Over the last week the weather has been a bit up & down and with fairly strong easterlies the wall has had to close for 2 or 3 days. This does impact water conditions and does no one any favours. Add to that some over night showers/rain etc means that we do have to limit access beyond bay 25 on the EAST when wet. Obviously if its ok up there the duty warden will decide on the day if they will open beyond but predicting how dry(or not) the wall will be on any given day becomes impractical.

As I type I gather there is some form of work going ahead on higher bays but ive no idea of what it is.
Observant types may notice work has actually began on the east with the approach to the pathways block off. Pease avoid trying to climb onto the west as its a real pain in the arse getting people off there and there a decent chance it could be a police matter.

On the catch front have things picked up any ?
So far it seems the usual April fare prior to may rot setting in with plaice, dab, flounder, dogfish, a spider crab reported, a few bream have been taken this week also. Whiting, smooth hound pups a bass or a few depending on which whispers you listen too Pout and some herring and last but not least a conger or 2 have been mentioned but no picture evidence of them.

Over on the Boat side of things I havnt seen may reports so a fair call is beyond what I can say other than Brigands reports which indicate that Pollack are the main stay over the wrecks and the bream fishing is in very good swing with some great reports on both fish species.
Obviously talking to the skippers is the best options when you are picking on where/who to go with and in the same manner they also are the best ones to ask when deciding what bait or lures they are recommending.

Water conditions are a bit milky on lower tides as the rivers are still flushing rain water, it seems to me that flounder are more active a couple of days after rain as well, perhaps they like the brackish water that happens as the rivers flush that rain out. As the tide rises the milky deposits tend to clear into a decent emerald green type of colour.

As we get well into April 3 questions seem to get asked more often than any others, the first 2 im convinced are symbiotic with one following the other and that is Mackerel & squid. This year I know of 3 of each confirmed on the east wall & that was on the bigger spring tide 2-3 weeks ago. Since those were caught on the wall, nothing, fairly much the same as the 2 previous years. Now I don’t know if poor weather/water conditions have scuppered this 10 day- 2 week runs in April ( I sort of think the mackerel are last years that make the run up from the bay of biscay and the squid follow & feed on them bringing them into sussex waters.) but things are beginning too look like that spring run may now become a thing of the past.
The reasons for this I can only speculate on.
Is something eating them pre arrival ? (tuna shoals?)
poor weather ?
over fishing ?
Ive genuinely no Idea why its not happening but something definitely seems to have changed with the larger (main) mackerel shoals arriving a bit later each year and number clearly declining with “ICES” the stock watchers commenting on how they are as a species now at risk ! I fear it wont be long before mackerel get put on a restricted listing ! quite shocking in my books.

So, what was the 3rd ask ? well that one relates to the water quality and everyone’s pet hate of
MAY ROT
WTF is may rot some no doubt ask. Well its an algae that forms at certain water temps as we creep towards summer and warmer temperatures. It forms as a bloom in the water and multiplies causing a cloudy colour in the water. The algae grows by removing oxygen from the water and the thicker areas can smell like bad eggs and leaves sticky snot like deposits on fishing line as anglers rewind. It also impacts on the fish quite heavily by clogging up fish gills combine this with the lesser oxygen levels in the water and you can see why fish stay clear of may rot patches or try to swim under it much reducing the fishing and becoming quite a pest to anglers.
Now, some loacl anglers are already saying May Rot has already started (im not convinced its here yet) and if is the case it could be an issue for some weeks unless we start getting some very decent hot days. Im not overly sure that we are going to get the early summer heat that many will hope for and if is the case May rot could well easily stay through MAY and well into June ( hope not).

Anyhoo, as things stand while the species numbers are on the rise with summer species slowly arriving catch rates to for the average anglers on the wall are quite slow , although that said the counter is that tbh things number wise on the east are quite slow and even on “busy days” there usually is plenty of space for those wanting to chuck some line & rigs at the sea 🙂

With that I am done for the day & will as usual bid you all ADIEU
F