A tale of 4 days, 4 Fish, to 4lbs.. All off the top!
Day 1:
It all started with
a two and a half drive down to the caravan after reading some reports of a few
fish popping up in North Wales. All the gear packed and my rod already set up
poking into the front seat due to my excitement back at home. I had planned the
journey to arrive, sort the caravan out, and be ready to fish a low water mark
I’d previously had success at. I headed down to the mark with the feeling of
hope and optimism but as I got down there, my initial confidence was shattered
due to very murky water. Despite the murky water, Bright sunshine and flat calm
conditions I fished on to no avail. I got back to the caravan for some food and
decided to head to a High Water mark early morning to see if the water clarity
was any better.
Day 2:
The alarm went off
at early o’clock and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed, it was
freezing in the caravan so couldn’t bear to think how cold it’d be out on the
coast. I reached for the kettle and sorted out a brew and on went my Under
Armour to keep me warm. Got to the coast and was met with a slight glow of the
sun which would later become a beautiful sunrise, something you can never get
tired of on these early mornings. Anyway, I started fishing over a reef but
again, the water was so murky, probably a foot of visibility but I fished on, I
was up now. After trying all manor of lures along the coast from surface to soft
plastics, still no success. Confidence was low.
I decided the rest
of the day would be dedicated to finding some clear water so I travelled the
coast in search of a likely looking mark to fish but everywhere I got to the
headland and peered over the edge, I was met with milky water.
The high tide in the
evening spawned some confidence from somewhere and I headed to a favourite mark
of mine for last light and into darkness. I arrived full of optimism and hope
the water may have cleared a little but that was far from the truth. I got
there and a previous reef I fished over had been stripped of seaweed due to the
storms and the water, I’ve seen clearer soup. Couldn’t see my wading boots in
10cm of water, safe to say this mark was a right off for the week!
Day 3:
Day 3 and confidence
was very low, in the morning I searched far and wide for clear water and still
no joy. I headed back to my first low water mark and was met with a nice swell
and probably 3 feet visibility, enough to fish on with optimism but by this
point I was thinking ‘Is it too early in the season? Are they even here yet??’
all sorts of things were denting the confidence again and the blank that
followed my efforts didn’t help.
For last light I
headed to another high water mark id never fished but heard can produce when
conditions were right. I got there and to my utter amazement the water was
clear! Flat calm conditions so on went the surface lures to no avail, I
continued to play about with different lures and techniques as this clear water
had given me confidence but yet again, no fish. I drove back to the caravan
hungry and dejected.
Day 4:
Decided to stay in
bed this morning as my previous efforts for early starts hadn’t warranted any
sort of success and the murky water I’d be fishing at this state of tide wasn’t
exactly inspiring confidence. I went in search, yet again, of some clear water
and after a walk around an area I’d wanted to fish in previous seasons, I could
finally see the bottom over the shallow ground!
I ummed and ahhhd
whether to even go and try this new area with the lack of confidence I had now
but what else was I going to do with the day, the weather was overcast and the
sea nice and calm so on went the Salt Skimmer in hope of something having a go
on the top.
After walking along
the coast chucking the Salt Skimmer over the reefs in front of me I settled on
a nice shallow bay with scattered reefs. Trust this to be the only time I
didn’t bother to would my waders and boots on, I was instantly soaked when a
rock I was standing on suddenly became immersed by a rogue wave.
First cast into this promising area and I was
gently walking the Salt Skimmer back to me.. SPLASH!! Was that a fish?! Or
didn’t I twitch it a bit hard?! SPLASH AGAIN! Then nothing. At least there’s
fish here!!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes
after 4 days with no sign of any fish. Second cast to the same area, heart
pounding with excitement and the little Salt Skimmer danced its way through the
ripples... SMASH!! FISH ON! A short fight later and a little beaut of a bass
was netted, 2lb on the Boga and was well chuffed after such hard work during
the week, and to get one to kick my season off with a surface lure, can’t beat
it!
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| 2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer |
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2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer
2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer
With tide retreating
I got back onto the rocks after safely releasing the fish to try and get
another. A few casts later and the Salt Skimmer was smashed again! My rod bent
over and the ever welcome zzzzzzzz of the clutch was a sweet sound. After a
short run I managed to get the fish to the net, a nice, plump fish of just
under 4lb, my biggest on a surface lure and what a session this was already
becoming. The Spiderman pose is due to the carefully balanced iphone ha
4lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer
I fished on in hope
of another and was rewarded with this little schoolie after several casts in
which the lure was being slashed at almost instantly once I had started the
retrieve with no hook up!
Schoolie Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer
The tide was now
considerably lower than when I began and the sport had slowed. There was still
time for a nice little bass to take a fancy to the Salt Skimmer which resulted
in another fish around 2lb to finish off the session.
Another 2lb Bass on an IMA Salt Skimmer
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Well, after 4 days
of murky water, confidence draining blanks and the never ending search for
clear water, it all came together for me at a new mark. An excellent way to
start the season for me and all off the top!
The lure that started off my season, the IMA Salt Skimmer
IMA Salt Skimmer 110F
Thanks for Reading,
Sam Johnson
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