Saturday 9th:
I arrived at a reliable mark just after low tide. It was a very mild evening with just a light breeze. The tide had not started to move as I was setting up two rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys baited with fresh crab. I had fished there the previous neap tides and the shore had been strewn with debris (branches, logs, seaweed, bottles etc) but the last big tide cycle had cleared it off.
Shortly after casting out I had a strong knock on one of the rods. It felt to be a strong fish and I could tell from the fight that it was a cod. After a few minutes I hauled a 4.25 lb cod out of the channel. That was a good start and it was not even dark yet (this mark normally fishes far better after dark).
It was quite for a while after that. Then after dark I had three cod is quick succession; the first was 2.25 lbs, followed by a 2.5 lb fish and then a smaller one under 1.5 lbs. A little later I had a better fish of 3.5 lbs, followed by a 3 lb cod 20 minutes later. This was shortly followed by a 2 lb fish.
There was a bit of a lull for 20-25 minutes then I had another three in the space of a few minutes, a 3 pounder, then a 2.5 lbs fish followed by another 3 lb cod.
It got quite again so after about half an hour I decided to pack up. At that stage I had caught 11 cod, 10 of those were 2 lb or above which I kept, and released the only fish under 2 lbs.
I dismantled one rod and brought some of the gear and fish to the car. However, when I got back the tip of the remaining rod was bouncing. I retrieved to find a 3.75 lb cod on the last cast.
Sunday 10th
Sunday was a wet day but I decided to return to the same mark as I had about a dozen crabs left. Just before leaving home the rain got heavier but I hoped it would ease off but it lashed down for most of the remainder of the evening. There was quite a strong SSW/SW wind too. So it was not a pleasant night to be out.
I set up at the same spot just as the tide was beginning to rise. The fishing was a lot slower for the first couple of hours this time. I did have a couple of small codling of 1-1.75 lbs which went back. It was only when the tide began to push in strongly in that the fishing picked up. The first was a 3.5 lb cod, followed by three fish in the 2-2.75 lb range. Then there was a very strong tug on one of the rods. I picked it up, the line had gone slack. I reeled in the slack, the fish was heading upstream, I connected with it and struck. This felt to be a more substantial fish and it fought very strongly all the way it putting a severe bend in the rod as I tried to stop it digging into the channel margin. Eventually I got it close and thankfully no weed was caught in the leader knot and it was with relief that I saw the shockleader wind into the reel. It was a stocky 5.5 cod.
I fished on for a little longer but there were no more bites so decided to pack up. The rain had been persistently heavy all the time I was fishing but then stopped as I was walking back to the car!!
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