Floundering on the Taw.

[kiwimarty]

As I left my centrally heated home, nothing was to prepare me for icy cold wind this morning. It just about cut me in half!

After a quick fuel up of the car I was soon heading toward North Devon and the river Taw. The roads were quiet so I made good time, reaching the venue in an hour and ten minutes. As I parked the car my pal Shaun pulled into the car park. Perfect timing.

The mark we were going to fish was well known to Shaun, being only a short walk from where we had fished before back in November last year.

I helped Shaun set up ‘base camp’ and we made our way down to the waters edge. Jeez this was deep. If I had thought it was bad at the mark back in November, it was nothing compared with this. Talk about mud larks. Awesome!

We baited up with some shop bought rag mounted upon the now infamous ‘Smoothy Wishbone Rig'. I was using size 2 bait holder hooks with a few coloured beads above and a 2oz pear shaped lead mounted on a zip slider.

With Shaun’s rods out before mine (too much yap) it didn’t surprise me that it was one of his rods that started to show the tell tale ‘nod’ of a feeding Flounder. A few minutes later a beut of a fish was on the beach. Next it was my turn, a similar sized fish wish was a little on the thin side but showing signs of putting weight back on after spawning. Delightful.

After moving the rods back from the now incoming tide we walked back up the beach/mud to enjoy breakfast at base camp. Shaun’s excellent beach buddie, doubled up nicely as a great kitchen, where one enjoyed not two, but three Smoothy prepared egg, bacon and mushroom rolls…..MMMMM….mmmmm!

After breakfast we returned to our rods which were now in a good six inches of water!! The tide here fills slowly at first but then can fill double time!!

Although I wasn’t blessed with another fish, Shaun was. A little smaller this one, so with hook carefully removed, she was gently released.

Thank you Shaun, for a great days fishing. The weather was glorious, the food excellent as was your company. Thank you also for the ‘goodie bag’ .

Please enjoy the photos.

Kiwi.



Shaun's Flounder.


Marty's Flounder.


Having a Wallow!


Into a Fish!


There's Something About Kiwi's and Worms!!


Rods at the Ready.


Thanks for the photos Shaun.

[wellyfish]

nice fish you two...great pics ...and you cant beat a smoothie brekkie on a cold morning...

[Old Smoothound]

Hi Guy's,

Kiwi Marty and I went for a bit of a "Wallow" yesterday today down on the River Taw.... looking for Flounders.

Well after a stress free drive down in 1hr35mins, Kiwi and I met at the Newly Named "Tarka Inn" formerly Heanton Court Hotel.

Booted, Suited and Bundled we made our way down to the River...to fish one of the most prolific marks down there.
We were greeted by a very Alsatian that took an instant dislike to us.... it was a good job it was on one of the house boats moored up!

We made our way around the boats and proceeded to set up camp...well actually our Veckie Breckie Kitchen tent...(Beach Buddy) those already in the know will know what it means.

Then came the Wallow.... I am first onto the mud...with welly boots on. "How deep is it Smoothy?” shouts the antipodean...you'll be ok Marty I shout back. I have my head down now and I’m going for it......"Jesus shouts Marty its bloody muddy in it"! Yes Mart I shout back....I turn around and the image of "wallowing in a mud hole" appears in my mind... There's Marty over his ankles in mud and S**t and he has only got short boots on...no wellies! I shout back to him... "You'll be ok in a minute Mart its much firmer over by the shore line" Marty has got so much mud on his boots he's struggling to lift them up to walk

So the wallow over we set about some serious fishing.......

Kiwi and I set up our rods and tripods, rigs were Smoothy Wishbone rigs...3 red beads size 4 hooks on each snood and on the other rod 3 yellow beads and size 4 hooks and 3oz pear shaped leads on zippy sliders. The antipodean was using the same rigs. I have my Penn Extreme Vegance Bass rods and Shimano Bait runners and Marty has Carp rod and Bass rod plus fixed spool reels.

Lobbing our baits out (bait was small rag worm) we settled down to fish. We have a natter about the forum and fishing(the 2 go hand in hand really) and Marty notices a tremble on my rod…I let it develop then wind down and set the hook…..nothing, damn. Then a few minutes later the other rod gets a tremble…..wind down and yes its on, (Yellow Beads this time) and a plump flounder comes to the shore. Unfortunately it had swallowed the hooks ALL of them…plus the 6 yellow beads, so it was quickly despatched.

We were fishing a rising tide..of only 1.5 metres so it was taking some time to come in….more on this later.

At 11.30am we decided we would have our "Smoothy Veckie Breckie", Smoked Bacon, Egg and mushroom rolls, brown sauce and black pepper, freshly cooked on the porta stove…yummy. After devouring 3 rolls each and cups of tea we headed back over the “Mire” to start again.

Well what greeted us was a disaster…all the freshly dug maddies had floated off the newspaper, and I saved Marty’s Rucksack from Sailing down the Estuary heading straight for Ireland!
Although we had moved our gear back, the tide had rushed in and almost caught us with our pants down! (Beware those who venture out on dangerous ground)

I had one more Flounder that I released to live another day and Marty had the best flounder of the day that is probably in the fridge or in his tummy by now.

The weather turned out to be flawless…bright blue sky but the wind was in our face and not too strong. The water was “Gin “ clear…just as it should be for the best flounder fishing. We fished until just after high water and from experience it never fishes best on the ebb. So we squished or our way back over the quagmire and chatted about the day's events and then made our way home. A great days fishing with a great guy that I would never have met if it hadn’t been for this forum. So thanks for that Richard. Shame other peeps could not fish with us, but the Flounder will be back in numbers later in the year.


“We will be back”!

[kiwimarty]

Originally Posted by wellyfish

nice fish you two...great pics ...and you cant beat a smoothie brekkie on a cold morning...

You aint kiddin' mate. Shame you couldnt make it this time round dude.

Thanks Shaun for an awesome write up. I had forgotten to mention that ruddy dog!!

Kiwi.

[pingu]

nice one guys looked like a great day, and a fish each as well to add to the pleasure

[Simon TorbayFishing]

Sounds like a great day. Well done to you both..... do you do home deliveries yet? Those rolls sound great!

[A fluff chucker]

Two great write ups Loads of fun

Come on guys (and gals) let's have more write ups like these from everybody; please!

[Norfolkboy]

Great reports and pics chaps...


The food sounds great, oh and well done on the fish, nice one!!

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Sounds a top day and great read and pics lads

What better way of spending a day , than going fishing

[fishingbonsai]

Brilliant write up guys, thanks.

Its been months since I saw a fish over six inches long. I can smell em though
they are on their way, believe me.