Well it’s been some week & mostly for the footy fans as the World cup moves into its quarter finals stages. Regular readers here will no doubt assume the fishing is cack due too lack of posts and seeing this one probably think right now that either there has been some fish or im gonna waffle the shit out of this page.

At this point of my waffle or Sunday sermon if you prefer that phrase I will point out that what I see and hear on the marina is not the be all nor any definitive idea of what is going on down the marina.
I get there in the late afternoon(mostly). I’m not there all day as some wardens are. I dont see many of the wall visitors as the bulk are there in the mornings and tbh in this heat Id be shocked if someone would be on the marina from 6 or 7am and still be there say.. 5pm on any visit. 12 plus hours out in the sun is currently way too much for sane or normal people and that includes the wardens.

Yes I chat with other wardens and also chat too as many as I can when on the wall but often someone catching a couple of fish slip through or people dont post a catch as they figured 2 blennies or a pout is not worth the post if that was the case of late Id have little too post and even less too say here.

Yes its hard going, some anglers can be here all day and swear blind no one caught a thing and the truth is they never saw someone catch , often as they were more likely doing other things when a catch happened nearby, that or feck all was truly the case.

July is often a tough month under normal conditions, full heat of day, bright sunshine, often very clear waters and the fish choose not too play until the sun goes down. Now add too that the talk of over fishing, vanishing stocks, super trawlers, doom n gloom talk and we get a situation that this year seems worse than many that have been prior. The fishing along he south coast in particular the shoreline this year has been very tough and in an age of electronics , social media reporting and very tight finances for many has lead too a situation where those that travel too the coast are being more selective of where they go and more too the point are following any catch reports in the hope of boosting catches.
The fishing is seriously tough atm from Kent down too Devon. Boat trips and the skippers are working harder this year it seems and putting customers on fish is not such an easy thing.

Looking at bait suppliers mackerel are thin in numbers and English caught mackerel come and go in short supply and often suppliers sell out of said English very quickly. Costs are going up as boats ventre further out in search of decent fish.

My fishing has been limited this year, part by health part by the heat of day and simply either not having the energy too fish or a lack of will too stand out in the sun for very long.
Catch recording is very below wheat most feel is normal and thus it is hardly a surprise that anglers are not venturing far if even out while catch reports indicate tough sessions made tougher by lack of fish or major heat concerns in the full heat of the day.

With angler numbers very much down during the day it seems that the night anglers are also feeling the economic pinch as much as the fish report pinch with numbers on the west wall way way down other than the few hours after 7pm as some come down too catch the light dropping and cooling of the day in the hope that fish may wake up or show up. Once things get dark very few are staying on the wall and as a result the feedback from the night dudes is erm, no one here so erm no fish.

Again a yes in that night fishing numbers are down as are the numbers of fish caught. We have seen bursts of horse mack and the usual bass catches but overall things are definitely quieter all over at night and during the days of a very hot summer.

Will it get better ? I flippin hope so, Its bad enough seeing a knackered mackerel stock but hope August brings the mackies and gar back in along with the improving bream catches. Bass as ever are a fixture for the marina and are doing very well here especially with the spider crabs in full moult. I guess some parts of the fishing don’t change and I realise how lucky we are in the marina having resident breeding shoals of Bass and Mullet.

The last few days have been tough for everyone. bass have ticked over where expected. There have been a few bream and wrasse likewise occasional plaice, a gurnard here n there does happen “Honnest guv” and mackerel are atm very occasional visitors but hit n miss. They show up, hang about for 5-15 mins n are gone again for a few days with the only exception 2-3 weeks aga where they showed up on a wed on the east followed by the west on the Thursday but again only hung about for a short period of time. Those arriving on the Friday with feathers in hand never got a sniff of a fish! go figure.

So, what too do ? tbh nothing but sit tight I guess. I do hope it improves and the stories of extinction levels of species going on fizzle away as fish return next month. As too fishing, well for me I have a dabble here n there when I can or feel up too it. Part of why I fish is not about catching fish, its the process, the down time, the chill out value and thus catching is for me a bonus. Blanking on a trip for mis is not any biggie too stress about although I know a few people that would stress on getting blanks. For me its its more about going through the motions and chillin out with a rod in front of me 🙂

Summing up the above, its been frikin hot, too hot at times and the fishing is somewhat pants but, do u chase fish reports or do u fish for the peace it can bring ?
is catching the main reason too go ? or like myself do you class catches as a bonus.
Perhaps I shouldnt say it but, id fish an empty pond just for the social side and chill factor fishing brings , perhaps im a bit weird but id rather travel, fish & blank than be stuck indoors but hey, thats just my view.

Anyoooo, I think Ive waffled enough for today, I wont be on the walls tomorrow but will be on Tuesday. And so, yep, im gonna say it again….. Until the next one I bid you all ADIEU
F