I tend to treat Facebook claims with a certain amount scepticism but reading a report last night about an anglers couple of hours catching a bass a cast on lures in Hythe yesterday got me itching just a bit.
With an 8am high tide and a favourable weather forecast I thought why not and made the 30 mile journey which in itself was a delight passing valleys shrouded in early morning mist.
I half expected to see a line of anglers along the beach when I arrived which would have dissipated any nagging doubts about the anglers Facebook claims but as it happens apart from one lone angler bait fishing I had miles of beach all to myself.
After plenty of late night reading I chose a well known mark, a rock groyne with parking just behind it, perfect.
A hundred or so casts and thirty minutes later I hadn’t had as much as a tap. I remembered something I’d read recently about combining plastic with metal lures to give some added attraction when the going is tough. A Dexter wedge with one of my perch jelly worms was next on the menu.
Second cast WHAM! A hit so hard it nearly took the rod out my hand, with line screaming off the reel and rod bending nicely my heart rate was rising by the second, the fish made several runs attempting to get into that groyne, I walked backwards and promptly fell on my arse on the very steep shingle bank but still kept the fish on, about ten metres from shore I caught a glimpse of a very shiny Bass and then it was gone
mg: it bumped the single hook as it thrashed around in the shallow surf. My first decent Bass wasn’t to be.
After that I was hopeful of another take but they never came. I put a string of feathers between line and lure and got my first Garfish (I thinks that what it is).
Then another species to add to my new sea fishing experience catching sand eels in two and threes at a time.
I hoped with these eels present the bass wouldn’t be far away but as the tide receded so did my hopes.
Spent nearly three hours casting, thirsty work and found a splendid beach front cafe in Sandgate serving excellent coffee.
A very thoughtful establishment too!
The English Channel is only just around the corner to my usual haunts but so very different to the North Sea which is both shallow, muddy and mirky, today the water ran deep and clear and not a hint of weed either.
Got to be one of the nicest days of the entire year, I could have happily sat outside that cafe for hours gazing out towards France.
C’est la vie.
