and fish for a couple of hours each morning on the concrete blocks that run alongside the beach at Calheta. We were staying at Paul Do Mar which if you know Madeira is on the south western corner of the island about an hours drive from Funchal.
Being so far from the capital was likely to make getting bait a challenge so after arriving at our apartment on the Wednesday afternoon I took a walk to the local supermarket to see what I could source which was just a small pack of pretty manky Calamari squid and some frozen prawns, not perfect but it would have to do.
I had packed 2 travel rods, a heavy beach rod and a medium weight spinning rod with the idea being I would chuck a big bait out on the heavy rod and use the light rod for a mixture of light ledger, float and lure fishing to try and add a few new species to the list. I did a bit of research online but there wasn’t a lot of information on shore fishing in Madeira, especially in the area we were staying so I didn’t really know what to expect.
On the first full day I stopped on the way to the beach at a larger shop and managed to get some frozen sardines to supplement my bait. I started the first day with a big bait and touch ledgering with the light rod managing just 2 species, a Bastard Grunt – that is its actual name! – and an Ornate Wrasse but it quickly became clear the size 8 hooks I had taken were too big as the smaller fish constantly stripped the hooks. I packed up at lunchtime and later in the afternoon I took a walk down the road and found a bigger supermarket that had a fish counter, result!
The next day I stopped at the fish counter to pick up some Mackerel before heading back to the beach. I managed a couple more species on the light rod, a Comber and a Lizardfish before a bait check on the big rod found me hooked into a Stingray. It was a really strange fight, it didn’t feel like a massive fish and it didn’t really feel like a Ray which made sense when it surfaced and was foul hooked and coming in backwards. It was around 20lb so I traced it out and quickly unhooked it and let it go. I then discovered a set of tiny Sabiki’s I had forgotten I had packed so changed the lighter rod to much smaller hooks which made a huge difference and I went on to add quite a few new species including a small Amberjack.
The next few days I chopped and changed the lighter rod between ledger, float and lure adding a few extra species and had 2 takes on the big bait.
The first screamed off and when I wound into it it absolutely tore off at real speed, more like a Tope than a Ray. It then kited right and took another load of line at speed, at one point I reckon it was close to 200 yards out. I was a bit worried as it had run a long way across and with the swell was getting pushed towards the concrete blocks. Luckily it swam back out and after an epic battle I finally saw an Eagle Ray surface a fair way out. As someone with no experience of this kind of fishing it looked absolutely enormous, I have no idea what it would have weighed but was certainly the heaviest shore fish I have ever caught. I hadn’t taken a gaff with me, instead I had taken a t-bar with the idea being if I caught a big Ray rather than trying to drag it out single handed I would climb down and t-bar it off. Unfortunately the swell made it too dangerous for me to get that close, so I did the next best thing I could and cut the trace as close to the fish as I could get.
The second hook up was a different experience and I think most likely a standard Stingray as opposed to an Eagle Ray. It was really powerful and really heavy but nowhere near as fast. I had it on for quite a while but it had also ran a long way across the shore but on this occasion the swell took it to close to the concrete blocks and I ended up getting snagged. Because of the nature of the blocks it’s not easy to move along with a fish on.
I made a little video of the fishing while I was there which you can watch here:
Following the completion of this years JOSAF I have to confess I was pretty knackered so the first post comp session was an easy harbour trip with dad which was pretty slow, small Bream and Gurnard for dad and just a Scad for myself.
Next up was a late season session for a Stinger which turned into a really enjoyable trip. I was a bit concerned when I got there with the amount of weed on the beach, but it was a big tide and I was hoping it would all get pushed against the wall letting me fish over the top of it. About an hour before high the left hand rod ripped off and I was in. It didn’t feel like a big fish but even the small ones give a decent account of themselves, and after a couple of minutes I slipped this lovely little stinger into the net of around 5-6lb.
I fished on and just on high it kicked off. I had a slower bite on the left hand rod, after a few decent pulls I wound into a decent resistance and what felt like a much better Ray. A few seconds later the right hand rod absolutely screamed off and I had 2 stingers on at once. I concentrated on the rod I had in my hand as it felt like a pretty decent fish, a fair amount of weight and some decent runs. Gradually it came in close and I managed to slip a decent looking Ray into the net. Straight onto the second rod which by this point had being going for a good few minutes. There was a lot of weight, clearly a fair bit of weed but I could still feel the fish on. I slowly pumped the fish back in, as it got closer in I could feel the fish over the weed more. When it surfaced it was another nice fish, a little smaller than the first maybe and just like buses I had 2 stingers in the net.
Once sorted out and weighed the first one went 18-10, a new PB albeit only by a few ounces but PB’s are pretty rare for me these days so I will take it. The second one went 16-7. Now I know as far as Stingers go they are not huge but they are great sport. I even managed to capture some of it on my new GoPro which you can see on the Sakuma YouTube page.
I went back the following night with dad and typically we blanked.
Then it was a session looking for a thin lipped. Conditions weren’t great and it was a struggle. I moved a couple of times but never had any follows or saw any fish and only had a tiny Bass.
Next up was another session for a Stinger, this time a low water session at a new mark. I had one really good bite that screamed off and I missed it. In all honesty it was probably a Bass but we will never know. I am determined to eventually catch a Stingray somewhere else!
That just left time for 1 more session before heading off to Madeira for a week. I opted for a night session on the north coast to try with the big rods. There was a fair swell running but it was fishable and I fancied it for maybe a Huss. I chucked a couple of small baits out while I waited for it to get dark and had another Comber.
I then chucked the big baits out. It was really slow, just a couple of really small eels and a few whippish rattles and span up traces. I was just getting ready to call it a night when I had a much better bite. I wound into what was clearly a better eel but it had somehow got wrapped around my other rod and I was bringing in the fish and my other gear making it difficult to judge just how big it was. When I finally managed to get it on the surface it looked ok, around 20ish but it was still really wrapped around the other rod and I had no choice to drag the whole lot to where I could get to the fish. I waited for the right gap in the swell, gaffed the fish and I was just climbing back up to my gear when the eel span off the gaff, the line snapped and the eel disappeared back into the sea! Doesn’t matter how many years experience you have you still make a mess of it occasionally!
So that was the end of the month for Jersey but I had sneaked a couple of travel rods into the case in the hope of perhaps adding a few new species in the week we were away. It wasn’t a fishing holiday, I think my wife is enough of a fishing widow over here but I had her blessing to do a bit on the rocks alongside the beach and maybe an early morning trip. As it turned out I did ok in my 3 hours per morning by the beach, quite a few new species and a very hard fighting Eagle Ray. I have some footage on my GoPro so I will save the details of this trip for my mid month post in a couple of weeks to give me a chance to sort out the footage.
