yup, Squid are definitely in Mackerel it seems are out, Garfish a plenty, which on its own feels very strange too me. I can’t recal seeing so many garfish in such a short spell. Adding too the weird we used too get gars arrive in amongst mackerel shoals, this year the gar have seemingly formed their own shoals in the absence of the mackies … most odd and I have no idea why.
Odds & sods being reported over the last couple of days, one or two Large bream have been thrown up (so to speak) on the West but it feels like catching other species other than Horse mackerel, Squid/cuttle and some Bass at the moment are on a bit of hold. yes there have been Plaice, rays, conger, one or two Mullet and even a Wrasse or two but right now squid are head and shoulders above anything else.
Also in the mix have been the occasional hound pup and even talk of dogfish(already?) and the marina, especially the EAST WALL has a way of throwing curve balls and the occasional “unusual for the time of season” type of catch. e are still seeing Gurnards and red Mullet(goat fish) and there are still prawns too be had in the rock pools and down the “V’s” of the lower bays of which is good news for the Bass hunters.
Again night fishing is producing the larger number of catches as said dominated by squid and horse mackerel runs. Most nights this week as soon as the light has gone the squid have been very active, although last night things started slower than previous nights so I guess ya cant always rely on the buggers too perform in a regular pattern. The horse mac tend too avoid the aggressive shoals of squid so timings of when at night they will show is somewhat a lottery.
Please note that with only the one wall usually open at night it has over the last 2-3 months become very busy. Part because it has been producing and part really is down too the lack of decent and safe venues too fish at night that doesnt require membership.
Now I very much realise that some are driving/traveling too Brighton from some distance away, some have journeys of over three hours! but so have many others. If you arrive and the wall is already full telling us how many hours you have travelled too get here doesn’t mean you will get on the wall any sooner, simply put, if there isn’t space you won’t get on the wall until others leave. The west wall is limited in space thus also limited in numbers we can allow on at any given time especially at night when risks of injury increase from careless casts and accidents. If we over fill the wall we put our insurances at risk, if the insurance is lost there is no fishing, night or day, simply put no insurance= no wall to fish on and overcrowding is the fastest way of loosing the venue.
Plan your journey, get here in plenty of time, pay attention too high tide times. many get here 2-3hours before the high tide and also get here before it gets dark. If you get here and it is dark 100% chance that the wall is already full and most likely the main white gate will be shut too help wardens control the numbers entering.
What isn’t acceptable is if you manage too slip onto the wall un-noticed by the duty warden and then go and plonk yourself into a bay with already 3-4 people fishing there thus causing problems with those already there and then acting all bolshy because you have been asked or told too move.
We operate on a 1st come basis the bulk of the time and in the last 2 months most nights we have been open the gate has had too be used too control the sheer volume of people wanting too get on the wall. On at least 2 occasions at the weekend the west wall has been full and gate closed by 6.30 pm most nights the gate has been shut before fully dark meaning people have too queue and wait for others too leave the wall.
It has not been unusual for afternoon arrivals too stay on the wall until midnight all anglers get a minimum of 8 hours on their tickets up too a maximum of 12hrs based on when their ticket is issued. Yes some leave early due too not having gear too fish in the dark but it is not unusual for someone at 8pm arriving too be told a wait of at least 3-4 hours due too being full and then the only options remaining is too fish the beach or travel elsewhere.
Telling the warden you have travelled 3+ hours wont get you on any quicker if at all. It comes down purely too numbers already on a busy wall at night.
Abusing wardens will only see the wall shut. Being frustrated too arrive late and be met with a busy wall is no excuse for abuse and plain rudeness, so please don’t be shocked by, if you give the warden a load of verbal that the warden simply ends up eventually telling you too fek orf, no one deserves that sort of abuse.
On the up side, tonight Saturday the east will be open extended time until 10pm for the benefit of those squidding and next Saturday we will run a squid comp on the EAST wall, details too follow.
Thats it,almost, wall expected too be busy tonight so please travel in plenty of time, tonight’s High is at 5 to midnight and a big one at 6.55m. 18.02 low tide of 0.9m
And with that Im gonna sign off and bid you all (until the next one) ADIEU
F
