Babbacombe report

[pixybasher]

LOL...You cheeky monkey

[Ben]

its called sods law mr pixy

[CHUBB]

the best time to fish in shorts and shirt is when its raining, last summer me and poplo went to elberry cove in shorts and shirts and within half an hour of getting there, it opened up, non-stop rain for two hours, one of the best trips i had in a long time. it just turned out to be a huge laugh!

[CHUBB]

oh yeah, nice one Simon i would have have politely asked them to **** off, failing that i would have thrown a few squid at them before cutting their lines. i hate impolite people, especially when i'm fishing!

[BIG T]

i am moving 2 babbacombe in 2 weeks after reading the reports on the attitude of the locals i cant wait 2 set up my rod on this moody pier

[smiley]

well done for keeping cool,but also standing your ground. who gives a rats what people like that think. one day i was fishing off my local rock wall, low down on the wall. Then some rude *#%& comes up behind me and cast his rod straight over my ruddy head. I remained cool and asked him" DO YA MIND MATE" then he looks at me as if he didn't see me and grunts.
Neanderthols.

smiley

[Foggy]

Hello to all you babbacombe fishermen. I did a search on Babbacombe and found all these posts and the constant theme of how much fighting there is etc. Also an unfriendly atmosphere.

It a shame because babbacombe pier is a great little place, particularly if like me your slightly disabled, if you have a car is so easy to get too.

I think the reason is pretty obvious, most people percieve the end of the pier to be the only part worth fishing. When you have 10 anglers and only about 4 spaces at the end then competition develops. maybe I have a pleasant face or something but i have usualy found other fishermen only too happy to let me in. Where i have witnessed rudeness its mostly younger guys who put out 2 or three rods, which in such cramped space i think is extreemley rude and sellfish. I fish with one rod, either on the bottom or float or spinner, if I decided to do one I stop doing the other. doesnt that sound reasonable? In such a tight space.

I rather object to the old farts comments because I am 59 and most of you will get there soon enough. Yes there are grumpy old men everywhere but also grumpy young men too.

Incidentaly those of you who feel the end of the pier is THE only spot worth fishing In the 15 years I have been fishing Babbacombe pier the best fish have always been caught about halfway down the long wall. Only last week (July 07) I personaly witnessed an 6 to 8 lb sea trout being caught on float and mackerel strip, A 2 to 3 lb Bass caught on the same set up, and a huge squid 18 inches long foul hooked with feathers. Note I said I witnessed, meaning other people caught the damn things I just got mackerel.

This pier is a little gem, such a range of species and in general friendly people but those of you who fill the spaces with extra rods are being selfish.

As for feathers, I dont object to feathers as a rule although I personaly never use them, I feel its not sportmanship to haul 7 or eight fish at a time out of the water, thats commercial fishing. But i can understand the objection in such a small space. To be squeezed next to someone swinging his 14 foot Zipplex or whatever, every couple of minutes is unpleasant and dangerous.

We should all be mindfull of how our actions affect others. Only the other week a guy came onto the pier, set up three rods next to me, cast out a float, cast out a bottom rig, placed a ghetto blaster next to me turned it on loud and then walked off!!! I hasten to add he was not an old fart but a young fart. I go there to enjoy the peace and quiet, not radio head bang.
He was away for 20 minutes by which time i plucked up the courage to turn the radio off, resisting the temptation to nudge it over the wall. His float had drifted across everyones lines being left unattended.

So maybe if others thought how their selfishness was making others then we would all get on a lot better. Kind regards Foggy

[Fishin'Widow]

Speaking of farts......See this is where IBS comes in handy - when folk get too close you just drop one and they soon back off
Shame tho Simon that ignorant gits get a place a bad name and ruin your fun day out!!
Hey hubby headed down to Princess Pier when we were down a few weeks ago and the weather got so nasty that the 8oz weight he was chucking out was coming back and hitting him in the face!! So he had a wee drink and made some friends before walking back for a kebab - and instead getting the only thing left in the shop - a few scabby pieces of southern fried chicken LOL forgot things close early down there!!!

[kiwimarty]

Hi Foggy and welcome to the forum.

First of all your reference to “old farts” must have come from a different thread about Babbacombe Pier as I have not found it on this one!

Babbacombe Pier is indeed a little gem (Just a shame Torbay Council doesn’t feel the same). Off and on I have enjoyed fishing there for about thirty years and beyond any doubt in my mind whatsoever, over the years this pier has attracted a hard core of elderly fishermen who fish it regularly, and they are rude, they are ignorant to anyone who may tip up and fish it that they don’t see as a regular. Although this tends to be a “morning thing”, it has gone on for years and years.

One of the main objections from those that moan (and do more), is fishing on the bottom and whilst the majority of the pier is fishable if using float, the end is only any good for bottom fishing due to snags, and there we have the problem, as most of the older fraternity will only fish the end and if they cant they start on you. Indeed I can recall an early morning when a pal and I were fishing there and we moved over for an old timer to fish between us. He allowed his float set up to constantly tangle with my bottom gear, dragging it into snags and he had the audacity to moan at me because it was MY fault for fishing the bottom. After an exchange of words, I moved his gear out of the way of us.

I do understand where this comes from though. There is nothing worse than coming to a favourite mark only to find someone in it but hey first come first served. Me, well I would only be too pleased to move up and make room but I do understand that many wouldn’t and that includes anglers of any “fart” age.

I agree with you about the use of feathers, although they do have their uses if catching mackerel for bait if say going on boat trip or long session, or youngsters wanting fast results, although I must admit, I have not found any rod and line user with more than six hooks!!!!

I have enjoyed reading your post Foggy and do take onboard what you have said but the evidence of this and other Babbacombe Pier threads, speaks for itself.

Regards.

Kiwi.

[monkey nuts]

i would have lost it in seconds if some t**t came next to me and done that , fair play for keeping a calm