Solent Fish Report

[Codfather]

Hi all

As some of you know, a group of mates all meet at Hythe today for a Flounder bash. I had been warned that it may not be too good as they did not have many on Friday/Saturday.

I tried for an hour but got fed up so 3 of us headed down river just off Bramble Bank to the West.

Put the pick down and was into pout and whiting and a lone doggie. Then my mate had a super bite and pulled in a plump 4.25lb codling spewing out sprats in the net.

This was the first cod on the boat for over 3 years so to say we were please was an uderstatement.

Pulled the anchor up at 3pm and headed back to Hythe.

Great day out on some new fishing grounds, good weather and mates and had some fish what more could you ask for.

Hope other had a good day as well

Happy New Year to everyone.

Coddy

[Norfolkboy]

Nice one mate

[pingu]

sounds good there well done

dave

[cuckoo]

Nice one coddy , the flounder seem to have done a bunk , i know we have a resident seal in the itchen now, just wandering if he is causing some of the problems ?????

lee.

[monkey nuts]

nice to hear of codling still around , well done

[Lookfar]

SeaMouse was out on this bash as well and we did pretty well for weather if not fish. Got to the Marina to find a slip wide enough to launch two boats at once and enough space at the slip head for all five boats and trailers to get ready. Chatted to the various crews, collected my crewman Bob and got ourselves afloat just as the tide reached the base of the slip.
Since it was a flounder comp, I gave it a go for them despite the conditions tempting me to head for deeper water and chance of a cod. Drifted various depths off Hythe reclaimed ground in the company of Dreamcatcher in a warm, glassy calm but all we picked up was crabs. By the time Sammy and Moby came by at mid-morning, I was more than happy to leave the flounders in peace and follow them out to the Bramble Bank. Lots of tide here, too much in fact for most of our light gear, and plenty of weed going by. Some of it was that odd stuff with the strong chemical smell.
My back-up bait of refrozen squid turned out to be particularly skanky but the doggies didn't mind, I had two and Bob had a couple of pout so we didn't blank. Lady Christine were reporting small bass from above the Hamble so for variety we left early to join them, and maybe have another bash at a flounder. Two minutes later, Sammy was on the radio reporting a codling but we were committed and pushed on back up the Solent. Tracked Lady Christine down and parked next to them, sociable fishing just yards apart in almost dead slack water. Managed to winkle out three small pout then it was time to head in. All five boats were hauled out in very short order and we had a little presentation for the Dreamcatcher crew who had winkled out a single flounder from 50ft of water in the last hour of play. A nice, sociable way to end 2007.

Steve