So this weekend is the Conger Festival, I believe the oldest running open shore competition in the Channel Islands having run since 1980. There is also the Alderney festival and the Bass festival in October so it’s going to be a busy month.
If someone would have told me 10 years ago we would be fishing for Tope off the shore locally with a realistic possibility of catching one I doubt I would have believed them.
It was a dream to be able to target Tope locally and while we seem to have lost the bigger Conger the Tope is a nice substitute big fish to target.
To be clear, Tope from the shore are still a rare catch and our Tope fishing is nothing like the Mecca of West Wales or even our northern neighbour Alderney but there are some.
My first encounter with a Tope was in 2019. A 27lb fish had been caught from St Catherine’s Breakwater so dad and I went down to have a go with no real idea and very little confidence. We fished straight off the end and first cast dad got picked up. He had his rod tied to the railings and by the time he had got it untied his hook was straightened and the fish was gone but it did give us more hope.
We returned a couple of days later and this time I fished off the back wall and dad fished off the lower wall. I had a strange bite and when I picked the rod up it moved off and I hit it. It was a really strange fight, short mad runs followed by nothing but on a big bait in the daylight I thought it could only be a Tope or a Bass. When I first saw it was a Tope I couldn’t quite believe it and was shaking until it was in the net. It was a fairly small fish at 19-8 but it was a shore Tope and I was buzzing.
We returned a couple of days later and this time I had a proper run and when I hooked this one there was no mistaking what it was as it tore off line as it ran along the breakwater. The scrap was epic, like nothing else I had hooked from Jersey and I was pleased with this fish of 27-8
And just like that they were gone. This is one of the challenges of our Tope fishing, it’s all about getting the timing right and being there at the same time as the fish but there seems to be no pattern to when they are inshore. I have had them in all different months, different conditions day and night so it’s about putting in the hours and keeping your ears open for reports of fish caught or lost.
2020 rolled around with Covid and all that, I decided to have an early season session for a Tope more in hope than expectation. Just as the tide was easing around the high the rod pulled over slowly. I picked the rod up and the fish moved off. When I hit it the first run was mental as it tore off down the breakwater. Eventually it slowed down and as I was gaining line it felt really heavy. It stayed deep all the way in and when it eventually surfaced it looked pretty big. After a bit of a dance it was in the net and that’s where you notice the weight. Pulling a big net up the wall with a big fish is a fair amount of combined weight and doesn’t get any easier as you get older. When the net came over the wall it was clearly a lot bigger that the ones I had caught previously and on the scales it went 39lb exactly.
I went back a few days later to have another go and had a mad session. It started with a lost fish where the knot on the wire had slipped. Schoolboy error. I then had a series of frustrating missed runs and dropped fish before losing one on the surface that looked really small maybe explaining the strange takes. I didn’t think it was going to happen but just as I was running out of bait I finally had a proper run and landed this mid twenty.
Dad was desperate to get in on the action and had missed a couple of opportunities. I had booked a day off work to take my mother in law to an appointment which got cancelled so I gave dad a call and we went to have a go. He cast out and before he put the rod down it went in his hand. He hit it straight away and it tore off, nearly spooling him as it ran along the breakwater. I told him he needed to tighten up before he runs out of line, he gradually made some line on it and it seemed a heavy fish. When it came to netting we had a common disaster as the fish went around the strop ropes meaning the fish wasn’t in the net and dad couldn’t move it. I had a really bad feeling, if the fish took off again it would be game over. We waiting patiently for the fish to swing round and as luck would have it that’s exactly what happened and dad had his prize. It was a cracking fish, if I remember correctly about 34lb and it’s about the happiest I’ve seen dad with a fish
I didn’t catch another one until 2023 when I had 3 in a week to 28-8 and lost another at the net highlighting the importance of being there at the right time.
2024 was another early season session that was memorable. I hooked a fish that felt different from the start, slower and heavier. Again the usual dance to get it in the net but this felt really heavy and dad and I struggled to get it up the wall. It was a really solid fish, big for a male and the first over the 40lb mark at 40-4
After weighing, photographing and returning I cast back out and the rod went again straight away with a much smaller fish of just under 20lb but again highlighting the importance of being there at the right time.
After a few more from the breakwater i really wanted one from the rocks. I had tried quite a few marks with no luck but the problem is being there at the right time so it’s difficult to find rock marks that will produce. Earlier this year I was fishing for eels and Huss and got bitten off a couple of times clearly from a Tope. A couple of targeted sessions later I had my first off the rocks at a little over 35lb and I’m looking forward to trying the rocks for some more.
Time will tell if the numbers will increase, we have had them for several years now and they are still few or far between and you are only seeing a handful each year.
So if you fancy having a go how do I target them? Well firstly if you are going to fish St Catherine’s for them I wouldn’t bother unless you have an adequate sized dropnet. At this point I would say St Catherine’s is still the best place to try, I don’t think it matters if you are on the back wall, the bottom wall or the end when the boulders are covered. As long as you are roughly from the 3 arches to the end then you are in the right area.
While I’m not saying how I fish is the best way to target them it has worked for me. Our Tope are relatively small certainly compared to west wales. Most of our fish are 20-30lb with the bigger fish upto maybe 40lb. I have no doubt eventually Pete Doubles long held record will go but if you look at the boat captures around the island there are huge numbers but the vast majority are under 40lb and a 50lb fish is pretty rare. Because of this I tend to scale my gear down accordingly. Rod of choice for me these days is the Century T700 which is paired with a Penn Casting Special which is loaded with 25 lb mono and a leader. If I can I prefer to use an up and over rig made from 80lb fluorocarbon, the trace is a 90lb wire biting link to more 80lb fluorocarbon. Hook of choice is a single 8/0 Manta Extra. If the bottom is too rough for an up and over I will use a pulley with a rotten bottom clip.
First choice bait for me is fresh Black Bream but I think they will take just about anything when they are there. I like to keep my baits pretty small, I will get 4 baits out of a bream about 1lb without using the head. Make sure your baits are tied on well with the hook really proud. If you get a run try not to be too eager, it takes time to lose that instant panic but I think your bite to fish ratio improves if you let them run a little before hitting them.
If you going to try on the rocks, make sure you have a plan how you will land one. I have a really big landing net I used which worked pretty well. I have a gaff with me but it more incase I hook a big eel really, I would be very reluctant to gaff a Tope.
