So, a fair bit going on yesterday although when I got down there things didnt look over busy. Quite odd too see, half empty walls and decent weather, well almost decent. it was a bit choppy on the west side but not enough too put people off using it too much although there were more over on the east where things were somewhat calmer.
So, what has been happening ? It seems that its safer too say the hounds are in rather than asking if the mackerel are in although in a way both are …. a bit.
And so, my usual run down the hill, although a bit earlier than usual and a quick top up of gear on the west side saw me take the quad over too the west side for a dabble being as the west looked a bit lumpier than I preferred and tbh I couldn’t be arsed too play dodge the occasional water spout.
As I came out of the car park on the east and turned towards the wall the 2 cafe dogs spotted me straight off with “Pepsi” jumping up onto my lap too hunt the biscuits down !…
I did have a dabble for a while but tbh it looked at that time of day dead as a dodo and there was a silty yellow smear pushing against the wall where I was. the only highlight, or oddity was me when I flicked a 2 hook rig out with a 2oz pyramid weight on it while chatting with wall regular Ian when suddenly on going too bring in the slack on my line it seemed my rig was already 2 bays too the left and still moving, 3 bays left id got the vanishing rig under control and could feel something still towing the rig too the left, not heavy just moving .. wtf, then on the 4th bay what ever had taken it spat the rig. Didnt see the fish and can only assume the fish grabbed the small weight and took off only too spit it a few bays down. So one near miss and little else too shout about. dabbled for about an hour then realised I was likely as not flogging a dead horse.. or fish !
Fortunately others had done somewhat better further along the wall. It seems them spiders are back in numbers and have this time brought full sets of cutlery with them! and with the spiders have come the smooth hounds it seems. Ive posted a few pics too the various galleries on site with a few of the hounds going close too 10lb ! not too shabby for the marina. Elsewhere regular Chris managed 5 bream too go with a couple of plaice, Jerry had a bass low on the wall and regular Roy said that he had a decent 2lb plus golden grey mullet on the higher bays.
There were a few mackerel about but not in any grat numbers and it seems fri night the guys on the west did well for horse mackerel with over 50 caught through the night. Eels are still about, silver and conger and we seem too be seeing the return of the micro fish such as blennies and bulheads. There was a small gurnard also posted too the book of face and afaik the first landed on the east in a few weeks. its not brilliant out there , or this week hasnt been I should say but it does sorta look like maybe , just maybe summer is beginning too happen and the may rot seems (shhh say it quietly) too be vanished or at least on its last legs. yesterday the water was fairly yellowed from silt pushing agaings the east side with the west a berrter green but quite lumpy. Im pleased too say I cant see any movement on the local trees so it may finally have calmed for some decent days on the wall ahead.
a word of warning too all of tomorrows visitors. there is a charity bike run from London to Brighton tomorrow and being fathers day the roads could be chaos, travel early and allow extra time in your vehicles it could be manic down here tomorrow.
Thats it from me for today other than putting up one of the hounds from yesterday below. And so, until the next one I will as usual bid you all ADIEU F
Today, but… here a bit of update, not a biggie but hey I get too mention the “M” word at least once,n yes we all know what that word means …charrrrggggeeeee. So the “Ms” happend yesterday and funny enough a few on Wednesday and quite possibly the most Mackerel Ive seen in some weeks.
now don’t be fooled, there wern’t loads of em but both walls got little bursts , on the east just b4 the high and on the west just after. yesterdays burst lasted all of 10+ mins with all six people on the wall(after the rain) had a few too take home. beyond the 10 or so mins there was then perhaps a mackerel caught every 20 mins or so, thus they were in but not too many.
There have been other catches and I guess the stand out this week is the number of hounds being caught from the local beaches and one or 2 here n there on the walls. Bass as per the norm are doing their thing and it seems we are starting too get another surge of spider crabs arive as the water clarity improves. It still (IMO) looks a little bit yellow from silt in the water but the signs of may rot seem too be gone , for now at least and with luck its done, time will tell on that front.
