ONE FOR THE ROAD
A final session before the lockdown.
With seemingly neverending south-westerly gales lashing my local coastline during the first two months of the year, I was certainly champing at the bit during March for an early ray session.
Unfortunately, due to a nationwide coronavirus lockdown looming on the horizon, such a trip was looking unlikely, but I was about to get lucky.
With a break in the weather only days before the lockdown was implemented, it was a last-minute decision to have a short session along the Barton-on-Sea section of coast. Located on Hampshire’s western fringe near New Milton, it is certainly a venue capable of producing some early rays.
Delving into the freezer, I grabbed two thermos flasks, one loaded with sandeels and the other Bluey fillets. Arriving an hour before sunset at Barton clifftop, where there is free roadside parking, my pal Steve Lawrence, from Poole, was already waiting.
Five minutes later and laden with gear, we were descending the cliff path. Our destination was the eastern end of the venue, which seems to produce a better stamp of ray, with both small-eyed and undulates a real possibility throughout most of the year.
TIME RUNNING OUT
We set up about 50 yards apart, both using two rods. Steve chose a Pennell rig on each rod, while I went for a pair of two-hook clipped rigs. One of my rigs was armed with size 3/0 uptide hooks and the other with size 1 Aberdeens, both on 20lb hooklengths that were two feet long. I fished one rod around 50 yards out and the other at range.
With the light rapidly fading, I noticed small knocks on the closer rod almost immediately. These turned out to be rockling and pouting, but I was surprised how many managed to take even decent-sized sandeel baits.
With high tide topping out around 8pm, this was only going to be a short session because we intended to leave an hour afterwards, which would be long enough in what was a bitterly cold north-east wind. High water passed and I was beginning to think this was going to be another wasted session, but my rod, armed with size 1 hooks baited with sandeels, which was now fishing at range, sprang into action.
Initially, it was a couple of really good pulldown bites and, as I held the rod, the hook was
set firm on the third bite. Once hooked, rays can be lethargic, but it caught me by surprise shooting off and making the reel’s clutch purr as line was released. It took several minutes to guide the fish, a superb-looking smalleyed ray, into the shallows. In my rush I had forgotten to take my scales, but I estimated the weight at 8lb. To say I was chuffed was an understatement.
After a few photographs, it was quickly released and swam away strongly into the murky depths. It certainly confirmed that Barton is always a good bet for a ray at almost any time of the year. As for poor old Steve, he couldn’t buy a bite.
HOW TO STORE BLUEY
Here’s a good trick when using Bluey. Once bought, let it thaw for only 45 minutes and then fillet it while it is still partially frozen. Rub some salt into the flesh side and leave it for another 30 minutes. Once done, cut them into usable-sized fillets, wrap them individually in cling film, put them in a Thermos flask and place the flask in the freezer.
Wrapping them in the cling film stops the fillets getting stuck together in a solid lump. Salting the Bluey will also make it a far tougher bait that can be refrozen at the end of a session without turning to a lump of mush. ■