Kelling Sunday 19th February 2012 – 6th Leg Winter Accumulator
The weather “gods” really did the business for us at this match. Our first trip east to Bacton was seriously in doubt as a 8-9 feet swell was predicted to come in early Sunday along with forecasted 20-30 mph North Westerlies. This would have certainly given us white water along the whole Bacton stretch and would have made it totally unfishable so a switch to Kelling was agreed. Even here it would be difficult but at least we could be sparred white water. With Muckleburgh open we were all able to meet at our usual parking slot on top of the small cliff. After a week off everyone was getting withdrawal symptoms non more so than “class act” Thorburn who was as usual first to appear followed by a few of the regulars. A strong cold North Westerly greeted them with a significant swell and one could see them asking the question … “had they made the right decision”? . For “silver fox” Neave and “no hat” Attew they soon realised they had and their bait was going to be saved for early in the week.
To try and take advantage of the deeper water pegging was on our usual spot east of the small cliff towards the wreck. With pegs drawn all were soon fighting their way across the shingle but then disaster struck as metal fatigue decided to take our access gate off its hinges. No problem for “silver fox” and “no hat” who were soon on the case and were seen later with tools and screws putting this to right. Many thanks John and Sam, better than fishing in those conditions! With a smallish tide and a North Westerly the water was never going to go far and fishing bottom up meant everyone was able to anchor their buddies on a relatively flat shingle bank, well all except “no buddy” Turk for obvious reasons.
Fishing over the bottom meant that at least the first 2-3 hours would be tide against wind before slack water but the last hour would be interesting. For once at the whistle it was no gentle lob, instead it was for most a max range cast to try and get over the incoming swell and establish a hold in the sticky stuff. Even with the strong North Westerly most were able to achieve this apart from poor old “no buddy” Turk whose efforts to try and clear the breakers only resulted in his line being swept round in the wind. He even resorted to chasing the residing surge only to end up knee deep in water, I need some casting lessons was his comment as he dried out in the freezing wind.
Everyone soon realised that it was going to be a struggle as the first hour past with no activity. Further illustrated by the wandering about and groups having plenty of banter as well as checking out each other’s rigs and bait. Then it happened on end peg 10, now dubbed for the day “rocky” Carter was seen returning a fish, were they about to come on was in everyone’s mind. A thought that was soon dismissed when it was found to be a rockling, not really a fish to signal an onslaught. So all continued to be quiet as the last of the ebb finished and slack water appeared. Under normal conditions slack water yields few or no fish but suddenly a yell was heard from “bassman” Beeton on peg 4 as he held up a undersize 23cm whiting and a 23cm dab, he was not going to blank was his remark .
With the slack tide the wind began to control the movement of the leads and by this stage “no buddy” was just not able to hold bottom so he was the first to call it a day and left for a spot of casting practice. With no one seeing the resemblance of a bite, “bassman” decided to repeat his successful cast and landed yet another dab although slightly smaller at 22cm. With slack starting to finish another yell was heard from “bassman” and there he was holding up a 32cm flounder. A lovely black specimen in prime condition which had come inshore to sample a few disturbed yellow tails and instead had found “bassman’s” mackerel tipped black on his pink booms. As the flood got into full swing wind and tide made it difficult to hold bottom but all decided to stick it out although “inspector” Morse made an early exit .
In the end it was Bill “bassman” Beeton who yet again did the business with 1lb 4 2/3oz from 3 fish. Next and only other weigher was John “rocky” Carter with his solitary rockling for 2 1/3oz. Heaviest flat club points went to Bill with his 13 1/3oz flounder and heaviest round to John with his rockling.
Another match where the weather has messed us about yet again with Westerlies and flat sea on Saturday, South Westerlies and calm sea on Monday. Match day, Sunday, strong North Westerlies with a huge incoming swell, sods law at work yet again. It is not good when only 4 fish are caught but there that is fishing for you and you have to experience these days to appreciate how good it can really be. There is however, one club member who knows how good it can be and has demonstrated this time and time again and that is Paul Fenech who has been selected for the English International team, well done Paul!
Next club match is Sunday 26th February 2012 at Salthouse fishing 9:00-2:00 so let’s hope the weather “gods” look favourably on us for that weekend.
Club Match Results Top 5
1st Bill Beeton 1lb 4 2/3oz
2nd John Carter 0lb 2 1/3oz
(no other weighers)
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Thought I’d mention an interesting incident that I witnessed at the Fountain Match at Hythe the previous weekend …
Left very early Sunday morning with sub-zero temperatures and freezing rain, horrendous drive down but made it safe and sound, thank god for a 4×4. Drew high end peg so reasonably happy and with empty peg next door, even happier. Not for long though as along came young lad, well not too young, to take up empty peg minutes from start. He had walked some distance trying to find his peg and had been threatened with police action as he tried to negotiate someone’s garden. “I had a premonition that things weren’t going to go right for me today” he says as he sets up, too right he was.
An hour into the match and about to cast I hear him yell “help, help please come quickly”. I turned to see him fighting to get off his salopettes and pull up his jeans. “Can I cast” I ask, “Yes but please come quickly” he replies. I cast and go over to him wondering what I was going to find after those interchanges. Well the poor lad had only sat down on his fileting knife and his jean trouser leg was literally soaked in and dripping blood. The knife point had gone well into his calf and must have punctured a vein. Whilst holding his leg high I cleaned the wound with a clean cloth and fresh sea water expecting the blood to be spurting out. Surprisingly it was a puncture wound around ½ inch across but it had stopped bleeding, amazing considering the amount of blood. I managed to get a plaster from “chippy” Doy, thanks Alan and patched him up and he was off fishing again, initially still with leg in the air. Although, he kept on about this premonition maybe there was more to come.
We all went back to our fishing and he steadily got his jeans sorted out and boots on. At that stage he decided that it was sausage time and lit one of those small portable barbeques. As well as cooking his sausages it provided some warmth for his rather blood sodden jeans and legs. I continued baiting up and turned to see the odd flame coming from the barbeque so I thought nothing of it as that is what they’re supposed to do. I then turned again to see not just one flame but multiple flames coming from within his buddy and he was feverishly trying to stamp them out with limited success and also having to use his stabbed leg. The poor lad had somehow set fire to his worms which were in a plastic container. He eventually managed to put everything out but his container was no more and there were charred remains of his worms on the floor of his buddy but at least the buddy survived. After this he did say that sometimes he’s a bit of a comedian, I made no comment.
After this we all got back to fishing and as he was soon tucking into his rather blackened sausages he must have survived the incidents. He also saw the funny side of this as we could all hear him later relaying the story to his mates on his mobile as were others on adjacent pegs. After this hilarious episode we all thought he would be the one to land that 2lb flounder that were supposed to be lurking in our stretch and take the match. Not so, in the end he was just another failed competitor like most of us but must thank the young gentlemen for the afternoon’s entertainment and hope he had no serious consequences to his knife wound.
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