Weekend of mixed fortunes

Friday evening and with nice settled weather I intended on heading down to Blackgang in search of a conger or Bass. Arrived at 7pm with Henry and Kierran and after a long 20 minute climb down the cliffs we found Bill already set up. The tide was running so hard even a short cast was impossible, so we spent the next few hours chatting and feathering for mackerel which didn't show.
The evening was gorgeous and the scenery even better.






Finally around 10pm the tide eased and large baits went out, mackerel, squid cuttle and the like.
Darkness arrived and despite some good bites we couldn't land anything, eventually though I found the culprits with this 1lb 4oz Pout.



Though the bites continued they seemed to be just pout, though Bill did manage an undersize Lobster.
In the early hours a shout came up from further along the beach and Henry had landed a cracking 8lb 2oz Bass, which he soon followed with a conger of just under 3lb, as for the rest of us nothing, we called it a night at 4am and then it took us nearly 40 minutes to climb back up the cliffs.

Saturday was comp night on the island forum, species hunt was the task, and Brambles bay was the venue. I arrived and was set up and raring to go by the start at 8pm.Another cracking venue with the needles in the background.





Two hook rigs with ragworm looking for wrasse while it was daylight. Well despite others catching a variety of fish, Bass wrasse small plaice and even a nice pound sole, I couldn't even buy a bite. Finally checking my bait I found the smallest goby attached, but a species all the same.



Darkness arrived and my first bite a pout, species number 2. Well after that I tried everything looking for number 3, close in, distance, changed rigs, changed baits, cocktail baits, Squid, mackerel, crab etc, but all I could catch was pout at range on worm.

Well heard through the grapevine that 2 guys had 3 species each with one in the lead with a just insize plaice.

20 minutes left of the comp and another bite, but this time it felt slightly heavier and it actually kicked as I wound in, I was hopeful and sure enough number 3 was landed a nice 12oz Sole.



Well the comp ended with 3 of us drawn on 3 species each, I managed 1st place due to the sole being the heaviest, Kierran comng 2nd and Crow third. I pocketed a nice cash sum but more importantly a 5 points.

I stayed on for a little while but even the pout had ceased feeding and with the tide ebbing I called it a night.