The weekend that is , mind u so is Roy Orbison but that is a very different matter !
So, (turns out this is quite a long one , ya been warned)
Is it still shit ?
Are there any fish ?
Are they in? or out? or shaking it all about !
Are they still here ?
Have you seen them ?
And most important of all,…. have u seen the muffin man ?
Shrek ? nursery rhymes ? wtf no I’m not having a melt down but my head does collect some weird shit and I cant blame it on the meds as they seem too be doing what the doc expects them too be doing !

Ok, too be reasonable with ya zall I guess I should answer the above nonsense in a slightly long winded kinda way that you probably by now actually expect.
Saturday, went along the seafront with Mrs P and some family members. My eldest Lad Pete is a wrestling nut far more so than even I am(I should perhaps admit family insanity at this point) and so the weekend kicked off with not even a look at the marina as we went down near the I360 or what ever that silly spaceship on a metal telegraph pole calls itself as there was a free wrestling show going on down there. (hence no fish post) and chilled out later watching the Brits vs Frogs WCup game.
Sunday was my wedding anniversary which was spent lazing about and having a few beers with the wife, If I make it without her killin me in frustration from leaving the bog seat up it will be 25 yrs married next year. hence a vague report most recently… which brings us around too yesterdays visit too the walls and a few answers.

Is it still shit ? in a nut shell , YES, everywhere it seems
Are there any fish ? well yea but not really in numbers
Are they in? or out? or shaking it all about ! mackerel, sorta yea & no read lower
Are they still here ? CRABS, they are trying too climb the walls for your food
Have you seen them ? not Mackerel, horse mackerel, late evening they are shoaling and despite a poor rep, they are not bad eating and can be decent bait.

So , lets pad this shit out as much as i often do eh :).
Truth, the fishing is poor when compared too past years, not just on the marina but all along the south coast and its not just Mackerel although they are the biggest noticeable absence. Btn waters are shallower than other common venues such as Dover and areas around Portsmouth and the IOW and as a result see some species clearly ahead of when the numbers start too show up on the marina and local beaches.

Regular readers here will already know my views re mackerel and links too warmer seas, changing breeding patterns, over fishing and drops in what these fish eat (phyto plankton and other smaller tit bits.) so I wont do a conservation speech today. Species numbers do seem too be suffering for various reasons and I can only speculate reasons without obvious and clear evidence as too why.
Some changes are clear, increased squid and cuttle activity in the autumn while spring squid seemingly are fading away. Bream numbers too some heavy hits over the past few years but this year are showing signs of slow recovery and we are getting a mix of black bream and gilthead’s . Plaice is a bit harder too call as they seem too fade one year and then bounce back in cycles and we may just be in one of those down years.
Garfish are slow arriving, perhaps as they are often seen with the main summer mackerel shoals of which the last few years seem too build slowly in July and then ramp up in August of the marina, (sooner in deep water regions like Dover) Wrasse seem too be more evident in their absence with numbers hugely down on say 10 years ago when they could match the bream for numbers. Thankfully we do have resident Bass in the marina keeping that part of the fishery stable but even their activity during these hot summer heatwave days has slowed up.

I wont say it will pick up next month but August is usually the best for multiple species and decent numbers, but I will say in near 27 years of sitting my arse on the marina this is truly the worst year I have seen for fish numbers and reports from other regions which does sorta point too something is broken or very near broken and something has too be done or changed. That point I don’t have a solution too but I suspect it may need a reduction in recreational and commercial fishing combined before we see the end of certain common species.
So, lets get away from the doom n gloom for a moment as I want intending a sermon but my brain does sometimes work the opposite to many normal peoples brains !

Right, lets fill in some blanks too them 5 leading questions especially as I opened up with a broadside saying the fishing is still shit.
Q1, Yes it is very poor and flippin hard work, not just hear but so so many venues are seeing drops so lets call it the too bliddy hot and bright factor too attract fish atm as it sounds a bit more positive and less doom mongering.
Im told the evening & night fishing is slowly improving, mostly due too the last question of which I will get too….. soon honest 😉

Q2 , Yes there are fish but daylight hours it has been very hard work, mullet numbers are less than expected but they are there. Bass Bream and occasional mackerel tick overwith daily catches of bream but mackerel are a bit more , erm , flakey. Early mornings this week has seen mini shoals close in and hang around for a few minutes then clear off. Following that there have been here n there catches through the day , mostly singles but occasionally 2-3 will come up on feathers but I warn you they are mostly right time right place or you wont see a single one all day. Mackies are tough going too catch. Bream as I have said while not in big numbers as yet do seem too be the most likely catch & a few are now fair too decent sizes if you catch. There are quite a few blennies along the wall, mostly close down the sides and erm … do save a blank.
The east has seen a few Pollack of mixed sizes top and bottom bays and has chucked up an occasional plaice & gurnard out over the sandy bays. Seemingly a total lack of rays but there does seem too be more cuttlefish this summer being landed. not sure if was a lack of targeting in the past or an increase this year.
Night fishing at the moment seems too be mostly some Bream, Bass and as said horse mackerel in decent numbers. There has also been a few sole being caught on local beaches so it may be worth baking some smelly worm baits in the sun if ya fancy a go at them.
Q3, I think I have covered mackerel in the above sections, they are sorta in 1st light but numbers are very low.
Q4, Are they still here ? well there I mean them spider crabs which seem dead set on a full scale invasion and take over. A lot of them are still quite hard but there are loads of peelers too go around. At times they are stacking more than 10 deep against the walls.
I will remind all that spiders and many other crabs do have collecting limits set on them by the IFCA and other fishery bodies. You are allowed too collect and retin 20 per day per person as bait and if keeping they should be 12cm across the shell. I realise some would say take em all they are a flippin pain but please be advised. Sussex fisheries do visit the walls and will check catches and spider crabs are something they are very aware of when it comes too people collecting them undersized.

Q5, Have you seen them ? does refer too this weeks sightings of horse mackerel shoals arriving in local waters in decent numbers. Bass needless too say are other than stuffing themselves on spider crabs are also hitting the horse mac shoals and sometimes it can be quite a sight as multi species have a way of exploding in the water as the bun fest kicks off attracting gulls and smooth hounds too the feeding frenzies., so dont be surprised if we again see a few hound takes being recorded on the walls.

Well I best call it a day and sign off before I send you all too sleep(assuming you are managing too read all this) and so, until the next one I will sign of and bid you all ADIEU
F