Good luck if you have a go, the more people trying for them the more we will figure them out and hopefully find a pattern as to what brings them in shore at certain times.
The beginning of August carried on the theme of June & July with the fishing being pretty slow for me.
Typically in August I will fish the first couple of weeks and then have a breather before the open at the end of the month.
First session of the month after the mullet comp was to see if any Triggerfish were around. You would think with the summer we have had they would be there but it doesn’t seem to be the case. This session just produced a few small Black Bream which seem to be everywhere at the moment.
Next was a beach session for Mullet as I try and get my head around ledgering for them. It’s seems I’ve not picked the best year to try this and apart from a few small Bass and a small Golden Grey when I switched to worm for the last 20 minutes it was a blank.
Then it was another session for a Trigger, this time a different mark but the same outcome with Black Bream although I did miss a spectacular bite that nearly had the rod in. At the time I was convinced I had missed a Trigger but having returned since and had the same thing happen I think it’s more likely it was just a bigger Bream.
Then back to the beach ledgering for Mullet and another blank, it’s fair to say things were not looking great for the upcoming open!
Another Trigger session, more Black Bream and then a harbour session with Dad on float where we had a few Snipe and Scad.
That left time for one more session before the open so another bash for a Trigger which produced yet more Black Bream but at least this time there was a decent one amongst them at 1-14, just a week too early.
Then after a weeks breather it was time for the open. For anyone not familiar with the comp this is a week long event split into 9 species sections with the objective being to weigh in to as many sections as possible. In the event of a tie the angler who got to that number first wins. In order to weigh in you have to meet the minimum qualifying weight and also beat the 5th placed on the board. The qualifying weights are really tough and at the end of the week only 3 of the 9 sections were full.
I actually got off to a great start, first session was a low water wading session trying for a Bass. It was far too windy for a tripod so it was going to be one rod with your gear and bait strapped to you, not the easiest fishing. I was pretty disappointed when I got there as despite the wind the sea was really clear.
I decided to have a go anyway and the session started really slow, it was difficult to feel the bites with the wind but there were only a few schoolie rattles. About an hour after low I had a decent pull round and hooked what felt like a decent fish. I picked some weed up on the way in so couldn’t really feel the fish to much but as I got closer in it started going mad, then it suddenly appeared in front of me, a fish about 2lb foul hooked in the stomach! Had me going for a while. I baited up again, cast out and walked back about 100 yards. I tried to tighten up but every time I did it went slack again. I either had weed that was getting pushed up the beach with the tide or it was a fish. I wound down and struck and felt a definite kick of a fish. It felt pretty decent but again I picked up weed and couldn’t really feel the fish. Gradually I wound it all back to me, I saw the weed hit the surface and could make out a decent looking fish underneath. Suddenly the fish came up and a big head came out the water, definitely looked a weigher. At this point I’m slowly walking backwards to keep pressure on while trying to unclip my net from my drybag, eventually I get the net off and breathe a sigh of relief when it’s finally in the net. A long walk back to dry land against the wind, a quick video measure at just under 67cm and back it went. First fish on the board, great result.
A long walk back to the van, home for some different gear and a quick drive up to the north coast to assess the conditions which were way beyond fishable so it was a short mullet session on the south coast to end the day which was a blank.
Sunday and the weather hasn’t improved so it’s an early morning Mullet session that was plagued by small fish. I had 2 but one of them was on the ledger gear which was progress. Home for lunch before heading out for a Wrasse session in the hope of finding somewhere fishable over the low water. A very long climb and a bit hairy at the end but I got to a mark I hadn’t fished for quite a few years. First drop I had 2 wrasse both about a pound and a half which I thought looked promising. I had bites for about an hour before they dried up but nothing decent with the biggest 2-14, not even quite big enough for a club weigher. Due to the climb I had travelled light and when the heavens opened and we had a massive thunderstorm I got absolutely drenched making the climb back up pretty sketchy and the long walk miserable.
Monday and the weather was still pretty restrictive but I went and tried for a bream on float using heavy gear. It was barely fishable and I only had a few small bream but I did see a decent mullet in the chervy so noted that for a return when the conditions improve. Home for a bit of lunch and then off again for another low water Wrasse session. When I arrived the swell was nasty and there was a lot of loose Kelp washing around, catching the line and dragging your gear into the snags. It was super tough but I hoped as the tide pushed in and it got a little deeper the swell would ease a little and it might just be fishable. About an hour and a half after low I had a few small fish rattles on limpet so switched to crab. I had a perfectly timed brief lull in the swell, had my first proper bite and lifted into a decent Wrasse. It was super shallow so was on the surface in seconds. It was too risky to try and net so it was a wind down and hope and luckily everything held firm. It looked a possible, and on the ruler it went just over the 50cm minimum. Interestingly I am positive I had this same fish from this mark in both 2023 & 2024, looked identical and was pretty much the same size. I haven’t fished the mark in between these sessions so if I am correct that’s 3 consecutive sessions I have caught the same Wrasse, showing the benefit of a catch and release policy. Hopefully I will catch it again in next years comp 😀. There a lovely big rock pool to give it plenty of time to recover before safely putting it back. Great stuff, 2 fish on the board.
A quick dash home to grab some other gear and have an hour on the Bream but the sea was still way to rough and I had just 1 small one.
Tuesday I was up at first light as the weather had finally settled down a bit although conditions were far from perfect. Black Bream and possible Mullet were the target. I got to the mark and it was still pretty lumpy but I felt I could fish. It was a pretty slow start but eventually the Bream moved in and I was catching plenty but the average size was smaller than usual and I was losing confidence. I saw a few Mullet show up, they didn’t look big but I had a go anyway and soon hooked one about a pound and a half. Back on the Bream and they kept coming finishing with about 3 dozen with the best only about 1-4. One small bonus was a club weigher Scad of 12 ozs.
The afternoon I decided to go and try for a Mackerel. There were anglers at my first choice mark so it was plan B which was slow going finishing with 10 Mackerel but only upto 12ozs.
