The Rock Fishing Revolution

The Bann Special Salmon shrimp fly but there is more??

2012-02-23T13:30:00.001Z

A while ago i mention of a fly that has caught more mullet both using the caro float rigs and fly fishing traditionaly for me than any other i have tried. There are many variants of all types of flies people choose differing materials and tying methods.
This is the version that catches for me, so confident was i that when i did a guided session for a journalist from Fly fishing and tying magazine last year that i tied a few for him the night before for testing on his home grounds. He went away happy fish caught and the article published a few months after this day.
Then i get the call, bloody hell mike those flies you tied mate, are killers i have taken a pair of 6lb + Mullet in the singles session and lost another guestimated at 8lb++!!

This is the very fly itself, the bann special i have changed spacing and wraps for hackles ect over time to get what i wanted from it. Tied on a double salmon hook with a Golden Pheasant rump feather palmered to form the tail, then a french oval tag butt section added. Orange floss overlaid with french oval again and a ginger Kenough cock hackle palmered into place and cast off.
A pair of jungle cock tipe tied tented style in place and then finished off with a Metz silver badger feather cast off and form a neat head i form the head and catch in floss to finish as an attractant for Mullet, finish with bug bond and then job done fly finished. Due to materials used they are not easy or cheap to make but catch fish and not just fisherman lol...

Need i realy say more? These can be tied to order if anyone wants them, just email me via mobileangler@live.co.uk all helps towards the running costs of fly designs and the blog through the year. Well im off fishing

Tight lines all

Let the preperations begin....

2012-02-23T08:41:00.000Z

Well with the Saltwater fly fishing season fast looming upon us and the sea trout and salmon season already kicking off down in the South of England. I had better get a move on lol... A few flies have been finished and ready for the offing already.
The Best all round fly to date the DNA sparse clouser this has accounted for more fish than any other in the saltwater enviroment for myself. Tied on a size 6 Gamakatsu with DNA holofusion fibres and a small dumbell eye a real killer fly:

The thing with this fly pattern is that it swims upside down keeping the hook point away from the bottom and rough ground a little when fished deep.
When i want a slightly larger prfile i will switch to hollow tied baitfish which are equally at home in freshwater for pike fly fishing:

They are relatively simple to tie, you don't need to use jungle cock for the eyes a simple prismatic stick on eye will suffice, but i just like the look of jc eyes on this pattern thats all. This is the flies profile when in the water, pulsating with the strips of the fly line.
The bigger longer version where the above flies are around 4-5 inches long incorporate a flatwing tail.

This is the fly when first tied before wetting to form the given profile it will show when fished, with the tail on board here the fly will be in excess of 11 inches long and imitate a launce very well indeed i favour them in both black and white, white in coloured water or night and black in clear water or bright sunshine to provide the given silhouette.
When the fly has been wet the whole definition changes:

These ae all bass and pollock flies more than anything else, though i have been knocking out the dels merkin crabs for wrasse and rock fishing too.

Designed to imitate a small crustacean on the bottom or near to, tied slightly weedless i fished this the other day in very rough ground that i would lose a lot of texas rigs too and lost not a single fly even though it sat on the bottom quite often.

We have all had days when we are getting short takes from fish, so then the snake flies come out to play and the rear treble only converts bits to fish landed this has a 30lb dacron braid core spliced both end to for a loop and slice directly to the hook to form a secure hook hold.

I am working on a batch of Mullet flies as we speak and will provide details when they are finished for readers. Though all of these versins are unweighted they can be fished just as effectively on a caro or bombarda float rig or even float jigging. There are endless possabilities with flies and presentations, i am curious just how many species i could catch on a fly in a single year? Both fresh and saltwater using both rock fish techniques and fly fishing techniques intertwinned a little.

Well im off tying again people tight lines

A new contender to the entry level market?

2012-02-15T08:42:00.000Z

I have heard of the new Snowbee Raptor range of lure rods and reels a while ago from there sales and marketing manager when casting with him. Though untill yesterday i hadn't had a chance to hold one playing with the prototype of the 8'6 10-35 gram rod. Balanced with a Snowbee Raptor 4000 reel and i have to say the rodd balanced perfectly in a neutral position. It isn't the lightest rod in the world but it does have a solid construction and played down livery.
Now i am lucky i live less than 10 minutes from there had office so often found in there discussing fishing or trying new rods i showed them my major craft rods last year in fact a manager in there now uses one of my quantum light rods for brook fishing. Snowbee have a reputation for producing quality gear for a fair price, the customer service i have to openly state is second to none in the Uk. I have dalt with many companies but for instance i walked in with a 4 piece rod in 5 pieces and placed on the counter, what reply did i get? "Mike you just had to go one better and make a 4 piece a 5 didn't you lol, hang on a sec which section snapped ok i will grab a new one.."
2 minutes later all sorted and tip replaced laughing about using a 7wt fly rod for 25lb carp not generaly a good idea. But hey had to try. Customers have come in with questions times has been taken to explore all evenues of there needs and not just say you need this and sell a bloody expensive piec of kit. Yesterday i went in for a new Kenough cape in grizzle, and staff went through the boxes to find the best match for feather shape i wanted for salt patterns. How many people take this time or effort in a day and age comtrolled by money??
This year there has been a slight change though they have introduced a range of decent lure rodsi wasn't the greatest fan of their rods last year, nothing wrong with them i just didnt find a rod to match my fishing or weights i wanted so i mentioned this and the growing trend for lighter 25, 7,5,12 gram rods ect solid tips and low and behold they have come good this year.
The rods are list below:

Raptor 6ft                         2-8 gram        solid tip
Raptor 7'2                        4-12 gram     solid tip
Raptor 7'2                        7-25 gram       Tube tip
Raptor 7'8                        10-35 gram    Tube tip
Raptor 8'6                        8-35 gram       Tube tip
Raptor 10ft                      15-50 gram     Tube tip

There are more rods though these interest me more than anything else, price wise? Range from £65.99 - £119.99!!!!! Now that isn't bad is it?
Reel wise there are 3 versions available from 3000 - 4000 - 5000 prices range from £65.99 - £69.99 and spare spools for £15.99 - £17.99. They feature graphite bodies, machined alloy spools 8+1 bearings and first impressions yesterday were very favourable and should find home in both salt and freshwater application.
I also picked up a 9-11 Oynyx reel for my switch rod it takes a 7/8 switch spey line with a full 100 metres of backing line fitted this is impressive and feels lovely in the hand too can't complain @ £79.99 for a class reel can you? Again i will compile my findings this year on the fly reel i already use snowbee prestige and deep blue rods for my trout and saltwater fishing.
For a full spec and run down all of the gear listed here will be found on their website www.snowbee.co.uk .

