Sea Angler

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR when the sea temperature is at its highest and we get a crossover of summer and winter fish, which all makes for an exciting time for anglers. Bass fanatics will be out hoping to hook some bigger fish, while the onset of autumn

SOME PEOPLE DREAD GROWING OLDER. There are days when I wish my knees and back were less creaky but retirement means I can fish whenever I want. My favourite time for an outing is a couple of hours before first light. That’s when nobody with any sense

WHERE I LIVE IN MY little quiet corner of South Devon, I couldn’t ask for much more as regards the coastline. There is so much diversity, which offers so many fishing possibilities, and as a lure angler it’s so exciting just walking the coastal path

WE CANNOT HELP BUT be drawn to lures which have a lot of obvious action either in or on top of the water. We tell ourselves the more a lure does, the easier a fish can find it. While I accept that this might sometimes be the case in rougher condition

HAVING SEEN MULLET when fishing estuaries and rivers, I got interested in catching one but a lot of anglers said they were tricky to catch. I decided it called for some research so I asked for some advice from a friend of mine, top specimen angler Ma

A FLAT OPEN BEACH ON THE SOUTHwestern edge of the Lake District National Park, Silecroft is situated between the towns of Millom and Bootle and offers ample parking, a small café and toilets. Located in the south of borough of Copeland, the area offe

LOCATED ON HAMPSHIRE’S WESTERN fringe, Barton-on-Sea beach is easy to locate and provides some great action with nocturnal soles and small-eyed rays. Some hefty smoothhounds also move within casting range. Midway along the clifftop there is a cafe, f

Fishingmegastore.com awards a £25 voucher prize to each of two winners - the youngster with the best shore fish and another with the top boat catch. The winners can use the voucher to select tackle from Fishingmegastore.com which is based in Glasgow

AUTUMN MAY MAKE US THINK of impending winter, yet the reality is that the sea temperature peaks in mid-September and then falls slowly through to December in average years not reaching its lowest until around late February or early March. In the pas

I STARTED SEA ANGLING IN THE TIDAL reaches of the River Usk around Newport in South Wales. Those of us who fished (most of us did) would save our pocket money and wages from paper rounds for essential items of tackle but other items, such as weights,

A STRONG AND HARD-FIGHTING species, the green jobfish is often caught at most of the Indian Ocean destinations where I have tried jigs and poppers. Most trips we catch several, though rarely more than a fish or two a day, which almost always we keep

Q How far up a typical estuary can you find bass? JAMES DRAYTON, PLYMOUTH, DEVON HG says: The more I fish in estuaries for bass, the more I am realising that there is so much more to learn about it. If bass fishing on the open coast is one comple

Q When targeting cod, is lure fishing only effective in clear water? DEAN FULCHER, HARLOW, ESSEX DL says: Lure fishing is more effective when fishing clear water, especially in relatively shallow water. However when fishing in depths of hundreds

My big gripe about fixed-spool reels is crack-offs. Those caused by poor rings, rough leader knots and bad casting can be fixed, but what about snap-offs for no obvious reason? I’m confident that nobody knows more about the problem than Barney Simp

The wishbone rig can be made in several ways. It holds two hooks on a sliding hooklength but can be made with a Pennell and single hook for carrying both a larger and smaller bait. Sometimes called the sliding or see-saw wishbone, its hooks are clipp

With the increased number of anglers on the beach, few would doubt that during the winter we will see shortages of both fresh and frozen baits along with a hefty price rise. To help soften the blow, whenever possible I collect or dig my own fresh bai

WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF IGGING GROWING IN POPULARITY AMONG BOAT anglers, there is an increasing number of compact size reels available. Maxel’s range – anything from the heaviest offshore trolling reels to the lightest jigging models – is known for us

I WAS REALLY ECITED WHEN MY FIRST FIN-NOR Marquesa arrived in the post. I had seen many in use on my boat but had never taken the chance to try one first hand. This model from the American company Fin-Nor is certainly an eye catcher from the start.

FISHING IN THE DARK HOURS FOR THE MAJORITY OF inshore species is always going to be the most rewarding. Fish feel comfortable feeding inshore under the protection of darkness and are therefore available in greater numbers. To be successful at night f

IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE I reviewed Century’s Fireblade and the Daiwa Sandstorm 1422, and I’m pleased to say that both rods continue to perform beautifully. Apart from a few stone scratches, both remain presentable with rings and fittings a

Looking for a top quality fishing reel at a bargain price? Then check out this great deal on the Okuma Distance Surf Arena fixed-spool reel. The offer is for a DSA-60, a stylish reel with a corrosion resistance graphite body that weighs 570g. With fo

MOST ANGLERS CAN SPEND A FORTUNE on fancy rods and reels but seem to pay less attention to the line and hooks they use. Having fished for more than 50 years, I’ve certainly realised their importance. My hook journey has taken a path that became linke

PENN FATHOM 400 LP RRP: £270 I’D NEVER CONSIDERED USING A BAITCASTING reel for sea fishing, that was until a friend of mine loaned me one for a boat trip targeting black bream in East Devon. I spent the day lowering flapping rigs off the side of the

HOOK ME UP IS THE BRAINCHILD OF WELL-KNOWN lure angler, Charlie Coppolo. Best-known for his freshwater fishing exploits, he’s an extremely accomplished bass angler too. The idea behind the subscription service is that each month you receive a ‘myster

OBESSION IS OFTEN A TRAIT associated with anglers, and as I crouched down on all fours behind a large barnacle-encrusted boulder I remembered this and certainly began to feel a little self-conscious. Making my way to the water’s edge, using the cliff

• 18: Tralee Bay SAC open, Ventry Strand, 6pm-10pm, meet at Páidí Ó Sé’s entrance, Chris O’Sullivan 00353 (0)85 1532770. 18-26: Scarborough Angling Festival, shore and boat events, Pete Atkinson 07711 124032. • 18: The Scarborough Open Angling Cham