Fishing

I saw a Yellow Bellied Hooper disappear up its own ass.

That's not rare though is it?

My only interest in fish is eating them (though I did once catch a small carp - there being no sea in the Midlands).

But 3 choughs!!!! I've only ever seen them in Wales.

Maybe Pete & I should start a bird-watching thread.

I saw a chough here last week and at present we have a white non albino turtle dove staying with the pigeons.
Haven't been fishing for years though used to get whiting, the odd bass and far too many dogfish off Seaton beach.

Dogfish is excellent when it's fresh but it goes off so quickly. Then it is horrible.

knecht wrote:

Dogfish is excellent when it's fresh but it goes off so quickly. Then it is horrible.

Is that what they call rock salmon?

Yes, another thing that's good about it is that there's no bones.

Also known as huss.

knecht wrote:

My only interest in fish is eating them (though I did once catch a small carp - there being no sea in the Midlands).

But 3 choughs!!!! I've only ever seen them in Wales.

Maybe Pete & I should start a bird-watching thread.

It was a family group that we saw because one of them had a leg ring on (the guy who was there said they are ringing all the new born birds) but it is good to know the Choughs are breeding in Cornwall, it's the Cape Cornwall area or the Lizard you need to go to see them.

Anyone know if there are many Mackerel in or around the Sound at the moment ?

I think they have gone ow, there are a lot of sardines and herring showing up though, worth a try some some small herring feathers.

Mustad shrimp rigs are good

Booties

I have caught Bass up to 3lb on them too as well as Pollack, Mackerel, Pout, Whiting and Scad, add bait for Black Bream and whiting.

Small weight and bounce on the bottom, then work to the surface.

Any fly fishers here?

I do a bit of the dry in the summer on the town water hereon the Irvine for broon troots and a wee bit for the salmon in the Autumn if I get a chance.

Only ever hooked one salmon on the fly though, shook his head and swam off, plenty of wee trout though.

I've done quite a lot of fly fishing, was catching mackerel on it this year off the boat, got me some looks.

Those shrimp rigs are good Seadog, I catch mackerel on them early in the season, never tried them baited I'll give that a go. Where's good for the Bream? We used to catch them on the inside of the Mewstone, yealm side.

Iggy wrote:

I've done quite a lot of fly fishing, was catching mackerel on it this year off the boat, got me some looks.

Mackerel are good sport on a fly rod, used to do it from Ilfracombe in the sixties. Then Mrs PP caught me and that was the end of my fishing days. Still do a spot of birdwatching though, have had an Osprey at the Tamar Bridge and Nightjar and Turtle Dove at Haldon.

I only ever sea fish off the boat now so St Helen's off the Isle of Wight in the summer. They must be pretty much resident in the West Country by now.

I would love to fly for bass and mackies, plenty of Dipper on the river here Pete

Must get some of those shrimp rig feathers if they are good for mackerel. I'll try for herring too if they are in. The commercial netters usually shoot for them in Jennycliff Bay not too far off the back of Mountbatten.

Been a piss poor year for fish for me, spent several days in the summer in the boat looking for some mackerel & never had even one.

seadog wrote:

I would love to fly for bass and mackies, plenty of Dipper on the river here Pete

Resident throughout the West Country.

Never saw one until I moved north, The back of Mountbatten Pier is a holding ground for sea trout in the summer, the odd salmon too.
I was a commercial gills netter for a while when I was at school and then waiting for college in the 70s.

seadog wrote:

Never saw one until I moved north, The back of Mountbatten Pier is a holding ground for sea trout in the summer, the odd salmon too.
I was a commercial gills netter for a while when I was at school and then waiting for college in the 70s.

Just sit quietly by any small river bridge and one will pop out. Grey Wagtail also probable. I have yet to get a decent view of a Kingfisher, just seen the odd flash of blue.

A pair nested in the dock wall in Soton one year, a few decent spots but mainly flying flashes.

pepsipete wrote:

seadog wrote:

Never saw one until I moved north, The back of Mountbatten Pier is a holding ground for sea trout in the summer, the odd salmon too.
I was a commercial gills netter for a while when I was at school and then waiting for college in the 70s.

Just sit quietly by any small river bridge and one will pop out. Grey Wagtail also probable. I have yet to get a decent view of a Kingfisher, just seen the odd flash of blue.

The Kingfishers nest in the water meadow across from where we live, the Mink had them last year and now about 4 feet of the bank where they nest has been washed out by the floods, hope they come back.
I saw a Corncrake in Tavvy on Saturday, unfortunately it was in a glass box.