Is this what is needed to allow people from freshwater backgrounds to break into lrf and hrf with out breaking the bank or using kit they all ready have? Or indeed the other way around, personaly i may end up with a full set of rods and reels to test this year for lrf, hrf and plugging a true entry level kit i did a quick tot up and i could kit lrf,hrf,plug for less than a single salmon spey rod reel and line!!! Not bad pricing by anyones standards is it.

As always i will keep you updated with news on these rods reels ect asi fund them in due course

tight lines all

Off to a flying start....

2012-02-06T13:46:00.000Z

It has taken the past 12 months + to realy understand wrasse and techniques employed in rock-fishing and associated skills. Over 1000 Wrasse were landed and all released many Bass landed and only 1 was dispatched for the table. Light rock fish didnt evven count 40 bream in a single night weren't uncommon.
It would appear that many people think of rock fishing as simply lure fishing?
But it is so much more the skills were born of freshwater water and many times they will return to their roots. Just look at the likes of Matt Newcombe of Plus Fishing Taking skills that have been gained and taking them after pike. Keith and Kevin White both well versed in casting, game and match fishing to commonwealth levels and moving on with the next generation of rock fishing with The rock fishing association.
Myself comming originaly from a Game fishing background, all of the combined skills have a place in rock fishing. Water craft understanding action or lack of action in lures, fish behaviour.
It was partly this that has drawn to the plan for 2012 mixing up fly fishing and rock fishing!Wrasse are my main target though a 5lb fish on a fly using an 8wt or 9wt saltwater fly rods and specific lines could it be done? Yes it has been in the past though after much research i have found no one that targeted them on the fly only?
With the main diet comsiting of crustaceans and small invertabrates they are a very active target for your general saltwater fly angler. It has taken over a year to get to my current HRF level, how long will it take to gain an accepable level of competence in Wrasse fly fishing? I can't honestly answer this though there is another edge to the choice here.
A fly rod is merely a device to propel a small weightless or weighted fly to the intended target due to lack of weight well under 1 gram on many. With the skills and marks i will reveak through the next 12 months + the targets will be Pollock, Bass, Mullet, Wrasse, Coalie, Mackerel, Pouting, Whitting, Bream ect species sound familiar? all on flies.
But i have never learnt to fly fish or fly cast is this if interest to my rock fishing? Now look at Caro or bombarda fishing styles a major part of rock fishing in Japan... This is often used to fish a fly at distance on a standard lure rock rated to casted the caro weight be it lrf or hrf standards.
I had a choice of either fish standard gear or a fly rod personaly i have chosen to fish a fly rod the reasoning for myself has been that it will open up rock fishing to a much wider audience maybe a hrf angler will pick up a fly rod? or a SWffer (saltwater fly angler ) will pick up an lrf rod for trout fishing or harbour work?
It will not be an easy task but one i am relishing i have started work on new patterms already and await 14 bucktails arriving and 20 packets of DNA materials hooks ect new lines i will continue to review the progress and tack i use through out the current stage of my personal rock fishing journey. In time i will pick up the standard gear again to combine results though such a challenge will require a lot of planning and mark identification.
Flies will vary a lot i have tied u a few to start off already and i will be sharing these in the next article and running from there, lure fishing and rock fishing have no rules or limits its merely your own imagination that limits your progress....

Tight lines all

Ready stead go...

2012-01-26T15:13:00.000Z

Well it has been a very busy week indeed back at home when i get a chance around work, kids and fishing lol. I continued to source certain items i wanted for this years fishing. Conversations have been had and plans have been hatched with fishing the South coast of Devon, Wales surf beaches and rock marks.
I had the rare chance to go through my kit and look at what i wanted from each piece of kit? Why did i own many rods that never saw the light of day? Where did they all come from?

If you do not look at things on a large scale it will be difficult for you to master strategy.

Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings, 1645)

To this end i found i cleared the decks completely sourced 3 new fly rods for saltwater use, a Snowbee Deep blue 8wt Salt fly rod, a Bloke Switch rod 7/8, and a new Snowbee Prestige 7wt 10ft. Matched with a Lamson Konic 3.5 reel for the 7wt, a Hardy Swift 2 reel to match the switch rod and a Snowbee Geo 7-9 reel for the salt 8wt.

Each rod has been selected for different occassions and uses for instance the 8wt will be for sunken line work and wrasse fishing on a fly, the switch ros for estuary and river work whee i have no back cast room or rock situations at cliff bases. Finally the 7wt will be a mullet fly rod all excellent at there chosen application.

Line wise? A snowbee switch line at 400 grains will load and cast an overhead or spey cast will relative ease. A 7wt extra distance floating line for mullet fishing. With the longer 50ft head and long front taper this will aid in delicate presentation. The 8wt will be loaded with rio outbounds intergrated shooting head, and running lines in both floating and intermediate heads.

Though This will only cover fly fishing i have sourced a light 1-7 gram solid tip lrf rod and a matching rod though a drop shot version both for seperate applications. A short 7ft heavy 42 gram plugging rod is also in the mix. The aim is to prove that you do not need to spend the earth for tackle but cheaper alternatives are available too.. Will they handle the day in day out use of rock fishing? They have done on the previous 7 sessions that i have fished with them so no hassle there.

