Before the Storm

We nipped out at the weekend to Hummersea again, we knew there was bad weather on the horizon so wanted to make the most of it. As we got out of the car the wind was already strong and biting, coming from the east. Making our way down the steep coastal path , down the now vertical staircase and out across the rocks below towering cliffs the sun was still shining. Walking past the point where we fished on our previous trip and continuing around the cliff I was acutely aware of how far from the exit point we were getting.
Finally we stopped in front of what I was reliably informed was a 'hole' that attracted and held cod. It was long before I was reeling in a cod around a pound and a half, I would normally have returned it but being deep hooked I decided to keep it. Interestingly it coughed up several food items including shrimps, lug worm and a blenny of around 4 inches which is interesting to bear in mind if you're ever choosing lures.
That was my only bite in that spot so we leapfrogged from spot to spot ahead of the incoming tide until I ended up at an old harbour. Its basically an inlet chiselled out of the carved into the reef with flat rocks stacked up along one side and used to bring in the small boats to load up the cargoes of Alum mined from the cliffs above.
After hooking and losing a decent cod in the kelp, and now on my own in the dark below the towering cliffs I decided it was high time  I took my leave and head for the steps before the tide made life tricky. With only one small cod for my effort on a bitterly cold night it would be easy to class the night as disappointing, especially as my parteners in crime had managed 2 or 3 but I had learnt a lot and become a bit more familiar with another small stretch of coast.
I'll be back.

Hummersea

Sunday night was bitterly cold with a biting northerly wind, what better way to pass the evening than to scale down the steep Yorkshire cliffs, navigate a treacherous twisted vertical staircase and then stand thigh deep in icy water? So I followed Martin down on to Hummersea beach, west of the village of Skinningrove under Boulby cliffs in search of cod.
I managed 1 small cod which was lip hooked and safely returned, Martin managed 4 cod up to aroud 4 or 5lb. I strongly believe my casting distance let me down again so its something I need to work on.

Defeat

For the first time in as long as I can remeber the weather has beaten me. By the time I reached the beach and got out of the car the wind was howling directly onshore driving icy rain straight at me. I was well prepared but even as I was putting my rod together I was realising that fishing into a screaming gale was going to be more hassle than I was prepared for.
So I write this sitting back in the warm house with the tv on. Rubbish!

Every Day is a School Day

I was back on the cliffs with Martin on Sunday night, it was the first decent swell we've had in weeks and he'd done well the previous night so my expectations were high. After getting over the initial head spin and climbing carefully down on to the grassy ledge at the top of the cliff edge I set up my gear and baited up with a squid, mussel and frozen lug cocktail.
Martin had tried previously to explain about not striking but it had never really sunk in... until Sunday night that is. I had a bite, felt for the fish and struck and reeled in having missed the bite. He was less than impressed! The idea being to lean back slightly into the fish then feel for it, if there's nothing there then you haven't moved the bait far and there's a good chance the fish will find the bait again. I've got it now!
I finished the night with 2 codling of around a pound and a half each.

Spectra Extreme Braid Update

My spool of 30lb braid got its first run out on the beach at Sandsend last night. I tried a couple of speculative casts without any bait to ensure no wind knots occurred and the leader knot travelled smoothly through the rod rings before baiting up and trying my first cast in anger. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the braid peeled off the spool and cast. I'd love to say that the new braid allow me to cast much further but I'm still having trouble getting past the 90yd mark.

They All Count

Ok so they don't really all count but at least this little fella saved a blank for me last night. I'd been cod fishing yesterday evening at Sandsend near Whitby and had received lots of sharp raps on the rod tip most of the night. A group of anglers beside me had caught a few under sized flatties and I suspected these were the culprits. I down sized my rig to a 2 hook size 1 flapper rig baited with lug and squid and kept my fingers crossed. The last cast of the night resulted in the coddling of 5 or 6oz and saved my embarrassment.

Spectra Extreme Braid

I reloaded my shallow spool on my beach reel tonight, I opted for Spectra braid as I was pleased with the performance of the 60lb braid I use for fishing over rough ground. I went again for 30lb breaking strain and found it a bit more supple than the SeaKnight braid but more importantly it breaks at more or less at 30lb of pressure.
I'm heading to Sandsend beach on Tuesday night so we'll see how it goes, eyes open for wind knots.