West Coast, palm trees, gulf stream...Scotland!

[MrCat]

High tide ten minutes ago, and I'm just sitting about on a cool slightly drizzley saturday morning thinking that an outgoing tide for the next six hours could be quite good.

I really do need another coffee tho. Ironic that people get frustrated with drizzle and mist all winter round here and long for just one clear view out to the islands, but just now it looks utterly stunning out there. I guess it's the warmth.

I've been a few times in these conditions lately and it's been truely magic down on the rocks with hardly a ripple on the water, just the dulling effect of mild rain which also seems to have that extra silencing effect of all noise, not that there's much of that round here. The porpoise always seems to show up on days like this too, part of me feels great that I got there before him when I see him show up in my spot ha ha but I'm always wondering if it's a good sign of my sixth fish sense, or bad as he's maybe herding all the fish away again?

As the fish go, I've been collecting a good few mackerer for the freezer. I seem to find that (from the shore) they are there when the tide is rising or sinking, but strangely when the tide pauses and starts to turn again there is a lull in the fish too. Not that I've been raking them in as such, but there's usually one to be had somewhere. Sadly the problem round here is that most of the shoreline is very shallow with lots and lots of weed and every size rock you can imagine (any way/cunning technique/rig for getting round such things? I'm new as it gets really).

There are only two places I can get to on foot when I get five minutes off work here and there. I was itching to get out in a boat for a while as I've just rediscovered fishing this june after a 20 year break. Funnily tho I found that there is some excitement in being able to drop a line over the side and have five tastey mackerel on it within seconds, but it's kind of boring after a while. Maybe I'm just a bit strange but I think I prefer it from the shore unless you just want an instant munch. I feel much more akin with everything when it's just me on the rocks with a rod and a cuppa, no reliance on petrol or anything, just good old caffine, nylon, carbon fibre, various plastics and mother naure haha.

I guess it's all just a fair amount of pot luck at the end of the day, but somehow one feels slightly more skilled in catching dinner from the shore as opposed to just raking it all in from a boat. I guess it takes all sorts tho eh! Try everything once. I think I'll be out for the mackerel again in a mo', ho I'm now getting an itch to switch tackle for some different fish. I have a good few mackerel rigs but not much else. I'm also just getting the hang of this sea fishing stuff, very different ball game to my carp fishing of yester-year, not that I can remember too much about that. I have some wriggley rubber worm things but I've not really tried them yet, I gather I might catch some pollock on them but the few times I've used them there's been no interest. I think I'll try some bait soon, but I don't know what kind of thing to use, will any old bit of steak or something do the trick?

I guess I should try it and see. Keen as I am, I do like the fact with the mackeral rig I at least have a good sense of optimism on a minimum of one or two given recent experience. Ha, how bad, try something new v's stick to what you know works...lifes all time biggest dilema. On that note...I have to stretch my legs or forever live in wonder of what might have been.