On the local boat front it seems that plaice catches are improving and the best of the bream fishing is still out there on a floating tub of some form :). Conger are still about and there have been a few silver eels in the mix also. I will take this mom everyone that silver eels are protected so please return them if you can. Bass likewise have limits and are also protected , for those unaware, you may catch 3 per day with a minimum size of 42cm. Please note also re 3 bass per person. Info via a couple of IFCA officers. You may catch and retain 3 bass, you may not pass 2 to a mate and take a further 3 for yourself. Each angler is limited too catching and keeping 3. It is defo not 6 bass between 2 people if caught by one person.!
Fishing this week gas been very patchy on the marina with ups n downs from the weather conditions playing a big part on discouraging visitors. yesterdays burst of 2 hrs of rain sent most packing for home so the bulk of people missed the mackerel. That said regular Tommy did ok high up the east with pollack, wrasse and hounds amongst his catch, yes he also missed the mackies but hey , cant have it all.
Tacklebox are having issues with their shop phone, it may get answered it may kick into answer phone. If you need bait , Lee has made his mobile available for this weekend re ordering bait, so if you wish too reserve some bait ring the shop or Lee on 07491 376731 or send him a message. shop this w/end is open daily from 6.30am until 5pm. east open every day 6am til 9pm and the west is open for night fishing tonight and also Sat & Sun.
thats it for today, and thus as per I will bid you all ADIEU F
Ok, I admit it, there hasn’t been a blog for a few days but tbh I didnt have much too put here with one or both walls closed over the last week due too winds pushing tons of water up n over the walls. mark delayed night opening and even cancelled the planned Friday night sesh as simply put the conditions sucked. Thus we got too yesterday , yes both walls were open but as some hardy folk(or crazies) found out throughout the afternoon & early evening the wind was driving large water spouts up the Vs. I did hear of a bass or two caught low down and aware local angler Lee pulled a couple out of a driving surf but , yup it was very gnarly and most looked at conditions n vanished either too fish a beach or too simply give it up as a bad job.
So were there fish this week ? yea, a few, but id say little too shout about when fishing muddy and quite weedy water on the low west bays. Chris , a regular on the east had a go during the week and things were mostly conger bass & pout for some, chris did also manage a small thornback ray.
While on the east yesterday all I saw was a silver eel that was pictured then released back into the water which was about 2.5 to 3 foot long and peeking at the book of face I am reliant again on another wall regular in Neil who posted up a report form earlier in the day on the east wall. his post is as below
Two of us fished the east arm bay 18 today. Between us we had congers, silver eel, dogs, hound, schoolie bass, and a small plaice for me at the end. No photos cos everything was small. Elsewhere saw soles, straps, pout and a small ray caught. Rough coloured sea with quite a bit of weed on the flood especially near high tide. Weed dropped off on the ebb but the bites continued. Whole squid on the pennel was the best bait today, quite alot of crab activity aswell. Wind was wasn’t too bad on the bend where we were so quite a comfortable day All in all not the best day too fish, unlike today I guess with the wind finally having dropped too something a bit more normal. I shall go down later for a mooch & chat too whoever is lurking but b4 that I have too sort a punctue (yup another) on the scooter……
Thats it, short n well short, and so, until the next one, I guess I will bid you all ADIEU F
Not a massive amount too say other than too confirm a crap cycle of weather that so fa has seen both walls closed Wed and Thurs. Today (fri) west will remain closed Sat both will be again closed Sun east is expected open and west most likely closed. Next week looks a mix of rain and fairly strong westerlies that are expected to impact on wall openings on the west wall. Also a little reminder that there is on going work on the west wall meaning the upper level is closed too all and anglers should use the side gate entry onto the wall for the duration of this work.
Thats it folks , so until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU F
Ok, first things first. Have you been on the west wall in the last 10 days 2 weeks ? yes? then you will have seen the cherry picker no ? well there is a cherry picker parked on the west side wall approach… or was… It has now been moved onto the upper level of the West wall. It seems there is some various levels of maintenance to do as well as apparently some painting.
What does that mean for anglers ? Well, the upper level of the west wall is now closed too all. the white gates will be closed and I hope anglers have the sense not too climb up for the duration of the close down because the upper section will be classed as a work/building site and the last thing anyone wants is for the work crews to call a shut down of the entire wall to continue the work unhindered.