Over the comming months i will be using the said rods for intended purposes and going through what they are and differences i find in between these and a much more expensive counterpart..

This year will be dependant on water craft and lure choice much much more than rods or reels for that matter, if i break a break throw it away and buy another, snap a rod buy another no big issue there but will it provide the same results as the century rods last year now my water craft is improved that much? Only time will tell oh well back to tying up a load of mullet flies ready for there arrival

tight lines all

Just what the doctor ordered.....

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000Z

As regular readers will have noticed i have taken a break for the past couple of months after spending a lot of money and many many hours last year fishing and trying then reviewing products from different stables. I took a short break to get back to my passion of fly fishing.
Last year i found for my styles the Major craft Crostage, Zalts both hollow and solid tip versions were great for my needs then i moved onto the Century HPR range which are indeed superb rods. I have handed the rods to other people now for a different perspective on them. Take the 7'3 HPR for instance:

"Hi Mike

Just wanted to say I have had the HPR out the last couple of days and what a cracking rod it is. Wipes the floor with the Injection I used to have. Just a lovely little rod to fish with and so versatile. I know you told me so, but I was slightly cynical that it couldnt be that good but you and the others that have reported on this were right on the money mate .

Makes me want to try the other two, but cant really work out if I would need them, maybe the long one for fishing heavy seas???

Cheers
Mark"

This is a direct quote from a message i recieved, so it wasn't just me that felt this way lol..... On a serious note though no rod will suit every style or each persons needs. I like the injection and used one for a few weeks and found it sensative enough with severe backbone. It sits between the 7'3 and 7'7 in my opinion. Since this Tenryu have introduced the injection LCF (long cast finesse). Rated at 5-21 grams and slightly longer is this mirroring the needs of people around the world?
Around 4 years ago i wrote an article on fly fishing versus lure fishing and stated openly that i could do more with a fly than i could a lure, after years of fishing lures again and learning new skills and methods. I have to openly eat my words it was indeed the other way around i found to fish for small pollock / smelt ect i would use a 6wt or lower and through to 8 or 9wt rods for salt work. Combine this with lines spools ect and the prices mount up really quickly. The same with lure fishing and i could happily fish 2 rods 1 light game rod rated to 7 grams and one hard rock / plug rod rated to 28 grams to cover all my fishing needs in the uk.
As i would have taken the fly rods to fresh and salt enviroments so would i with the lure fishing kit from perch on the light gear through to chub and pike on the 28 gram rod. What if you nailed a 20lb plus pike on a 28 gram rod? Not an issue i can assure you of this 12 gram rods were used to land monster pike abroad last year. So a 28 gram rod with power in reserve will handle this just fine i feel.
The one thing that became previlent last year from emails i recieved from people worldwide was that people dont want to carry multiple rods or spend the earth on gear especially in the current economic climate. You don't have to i kitted out a begginer kit that will cope with plugging and lrf 2 rods 2 reels and 2 braids for change from: £180! I can kit a professional kit that i would use every day for change from £750 Consisting of 2 rods reels and braids again. Is £750 a lot of money? Not really to be honest a top end fly rod will cost £700 any day of the week puts things into perspective a little.
As always rock fishing is changing and changing quickly, peoples persepctives have changed people are trying it and having fun and catching fish isn't this what it is all about? No matter the cost or type of rods lures ect fish have fun, yes the technical side and understanding will increase your awareness of whats happening and provide more or maybe bigger fish.
But and this is a big but! The worlds best kit will be blown to the sand by someone with a bamboo stick and string, who's water craft is top notch. This year for rock fishing i have a single minded goal to achieve nd this is an 8lb Wrasse on a soft lure from the shore! It can be done and it will be done im sure of that just a waiting game i reckon. Well back to researching a few things i reckon tight lines for 2012 peoples..

2011 What a year it turned out to be.....

2012-01-03T16:46:00.000Z

At the beginning of last year no one really knew what it would herald for lure fishing. Though through the course of the year there were ups and downs for all concerned. In February i decided to start this blog as a catch record for myself. Though quickly it took on a life of it's own. Followed by a facebook group dedicated to rock fishing around the globe.
I went through 14 rods in on year a bit excessive even by my standards trying to find something that suited me by the end i settled on the Century HPR series for hrf and plugging and the major craft zalts series for my lrf fishing teamed with rarenium reels from 1000 through to 3000 series reels. The downside was i found that i had accumalated so much tackle it was taking over my shed lol..... :).
So a complete clear out was in order so i have other people dotted around the uk using the rods this year and providing feedback as they learn to fish differing styles. I will re kit again with a different set of rods that i have already chosen this year when time and funds allow. Though for the time being i will work through my game fishing and re hone skills i feel i have let slip. On a recent fly fishing trip i was chatting to a fellow angler and stated that my casting has gone to the dogs and i needed to get the feel back. An hour later he wandered back past and stopped and merely said "bugger me bouy, if thats crap casting i dont want to see your distance casting!!!"
This year has produced the best of times though and i learnt so much in a short space of time weighting, drop rates current drifts dead sticking it all counts towards the end goal. So lets take a look back through at shots i have taken this year?

My kids with there first trout of the season.

A pristine bass taken on a flood on a jambo water walker sea trout pattern fly. I was teaching a friend to fish for bass oppossed to his usual salmon and result? His first Bass on the fly. .

When doing a photoshoot for fly fishing and tying magazine the pollock and mullet were obliging..

My best flounder of the season what a specimen on a 5 gram rod??

Still to this day i cant get over the colour of this fish....

Matt jones with his first Devonian wrasse...

Now this little fella was always special after a couple of bait anglers laughing at me with my kit, i sat down and said now i will catch a bass! And first cast and drift in the results... Speechless were the words i think..

Bream became a slight specialty of mine and great fun they were too i must admit.

Even my youngest caught this year a cracking little star....

