Fishing the evening tide…

Tags

Abu Cardinal, Atlantic, Bass, High Tide, Lugworm, Mackerel, Mitchell 300, Newhaven Angler, Reel, Seaford, Sussex Coast, Vintage

After a slow start to the day we eventually get ourselves together and made our way to Seaford for an afternoons fishing. The  forecast was promising, a late high tide and the wind that blew for most of the day would drop by early evening. With a brief stop at Newhaven Angler for some lugworm we were set for a good afternoons fishing.

We set up a couple of vintage rods, an Abu Atlantic 4 paired to a Cardinal 759 and an old Masterline spinning rod paired to vintage Mitchell reel that was acquired a couple of years ago from a car boot sale in Norfolk.

As a good couple of hours passed by with not even a knock it was clearly going to be a tough afternoon. Young Tales, kept his focus , as dusk set in he was rewarded with a Horse Mackerel  

    
   

Deceivers Part II…

Tags

Flies, River, sea-trout, Stockbridge, Test, thames

There are many ways of deceiving game fish, well any fish for that matter as you can catch coarse fish on the fly and Carp do like a dog busciut.

Earlier today I had to revisit some account from last week so this meant a trip to Stockbridge in the valley of the Test. Nestled in the high street is a tackle shop, independent and stocked with high quality tackle, clothing and everything you may need for a day, week or month on e river.

Under the orders of young Tales I was intucted to squire some very realistic flies for his next fishing foray. I have to say these are real imitations, in fact I feel too close to the real thing, that cheating comes to mind.

As the weekend is upon us my dear son has requested that we go fishing, at £3 a chuck I hope these flies stay on for most of the day, however if he doesn’t catch anything on these I will asking for my money back.

For me it’s not about  the catching but the time out and away from the iPad that counts. Hopefully we’ll have something positive to report tomorrow.

Just as an observation, late into the evening we’ve seen the odd bar of silver break the water on the Thames, I’d like to think it’s Salmon but I know it’s a run of Sea-Trout heading up stream.

Hopefully one of Dai Jones flies or one of theses will deceive a trout or two.

Deceivers…

Tags

Abu, Andrews of Arcadia, Antiques, lure, Shoreditch House, Spitalfields, St Ives, Toby, Vintage Tackle

Found under the glass roof of Spitalfields Market today a cluster of home-made and vintage lures.

Over recent months it has been noticeable of the absence of Andrews of Arcadia, no longer a dedicated piscatorial stall fills a space at the far end of the market, no more mugs of victory tea, banter, stories of trips to the ends of the island in search of ‘Vintage Tackle For The Soul’ – this an now only be found by viewing on my iPad.

Spitalfields Market always excites me in much the same as Sunbury Antiques Market who’s home is Kempton Racecourse. You simply never know what you may find but if you wish for something you’ll always manage to find it.

Having attended a meeting at Shoreditch House I decided to stroll back through the Market towards Liveool Street Station. Dealers sat chatting to each other and punters browsed the eclectic mix of items, boxes of bone, silverware, vintage watches, paintings, glassware, vintage furniture, shop fittings, clothing – yes this list is endless.

Having picked up a vintage Festival of Britain branded glass and a 50’s button badge from someone’s holiday souvenirs from St Ives I came across a table of odds and ends and a handful of vintage lures. Some whittled from wood, others a combination of wire and lead weights, others vintage manufactures lures, similar to Heddon and one painted Abu Toby, this I had to have. What intrigued me most was that someone had taken the time to sit and make some lures that they thought would deceive a fish…today they caught the eye of a fisherman, as my wife say’s, tackle is there to catch fishermen not fish.

Masters of disguise…

Tags

Brown Trout, Clear, Festival, Gin, River Test, Stockbridge

In the middle of the high street in the town of Stockbridge a small stream runs in front of the shops to one side, in fact at varying points between the houses you will find small channels of water, some gin clear with bright green weed and other clear but with a tope coloured sediment. Disguised through the rippling water are wonderful specimens of brown trout, hard to spot but the size of some will take your breath away.