The side gate used for disabled access will be opened for anglers use only. The lower level is closed too the general access and I would like too think anyone fishing the lower bays (if no warden about) could/would politely inform any general walkers that miss the signs that access should only be for anglers. TOILET BLOCK The last set of stairs and gate will be open and we will have full access to the Toilet block as well as the extension if it is opened by the duty warden. The upper level if all goes well is expected to be closed for six weeks
And thus I get too that question of “whats being caught” and in all honesty im not overly sure but suspect not a lot of anything other than some early morning bass and some bass on the east mid to late afternoon that I can confirm as I saw them. I was told that there were eels too be had but cant confirm number or type.
Conditions when I got there were somewhat gnarly as the wind picked up from the south west and was spanking waves up the “Vs” all along the extension and the top half of the main west wall, by time I levt the water spouts had extended too all but below bay 5, lovely fun for the wlkers wave dodging but somewhat risky for anyone trying too fish on the lower level. Needless to say, all those I saw on the west when I got there were furiously packing, either too go east/onto the beach or likely as not, find somewhere too get dried off.
Over on the east wall there were quite a few luring or float fishing the first few bays for Bass and the sensible anglers had either gone home or were clustered below bay 17, there were 2-3 above ther but they looked ready too move lower as the wave & water spouts were building quite fast and anyone above 23 were going too get soaked & clobbered by waves, not the greatest of afternoons too fish I guess. Tomorrow the east wall will be open but the west will be closed all day as poor conditions close in . wed & Thurs both walls will be closed Fri TBA
Thats it and so, until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU F
Well here we are on a Sunday morning and when I woke up I was wondering what too post being as the state of fishing right now is so erm productive ? bountiful ? na if Im honest it has been a bit carpracpparc dammit Janet its crap! there , said it.
And then, just like that the book of face provided thankfully ! so perhaps I should start at the beginning (yea im in one of them moods this morning 😉 ) In fact its that silly Ive done a bet on Brighton women to beat man city women in the fa cup final 😂😂😂😂
So lets start at the wheels eh, so, wheels down, quad got ready with its rear fitting bucket with a loose plan too have a look about and perhaps shove a light rod over the side for an hour or so. Thus down the hill I rolled and I swear the scooter found another 2-3 mph going down Manor Hill, probably my imagination as these scooters are legally fixed at 8mph max so perhaps this one has a mind of its own downhill!.
On the west I had a gab with Ali part social, part too find out what has been happening n if anything improved Friday night after I left but alas it seems once it got properly dark most packed n headed home after about 11pm. For obvious reasons (in the dark0 the guys working at night don’t often see much in the way of catches unless its busy with fish and the wardens then can hardly not notice but on quiet nights it is often a case of them only seeing the quality specimen catches and thus the report was na seemed very quiet, that sometimes though can mean that a night catch may get posted by the anglers a couple of days later and I miss or forget too post something up as a delayed report. The biggest cause of lack of reports is actually often a case of lack of anglers and atm the over abundance of egg smelling May rot that is now sitting and clung too the marina walls like a glowing Jelly ! With a bit of a blow coming mid week im gonna keep my fingers crossed that the blow busts the gung up enough for it too disperse and die off…. can only hope eh !
Anyhoo the catch up was fairly quick and it seems in the same sort of pattern as the last 5 or 6 days with the best of the fish caught in the earlier hours before 9am or as the light is on the fade after half eight nineish. regular on the marina Glenn was of the mark yesterday morning landing a decent pollack and a bass on his first 2 casts and I gather there were early bass on both walls along with some Bream, as too other daytime catches I trully have no idea, plus often undersized fish do (honest guv) get put back with anglers not mentioning catches as they see no point, tbh any report be it beasts or tiddlers even blanks in a report give feedback and helps too keep ppl informed. Now, I was on the walls about three hours and in that time(mostly on the west) I managed too actually see one fish caught, perhaps I should re word as in ,…. over the 3 hours on the west the only fish I saw was a tiddler being returned. The heat of the day had again coupled with the jelly like rot created a glorious day too be on the wall but it was a case of angling and not catching. Thankfully things are cooling a little and the low tides in the heat of the day have shifted (as they do) so perhaps ppl will be able as it cools too find some fish under the may rot out on the sands. Now this report isnt all doom n gloom, although the wall went empty somewhat quickly after dark last night there was one decent catch as well as some activity on the local beaches. Joe V managed too land a decent Hound (no weight posted) and wall regular John H took too the beaches with blow lug and has been finding some decent bream ( anglers wishing too stalk John should chat with him first though😂 ).
