Ladye Bay - Report

[tonybolton]

Headed off to Ladye Bay, Clevedon today. Popped into Olivers Angling and picked up my Lug, Ray, Squid and Crab, the guys in the shop convinced me not to bother with Clevedon Pier but to stick to Plan A and fish the ledges at the Bay, they also gave me a ton of advice which was much appreciated, so armed with enough bait for the day, off I went.

Decided that I’d fish two rods both with size 3/0 pulley pennels, and that I would use my newly acquitted Mag Elite, to try and launch the world’s first lug worm into space.

So, there I stood, rod in hand, ready to thump one out, er so to speak.

I decided that I would forgo my usual 12 yard run up being that this may have resulted in me ending up in the channel, and opted for a big overhead thump, 1,2,3 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz, bloddy hell me thinks this thing flys, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, and flys, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, and flys, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, into the murky sky it flew, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, soaring like er, well like a large piece of lead soars, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, okay need to stop this thing now, the channel is only a few miles wide, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, now what did I read in the manual, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, oh yes I remember apply gentle pressure to the reel using thumb, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, okay here goes, applying thumb, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz, funny I can smell burning, zzzzzzzzz, ouch, zzzzz, ouch, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!, bugger my thumb is actually melting, zzzz, no must push through the pain, don’t want a birds nest, splash, finally it’s landed!

Okay, so now I realise the value of using a thumb protector, not just an unnecessary piece of kit aimed at the tackle tart, but a piece of kit, that actually stops your thumb resembling Freddie Krugers’ todger, after just one cast.

Anyway, the fishing. First hour saw a few knocks, then brought my line in to find a little four inch whiting had hooked itself, but this was no ordinary whiting, this was the very whiting that I’ve spent most of the winter catching in the Solent this year, the very same one! After cursing repeatedly wondering what I had to do to catch something other than a whiting I realised that being about 20 foot up from the water was going to make returning the littler bugger a bit tricky. Okay I thought I’ll use the Eric Bristow approach and return it like a dart, head first, streamlined entry, off it’ll swim to stop me blanking on another day.

The whiting had other ideas deciding to add a half tuck, full twist in mid air and landed on it’s little four inch arse, stunned and rather worringly, floating, which for any new anglers, is bad if you’re a fish, it wasn’t looking good. Now I’m a bit of a soft lad with animals, so instantly I’m stood there willing this thing to swim, I didn’t however realise that I was actually looking at it mimicking a gold fish with my mouth, flapping my hands, as least I didn’t realise this until the bloke who’d walked over to see how I was doing, gave me a look as if to say, I hope this guy hasn’t got any sharp objects on him!

Breathe, damn it, breathe I’m thinking, suddenly a twitch, then nothing, then a twitch, then it starts swimming round in a circle, bugger me, I’m thinking having survived the fall it’s damaged a fin and is destined to spend it undoubtedly short life swimming round in circles, being laughed at by all the able bodied whiting, when all of a sudden, twitch, twitch, twitch, off it swam, jumping out of the water as it went until it eventually tail danced into the sunset – okay I made that last bit up it was overcast all day.

Did catch 5 Cod as well all about 7 - 9 inches.

Planktonboy, I should add that in our quest for a killer secret bait, we can discount, Mars Bars, Scotch Egg and Tesco’s Peppered Beef, looks like it back to Plan A involving my old Nan’s . . . well you remember the conversation.

All in all, a good day’s fishing.

[eddie]

PMSL ,on a different note,place the thumb against the side of the spool to slow the cast,or do as i do,as the lead hits the water press yer thumb down hard on the spool,same place you'd have it when you cast,do it firmly to stop the spool dead and you won't get any burns or overruns.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Great read

[cockadoodldooo]

good report tony. i usually fish two rods here a three hook cascad on one which catches plenty of codling & whiting about thirty/fourty ft out and a pennal pully with a bait shield which i launch as far as i can for larger fish. there are plenty of pealers hear that you can pick up off the rocks if you get there early enuff these are a favorite for the larger cod as they have plenty more in there belly when you catch them! hope this comes in handy for your next trip dude!!

[Ben]

good read mate!

[baitmaster]

nice read
i have actually fished lady bay myself many moons ago


tightlines
baitmaster

[pingu]

excellant report sounded a good time there

[Greenheart]

LOL Cracking report Tony, Know just how you feel. I've still got no skin on my thumb from trying to get it right with my ABU 6500.

[BaggieRich]

Cracking report Tony. Have to get up there myself soon.

Also, I've heard that beer is good for muliplier burns.

It does b**ger all for the burn, but after a few pints you don't care anyway.



Rich.

[devondave]

oh brilliant i cant stop laughing!

i was always told that your reel should slow as the lead approaches the water if they cast is correct .. i cant manage it either but like someone else said i used the side of the spool rather than the line on the spool to slow the reel

well done on catching fish and i cant wait for the next report