BOAT FISHING: YOUR TACKLE REQUIREMENTS
Depending on how snaggy the ground is on the inshore rough patches, I like to use uptide gear, with a rod in the region of a 6-10oz casting weight being about right.
The greater area of ground coverage that this method offers gives us an advantage here. By casting the bait and terminal gear away from the boat, we will be avoiding the ‘scare area’ created by the presence of the boat. Noise is caused by the sea hitting the boat and the anglers walking on the deck.
In the deeper water, I would select a good-quality 20/20lb-class boat rod ringed for fishing with braid.
As for terminal gear, there is no firm favourite. Anything that will present your bait in a tidy fashion will attract the attention of the hounds. I find a good compromise is either a running leger or pulley rig fished hard on the bottom, while a paternoster with two hooks above the weight will also produce fish. The choice is yours. Trace line of around 30lb is about right too, because we have to consider the rasping qualities of a fish’s jaws. Finish of your rig with fine sharp hooks in the size 4/0 to 6/0 range
TOP BAIT CHOICE
A crab tends to be the choice of diet for smoothhounds, with a peeler being the favourite. However, hermit crabs can do the business on the right day, and a hardback will also hold its own.
Hook the crab and secure it with elasticised cotton to prevent it from being shredded when casting. The addition of a strip of calamari squid, or even fresh cuttlefish finishes off the dish.
In the absence of crabs, which can be expensive (apart from hardbacks), squid on its own is well worth a try, especially for the bigger fish. Ragworms will take their share of hounds, but I find it tends to attract the juvenile fish rather than the larger specimens.
CONSERVATION
When landing your hound, do not hold it by its tail because this can make the internal organs shift around, which is potentially fatal.
Instead, hold the fish with one hand around the wrist of the tail while the other supports its weight under the belly (right).
All smoothhounds should be returned to the sea as soon as possible, and that way we may be blessed with their presence again another day. ■
Secure – wrap it with fine elastic
NEED TO KNOW
■ Dave Roberts is the skipper of AlyKat, out of Minehead, Somerset.
To book a trip, tel: 01643 703892 or 07764 150648.