Bass have been doing well in the cooler hours, not only on both walls but also the beaches are also producing , often after dark so if you do use the book of face, have a look around some of the local fishing groups as there are some nice fish being caught & BTN seems too be getting a few more decent hounds tm along with a few rays. This morning top post from Mark was a nice double of bass caught by Angus from the palace pier club, a friendly bunch that usually fish sorta every other Sunday up on the high 50’s on the east if anyone fancies a friendly bunch too fish with on a regular basis.
And yes , I admit it I have saved the best til last and sorta the hint/reason for todays title with a nice conger aka a bloody great big sea slug ! Caught on the west in the lonely hours and landed all on his own (most had gone when he needed help the most but somehow he managed too get the lump into his net and up the wall , yea rather him than me BUT its defo the sort of catch that gets the heart and adrenalin pumping. The conger wasnt weight but it was a good 5 foot plus hence 5 foot high n rising. very well done Nick Hollands, I recon your estimate of 30lb is somewhat under but hey, what a cracking catch from the wall. yes yes yes folks there is a picture at the bottom, go fish 😂😂
Anyhooo that as porky pig put it is all folks. So until the next one I will bid you all ADIEU F
Strangely sluggish, that is about the best description I can give on the last few days hence no glowing reports of a fish deluge on the marina. Needless too say there are factors that add too the why other than the often heard comments of “no fish boss, no fish” 🙂 Since the easterly winds that were freezing the bits of brass moneys died 10 days ago we seeming overnight got swamped by may rot. It was almost as if some giant wandered passed the marina and dumped this weird clump of snot all around both walls and there it has stayed firmly glued too the walls. The result is a somewhat strange glowing green that occasionally lets you see the bottom and fools you into thinking the water is nice and clear, dont be fooled, the fish have no love of it. The algae bloom clogs the fishes gills and de-oxygenates the water so the fish either avoid it, or swim under it as some have found out by fishing hard on the bottom over on the east wall where the sandy bottom is more forgiving than the rocky west wall.
Now add the heat of the day too the state of the algae bloom and you may realise that fishing the shore is going too be somewhat harder than the people fortunate too have access too a boat of some form and able too find clearer marks to go fishing, not that the boat crews have had it all easy as things offshore have not all been honey and roses for them either. The mini heatwave as some forecasters put it does seem too create its own torpor and much hike how many people and pets wilt in the heat it seems the fish seem to react in a similar manner and its almost as if they are also avoiding spending too much time in the sun… or at least head too some deeper water and are far less active during the days heat.. May rot, crazy hot and bright sun and I really do feel that the fishing in general on the walls has declined slowly over the years all seem too create a period in may of very often poor fishing making things very tough for everyone. Combine all of that with current financial issues and fuel prices plus the social media effect where people decide where to go based on fishing reports or where not too go and suddenly no one is going fishing “COZ it aint worf it” and the world waits for news of ” any mackerel, are they in yet ” and suddenly venues are quieter and the reports get less and less.
And then we all wait… n wait… n wait… n wait…. until someone thinks to themselves , fook ! I aint gone fishin 4 ages ! sod it lets go. The weird thing is that they have then forgotten why they hadn’t gone fishing for a few weeks and its almost like some sudden moment of inspiration and can’t get out of the door with a rod fast enough. Funny thing is , you can also spot them arriving on the wall as the have come loaded for BEAR with a trolley, parasol, 20 gallon container of water, 12 rods 4 tackleboxes a gas burner too cook the fish and 1 sandwich just in case ! So, who reading the last 2 lines just noticed themselves 😂😂😂😂
Now The above may sound a bit grim but it isn’t all doom n gloom, It aint wonderful and I could big the reports well up, granted not as well as Scottish Eddie in the shop could (boy is he missed, the grumpy old sod could spin a yarn but knew his fishing shit) but believe it or not there are some fish being caught.