Wrasse well where do i start the true rockfish, i caught well over 1000 fish this year then stopped counting the biggest weighing in a 7lb 3oz!!!!!
It was late in the year i decided to enter the jersey bass guides wrasse comp though i managed to bag a win not only for bag weight at 30lb 6oz for 5 fish but specimen fish too. Now fishing against the likes of Keith White and the JBG Team this was no mean feet, i know Keith wants revenge should i succumb and fish it this year lol.....

This has to be my personal highlight of 2011, Colin mcleaoud is a keen Mullet fly and angler and very accomplished at it to i must say. Though the 7lber eluded him to this day when he fish previously with me and i tied a few Bann special flies with a personal twist he went away happy. Then i have an email saying he has done it broken the 7lb barrier he so desperately wanted on my flies!!!

The smile says it all really :)

This has to be my favorite picture though the 7lber swimming away strongly, too many people would have knocked it on the head as a trophy well done that man... Can i have my flies back now?....

These are only a few pics from last year but i have litterlay hundreds and more to come over future seasons... I'm already looking forwards to this year for so many reasons...

tight lines all for 2012..

The Rock Fishing Revolution

OTD Dropshot........

2011-11-03T15:16:00.000Z

As i have mentioned before we have been experiementing with a varied ammount of tactics though the summer for our winter lrf campaign. this has included neko rigging and weighting for hrf and lrf almost got it nailed for lrf as we speak. Dropshot weighting for hrf proved it's worth last year in the winter for late season hrf missions. Though the past 4 months we have been playing with drop shot on the lrf kit instead and it is comming into it's own with the winds we have been hammered by the past few days.
Using weights of 1.8, 3.5, 5, 7, 10 grams for varying applications. Pairing this with a rod rated at around 7 grams casting weight with a wacky or straight rigged lure and working it back to yourself or though jigging down harbour walls has added more skills to our personal armoury. This morning i looked at the winds and rain and though bugger fishing lrf in this it's going to be impossable. Then a bright spark idea came to mind just how bad could the condition be to stop the use of drop shotting? The winds were killing jig head applications, weed clogging the heads.
So i made a call to Mark, a convert to lrf last year and now full time lrf angler, he will give into hrf as well im sure of that just takes time lol..
Arriving at the mark early a couple of hours before high water he was there already and kitting up.

Mark was running a Varivas 7'11 0.5-8 gram rod matched with a Shimano Stella 1000 reel, god i love this reel. Using a high vis sunline flurocarbon with a small size 20 swivel to a plain fluro leader. Looking to the side i only had one thought to mind....

I told you we needed to fish weedless here mate.......

All kit loaded and ready, reels greased lets fish on....

The line had just hot the water with a 1.8 gram dropshot weight, and wacky rigged lure, when i was taking this shot. Bang fish on already a OTD take on the drop shot who would have thought it?

It's not fighting hard mate only a tiddler was the following comment, then the fish woke up and it got interesting.

Trying to contain my laughter, the fish was landed and it was indeed only a tiddler, but the audience we had now encapsulated was enthrawled. Fish subsequwntly photographed and released unharmed.

The trace lengths will alter by unclipping the line that is caught into the special drop shot swivels the weights are made with move up or down and re catch them. This is all dependant on where the fish want the lure in the water columb.

Drop hooks sizes and winkle out a few, well several infact smaller corkwing wrasse, all using the drop shot rigs ans varying lures.

All of the lures were wacky rigged using long shank trout hooks, from royd and fulling mill this morning. They have the potential for a good selection of patterns for the winter me thinks.

One of the main things i like about the drop shot rig apart from the advantages of the lures isnt snagging the bottom all the time, differing weights and control methods. The hook placement when a fish takes none of the fish caught over previous months have been deep hooked not one! All hooks used were barbless and fish escaping the hook hold? Didn't happen yet again proving worth of barbless hooks.

Lure sizes were less important this morning the fish were thriving on many lure types and lengths as you can see the wacky rigged lure here. Compared to the size of the fish?

Even the small Ballan wrasse were playing ball this morning, hitting the drop shot with vigor. The winds we had meant fishing all variant sizes of drop shot. Having fished the style a lot recenlty, i re stocked this week with another 100 in varying sizes. Would i have fished jig heads and caught this many fish this morning in given conditions? No i can catagoricly state no i wouldnt have. To show there is a tool for all enviroemnts and conditions and today this was it.
The drop shot weights themselves are now finally available through Andy of Jackslrf priced very reasonably indeed even if i do say so myself. They are all cast with specialist drop shot swivels already. But back to the fishing as the winds dropped slightly i went back to fishing a wacky rigged carolina style and caught fish though mark out did me 3-1 using the drop shot in the same conditions.

Just as i was packing up to come back and write this piece he wangled out another fish just to show off lol... Good session this morning in less than favourable conditions but the drop shot in lrf weights has proven it's worth many times over. With the colder winter months and i have just read in the paper, we can expect tempratures into -15' celsius during november / december. So the light rock tackle will be getting used a lot more for the comming months i can tell you. Unhooking fish in those tempratures isnt easy but worth it all the same.
So until next time tight lines all..

A day well spent with great company...

2011-10-31T13:08:00.000Z

A great start to the day, the clocks had changed and i gained another hour in bed. Car loaded and off to Pick up Marcus to get to my mark half way down the tide. To enable enough time to show him the required angles and marks to look for. Structure and flows they will be in habbiting.
The Rock pigs we were targeting were starting to change there behaviour of late with the cold weather setting in quickly. So sitting on the rocks going through. tackle that would be used for the session and sizes and reasons for using set sizes.
Getting into a gulley on the ebb that holds small fish that would enable Marcus to experience the sensation of light bites, so he would know what to expect from fish that tail nipped later in the session.
Once was all sorted we moved into prime position for the turn of a low tide though we were being hit by swell and surfers in the main bays on the stretch and weed galore though fished through the session.
It didnt take long before Marcus was into his first fish and his face was a picitre only a smaller 1lb fish though the bend that appeared in the rod and the fish heading for rock and weed at speed amazed Marcus at there turn of speed and dirty tactics for escaping capture.

