Monday 24th July Penarth / Sully / Barry.

[keana]

Sunday afternoon came and I thought i`d better just make sure the engine starts as I havnt used it for about 5 weeks. Doesnt time fly, never seems like 5 weeks since I was out on the briney. Anyway, turned the key and all I had was a sickening "clunk". Checked the battery and even set up the jump leads from my car battery...."clunk". Sh*t. Must be the starter motor again which I had serviced back in Feb. So spent the rest of the afternoon looking forward to another day off work on dry land. Got up on Monday morning at Dawns........the crack of dawn and sped off to Sully Marine with my boat in tow. After a few strong words and making the guy nearly swallow his receipt he gave me last Feb he proceeded to test the starter. "Looks like the solenoid to me mate". He shorted it out with his spanner and the engine fired up on the first turn of the crank. Music to my ears. So after eating a massive slice of humble pie, I asked how much I owed him......."no need for that mate but if it does happen again this is what you should do"....now thats what I call service. Leaving with my tail betwen my legs I thought "I can still make the 12 o`clock lock.
Sure enough out through the lock on time with about an hour left of the ebb to get me to Barry harbour. The sea was like a mirror (a dirty mirror but flat calm) without even a slight breath of wind and the temp about 30 degrees c. Passed a few porpoise on the way basking in the sunshine. Then anchored off The Bendricks. 2 hours passed and not a single bite. Bait coming back untouched. Pulled in my shrimp net to find a couple of hermits in there. Dropped them into a bucket of water and moved back to Sully Island on the flood tide and anchored there for another 2 hours. Had one bite there but whatever it was just pulled off a loose squid head that must have come free of the bait elastic. Other than that bait was untouched for the rest of the time there apart from 1 hermit crab and a whelk who had not yet sold up to the Hermit Real Estate Co. Moved back to Cardiff foreshore near the Rumney river in search of some Bass in the shallower water. Fished there for another 2 hours which took me to 1/2 hour after high tide. Still the bait was untouched and just the one bite for the whole 6 hours fishing. By the way that was 2 of us fishing as I took My mates lad with me. So that was 2 x dowtiders and an uptider for 6 hours fishing with mackerel, squid , Rag, sandeel and hermits. Not even a dogfish. All of those places I fished at have produced fish for me before...doggies, cod, rays and conger, so I know there are fish to be had ther....but why nothing on this day..absolutely nothing. Could the porpoise be accountable?? Filthy water?? I begin to wonder if I should have stuck to beach fishing...at least I caught fish then even though it was a more strenuous activity.....brilliant tan though....but I will persevere

[pingu]

better luck next time andy

[BaggieRich]

Maybe the guy at Sully did something to the boat to drive away all the fish? Make sure there aren't any "fishy" type messages written on the hull eh mate?

At least you managed to get out there..... I was stuck in a sweltering office mate. Much rather be

There's always next time Andy..

Cheers,

Rich

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Bit of a shame but beats mowing the lawn

[barbelblanker]

I am just as quick to jump down mechanics necks too , reckon the mechanic put the voodoo on the engine. Made it send out a "run and hide" message as you motored in. Still 'tis better than living near Wolver,bleedin,hampton and knowing that you are NEARLY as far from the sea as you can get. Best of luck next time.

[keana]

Could it be that i`m doing something wrong though. Everyone else seems to be hitting the fish around here. I question my own competence when a single dogfish cant even hook itself.....

[Kaptin Kod]

Don't think you are doing anything wrong. We have noticed recently that the fishing around Cardiff / Penarth seems to be slow during daylight as soon as the sun drops we start hitting the fish, hence the reason for the recent night trips these produce some better fish. Off out again tomorrow night hopefully to reproduce lasts weeks results.

KK

[Greenheart]

Unlucky Andy. Maybe Mike (Charter Skippers) caught em all Better luck next time...

[keana]

Originally Posted by Kaptin Kod

Don't think you are doing anything wrong. We have noticed recently that the fishing around Cardiff / Penarth seems to be slow during daylight as soon as the sun drops we start hitting the fish, hence the reason for the recent night trips these produce some better fish. Off out again tomorrow night hopefully to reproduce lasts weeks results.

KK

Thanks for the re-assurance mate. I`ll have to give it a try one evening. Good luck with your next trip.

[keana]

Originally Posted by Greenheart

Unlucky Andy. Maybe Mike (Charter Skippers) caught em all Better luck next time...

Thats more than likely GH. What a time he`s having of it all.