While we have been hammered by the sun, it seems the “long hazy days of summer” jumped in a bit early the fishing has changed a bit with the conditions (sorta makes sense eh) the early mornings, yea that god awful time of six am ish is doing ok. Granted reports can also be tidal (work that one out) but there have been frequent catches of bass on both walls both too lures and baits mostly running in the range of 3-6lb ish likewise bream have ticked over in what I would say were the most common spots they are found on the walls. I will add at this point it may be worth reading the 2 wall guides on this site as it should give you an idea of what I mean by the most common spots for bream 🙂
Some of the Bream catches have been quite decent and over the last week some anglers have sown myself or MARK their catches as they were leaving. There are still plaice out there, often hard on the bottom and I’d venture too say mostly on or over sand so for the best chance of a plaice… go east. It seems that this year like last year in May we have seen a slow increase (catches and sizes) of smooth hounds. The bulk have been pups but one or two have been better than the norm for the marina in recent years. likewise some of the local beaches are also having a decent amount caught, granted the bulk have been too night anglers.
The marina walls do have a group of regular anglers that target mullet, (mullet Dave & Roy the obvious thought) and the bulk of them fish in the mornings, as a result I havnt had much chance too catch up on any catch info and am as I type making a mental not too find out and het an idea how that side of things are atm.
For the average angler looking for “anything” or a species count the east arm is usually the best bet at any time of year and when conditions are like they are now it would likely as not pay off too think ahead about what you want too catch & what you are likely too catch, a sort of plan ahead and prepare if im being truthful. It isnt easy out there atm so put a little thought into species targets, where they may be, tide conditions, rig types and hook sizes. lets face it if you want a plaice a 2/0 pennel isn’t the way to go. Likewise a 2 hook flapper is more likely too get you a bream/Wrasse somewhere off the bottom where rigs for flatties are usually set on the bottom. Fish mouths vs hook sizes should be thought about also. I am not trying too teach anyone how too fish, Ive more skill in pulling a blank than catching a fish but for beginners there are ways too improve your chances that a little thought and planning can help with. Of course a fish has to be there too be caught and that little bit of info I cant really help anyone with, but a little planning can often be the difference between a blank session and something on the hook other than bait.
So, any other fish ? some, but much in the way of bits n bobs. There have been occasional catches of a mackerel or two, one was landed in front of me the other day (scroll the blogs back a few days) there also have been a few flounder, not heard of any gurnards this week nor gar fish but some anglers are mentioning strange bites that are not crabs messing with lines and generally thought too be pouting or some other tiddlers such as scorpion fish/blennys n such.
Night fishing reports have been very thin on the ground as once the light has gone the bulk of people on the wall have packed for home with very few staying as late as midnight when the walls have been opened for night fishing. I had a very short dabble yesterday evening , 40 mins or so on the west, granted I was mostly chatting but as the sun went down a bit there were a few nibbles and the dude fishing in the corner by the toilet block seemed too be getting a steady tick over of what looked like small bream and pouting coming in to feed as the sun neared setting.
Things seem a little cooler today and a little overcast making the air feel a bit muggy and Saturday forecast looks too be mixed sun and overcast with temps about 24/25c late afternoon. The weekend into Tues early look decent and v warm and then we have a change as we start too get a blow arrive bringing showers. Wed Thurs as the home page indicates it looks like a probable close on the west and possibly on the east also so please keep an eye of updates. Friday seems too show a day of settling down and the big ask in my head is will it disrupt the may rot… oh please be the case !
on that final note of hope I will sign off and so, until the next shaggy dog story comes around I will bid you all ADIEU F
I will get too the title fairly quickly but first an update that some would say wasnt really an update on how things went yesterday. it seems that there was a flurry of bass activity in the morning prior too the sun getting fully up and roasting the nuts of peanut tree’s but come 9am things were already going quiet. the 2 main reasons for this I suspect it the large percentage of anglers feathering and the heavy may rot that is now colouring the water a sort of fluorescent pale or lime green. It has a lovely glow and that is about all thats good I can say of may rot.
What is may rot ? its an algae much like you see in spring time ponds. It forms as sea temps rise from its winter cold too summer levels (cant recal the temp numbers ) anyhoo, this stuff start too form almost like a jell in the water at a specific warmth of water. Fish tank owners may see it in aquariums kept in direct sunlight. Now the fish will avoid may rot as it take the oxygen out of the water and clogs the gills of fish as such suffocating them and so the will either avoid or swim under in general where possible.
What does this mean for the casual angler, simple. Close inshore where the water is shallow algae can form 10-20 foot deep meaning the fish are either down on the bottom or.. avoiding the shallower water when not feeding. Lobbing out mackerel gear will result in many many blanks.