This was the second fish taken on the session though light fading fast, a lovely colouration on the fish, and a great fight. I had leant Marcuse the HPR 7'7 for the session. Teamed with a Rarenium 3000SFA and Yamatoyo 1.0pe braids. Marcus was amazed at the responsivness of the blank. And the feedback that was provided through the blank and braids balanced nicely.

Staying in the same mark Marcus was in again to a lsightly better fish of 2.5lb this time and testing his skills as an angler in very rough and weeded grounds in surf. to which i have to say he stepped up to the plate.
The light and tides were against up but he learnt so much through the day i dropped him home with his head spinning with new information and skills to progress further in his angling.
Discussing bass fishing and lure types and weights locations behaviours, i imparted a few thoughts that made sense to him immediately now understanding the principles of bottom game fishing and why they are cross transferable through differing species. So Taken with the 7'7 was Marcuse i have leant hime my 9ft HPR for a couple of weeks to try out and test before he goes off to buy at least one HPR in the new year it's an easy choice once you have fished them as there intended purposes to which a great many people haven't.
The next session will be straight into perfect tides and fishing straight through with a little more technical fishing that mark identification. A great day over all i must admit in great company.

Tight lines all

Understanding balance....

2011-10-29T08:27:00.000+01:00

I thought i would do i a quick piece this morning to answer a couple of questions i recieved this week on balancing issues. Recently there have been articles published through the Jersey Bass guides, and Henry gilbey that have sparked people into thinking a little more from the main stream of lure fishing on balancing rods.
What is balance is there a specific balance point? Does a reel balance a rod? Can i balance my unbalanced rod? Tip up for tip down?
These are the main jist of the questions, but balance is a personal thing lets look at these in a little detail. Is there a specific balance point? No there isn't this will depend won the style you wish to fish in, look at Stripper fisermen in the states and they fish long rods tip high often fishing the hard needle technique, Large mouth bass fishermen fish tip neutral to tip down, Uk bass anglers (hard lures) often fish tip down.
As a HRF angler i fish all three of these soft or hard needle tip up, carolina rigging tip in neutral, texas rigging tip at 45 '. Hard plastics tip down. Usinging a balanced kit helps a hell of a lot i will not say it doesn't, but there is more to it than that. For instance the Century HPR lure rods were designed from the ground up as HRF rods, it's a brilliant bonus that they fish hard or soft lures equally well, this has been proven many many times over since there release world wide.
The weighting system amplifies the balance points, HPR 7'3 for instance, fishes slightly tip up with the standard grip of 2 fingers each side of the reel stem, though if i shifted a third finger back or forth then i can fish it higher or lower thus altering my banacne point. HRP 7'7 will natural fish tip in neutral more naturaly. 9ft HPR will fish tip slightly neutral though fish either up or down with ease altering for soft or hard plastics your chosen method.
To fish a balanced kit you must, balance the reel weight, size braid, leader and type of or weight of lure to become truely balanced. Why would i use 30lb braids for 2lb school bass? Seriously a 0.8pe 8 strand braid will cope with bass in this country to big fish i can assure you of that. a 3000 series shimano for me rareniums are great a match between weight, price, finctionallity and yes looks too. The HPR rods were designed with a 200 gram reel in mind for balancing and they work very well.

This is the HPR 7'3 balanced on a single finger in the wind, and sites in neutral with out the wdded weight of lure runnnig a 5 gram cone head my personal favourite. Balanced with a 1.0pe yamatoyo braid. So impressed with the rarenium 3000 SFA reels am i that i bought another this week.

The reels themselves have been dropped, kicked, dunked in salt water and not washed for weeks htough they keep on going like new with a drop on mineral oil through the injection port all seems fine after prolonged use in the saltwater enviroment.
Balance doesn't just mean a rod sitting in a set position however, it is the entire set up why over gun yourself and kill every sensation you could recieve of what is happening under water? Our Uk species are no match for balanced tackle, look to LRF for this alone and fish that have been taken a 0.5-5 gram rod handled 3-4lb pollock easily, 5.5lb wrasse on the same weighted rods 8lb bass taken on these rods? High casting rates and stiff blanks don't equal strength or fish landing ability. The skill and luck of the angler lands the fish.
Alter your fingering positions to make the rod do different things, drop a braid size, fish a lighter leader than braid BS. Try it for yourself experiment, there are no rules to Uk rock fishing we are making them up as we learn and evolve together as a group of like minded anglers.
For me 2012 will see a lot more hard needle fishing something i haven't done a lot of this year due to many differing reasons. Fishing hard lures again in different ways not just stripping it back like the old days.
If your rod is too heavy on the tip and you do't want to change it then add weight to the butt section fly tying lead and PTFE electrical tape easily removed if you don't like it so why not and it doesn't cost a new rod to try it out does it?
Think aboout is balance isn't just about weight, it is about feel........
I will leave you with that thought for a while, tight lines all.

Covering the bases...

2011-10-22T09:30:00.000+01:00

The time has come to open up the bases and little and maybe try something a little different through out 2012 i think. This year i decided early on that i would be concentrating on the old rock pigs to understand there behaviour further and figure out a few hooking issues i had.
well 10 months on and many thing have shone through in evidence lets start with the rods that are used? The old adage of Wrasse will need 30lb braid and poker stiff rods to stop them hitting the bottom? Broken the mould on that one didn't we... 4-5 inch lures only work? Broken that one as well... Thhey only live in deep water rock marks? Broken this as well.... 3/0 - 5/0 hooks will be needed they will straighten anything else? Broken this too... You will never land a fish bigger than 3-4lb on lures? Well i broke that very early on...
Lrf rods will snap before landing a decent wrasse? Tell that to Jay la rocher in ireland, the guys in jersey, people in the southwest then....
I have fished the last 2 serious sessions in different marks and on the most difficult tides i could find to realy test my own ability, i'm not blowing my own own trumpet here but i realy have improved exponentially through out this year and fish hauls and sizes landed have shown this.
The last session was the single most difficult i have fished this year i went out and fished a ground i knew to be tackle hungry on the HPR 7'3 again and tried the Sunline Siglon fluro leader in 16lb. To say i was impressed was an understatment, the abbrassion resistance of this leader material has to be seen to be believed. Knots breaking at the leader knot and not the hook like normal.

