January Review

It’s fair to say we’ve had plenty of weather in January! From a freezing cold start to named storms bringing 90mph+ gusts, huge swells and at times torrential rain, the fishing has been tough at times.

My year started with the traditional New Year’s Day fish. I didn’t have a lot of time so it was a short dusk session on the lures. 3 small bass in 3 consecutive casts with the best just making 44cm avoided a first day blank.

Next was a worm session in the hope of Red Mullet or maybe a Sole but it was absolutely freezing and super quiet with just a couple of small pouting for my efforts.

Then a session on the beach for Bass or maybe a Gilthead Bream. Unfortunately I got plagued by small Bass, even catching them on whole squid at times with the best just 48cm.

It was then time to get dad out for his first session of the year so we hit one of the north coast piers to see what we could find. It was the usual Dogfish fest until out of the blue came this cracking (by Jersey standards) Whiting of 14ozs.

Then finally a lull of sorts in the swell and a chance to get the big rods out to try for an Eel. It was a pretty poor session with just small eels but I did have one interesting event. I had what felt like a slightly better eel on, maybe 8-10lb so I started making my way down to the water as it was going to be too heavy to wind up. It then made an incredible dive or so I thought before starting to come in easy again. A bit further in the same thing again only this time it didn’t stop, literally dragging me down the rocks before snapping me off. I can only presume a seal had taking a fancy to my eel on the way in!

Then it was a St Catherine’s session with dad which was pretty poor again with just Pouting, Dogfish & small Conger.

Then another slight lull in the weather so another North coast session on the eels. I arrived in daylight to try and catch some fresh bait managing a single Pouting on dusk before putting the Conger baits out. First up were small fish before a more positive bite that felt half decent when I lifted into it. Sod’s Law at the point it hit the surface a series of massive swells came through making it difficult to see the fish but it looked 20ish. I was just trying to wait for a gap in the swell to try and land it when a big wave washed it into the pool behind me making my job a lot easier. As it happens it wasn’t quite a 20 but at 19-3 not bad. I finished the session on 10 eels, quite a few over or around double figures with the next biggest 16-4, encouraging after so many poor years on the eels

Then it was a short harbour session to try for some Garfish. It was actually really slow, clearly not as many in the town harbours yet as the north coast piers but eventually we managed a couple with one making 1lb

It was then time for the Sinkers beach comp. It looked a bit touch and go with the forecast but fortunately the wind eased just in time to allow it to be fished across St Aubins Bay from West Park to Bel Croute. It was still pretty rough with a fair sea and for the last hour or so torrential rain. I decided to start at St Aubins on the beach. After a couple of hours and just a few schoolie bites I wasn’t feeling it and felt it was too sheltered, so made the decision to move for the last hour. I headed to the other end of the beach where the sea was a lot rougher and looked more like it to me. I had a few schoolie bites before very last cast I had the first proper bite of the night and managed a weigher albeit only 47cm. At the weigh in of the 38 anglers who took part just 6 managed a fish over the 42cm minimum meaning I just snuck on to the end of the prize money. The 2 best fish were 67cm & 66.5cm, the winner also caught right at the end of the comp, a lovely fish and new PB for James Bertram weighing 7-1.

Then it was back down the harbour with dad for another bash at the Garfish. This time there was a lot more despite the seal in the chervy doing its best to ruin the fishing. They were a decent average size with quite a few around the pound mark with dad finding the best at 1-2.

That just left time for one last session, a short daytime low water wading session that produced a few Bass, nothing big with the best around 48cm.

There have been some cracking fish caught locally by other anglers this month. Neil Muldoon caught this lovely Conger of 30-8 at St Catherine’s. An excellent eel by today’s standards and Neil’s qualifier for full membership of the British Conger Club. Well done Neil!

Finlay Paton has also been putting in the hours and has been rewarded with some cracking fish including an excellent solitaired Conger of just under 23lb and a good session on the Giltheads with fish to just over 3lb.