On the east wall this is less of an issue as you can easily drop rigs too the bottom and target what is over the sandy areas, far less so on the west that for many is a huge mess of rocky bottom and brutal granite.
Yes fish are caught on the west. it does well for bream and bass in particular especially when they are out feeding now, factor in the hot weather and very bright sunlight & you may notice the fish are heading too deeper water during the bright hot daytime especially where the may rot is entranced which often results in long hot days on the wall with seemingly few fish after the sun is fully up. Early mornings, cooler evenings certain tides are all another matter but, right now the fishing reports are a bit thin on the ground for the times I am visiting the marina . Im aware quite a few bass were had as I said yesterday morning and I also saw some caught early evening on the west with a nice plump one that was measured at 48cm about 7pm.
Now to the careless bit. Brighton marina take a dim view of anglers fishing where they shouldn’t. IE inside the harbour. For obvious reasons(you would think) any lost tackle, dead lines, snap offs with leads attached can easily be picked up by boats returning into the harbour. Can you imagine how much damaged a 3 or 4oz lead with 10 metre’s of line could and can do too a boat propeller ? Its one of the biggest reasons people are kicked off the marina walls, 2 were removed yesterday fishing from the west into the harbour with feathers, and another 2 kayak anglers IMO were super careless actually taking their kayacks into the entrance with the east wall too their backs casting lures into the main channel, their target , a breeding shoal of bass & mullet that would have had more juveniles and undersized fish in it than adults. perhaps they may say they put small ones back but the odds there of getting small bass is probably higher than a decent one but ffs why put yourself at risk by sitting on a little pedlo kayak where some large boats are coming in and out.. an easy mark for bow waves… super flippin CARELESS GUYS.
hardly a shock that the marina gets pissed off at anglers breaking rules and fishing inside is it.. all that will happen is the behaved anglers will lose a decent fishing venue because of people that think basic rules dont apply too them.
Anyhoo, all I saw yesterday or hear of were bass, quite possible there were plaice n bream but I wasnt aware of any at time of typing. And so, until the next one I bid you all ADIEU F
yea yea yea(no beetles were harmed), ALL MY OWN FAULT AND SELF INFLICTED. or so the wife says!. Up early yesterday, body heat and a panting hound at home wanting out ! oh joy so by my standards , up with the lark (ya know before 9.30am 🙂 ) pottered about n got ready for last home game /last game of the season at the amex with Brighton having a fairly decent chance at Euro footy next season if results went their way.
Well, with the results BTN scraped 8th and a spot in the euro conference league next season while man u actually looked good bopping in 3 while BTN failed too score, barely had any shots yet alone on target and probably played their second worst home game I have seen in a couple of years, OMG what a lack lustre shit show A toothless starting line up followed by well over late substitutions that were no better than the planks coming off the pitch.. still man u fans should be happy, Brighton made em look somewhat decent while underperforming themselves.
And so, having bellowed my lungs out cussing just about every villain on the pitch (yep ref included) we headed home knackered from the heat and frustrated at the way the game went but with the crap came a glimmer of light with the euro qualification… sadly Spurs managed too survive and escaped relegation also, thus even them failed too put a shine on the footy day !.
Any hoo, was home by 7pm and was still very warm out and heard a whisper that the walls were still busy so figured get the quad out and head down onto the walls and perhaps cool the head if not the body off. Now at this point I will give u all a heads up,if you are here for a catch report, scroll down until ya reach the line that says , “until the next one I will bid you all” coz as far as fish are concerned I dont have a lot to say today!(other than waffle).
Quad out, pointed down the hill and enjoyed the feel of cooler air on my face as I rolled down the hill onto the west which was quite busy, part daytime ppl still there and part quite a lot arriving for an evening/night session as things tried too cool down. Loads of chats, some advice asked for etc, standard gossip for me but I failed too hear of any catches and the night dude hadnt been there very long so was no wiser than me.. I did take a short trip over too the east but again a similar story of no catches but many I spoke too had been fairly recent arrived and so again I failed too get any info other that a repeated comment of ” bloody crabs” so it was a fairly short run about. Back on the west more arrivals were keeping the night dude Ali so about half 8, checked in with MARK and offered too shut the east down as I was already on the marina, offer was well received n so back over I went too wind things down and get the gate shut for 9pm prior too the light going.