Wednesday was another dawn start this time back to try for the Mullet I had seen earlier in the week and maybe a Bream. I was bothered by the fact I had forgotten my fluorocarbon hooklink material so had to go old school with the 6lb mono reel line straight through. First bite was a small Black Bream which did me a favour as when I went to lift it out my line snapped on the shot, I had clearly been a little too enthusiastic putting them on. I set up again a bit more carefully, dropped the float back in deep and kept scanning for fish. The float dipped and I was in and this didn’t have the telltale rattle of a Bream. It made a great first run but when I saw it I thought it was only about 2lb but it just wouldn’t give up. Eventually it tired and when I slid it into the net the 2lb looked more like 4lb. This fish wasn’t coming off, the hook was right through the top lip nailed perfectly. A quick measure to check it was big enough and it went 54.5cm, my third fish of the week and just 10 minutes before the weigh-in cut off time. This left me as the first angler to 3 meaning anyone else would need 4 but the last 2 years the winner has had 5 so a long way to go.
I fished on, no more signs of Mullet but I had quite a few Black Bream but again not big enough, the best about 1-6 as well as Garfish to 13ozs.
It was time to start doing some night fishing, something I tend to leave until I have a couple of daytime fish on the board. I am the first to admit I don’t have the stamina of the younger generation to fish every day and every night so I concentrate on the daytime fish at the start which I think are slightly easier than the night time species.
I was so surprised to be Conger fishing I actually had to make some traces up! I did a short trip Wednesday night, just a few small eels and no decent bites.
Thursday morning, another rockmark but the same approach for a Black Bream. Again lots of fish 20+ but no size and for the first time in quite a few years I felt I wasn’t going to find a weigher Bream.
Thursday night was another rockmark for a Conger or maybe a Huss. It was a strange session, unbelievably quiet at a mark that’s normally non stop with small eels and dogfish if nothing else. Either it had already been fished once or twice in the week which is always a risk this week or just maybe there was a Tope around but whatever the reason I blanked.
Friday morning was back on the Bream but this time I opted for the bottom rods. The wind was really strong making fishing difficult and I also had Lobster pots in the way. The few Bream I caught were tiny but the session was memorable for 2 reasons. Firstly I twice saw a big BF Tuna jump about 50 yards in front of my and secondly I caught my first ever Comber, in fact I caught 2 of them. It’s pretty rare I catch a new species there days, technically a PB I guess and I believe my 59th Jersey shore species although that may actually be 60 because I’m pretty sure I caught Dab locally as a kid but I have no definitive record of it.
Friday night and another Conger session. Result was the same, small eels to maybe 10lb, so I decided to call it a night pretty early to get up and have one last bash for a Bream in the morning.
At this point last years winner Sam Bennie had moved onto 3 fish with a whole host of other anglers on 2 so I really felt I needed a 4th fish.
Saturday morning and feeling a little jaded I headed out for yet another Bream session. When I got to the mark it was a lot rougher than I was expecting and I didn’t really fancy it. I started getting bites from small Bream, but not much else. I went to have a bait check and got hit on the way in giving me hopes of a last minute jumbo Mackerel but it turned out to be a Bass about 2 and a half pound. I finished on seven or eight Bream, all small and it was time to pack up and wait and see if anyone had managed to get to 4. A couple of late fish from the legend that is Steve Mullins that included a cracking 4lb + Gilthead meant myself, Steve and Sam all finished on 3 with me taking the win for being the first to get there. I also had the most points but the winning numbers this year were fairly modest compared to the last couple of years. It’s been a slow summer and the conditions of the week made it tough which I think is reflected in the final board.
So at the presentation I finished first overall, my 7th win which I’m pretty pleased with. 1st in the best Jersey Angler which is the most accumulated points, 1st in the Bass, 2nd in the Wrasse and 5th in the Mullet. I was particularly pleased to win the Bass as I hadn’t won that section previously meaning over the years I have won 6 of the 9 sections with just Conger and the 2 Mullet sections to go so that won’t happen anytime soon.
In all seriousness it was super tight margins this year, other anglers had bad luck with lost fish and it could easily of gone a different way.
A massive thank you to all the organising committee and the sponsors that make this week possible.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and fished hard all week, especially those who managed to weigh in.
Commiserations must go to Paul Le Neveu who for me caught the fish of the week, a super rare Marbled Electric Ray of over 8lb and forgot to put the tag in the weigh and release video. When you’re exhausted it’s so easy to make a simple mistake like that but as least you still caught the fish which is special.
To put the week in perspective I did 16 sessions, most involving a climb down a cliff. I generally fish twice a week so this is close to 2 months fishing in a week for me!
The final leaderboardThe entered fish list including Junior fish
September sees me off on holiday again in a couple of weeks to Madeira, this time I am hoping to take a travel rod along and perhaps add a few new species. Locally I will likely try for a Thin Lipped if the weather plays ball.
Next up on the competition agenda is the shore conger festival the first weekend in October. Entry forms will be out for this one in the next week or so, format is the same as last year with big prizes available for both the overall and St Catherine’s sections as well as the Juniors.
With just a couple of weeks to go until this years Jersey Open Shore Angling Festival (JOSAF) I thought it would be apt to write a post about it.
I remember way back in 2003 when it was announced there would be a week long festival along the lines of the Alderney angling festival I was super excited to have a go. I didn’t have enough holidays to take the full week off but I did have a couple of days left so had the Monday & Tuesday off. Back then it was held at the beginning of June so no bank holiday Monday.
When the entry forms came out and I saw the qualifying weights my confidence took a dent, they were super tough with Wrasse 5lb, Conger 20lb & Black Bream 2-8 to name a few. They are however of course the same for everyone so you can only have a go. That first year I fished really hard but never managed a single qualifying fish, the closest being a Wrasse of 4-10. It was a reality check.
The second year was equally difficult but I did finally manage to weigh a fish in with a 5th placed Wrasse just over 5lb.
It’s a fantastic comp and a real challenge but it can also be super tough when you are putting in so much effort and failing to find a single weighable fish.
2005 was when the comp was moved to August giving everyone the bank holiday weekend. I was in Florida for 3 weeks arriving back in the island on the Friday before the start and heading back to work on the Tuesday. I actually got off to a good start with a weigher Thick Lipped on the Saturday, a lovely 5-7 Wrasse on the Sunday and then a British Record White Bream of 1-7-4 on the Monday. It was pretty frustrating having to go back to work but I was completely exhausted and found the rest of the week really tough. Looking back through my diaries I actually have the final board from that year which makes interesting reading.
2006 was dads year to get his name on the trophy. He managed 4 on the board, Wrasse, Conger, Bass & Mullet. There were some incredible fish that year including a 14-3 Bass & a 35-4 Conger.
2007 was last morning heartbreak for me, not for the overall but for the Gavey family trophy for best Wrasse. I had the biggest on the board at 6-5 but was pipped by Roy Newton on the last morning with a 6-6-2. I did have the consolation of the best Ray with a 9-2 Small Eyed. Other fish that year were a 6lb ThickLipped and a 3-3 Trigger but there were a lot of gaps on the final board.
