Cod forsaken
HAPPY Hogmanay everyone. It might be a little more muted than normal once again but seeing the bells in and looking forward to what’s ahead is still in the genes.
With the New Year, we look to be getting spring-time temperatures and April showers, so if there’s fewer hangovers being nursed then a Bank Holiday long weekend should give us plenty of time to get out and on the bank.
Snowmageddon didn’t arrive in December – no doubt the ice and Arctic conditions are in the post for February and March so if the wind stays steady, I’m off for a spot of social isolation and a few rainbow trout for the pan.
I could even be floating lines and dries if it’s doublefigure temperatures.
A pleasant well-tended local loch will make for a nice change after my Boxing Day excursions.
Rather than indulging in selection boxes and leftover sandwiches, my friend persuaded me to go cod fishing on the east coast.
I’m still a novice shore angler so it’s good to get some expert advice as well as good craic.
We’d been out lure fishing for bass a few times this year but hadn’t managed “proper” sea angling, so he was keen to get the baits out as we both had the Sunday off.
When we rendezvoused at the first mark, though, he was looking sheepishly at the waves.
Hats off to cod anglers – they actively target the worst conditions. Out in big swells and storms, fishing at night in Scots winters.
If you ever look at a flotation suit and think it’s a bit much, then know that they are designed for a purpose – to keep you warm, safe and dry in terrible conditions.
Finding a more sheltered bay, we also found lots more anglers and, rather than crowd in, we moved on fishing a few of his marks around Montrose and Arbroath.
If you’ve gone to the bother of shipping up on the other coast, you can’t just give up and go for lunch straight away.
Fishing through the turn of the tide, the only place that produced was a gully mark. Casting had to be precise, mind you, as the fish were definitely concentrated in the gully.
One of the other anglers had six bites in seven casts but, unless you were right on the money, there were no fish about – so I learned a fair bit about baiting up and freeing stuck gear as well as getting a stove going in the wind.
Next time, I’m sure I’ll get a proper fish for tea. On parting to drive back home, I was pleased to be told that it would be fishing great the following day – there’s nothing better to round off a blank than the good news that last week was great or next week will be perfect.