Now I do get how people like too fish in the late evening but is important we get the walls closed at the appropriate times. Our agreement with the marina and its resident is that we have the wall closed by nine pm so please note, 9pm isn’t the time too pack up, 8.30 is better as you need too be off the wall by 9, so please help us , please pack in plenty of time too get off the wall with any litter you have. It helps us comply with marina conditions and does benefit anglers in having access too the east wall longer if any “special events” can be arranged. TY Once east was locked down a fairly shore roll back onto the west for a while as the light finally was fading. A quick check around and a check in with Ali and headed for home close too 10pm. Was, by my standards a heck of a long day too then be woken this morning by some very noisy bin men doing the rounds at 8this morning. Nope Iwouldnt want that job hauling bins on a bank holiday morning that was already heating up. This heat may be nice but boy is it knackering.
I will finish with a word of safety re the heat out there. if ya planning a visit too the marina or anywhere else out in the sun and haven’t already brought extra water water with you, please please find somewhere too top up its gonna be an absolute body burner out on the concrete with nowhere too hide on the east wall and very minimal shade on the west. Enjoy the weather but please stay safe. And thus we get too the last line for today and until the next one I will big you all ADIEU F
Well, not quite all but yesterday was a bit odd for some especially if you look at the who picture or happen too be one dude on the wall and yes he reads here , yes he knows who he is, and erm yes I cant recal his name but he is a bit camera shy, I know this as I have proof ! scroll down if you cant be arsed too read todays waffle.
So, too Saturday on the walls. Now you may recal my saying it would be a bum burner (using different words but..) well it was. you may also recal I mentioned the lack of breeze here and was very promptly told it wasnt the case in London nor erm that once sleepy town of Haywards Heath .
Well to be fair , this is Brighton or more precisely Brighton Marina which does have a way of doing weather somewhat differently too the rest off Sussex ! Indeed Ive seen a pea Souper of a fog sat over the Marina while the rest of the nation has glorious sunshine. So much so that you could walk through fog on the west wall and out onto the extension just like a cartoon step through an imaginary door out of the fog into brilliant sunshine quite weird and creepy especially when in the fog there isn’t a sound , through that door a world of summer noise, trust me you have too see it too fully appreciate the weirdness of it.
Too be fair though after the blog went up it was a while before I loaded up the quad and headed down manor hill too collect some bits from the west wall. Conditions ,? yea a faint breeze but lacking any tree movement. the water though was much like Thursday and fairly obvious that may rot had entrenched itself on both sides of the marina.. oh joy the fishing is gonna be tough in the full heat of day.
Well, in spite of conditions most anglers seemed in fairly decent spirits, for many there was a lack of fish or an occasional one being pulled up by someone else with much of the days catches being returned as generally undersized. I will add here that for those that know me they will be aware I am a bit of a stickler for maintaining fish sizes and do often try too impress this on others using the marina, lets face it., while its great too catch Id rather see someone take a pic and return undersized fish and in many ways its good management and ya never know the returns may one day get too be a decent catch for someone. Now, while out if fishing myself my personal keep sizes do tend too be a bit more than what is considered legal & acceptable sizes so probably more of my caught fish go back than what many would keep but that is my choice and personal standard & I will admit if its legal sometimes I offer fish caught too others who are ok with that smaller specimen. At this point I will admit too making an error yesterday with was actually resolved after a quick size check on the website here. YES there is a page of fish sizes so please guys take a look from time too time. On the west yesterday I watched a small (my view) starry hound come up and the dude that caught it was just about to knock it on the head when I called a stop and questioned why he was killing a fish that can grow too 7-8foot I believe. As said I referred too the size page here and realised I was wrong and it was genuinely in size corrected myself and apologised for calling a halt too his afternoon. personally keeping sharks isnt my sort of thing and if was I defo would want them bigger than the one that was caught (bass size) but again, thats my mind set and the angler did say he would be eating it.. each too their own I guess.