On to 2008 and it was my year. As often is the case for whoever wins, everything comes together and you also have a bit of luck. I finished with 5 on the board, Wrasse of 5-14, Bass of 6-7, 3 Bearded Rockling of 1-12, Smalleyed of 6-14 and a couple of Mackerel over a pound. I also had a 19lb Conger that wasn’t big enough to weigh in. Other winning fish that year were 5-6 ThickLipped, 5-15 Wrasse and 7-12 Bass.
2009 I had a Wrasse of 5-1 and some Triggerfish to 2-9 but unfortunately I don’t have the final list.
2010 was an incredible year for big fish, Conger of 41-4, ThickLipped 6-3, Golden 2-9 and even a 2-12 Plaice. If I remember correctly the Golden record went 2 or 3 times during the week.
2011 I had the most incredible start with 6 weighable fish at the first weigh-in, 5 ThickLipped Mullet and a BlackBream. Unfortunately I misunderstood the rules and thought I could only weigh 2 in so put a couple back lol. It was another year for amazing fish topped off by an incredible 46-12 Conger.
2012 was a special year for me because I finally managed to win the Gavey trophy for best Wrasse albeit with a modest fish of 5-3. That year was quite tough, biggest Thicklipped was 4-14, Golden 2-4, Bream 2-6 and Bass 6-12.
2013 is another year I don’t have any results for but it was another good Wrasse that was the highlight of the week to retain the Gavey trophy, this time a proper fish of 6-13.
2014 and Déjà vu for me as I made it a hatrick of Wrasse wins with another beauty of 6-12-2.
2015 was another great start for me with 4 fish at the first weigh-in, 3 Black Bream & a White Bream. If only it could start like that every year!
2016 sadly I missed, the only year I haven’t entered due to an illness in the family. It was really hard watching the Facebook feed throughout the week and not being a part of it. If my memory serves me correctly Paul Wheaton won that year with 4 weighers.
Frustratingly I don’t seem to have any notes about the final board for these years, 2017 for me was 3 weighers, White Bream, Black Bream & Bass.
2018 was a real struggle for me finishing with just a Black Bream on the board.
2019 was another tough year, a nice Wrasse of 52cm and a Mackerel just over a pound being all I managed.
2020 was even harder only weighing in a couple of Black Bream just size. This comp is really really tough 🤯
2021 was a strange year with tiny tides and tough fishing. For quite a few years now I hadn’t taken any time off work and just fished the opening weekend and a few hours after work each day. I had a weeks holiday booked from the final Saturday so for the first time would miss the presentation. It was a slow week with a lot of people including myself on 2 fish late in the week and it was looking like whoever got the 3rd fish first might get over the line. I decided to do a short Rockling bash and managed a weigher of 1-7 which in the end made the difference. I was a little embarrassed to not be at the presentation made all the more frustrating when for the only time ever we won the 4 man team. Lesson learnt. I have a few results from that year that included 8lb Bass, 6lb ThickLipped, 6lb Wrasse, 4lb Triggerfish and a 25lb Tope.
2022 was another close year with a number of anglers finishing on 3 fish weighed in with Wayne Cassin taking the honours for being the first to achieve that target. It was memorable for me with a 4th Gavey trophy for the best Wrasse caught on the last morning.
2023 was a year to forget when I had a possible weigher Bass wading and stupidly unhooked it in the water to put in my dry bag to walk back to shore and dropped it. Not the first time I’ve lost an important fish late in the week due to a stupid mistake but tiredness does that to you.
2024 I had holidays spare so for the first time in many years I decided to take the week off and in my own words “ Just chill out and enjoy a weeks fishing” err yeah of course.
As it happens it couldn’t of gone better, a 62cm Bass on the first day, a 1-13 Black Bream on the Sunday and a 50cm Wrasse on the Monday got me off to a great start. It then gets really tough and I fished really hard for a 4th fish which finally came on Thursday with a 55cm ThickLipped. There was one final twist on the Friday night when I had a 10-1 Bullhuss to finish my week, if only it could be like this every year!
On to last year and very much a comp of 2 halves. A great start with 4 weighers by the end of Monday but I couldn’t find the 5th dropping a Bass while walking it back to the beach and Sam Bennie put in an incredible performance to come back and finish on 5 fish.
So what will 2026 hold. If my fishing the last couple of months is anything to go by it will be really tough but let’s be honest it is never easy. I have always said if you have a fish on the board at the end of the week then you have had a good week because it’s super tough to catch anything big enough to weigh.
That said it’s a great week, a very well run event and a hell of a challenge. If no sleep, erratic meal times and a massive rollercoaster of emotions sounds like a fun week then give it a go. If you’re not local but want to follow the week look up JOSAF on Facebook.
Well I have to be honest, I am finding the fishing really hard at the moment, plenty of effort but very little in the way of quality to show for it.
After catching that lovely PB Thick Lipped Mullet last year I have spent some time this month exploring some of my old north coast Mullet marks but they seem devoid of Mullet, maybe with the hot weather they are all on the beaches and in the shallows.
My fishing month actually started ok, a short Mackerel session to get a feed and I managed 8, enough for us and dad and my first of the year.
Then it was a Mullet session on the rocks. The start of the session was ambushed by a shoal of Black Bream, catching one after the other about 3 feet deep on Bread which was good fun but not the target species. They were a decent average size with the best just shy of a club weigher at 1-7. Eventually they moved off and it went quiet before I finally found the intended target although not a monster at 2-13.
Then it was the same attack at a different mark that I had ground baited for a couple of days and then fished for best part of 3 hours without seeing a single fish or having a bite before finally accepting defeat and float fishing in one of the rock pools where I had seen some Giant Gobies for my species hunt. Desperate times indeed!
I then decided on a change in approach and had a go on a beach for a Mullet instead, not something I have done much of. I managed to get quite a few small fish feeding but with the wind was struggling to present a bait and only managed a few missed bites. Perhaps next time I will take the ledger rod instead.
It was then time to get dad out for a session so we hit the town harbour to try for either a Gurnard or a Common Eel. First cast I had a classic Common Eel bite and when it slowly moved off I hit it and all hell broke loose. This was clearly the mother of all Common Eels and on braid was going mental. After a few minutes struggle I started to think maybe this wasn’t a Common Eel after all and sure enough a Conger of about 5lb finally surfaced after giving me a hell of a run around. Not expected in the harbour on a bright hot sunny day but as it turned out we went on to lose several more.
