As I started this post my initial thought was along the lines of “Not a massive amount too say” but it seems that changed as I typed so, here we go.

With early afternoon high tides by time I have been getting on the marina many have already been & gone so not always reliable info around on the day, some of it even filters through 2-3 days later so this is more a round up than yesterdays catches which tbh somewhat mirrors Mondays info.
Plenty of Garfish over the last few days with the best of them over on the east wall. Mackerel numbers seem too have slowed if that is even possible with the low numbers being caught.

Sometimes I chuckle when I see people wander onto the wall with 4-5 buckets, half fill them ready for fish and then spend an afternoon feathering with little too no luck. its almost like karma or nature paying back dues too people that are clearly planning on fishing too an almost commercial scale.
Dont get me wrong, Im aware some with come onto the wall and stock their bait freezers for the winter in one large hit and then head for home. They usually do stand out as regular anglers and have a trolley & half full of kit and use little of it on the day.. Na, the type I refer too are the casual anglers that come down with a cool box and 3-6 large 25-50 litre mayo buckets all ready too harvest fish.
Absolutely no way are they for personal use or for their “big families” but anyone buying these fish must be naïve, very stupid or simply dont realise that these people arrive on the walls nice and early, spend 8-10 hours “fishing” for mackerel and piling them into deep buckets where the bottom fish in each container slowly crush.6-8 hours later these people pack up, head too their cars with said buckets of almost always un gutted fish stacked too the brim without being chilled to make a 2-4 hour drive home quite likely in the dark of night too arrive home knackered too the level that the fish can wait and be sorted in the morning mmmh mmmmh can ya just smell the insides of those cars with their near day old sweaty fish ? I can 🤢🤢🤮

Anyhoo, have discussed this with other wardens who have also voiced concerns about some of the pure greed often on display especially in the few months we see mackerel shoals (and now horse mac) and it seems I’m not the only one that feels one cool box or bucket per person is more than enough fish being easy 40-60 fish and lets face it taking more could be seen by some as verging on commercial practices so please don’t be surprised if you see anyone arriving on the wall being told there is a limit of one sensible container per angler. I get some only visit 2-3 times a year, I get some plan too fill their bait freezer but how many have the space too quickly freeze 60 fish ? sensibly that would take 3 chest freezers and I doubt many homes have 3 or more although I actually do have 4 freezers at home.
With mackerel being listed as “at serious risk” by ICES(effectively one step short of endangered) perhaps it is time too start looking towards sensible fishing on the walls rather than the carnage of past years, besides with France, Portugal & Spain already putting in measures I can’t see it being long before the UK consider something similar.

Ok so I will step down from my sermon pulpit and return too the EAST WALL and the garfish of which are ticking over very nicely thankYOOO 😉 Bream either seem too have slowed up or reports are no filtering through as not many people are targeting them, Im not sure if its lack of reports or lack of Bream at the moment though.
Hound pups seem just about everywhere especially on the EAST WALL, and Bass activity seems too be again increasing after a lull as the spiders cleared of (thank F***) There are mackies about but numbers are sluggish and I suspect the early morning highs will see the best numbers caught. Horse mac like the mackies are about and some nights can have a steady tick over while almost every other night they seem too take the night off and erm vanish.

Sole, what can I say, mid wall on the east has seen a regular tick over of slippers and average sizes while higher up… well there have over the last week or two been some real quality fish being caught, if you want a few pointers I suggest seek out John Humphries who this year has pulled some real crackers out over there.
Like the Bass activity there has been an increase in decent conger catches with John H ( yup that dude again) and Mike P pulling up some great specimens with John yesterday pulling out his PB(personal best) conger at just over 23LB bait was 3 whole squid, half a mackerel on an 8/0 hook, a bit of a beast indeed.

For some on the marina I have left the best til last news wise and that is summed up in one word SQUID. Now while we have had a fair bit of choppy water due too westerly winds in the calmer spots there has been a slow climb in squid catches and I know of one dude who landed a dozen or so last night on the west close too the high tide and over the last week or two there have been occasional mentions of catches here n there, some of them during the day mid wall on the east but the bulk have been once dark. Obviously the night catches would be on the west side as the EAST isnt open for night fishing but they are showing up on both walls. Not massive numbers yet like the previous 2 years and perhaps the numbers are slower this year simply due too windy conditions being more dominant this autumn but id venture too say , dust of them jigs and give it a go now and then
Pic below is John’s 23lb PB conger, other than that all that is left to say is, until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU
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