So, how was the rest of the west doing for fish ? somewhat like a foxtrot tbh. meaning, slow, slow, not quick quick but slow. Yes there were fish, but the bulk of catches on the west did seem earlier in the day (bar the occasional find like the hound) and not in the full heat of the day. Any hoo, loaded the trailer on the quad and headed over to the east with the intent on a proper look at the west later.
yes, the cafe was open, yes I remembered the dog biscuits in my pocket and yes the 2 cafe hounds spotted me quickly and promptly ignored those petting them and bee lined towards me and more precisely the pocket with the food! these 2 aint daft thats for sure. Thus a short stop by the cafe, a chat and owners permission too give both a biccy .. or two. I think he has given up asking me not too feed them as they do attach too whats in my pocket and too be fair I do ask him if ok and now do limit how many the dogs get each. Please please please, if you or a child is near a dog, check with the owner that an approach is ok and safe heat like this weekend can make people grumpy, dogs are much the same and can stress easily in the head. Likewise too anglers and walkers alike on the marina, dogs are welcome on the wall and should be on a lead but most importantly , on the east there isnt any shade and dogs will suffer probably more than us pink skinned white people, trust me on this some of the pink skin yesterday was looking very red so have a though if you have a dog. the flooring will be hot on their paws and the poor buggers have fur coats on… please carry extra fluid for the pets and if fishing a brolly or some form of shade protection. The west is a little more protected in the afternoon as the sun travels east there is some shade from the front of the wall for pets and small children. The toilet block s a sink and cold tap. If anyone is using this for watering pets please let it run for a couple of mins. The water is fed by a pipe the full length of the wall so can get warmed in the summer.
I realise the above is a bit of a long yarn and may sound like im preaching pet care, that isnt the intent but occasionally a reminder nudge is useful too remind people of simple health care out in the sunshine.
Well, onto the east and ya may wonder if there were any fish.. I met regular John H and Mike coming off the wall basically saying it was erm naff up on the high bays and another regular (Roy) said much the same was his day. As said too john I suspect the factors of heat, tide state and heavy may rot probably the biggest factors and perhaps there would be some improvement as the heat dropped after 6ish. Lots of head shakes on the east when I went up but there was some chatter of a few fish, mostly plaice and a dab or two indicating some activity on the bottom although when I went up late afternoon many were feathering in the hope I guess of mackerel.
Thus I arrived at bay 40 something and a chat with a familiar face whose name I cant remember but always seems too be cheerful and chatty. So during a general chat about life n fishing etc he ws saying how he had seen a few small plaice come up but all returned. I think he had caught a couple himself but at the time I passed he was feathering. Now, with may rot the fish tend too either avoid it (it clogs up the fishes gills and de oxygenates the water so I suggested he lets his weight go deep and try a very slow retrieve and twitch the line occasionally. well , guess what, that 1st cast was enough too hook into something and the dude seemed gobsmacked. It seem so often I come up the wall chatting too people that fish somehow do the miracle thing (or stoopid thing) & Ive often joked that the fish follow me up the wall. Anyhoo he is convinced its me and yup he was grinning as he reeled a mackerel in off the bottom. Proof,? of the fish or that he is camera shy.. well scroll down coz this piccy was his request of , please dont id me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 On moving on I did let a few other know that they should try nearer the bottom and yes some had already realised there was an occasional fish down there. Species on the east yesterday included, bass, plaice, dab, mackerel and small hounds scattered through the day but generally slow going but again I suspect many didnt mind that as the weather was plying ball and most enjoyed being out in the sun.
Back on the west there had been a fish caught here n there. I suspect the best of the day had been before the high too bait users on the extension and quite a few decent bream had been caught although one regular unusually had struggled too catch (jerry) and had been bait fishing rather than his recent squid n cuttle targeting. One bass was had that went 58cm among a few others, most caught and kept were bream as said the best of it on the end. Hound pups do seem on the increase and at time of typing a decent one was caught on the east this morning (early) there were mackerel caught but all were singles on feathers without any clusters made for tough going with feathers in the heat. The other thing of note was the spider crabs, both walls are seeing them now and in increasing numbers. I swear the buggers are on the bottom with knives and scissors cutting lines and grabbing baits.
Again its gonna be hot and very dry out there so please come prepared too bake in the sunshine. heavy sunburns though are no fun so please prepare.
Thats it from me for today.. Brighton’s amex i am bound for the last day of the season so probably wont be down later on today. Thats it, im done for the day bar the mackerel and the man with no name 😉 Until the next one then I will bid you all ADIEU F
