September Review

Most of September can be described in two words; wind and swell. It was frustrating at times with the weather preventing access to the marks you want to fish or just creating completely the wrong conditions for the target species but of course we all love to moan about the weather!

The fishing started for me with a trip to St Catherine’s with dad where we fished the bottom wall trying to catch a Comber. Sadly I think it was just too wild and all we managed was a solitary small Black Bream.

Next there was a 24 hour window in the weather so I took the opportunity to have a go for a Stingray. I had been fishing for about an hour when the rod doubled over nearly taking the tripod with it. I tightened up ready to strike and everything went slack, my line had parted well up with no pressure on it at all, obviously damaged somehow but pretty frustrating and I thought my chance had gone. I rigged up again and carried on ruing the missed opportunity. About half an hour later the rod doubles over again and this time everything held as I tightened up and the fish took off like a train. They give a great account of themselves and can be quite difficult to judge how big they are as even a little one can give you the run around. After the first powerful run it swam in quite a bit before digging in close in. When it finally popped up it looked reasonable and felt fairly heavy in the net. On the scales it went 16-9, someway short of the monster I dream of but my biggest of the year and enough to put a smile on my face after the earlier loss.

The rest of the session was quiet with just a Gilthead of about 1lb which came home for dinner.

Next up was a bash for a Thin Lipped which I have found difficult to find this year, and the weather wasn’t helping. Frustratingly I had 1 in August which I didn’t bother to photograph for my species hunt or weigh for the club because I thought I would catch plenty and a bigger one. Lesson learned hopefully. Anyway this trip I tried 2 different marks, the first produced nothing at all, the second numerous follows from small fish but no takes.

Then it was a short harbour session with dad on the float which produced plenty of Mackerel as well as a single Scad.

Then another short Harbour session as the swell was making the rocks pretty much impossible, this time on the bottom trying for a Gurnard which produced several Mackerel and a solitary small Tub for my species hunt.

Then it was another roaming session on the Thin Lips which produced two complete blanks before I gave up and hooked the lrf stuff out the van and went rock pooling where I caught this tiny Rock Goby probably the smallest fish I have ever caught. Desperate times indeed.

Then another short session on the thinnies that produced a couple of follows and 1 lost fish before the swell washed me off. So frustrating.

Then it was time for the next round of the Bass on measure. I have to confess I haven’t really put the effort in for this comp this year after fishing it hard last year but I still enter each round and try and do at least 1 bass session.

I had plans for the Friday night, but when it arrived with bright sunshine and light winds I couldn’t resist the urge to try for a Stinger after weeks of bad weather. It turned into a fun session with a brace of Ray, the first a fat fish of 12-4 and the second a little baby about 5-8 as well as a couple of little Smoothound pups.

The next day the weather returned to its default wind and rain so I decided to try a beach mark over the low for a Bass. It was one of the slowest sessions I can remember on the beach with the only bite being a little Smoothound pup, hard work when your standing in the waves in the rain holding a 16ft beachcaster.

Despite the poor conditions I went back for a Stinger in the evening but the conditions make a difference and all I had was a couple more Smoothound pups.

When I got home I sorted some lure gear out with a plan to do dawn on the Sunday if I got up. The dog woke me up just after 5am and it was pouring down. I thought about it for a while then thought sod it I’m awake now I may as well go for an hour.

I made my way to the mark which was like a skating rink in the rain and just as it started to get light I got hit by a decent fish that took off like a train. I was just starting to get some control when it came off. Gutted. Next cast another hit,smaller fish but they only need to be 42cm. Then that one came off as well, what was going on. I checked the hook, super sharp so it was just one of those things. I moved along to the next point and second cast bang, another screamer. This one knew what it was doing as it charged along the shallows and i prayed it stayed on. Eventually I managed to get it to go out into deeper water and after a few more short bursts it was ready for the net. I needn’t of worried about it coming off, I could barely see the top of the lure, it had completely engulfed it so it came home for dinner. On the ruler it went just over 58cm, a nice lure fish and big enough for 2nd place in the round just 1cm behind the winner Dan Bryant.

The wind then swung to the East and the temperature dipped but the swell finally dropped and I felt there was still a chance of a thin lipped.

Well not for me, 2 sessions at 2 different marks and no follows or takes. They just don’t seem to be there like previous years.

There was just time for another short trip on the lures which produced a couple of Bass around 50cm before it was time for this years Conger Festival.

I did both nights at St Catherine’s on the bottom wall with dad where we only had small eels upto 10-6 but there was some outstanding fish caught which fingers crossed heralds the return of some better eels. Here is a list of the winners along with photos of the winning fish.

And that was the end of the fishing for the month for me. The Conger Festival Results have encouraged me to have a go for an eel over the autumn with a realistic chance of a 25lb eel for the British Conger Club and who knows maybe the chance to finally get a Conger Club gold from Jersey isn’t gone after all. We can but dream, it’s why we keep fishing.