Next it was another of my old north coast haunts to try for a Mullet, another session that was ambushed by Black Bream only this time I did manage a club weigher of 1-8.
I had so much fun I went back the next day but as often happens when you do that it’s never as good and after an early flurry of Bream it went quiet before I finally had a Mullet albeit only about a pound.
Then a bit of Déjà vu another rockmark for Mullet with the same result, Black Bream on bread and no mullet.
It was then time for the Sinkers Wrasse comp. Frustratingly I didn’t have much time over the weekend – I had a 90th birthday party & a 40th wedding anniversary party proof I’m getting old! – but I did squeeze in a few short sessions.
Friday night I managed a couple hours at the start at a low water mark that was unbelievably quiet and I couldn’t quite believe I blanked.
Saturday I only had a few hours in the afternoon so I went to St Catherine’s with dad where we had a few small fish but nothing over the 40cm minimum.
That just left one last opportunity on Sunday morning so I picked a rock mark I’ve not been to for a few years that was always good for a few bites if not quality fish. It was a bit of a climb down with no path which filled me with hope as it didn’t look like it had been fished in a while. I finally got down, put my rod down, turned around and there was a bloody great seal right where I fish! Needless to say I couldn’t get a bite before eventually moving a little further over and catching a few small fish.
In all seriousness we are seeing more and more seals inshore and they can do some serious damage especially to a slow growing species like Wrasse. I have a few marks I used to fish that are now devoid of Wrasse after a seal moved in.
There were some decent fish caught over the weekend with Adam Loxton taking the honours with a chunky 50cm fish of 5lb.
I then did a couple more beach sessions on worm hoping for a Bass or maybe a Golden Grey Mullet. First session the weather was a lot windier than I expected which coloured the water resulting in loads of small Bass & Giltheads. The second session the weather improved but despite moving a couple of times I only managed small Bass again.
Next up was a bait collecting mission after reports of a few more Mackerel showing. They weren’t exactly in their hundreds but I did manage 21 for the freezer in a couple of hours with a chunky one of 1lb amongst them for another club weigher.
Then it was time for the next club competition, this time the Mullet competition. Apart from helping my wife set up and pack up at the craft market on Saturday I had a relatively free weekend so was looking forward to having a go even if I struggle with Mullet at the best of times and lately haven’t been able to catch one of any size.
Friday I continued the theme of doing a rock mark, this time a 3 hour session without a bite. I did see a couple of mullet but they were tiny.
Saturday while the craft market was going on I was off to another rock mark and again no sign of any mullet despite me having chervied this one for a few days before. I did have a few Black Bream but never saw a Mullet and I think I have to concede it’s not going to happen on the rocks while the weather is so warm and I’m going to have to fish in the shallows.
With that in mind I was up super early on Sunday to fish the tide up from low to high. The session started slow and took a turn for the worse when I got my Costa sunglasses out to find they had somehow got broken in the case. I then had a few fish feeding, signs of life at last and was almost in shock when I actually hooked one, but that elation turned to despair when it came off. I persisted and eventually started to get the measure of it and managed a couple of nice fish, the biggest going 53cm just a little bigger than the next at 52cm.
At the weigh-in it was just big enough for a surprise 2nd place, some distance behind the winning fish of 57cm for Sam Bennie.
The end of August sees the annual Jersey Open Shore Angling Festival (JOSAF) so hopefully I can improve my results a bit by then. It’s a week long festival that will run into September so the August review post will follow the end of the comp.
If you’re taking part good luck, it’s my favourite comp of the year because it includes all species but it’s always super tough.
Way back when I was a member of the now defunct Jersey Light Tackle Group there was a trophy for the most unusual fish of the year.
With climate change who knows what species we might see in the future, some fish I have caught or seen caught over the years were super rare when they were caught but transgressed to become quite common.
I remember catching a Triggerfish at St Catherine’s Breakwater during my school holidays way back in the late 80’s and having no idea what it was. Triggerfish went on to be quite common at different times, I can actually remember catching 14 in one session during the JOSAF. They are not quite as prolific today but there are some caught most years.
Similar can be said of quite a few species Smoothounds, Stingray & Thinlipped Mullet all unheard of when the first few were caught but now regularly targeted and caught.
Another example of this is White Bream. When I caught my first White Bream which was also during JOSAF it was a British record and only the second recorded capture in the UK. Again I wasn’t sure what it was when I caught it, I have since caught quite a few and while they are far from common they are no longer considered an oddity.
If I look back at the most unusual fish I have seen caught there is one clear winner and that is the Lumpsucker dad caught while float fishing for Garfish. With our seas getting warmer I think it’s extremely unlikely I will ever see another one caught.
I think the most unusual fish I have caught personally was a shore caught Ling caught fishing for Smalleyed Ray in the middle of a sandy bay. Proof you really never know what you might catch next.
Back in 2014 the world sea fishing forum set up a species hunt with badges for 20/30/40 species so I thought I would have a go as something different to do. I had no idea about the different mini species you would catch locally and identifying them all was a bit of a learning curve. Quite near the beginning I went to the steps on the Albert Pier with my newly acquired LRF Rod and isome worms to see what I could catch. With little clue what I was doing I struggled to catch anything but eventually managed to hook a little fish so I took a photo on the species card before letting it go. When I got home I got the species book out to figure out what kind of Goby or Blenny it was and it turned out to be a rare Butterfly Blenny. I had never seen one before but a few years later dad also caught one at St Catherine’s.
There are also of course species that are common in the UK but pretty unusual locally for example Cod.
A pretty common species but always a nice surprise when caught locally although I have seen a couple of winters where there has been a few Codling.
Another one that would fall under the bracket of common elsewhere but rare here is Thornback Ray.
I was over the moon with this microscopic one I caught a few years ago to make it 5 rays species for me locally.
Another unusual one that does turn up occasionally normally to lure anglers is the protected Twaite Shad. I was lucky enough to catch one of these Mackerel fishing at Bouley Bay pier a few years ago to add to my species list but it’s the only one I have ever caught.
There are quite a lot of species that turn up locally that I have never caught or even seen caught. Examples of these are Sea Trout, Salmon, Marbled Electric Ray although I did witness the first boat caught one many years ago and even a Topknot a species I have found often low water fishing but never actually seen caught.
So what’s the most unusual fish you have caught?
What will we see next? I used to think it was only a matter of time before we had Couches Bream but they have been in the other Channel Islands a long time now and apart from maybe a handful haven’t shown up here. We did have some Chub Mackerel a few years ago but they seem to of disappeared.