A truely superb leader that i will be using in more and more situations and varying lengths and strengths over the comming months. During the session i only had a few bites over a couple of hours though the bites i had i converted 80% of bites to fish landed.

Again the snowbee stinger slider has proven it's worth though the hook sizes used have changed again, i have dropped through to size 1 -2/0 maximum favouring the 1/4 - 1/3 hooking rule this has worked a treat i must say.

A few superb fish landed again and all the same coluration from differing pods of fish though all fighting well as to be expected.

Yet again whilst i was sat down have a drink with the lure dead sticked and it was freely taken from deeper water. Just this side od a nice reef ledge.
I have also been playing with the Gary Yamamoto Pro starter kit, this is a very impressive kit for people starting out at £28 a set you have a wide and varied selection of soft plastics to play with and a fair selection of hooks also. The box is supplied my Plano a highly respected maker of plastics already. Also with spare dividers so when finished you can adjust the spacings to suit your needs and keep on using the box a cracking idea i feel.

A very impressive and sturdy box that has a great many uses indeed.

A wide and varied selection of items for you to play with the senkos are a cracking addition to my soft needle collection too so a very happy chappy yet again. I have been playing with a few hard lures of late as well, though more on that during the colder months.
I looked through my rods and i have most fishing situations covered now though i wanted something a little monger and heavier for hard needle fishing, now hard needles can be up to 3oz in weight and cast like a proverbial rocket.

The Tenryu Ventury 330 @ 11ft long and rated 10-90 grams casting weight this will cast anything that could be wanted for hard needles and general surf fishing. I recently bought a tubular tip Major Craft Zalts also.

Both are superb rods that do exactly wht they say on the tin so to speak and i realy look forwards to trying them out during the comming seasons. I have been playing with balancing on the Tenryu the past couple of days and found it balances well with a 4000 series Rarenium. This will be loaded in due course with a 1.2 and 1.5pe braids for heavy distance work though both being 8 strand brraids still mantain the thin lines that i want so much.
There are other ideas in the offing at the moment though these are taking a little more refinement and timing to get right so until next time im off fishing

Tight lines all..

It's about what you can't see this time.......

2011-10-13T08:05:00.000+01:00

Where should i start? I have had quite a few sessions of late both hard and light rock sessions have been sqeezed in. But more than anything else i wanted to take the opportunity to explore the Century HPR rods in a little more detail. Before their release there was a lot no an awful lot of they do this they do that from people that used or tested / designed them. To compliment this there was also a lot of they can't do this and they can't do that....
So what are they realy like? I decided early on that i would shell out for a full set of 7'3, 7'7 and 9ft models so over a £1000 later i have all three rods and i have fished all three in many and varied methods now.
These rods were designed for set purposes in mind with the HRF angles, so are they only HRF rods? No no where near it they are so multi talented it is amazing. In Centurys own words i quote:
The 7'3 version HPR
"

This is best suited to Texas rigging, weightless worm and presentations in clean to fairly heavy ground across a wide weight and line range. It will handle plugs to the rated specification with ease but is more in tune with crank-baits rod and minnow's up to around 145mm. It has incredible balance that will work with reels in the 2000 – 3000 without modification and can handle pitching, flipping and overhead casting styles with ease. The rods are counter balanced with the fulcrum point based around the reel stem or, just in front. This is the do it all rod for Bass, Wrasse and a multitude of species from boat, kayak, skishing (wetsuit fishing) and shore.

The Staggered tip is recommended for Kayak and Boat where the mid section spigot is removed from the equation. 7-3" was designed to move the right amount of line on a strike, move around the bow and stern of a kayak and to give enough tip out of the water when skishing.

Bite detection is electric and the power in the rod completely seamless no matter the fish size. Bass to over 10lb and wrasse to over 6lb have been taken on this model."

They have summed it up nicely here thouugh now wrasse to over 7lb have been taken on this model though...

The rod is rated to 25 grams correct? Well this isn't in the normal rating range they are rated for sensativity at distances within the set weight range. There are rods that i wouldn't want to cast over the set amount on. This isn't one of them. Much like the Hardy fly rods or the Loomis nrx rods they have cut the weight to 25% on average yyet still overline by 2-3 line weights with ease. This is the same material though autoclaved by century. So i tested this and i have have fished lures to 38 grams with ease and pitched flipped 2-3 ounces on this rod! Just to see how it felt to be honest and it handled it with ease. The rod has back bone real back bone though this only comes into play when it is realy needed. Suited to 0.8-1.0pe braids and a 5 gram texas head i will feel everything that is happening. But it's a lure rod isnt it? Yes but also doubles a a terrific float fishing rod for saltwater or a short stalking rod for carp in the margins or surface fishing during the summer.

Mullet fishing with a 0.8 braid and 8lb fluro leader is a dream too. The rod protects the braids further than i could have imagined. A true all rounder by designed or accident? I don't care to be honest, if you pick the rod up and waggle it you feel nothing, though strap on a reel and get out and fish it then you feel everything that is happening it becomes an extension of you.

The more you fish it the more you feel what is happening. I love this rod my personal go to rod for most of my hrf rock pig fishing now.

The Century 7'7 HPR a true work horse, this is a little different rated at 28 grams again the sensativity ranges not the exact casting range. This was the first rod i fished in the range and when i picked it up i though jesus christ thats stiff i will not be able to feel a thing until the first bite that was.

