Beachley to Clevedon 26/08

[jasper2447]

Hi all

Went out on Sunday and thought I'd post as few recollections of what turned out to be a brilliant day.

Memo to self #1 - next trip do not put lifejackets in boat - put them in the car and put them on immediately you get out of the car
Memo to self #2 - do not step on what looks like a weed-encrusted rock on the edge of the slipway - it's probabably floating weed!
Memo to self #3 - take some dry clothes in the car with you.!!!

After that dunking, the day got better.
Launching at Beachley slip, just under the Welsh side of the old Severn Bridge, fairly high water (8.00 AM), was quite easy, as was recovery on a rising tide, if approached sensibly. There is good quiet water (deep too - I know) either side of the slip to hold the boat until ready to motor off.
Be careful of the area and be sure you've done as recce at low water to suss out the rocky outcrops etc.

The tidal rips thro the bridge piers are awesome and it's well to avoid them unless you want to find yourself going rapidly backwards!

We went downstream with the tide as far as Clevedon Pier and caught three very nice conger at Ladye Bay. Two more broke the snoods but we were fishing first on lighter tackle without conger traces until we saw what was happening. Everything happened on lugworm - nothing else worked at all.

What was astonishing was how swiftly the tide turned around. One minute we were sitting with the stern pointing downstream towards Weston, five minutes of "confused water, whitecaps and wild swinging", then we were turned completely thro' 180 degrees and were stern upstream towards Chepstow.

Later we motored up to Portishead and fished off Battery Point, but blanked out, so we went on upstream on the rising tide to Aust and fished off the sandbanks, near where I live actually, just by New Passage. Lots of guys were setting up along the sea wall so we thought we might get some action. We did catch lots, but only silver eeels unfortunately. Somehow my partner knew that it's illegal to take eels from this stretch of water without a Fisheries licence (spawning grounds maybe?) so we ended up throwing them all back. No-one on the beach was catching, the big bass were being elusive, so we decided to call it a day, absorb the lessons learned and try to catch a bit of slack water to recover the boat, which we did successfully, geting back to Beachley at around five PM.

Had to wait offshore a while for jet-skiers to reover their craft - again, astonished at the speed of the tidal rips past the piers of the bridge and the transit lighting towers. Double-check that memo to self re lifejackets on as soon as we arrive !!

All in all a good day - very pleased with new boat - a Seahog Seajeep- obviously designed by a fisherman with fishermen in mind - found the 25HP engine a little underpowered at 15 knots top speed and would love to replace the Mariner it came with by something a bit beefier like a 60 or 75, but that costs money, not only to buy but to run, so guess I'll do the sensible thing and settle for the compromise between economy and speed.

Heard over the weekend that Portishead Marina ahas re-opened a slipway. Chwecked with the Marina and they confirmed it will be open next month. However they are planning to charge £50 for launch/recovery and locking in and out. WOW !!

Rambled on enough, so will say
Tight lines everyone

John B

[geejayy]

Originally Posted by jasper2447

Hi all
wall so we thought we might get some action. We did catch lots, but only silver eeels unfortunately. Somehow my partner knew that it's illegal to take eels from this stretch of water without a Fisheries licence (spawning grounds maybe?)John B

.

good report and congrats on your 1st b/channel outing.
not sure about that restriction on silvereels though, thats a new one on me unless they 've been regrouped with 'migratory species' like salmon.

it maybe just applies to commercial fishing , i'll have a shufti at the maff site.

as to spawning grounds- sargasso sea, carabean.

good luck with the coddling when they arrive,

gj.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Sounds like a fun day and great to hear the boats a good one . Yep the tides a beast !

[Norfolkboy]

Nice one John, glad you had a good time (minus the dip )

[fishypaul]

glad you enjoyed yourself jasper,shame about the dunking

[jasper2447]

Thanks for your comisserations (looks wrong???) re the unplanned swim on Sunday.

Geejavy - Here's where we got the information re eels and it being illegal to take them from the estuary above the Severn Bridge: -

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/9432/aust.html

This is part of a really good site with the best marks in the Bristol Channel - see: -
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Ra...432/marks.html

John