Minispecies reccy at Lancing Beach

[Vagabond]

After the porgy last month I want to target something that doesn't pull too hard, so I decided a reccy at Lancing beach for minispecies would be a good idea.

It so happens I have never fished Lancing beach, so have spent a couple of low tides learning where the gullies and flinty beds are, whilst teaching the grandchildren the delights of a big shrimping pushnet. They push it and I stand on the strand line shouting instructions and waving my arms like Fabio Capello on the touchline.

Plenty of shrimps the first trip - none on the second. So only one shrimp omlette for two trips.

But both trips resulted in several Solenette. This is one - the tiny Solenette Buglossidium luteum AKA Solea lutea which is unknown to many anglers, yet is quite common on sandy beaches, especially in the South.

Despite having never caught, or seen caught, a Solenette on rod and line, I hope to add one to my species list soon. #26 hook and a tiny scrap of shellfish I think - and a river light feeder rod pressed into action as a mini beachcaster . The main problem is getting a small enough bait - the fish average about 2" in length, and a four-incher is a monster! (no doubt someone will re-phrase that!) Not easy, but at least I know they are there!

A search of the forum yielded nothing under solenette, has anyone here ever caught one on rod and line ? They differ from baby sole in having NO BLACK SPLODGE on the upper pectoral fin. Plus a blackish finray at intervals of every half dozen or so rays - but that does not show well on the pic.




....and the underside - the special reticulated pattern of the papillae at the front end in diagnostic.


The other fish that turned up in the shrimp net was Lesser Weever


This pic is for the benefit of any newbies to shore fishing, look carefully at it. Getting this one wrong whilst unhooking could be VERY painful.

Handle with great care - the first dorsal fin (that's the front top one) has a poisonous spine. Get pricked by it and it might be a hospital job.

Weevers often lie just covered with sand in shallow water, and bathers sometimes tread on 'em

[rob@home]

Great post mate very useful info especially on the weever fish. Had no idea about these mini species

Rob.

[fishypaul]

interesting reading vagabond,best of luck in the solenette hunt

[pingu]

never heard of solenette
good reminder on weever

dave

[Greenheart]

Never heard of the solenette before. At leat the weever ended up in your Grand kids net before they stood on it. Good luck with your hunt.

[geejayy]

interesting read as ever mr vagabond,
cant say ive ever seen one b4 but in my ignorance would have prob i.d it as a juvenile dover. i've ensnared a couple of very small sole over the years of about that size , cant really say caught just entangled in rigs.

btw, i didn't think they made hook as small as #26.

best of luck in your quest

[captain chaos]

caught something that resembled that (but probably sole) if you do not already know this, if you are going to target them, then try putting tiny lead shot all the way up the trace, this helps to pin the bait to the sea bed, rag worm deadly at shoreham but not sure about lancing, don,t fish too much as the weed drives me mad, more mad than i am already! , sole will not swim up for bait i was told, tryed it and its deadly.

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by geejayy

i didn't think they made hook as small as #26.

best of luck in your quest

Yep, they made them for tiddler-snatching freshwater matchfishers in the days when the way to win a winter match on a canal was to use bloodworm.

They may not still be made because modern matchfishing tends to be all about "bagging up" (odious phrase) at carp puddles.

However, I have a lifetimes supply of #26, 24, 22 and 20 tucked away in my tackle cupboard.

Thanks for the good wishes - I suspect I will need them.

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by captain chaos

try putting tiny lead shot all the way up the trace, this helps to pin the bait to the sea bed, sole will not swim up for bait i was told.

Thanks Capt - yes, pinning a bait down for sole is a good idea - hope it works for solenette too.

The weed was bad last week - clearing it out of a shrimping net is worse than clearing your line! Not too bad today though.

[cuckoo]

Very interesing vagabond , never seen or heard of a solenette , look forward to your report with interest , best of luck on bagging one