Though again in century's own words i quote :

This is a bit more specialist but perhaps the best choice if dealing with windy coastlines, kelp bottoms, proper big boulders or dense matted weeds like japweed and bootlace weeds. It will of course work well with all the methods described per the 7’ 3” model but, this rod has more initial power availability making it great for work in weed beds and around boulders. It moves line very quickly and has a stiffer tip than the 7’ 3”. This in turn makes it the ideal choice for jerk style hard minnows and a multitude of hard lures. This rod will cast a good ounce of lead and this, along with the slightly stiffer tip makes it ideal for the Carolina rig (weight inline with the lure but, the lure carries no weight itself). This means that on those super windy days, you can keep contact with the weight but the fish can still pick up a weightless lure.

This rod excels at flipping. (Flipping has become a devastating close range method where a lure is lowered down behind some kind of structure or in to cover) The reel’s bail is engaged as wrasse and bass can hit so very hard that you need a strong, powerful rod but, still with very good bite detection."

This is a lot more powerful than the 7'3 model though this is designed for carolina rigging and draging up to 28 grams through the bottom with out the tip folding or colapsing on you, to which is does very very well indeed i must say. This rod will cast well above 28 grams believe my 4 oz of lead flies a long way doubling as a cracking close range bass bait fishing rod i found especially with braid fitted. Also a float rod, boat / kayak rod for larger jigging deep water pollock jigging no issues at all there. A hard plastic rod? Oh yes this is a cracking surface or popper rod i found personaly imparting life into patchenko's at distance with ease.

The reserves of power have to be felt to be believed i find they are just sheer power in reserve and when a 5lb pig hits right under your feet hit and hold you need to trust your kit and this rod has earn't it's trust this year several times. Indeed in 2012 this will also be my pike lure rod of choice for heavier lures well above the 28 grams mark for deep water fishing from a boat or float tube.

The last but not least 9ft version.... Well what can i say but a missile launcher is i ever seen one... Here what Century had to say on the matter:

This is the multi range lure rod that was designed and tested for soft lures to around 9" and hard lures in as wide a range (length and weight) as possible. It is super fast, loads very easily and rewards the angler with long, controlled casts at ranges other rods cannot match with this amount of control. It works with 'everything' but, as most testing was done under the cover of darkness, you can pretty much work this rod with your eyes closed. It excels with weightless soft lures like senko's and sluggos from 4 - 7" fished in the soft needle style and yet, will work a top-water bait equally well whilst being a dream to work slim minnows at any depth. Because of it’s super, super fast recovery and balance system, it doesn't throw wild loops of braid off the rod top which can lead to horrible braid knots when fishing weightless styles. Again though, this rod has been built for the modern lines that are available on today's market. The power of the rod is to be felt to believed but, it is not at all stiff and never locks up, just delivers more as required."

I out and out bass rod for my uses it will handle all the hard plastics i have thrown at it including the OSP Yamoto not the most aerodynamic lure but fires it out there. Soft needle tech comes alive with this rod suited to a 0.8 pe braid it will handle anything that swims in out waters. Though retains the senativity for rolling a 1oz ball weight through an estuary for flounder or bass. The least ysed rod merely because i dont bass fish that often but a piece of working art...... a 28 gram 9 inch stick bait going over 70 yards!!!! Thats some casting tool i can tell you.... I could go on and on about these rods but in reality they speak for themselves. By Choice i have matched mine with Shimano Rarenium 3000SFA reels (shallow spool).

Recent sessions have provided further insight to rock pigs and behaviour especially on the turn of low water in local marks they have become hyper agressive, and especially towards creature baits. Taking fish from reefs and sand bars alike running no more than 5 gram texas rigs.

The stamp of fish is increasing again with an average weight of 3lb plus in local marks, and hitting with sheer agression.

When i was taking a break i cast out and dead sticked at 20 yards rested the rod under my leg and oured a coffee and rolled a cigarette, then bang fish on again. Landed and released with out even moving then i was sat with my feet in the water lol.

So these are size 13 boots to provide some perspective on this fish, a cracking fight indeed, and another beautiful fish landed and released to fight another day.

Another fish falling just below the 5lb mark, look at the tail on this fish another true power house... I dropped the hook size further again using size 1 hooks on 3-4 inch lures and the fish hook up rate versus bites was improved by 400 % not a bad result at all really.

Something a little different jumoping on a modified Snowbee slider, this is the beauty of rock fish in my mind you never quite know what you are going to catch to be honest.

This fish i landed was covered in old scare deep lacerations across the sides and back, just shows how hardy these fish are realy that it survived the attach from something big.....

Then i also managed a couple of lrf sessions. I have taken pollock to 2-3lb recently from a Cornwall mark fishing in the dark when i was over there recently. Though last night i met up with Mark and Marcus. Since meeting Marcus last he has bought a Major craft Zalts solid tip and Rarenium 3000 a very good choice indeed. I have been testing out the Major craft zalts tubular tip as well as my solid tip and small crank baits too which i have been very impressed with though more on them on the next instalment.

Until then tight lines all....

Once more unto the breach dear friends.....

2011-10-07T10:16:00.000+01:00

Well i woke up early yesterday morning and and the weather had turned realy nasty during the night. Though not to be detered from fishing that easily. I headed out to the mark on the southwest coast. Arriving half way through the flood tides.
I set up the Century HPR 7'3 with a Rarenium 3000SFA and Yamatoyo 1.0pe braid. Walking the mile from the car to the mark i found a cracking flooding gulley. So on went a nories Fat flat 3.5. Cast 2 twitches in and bang fish on a superb fight from a 3lb fish.

Moving to the adjacent set of rocks into the flood tide itself and casting across i found a pod of holding fish all jumping on the lures when they were retrieved at speed. This is an unusual occurence with wrasse thuogh does happen. The fish continued to hit every lure i threw in there.

Considering that the winds were howling and rain driving in sideways ofr most of the session i fished through moving and searching. I had a chance to try out the Keitech range of lures from Lure Heaven, also some of the Bait Breath range.
I then switched to Nories Fat flats and ladyfish again. All lures taking fish, switching to the old faithful, snowbee lures which caught again. Though i did find the best all out lure of the day was tied between the keitech and noried fat flat.