We will have to wait and see but with the summer we are having this year surely it’s only a matter of time before something else new turns up.
Well I have to be honest there’s not a great deal to report this month due to spending a big chunk of it on holiday meaning my first local trip didn’t happen until the 22nd of the month.
We were camping at Lyon’s Gate Caravan Park in Dorset which has a few lakes you can fish, nothing serious but you can have a bit of a fun with the Carp while you’re chilling out. I managed plenty of Carp like these.
And even managed to get one on video on the last morning.
First trip back was to St Caths with dad to try for a Smoothound which was a complete blank for both of us.
I followed that up with another Smoothound session, this time on the rocks. It started pretty slow but as the light faded they came on the feed and I finished up with 5 in total, nothing big but I at least managed a common and a starry over the 4lb club minimum as well as a bonus Bass of a couple of pounds.
That only left time for a short experimental Mullet session which was another blank.
No more off island holidays now till September so while I can’t promise more fish in July I hopefully can promise a fair bit more fishing.
Yeah ok this blog is called Shore Fishing Jersey but as I’m currently on holiday camping in Dorset with no access to my diaries I thought I would write about the trip I did to Canada in 2012.
It was a surprise trip for my wife Zena to see some family in Canada, I booked the trip and then decided to look into what fishing opportunities there might be while we were there having no real idea about the fishing in Canada.
I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered you can go guided Sturgeon fishing on the Fraser river in British Columbia which was close enough to where we were staying in Vancouver. Anyone who knows me will know I will do anything to avoid getting on a boat so I researched the idea of fishing from the bank but quickly discovered it’s illegal as you are likely to get eaten by the bears, a fairly compelling reason I guess.
It was going to have to be a boat then, so I set about researching the available guides and there a lot of them. After looking on the various forums I was recommended one of the smaller companies called Cascade Fishing Adventures which were actually one of the older companies. I booked the boat to myself for 2 days to give myself the best chance of hooking a fish.
We were in Canada for 2 weeks and the 2 days fishing were in the middle of the second week so I had a lot of exposure to the truly phenomenal views that are just everywhere and I knew the river was going to be stunning.
The whole Salmon and Sturgeon fishery set up there is really incredible and an education for us all. It’s a massive tourist attraction with hotels set up to cater for the anglers and a massive tackle shop all in the same area. I was dropped at the hotel the night before my first days fishing, not getting much sleep due to a mixture of excitement and apprehension. The hotel was full of anglers from all over the world and it’s like that all the time.
The first morning I was waiting outside my hotel for my guide along with all the other anglers as a stream of 4×4’s and boats arrived to pick everyone up. It was quite interesting that we were one of the last to leave and we went in the opposite direction to every other boat. The guide told me that most of the guides will just go to the obvious places and all be congregated together, we were going somewhere more remote where we would most likely not see another boat.
The view were really breathtaking.
The gear was quite interesting, the rods were actually cut down beach casters with lever drag reels loaded with braid. It wasn’t very deep but there was a lot of flow and 1lb of lead was needed to hold bottom. Bait was sections of lamprey which I believe is a seasonal thing with salmon eggs being the first choice at different times of the year. The one thing I struggled to get my head around was they don’t change the bait, often using the same bait to catch several fish which seems pretty alien to me.
The sturgeon are a complete catch and release fishery, barbless hooks only and you are not allowed to take any fish out of the water unless they are really small, if you want a photo you have to get into the water with the fish.
The first day the fishing was quite slow, there had been a lot of rain in the previous few days which causes a lot of debris on the river causing a similar problem we get with weed. I had one smaller fish which was nice to avoid a blank.
And then right at the end of the day when it was just coming to pack up time I hooked into a much bigger fish. It might have been 14 years ago but I can still remember these things really go. Imagine hooking a fish of around 150lb in less than 20 foot of water with so much flow you need 1lb of lead to hold bottom and your using braid!
After what felt a titanic battle including the fish jumping right at the back of the boat a few times it finally tired a bit and we were able to slowly motor into the bank where we could get a measure and a converted weight. I can’t remember the exact conversion but it was in the region of 150lb
The second day we again went in the opposite direction to the other boats and found ourselves all alone. The debris had cleared and the fishing was much better with a constant stream of fish. Early afternoon I hooked into another big fish that wasn’t stopping so we had to lift the anchor and follow it with the boat as it had gone around a bend in the river. It turned into an epic battle that resulted in my biggest of the trip at 6ft 10inches and around 170lb.
We motored back out to the spot and dropped the anchor and within 2 minutes of the bait hitting the bottom I was in again with another big fish. This was really jumping, a spectacular sight. I managed to land this one without having to up the anchor but we released it at the side of the boat with the guide estimating 150lb plus. I was completely wrecked and we still had a couple of hours to go.
At this point I think he could see I was shattered so suggested we go try for a Salmon for the last couple of hours. I had seen some Salmon fishing in Canada on tv a few times and they struggled to catch so I was a bit sceptical but he assured me there was a good chance of fish so we went and had a go.
We moved to where another river converged with the Fraser and for the first time in 2 days we saw other anglers. The gear for this was really strange, a spinning rod with an Abu 7000 set up on float with a tin head lure instead of bait. There were Salmon jumping regularly and he said just stand in the water, trot the float down the seam. Easy enough I thought, just like snipe fishing and first trot I was in to a decent sized Salmon. It turned out at that time of the year they are heading back into the river so are pretty tired so the fight is nothing special. I went on to catch several before it was time to pack up mainly around 10-15lb, I was told I’m allowed to keep one but I can’t give it to the guide. I declined but Zena’s family were not impressed when I told them lol.
And that was it. An epic adventure which I would recommend to anyone. While we were there Zena’s uncle took me to a greasy spoon cafe in a builders yard. I wondered what we were doing there until he showed me a wall of loads of really old photos of giant Sturgeon from back in the day before the fishery became controlled, some of these fish were over 12 foot long and likely over 1000lb.
The guide told me normally once they get much over 400lb it normally takes more than one angler to land them. I can imagine.
May started how every month should start with a bank holiday weekend which provided some great fishing.
I started on the Friday evening with a trip for a Stingray. I had a small Gilthead Bream first cast before a better bite produced a much better Gilthead of 4-1, by far the biggest I have caught from this area and a lovely start to the weekend.
The session finished with a small Smoothound, no sign of a Stingray but a great session all the same.
