Holy Schmoley! Where did that come from.

[nimue4]

Hi Guys,
Stole a day off work today to go fishing. Just me and son Chris got down to Teignmouth about 11.00 am, sandeel sellers closed so lure fishing only to start with. Got out the estuary and onto the sandbanks casting away, a few macks early on and my personal best flounder of 2 1/2 lbs (on mack strip). Lovely day so where did the seas come from? By 1/2 past 2 we were scared and surfed in to the estuary! Trust me you dont really want to be able to surf in on a shetland but my son was driving today, I just held on.
I guess last trip of the year, pike fishing from now on. Richard, Andyg, Kiwi, I'm gonna go out to to keep the engines sorted but to be honest small boat fishing has come to an end this year.
The forum is good so we will meet up on a beach this winter, and you will come out next year.
Thanks for last week at Brixham, Loved it, Jules.

[Old Smoothound]

Originally Posted by nimue4

Hi Guys,
Lovely day so where did the seas come from? By 1/2 past 2 we were scared and surfed in to the estuary! Trust me you dont really want to be able to surf in on a shetland but my son was driving today, I just held on.

The EU Met sat showed the area of low pressure building out in the Bay of Biscay and it fair old ran up the channel like a trian Jules. It is forecast to move North East by mid day Monday. Thats were it came from mate.

Looks like another building out in mid Atlantic as well.

Take Care.
Cheers
Shaun

[devondave]

yep and down here you get the swell from an easterly sometimes 3-4 hours before you actually feel the wind pick up.
i think it is going to last until the middle of next week and next weekend it 'may' start to calm down again.
its not over yet jules hang in there.
still some fine weather and great fishing to be had!

Jules,

Went out today from Hartlepool and had exactly the same experience. The sea was lumpy which kept us in the bay but around 2pm the wind shifted from a northerly to a north easterly which brought the waves round into the bay and a pleasant afternoon riding at anchor fishing for flatties turned very quickly into a roller coaster ride....exit stage right...10 mins and we were back in harbour. its reassuring to know that on the radio the marina were concerned for our safety and I had a quick chat with them to let them know we were safe in the bay. its good to know someone cares.

I think the weather systems we are getting at the moment are the leftovers of the recent carribean hurricans and hopefully things will settle down before too long.

For me the winter means grabbing last minute opportunities to get out to sea rather than stopping fishing all together. Providing the wind stays westerly for a few days it can be remarkably calm here even in the depths of winter which at least gets you to sea even if you cant fish the distant summer wreck marks.

Dave

[Ben]

well done on the new pb flounder, got a pic??

[nimue4]

Guys,
Thanks for the answers, it really caught us out! Old Smoothie, I got the weather forecast beforehand and thought we would be ok all day, funny how it can move up a gear. Devondave, weird how the seas can precede the wind? Davem, glad you got in safe too, and yeah it is reassuring when you get a call on the radio to see if you're ok. I saw a few boats going in early and wondered why, got my answer very quickly! Ben, didn't think anyone would want to see a smallish flounder when you see picks of 100lb congers, but yes I took one just before eating it and will post it up now. Didn't fight at all, must have been committing suicide, but tasted great.
Looking forward to shore meets this winter but for the first time am leaving boat on mooring in the hope of a few triips after cod and whiting. Brought gear off boat for annual overhaul, that seawater does so much damage, reels and rods need oiling sanding and varnishing again. Rigs need throwing away and replacing.
Don't you just love the whole fishing thing?
Kindest regards, Jules.

[devondave]

jules yes it is strange how the sea gets up before the wind my guess would be that the swell from an easterly moves right down the channel and gets caught in torbay so maybe the waves travel faster than the storm and so they reach us before the actual wind does!

when i used to work on the mackeral boats in the bay we used to know an easterly was coming before we even heard the shipping forecast because you can feel that slight lump in the bay building as the day goes on.
and then low and behold the next day you have 8-10 ft swell