Saturday and the weather had changed with cloud and rain so I decided against another trip for a Stingray and went and had a go for a Tope instead. The session started pretty well with a couple of decent size Black Bream and a Pouting to give me some fresh bait. After that it was pretty quiet with just the odd strap Conger and Dogfish. I got down to my last 2 fresh baits so put both rods out for one last cast. 5 minutes before reel in time the left hand rod pulled over and the reel started running. I picked the rod up and let it run for a bit before putting my thumb on the spool and lifting in to it.
I have fished the rocks at night for big fish on my own for years and always have a plan in place for landing a fish if necessary. This was the same but the fish hadn’t read the script and ran the complete opposite direction to what I was expecting, taking me away from my net and where I had planned to land it. It took a while but I gradually managed to coax it back where I wanted it, scrambled down the rocks to see it was a decent fish. I was a bit worried it wouldn’t fit in the net but I really don’t want to gaff a Tope so I got the head in, dropped the rod and lifted both sides of the net and it was mine.
It was definitely bigger than I was expecting and after climbing back up for the sling and scales it weighed 35-2. A couple of quick photos and back it went, with me packing up a happy man. Finally a Tope off the rocks.
I have learnt with the Tope that when you get one it’s worth another session as there’s often a few in the area so the next day I went off in the morning and caught enough Bream to go back in the evening. That night I was back again but unfortunately I couldn’t do it again and only had a few strap Conger.
Bank holiday Monday was just another short trip in the evening for a Stingray, it started with a school Bass before a proper Ray bite pulled the rod over. I left it for a bit and nothing else happened, it was either on and just sitting still or it had dropped the bait. I wound down and felt a decent bit of weight and enough movement to know it was a Ray and not weed. As it got closer in it starting kiting all over the place before I managed to slip it in the net, not a monster at 13-10 but nice to catch one.
After the excitement of the weekend the fishing for me went downhill pretty quick.
The following weekend the weather was not nice and I only managed a short Mullet session which was a blank.
Then it was time to get dad out for his first session in 3 months following a knee replacement. We fished the bottom wall of St Caths each with a Tope rod and a bait rod. There was a fair amount of Dogfish and Spider Crabs to contend with but I did manage a couple of Black Bream for bait. I shared them with Dad and he had a strange episode on his Tope rod. He had a typical Dogfish bite and picked the rod up to check the bait. He wound in to what felt like a Doggy until it was right under the wall when a big Tope appeared instead of a Dogfish, shook its head and let go of the bait. It must of picked the bait up and swam the whole way in and then let it go. We were both gutted, what a comeback session that would have been.
Then it was back on the Stingers but again frustratingly the tides were good but the weather wasn’t and I even had a hail shower, not typical Stingray weather and an unsurprising blank.
It was then time for the challenge match, this is a 24 hour event where the 2 local clubs fish against each other. I decided to fish it with dad at St Caths with it being Tope or bust really. I went off in the morning to catch some fresh bait which turned out to be a lot harder than expected with just 3 Bream in with the Dogfish & even a strap Conger. The Tope session at St Catherine’s was completely dead with just a couple of Dogfish and a lot of spider crab trouble for our 4 hours effort.
At the weigh in there was only 3 ThickLipped Mullet to just under 4lb for the specimen hunters and 3 Giltheads to just over 3lb for the Sinkers meaning the specimen hunters took the trophy. This was actually the 2025 event due to a postponement so we will have a chance to win it back later in the year.
Then it was yet another session for a Stingray, I am doing really short sessions for these this year, normally 2 hours at the peak tide times as I’ve rarely not caught in the first couple of hours and then had one. This trip produced a nice Bass of 54cm first cast which was deep hooked so came home for dinner but there was no further action.
The next day I had a spare hour in the afternoon so decided to go and try for a Mackerel for tea. As soon as I got out the van I was greeted by white water as there was an unexpected huge swell running. I nearly didn’t bother but decided to try anyway giving up after 20 minutes as it was clearly a waste of time.
It was then the second bank holiday weekend of the month and this time it coincided with a heat wave and scorching hot conditions. I didn’t fish so much over this weekend, my wife had a craft market on the Saturday I needed to help set up and pack up so in the middle time I went and caught a few Black Bream before trying for a Tope in the evening that turned into one of those sessions where everything goes wrong. Firstly when I arrived at the mark there were lobster pots right in the way that must of had an enormous amount of rope on them as they must have moved a good 300 yards in either direction throughout the session causing a lot of lost gear. Then I noticed the top ring on one of my rods was damaged but still usable. I then noticed some damaged line on my other rod and on closer inspection found a crack in one of the eyes that was fraying the line. it wasn’t going well and I ended up fishing super short range to avoid the pots and only managed a small strap conger.
I didn’t fish the Sunday but decided to try for a Stingray on the Monday for a couple of hours. It wasn’t the best tide but it was super hot so decided to try anyway but to no avail.
The next day it was back to work but I nipped out after work for a couple of hours to try for a mullet. There was still a big swell making it challenging fishing, nothing had happened when I saw a solitary fish take a bit of crust, I shallowed right up and cast to it and a couple of minutes later the float slid away and after a cracking scrap for the size of it I slid a mullet of 3-6 into the net, the only action of the session.
Then it was back on the Stingers for the final weekend of the month. I decided to do a couple of short sessions on the evening tides, the first producing one small ray of 8-7,
The second night the conditions were a little better and produced a small Bass, a nice Gilthead of 1lb + and another stinger which I didn’t weigh of similar size that absolutely tore off like a Tope.
As much as I’m enjoying catching these Stingers fairly regularly I feel it’s now time to move on from the usual area and try and find somewhere new. It’s likely to mean a lot of blanks but hopefully it will eventually lead to finding a bigger one.
With that in mind I did one last session today with the rest of my bait in a new area for me. No Stingray’s but I did manage a few Bass with this the best of them all quickly returned.
And that’s another month over.
I am off on holiday in a few days for a little over 2 weeks camping in Dorset so there won’t be much sea fishing for me in June. There are a few lakes on the campsite so I will have a bit of fun with the carp, no monsters but good fun on the right gear.
One final note for this month, our local fisheries department and conducting a survey of recreational fisherman. I personally believe it’s really important as many people as possible fill this in. I know there is some scepticism about their motives but it’s really about trying to factually show the positive benefits recreational anglers bring to the island both in terms of the economy but also the physical and mental health of people who fish. The more we can show we are contributing the bigger our political voice will be when future policies are decided. If you don’t want to complete the section on the areas you fish that’s fine but please take the time to complete the rest of the survey which can be found here. https://survey.gov.je/s/JRFS2026/