A superb lure and also a superb scent from them the fish definately approved of this too, i managed to bag 13 fish in the session in bad weather. So something must be working....

The Nories fat flat a superb lure indeed not cheap but well worth every penny they cost. These have been rigged o texposer hooks which i still have a fondness for to this day.

The bait breath took fish with ease too though the fish were oly hitting the natural colours, greens and browns have been scoring very well in the last month. Recently they have been showing preference for darker duller colours, opposed to recently in the year when purple remained as king again.

The HPR rods have proven themselves beyond what i could wish for now fishing in still sunny days through to gale force winds and the feeligs have remained the same. These rods were designed for a set purpose and they excel in this said set purpose. As you will see in due course when i finish the review of the rods individualy and their respective abilities.....

Until then tight lines all........

Comming to the change of seasons not the end....

2011-10-04T06:45:00.001+01:00

The beown leaves are well and truely here the country lanes are covered with those glistening carpets of leaves already. Funny realy as i was sat on the beach baking on sunday, and swimming yesterday in the sea making the most of it. Yet 8 hours later when i finished work i was driving home in the rain and digging out my SFT gloves for the start of the winter.
Now many Bass anglers will be dreading the impending winter setting in and polishing the gear and storing for the winter months, but not all round rock anglers no siree.... We don't stop we only change tactics or lures. I haven't stopped fishing since i started now winter lrf spring hrf and through the summer mixing it up.
A fantastic year has been had many many bass falling to both styles, wrasse in the many hundreds marker the same with pollock, sea trout salmon, rainbow trout all falling to the same methods in both fresh and saltwater.
I have taken a few weeks off to recoupe after many things over the past 8 months personaly including my mother suffering multiple heart attacks and a bloody stroke and helping her through this period though things are looking up.
This in turn taught me a lesson, nothing is simple learn new ways and understand the principles that are within this and you will go further... This year i have been refining my own styles and continue to do so. I remember saying a couple of years ago now to Ben field of the art of fishing i only need a couple of rods..... To which he is never going to let me live down i'm sure... since saying that i have bought a complete set of Century HPR rods, a major craft zalts solid tip and a tubular tip to match it, a garbolino magistar 2 rareniums, a roves crosa 2000, and still have another 2 rods and another reel on this years list. Then i will have a complete working set and spares to lend people to try out the diciplines. Don't get me started on bait casting rods lol...
Though we have seen an upturn in rock fishing curcles with people comming up to us localy, ranging from students to police officers and trying out put rods and then going off and buying light game and hard game kit.
A few weeks ago a local police officer was stopped chatting to us and was considering rods ect so i rigged up all mine and showed him the subtle differences. I find last night he bought a zalts solid tip and rarenium to match my own kit and is lookng forwards to fishing with us soon.
The specialist forums over at JBG have seen an increased membership of late, and the facebook group i started for rockfish has passed the 100 members worldwide marker. I have been researching more and have big plans for 2012, this year i have dedicated myself to fishing hrf more and more and my personal results have spoken for themselves. So now next year apply all that i have learnt this year and go onto bigger and better things again.
The Century HPR's have proven their worth time and time again, though they have qualities that have been built in that i never shared i knew of them before i even owned them but never went nito details to be honest.
As i did mention at some point each rod was purpose built 7'3 close range, pitching and flipping, 7'7 carolina rigging and hard plastics, 9ft soft needle and hard neele minnow rod. Well the casting weights? This is a bone of contention they were designed and rated for feelat distances, i have chucked out well above the marked casting weights on my rods and they loved it. I take no responseabilty for what you do with your rods it's my own choice but 3oz on the 7'7 goes a hell of a way i can tell you, bait fishing for bass on the 9ft with 2oz + bait? Yep who said these rods were sole purpose? 7'3 2 oz and fished hard yep been there too. It is largely down to the materials used. I remember ready the hard syntrix reviews of chaps in the Florida keys landing sharks on the 7wt trout fly rods!!!! This is the exact same materials though autoclaved by Century so they are more than up to the task i can assure you of that. Yet they retain sensativity far beyond that of many other top end rod makers.
So until next time tight lines all..

This time last year what were we doing?

2011-09-10T23:36:00.000+01:00

I have just sat going through the photos in the archives from the past 12 months. Last September i had a mark nailed for what i thought back then were big pigs... I was landing 2-3 fish a session on a regular basis and very happy with that.
Then fast forward to now and what has happened?? I have landed 20+ fish in a single session, Had several fish over 5lb, 4 fish over 6lb and 1 breaking the magical 7lb barrier!!!! I stopped counting on the species i had caught this year when i hit 20 seperate species using the rockfish styles only.
Conversations with Keith White that we could look at catching Bream on lures? Surely it couldn;t be done or could it? Well 70 Bream later i think we have proven this can be done easily by merely patterning fish behaviour and matching the lure size colour ect and hook size to the quarry you are chasing.

3lb + flounder falling to lrf tackle, who would have forseen that comming? But it wasn't a one off i had several during the winter sessions especially. Pollock to decent sizes were taken, Bass to 3lb were take in estuary marks.

Pollock sessions on flooding tides taking 40 fish in a session between 2 of us became a common occurence, 8 Bass in a session all on lrf tackle with 2lb mainlines..

The fishing has been superb through out the whole year and then we have the pigs, long gone are the days of smallr fish only we have put in the effort and we have been rewarded with superb results all around on this score.

I never thought i would hook and land the 7lb 3oz pig, especially seems as i was using a 0.8pe braid but it shown whats is truely capable with balanced tackle. People were quick to knock the Century HPR rods as a fad and too gimicky, but i took a chance and bought all three of them. This was landed on the 7'2 3.5-25 gram rod. A superb fight and one i will remember for a very long time indeed.

A little rockfishing cross over with the kids for trout, they had a blast i had a blast and they ate what they caught. Using OTD (on the drop techniques) works for trout to it would seem. But it didn't stop there we were out nailing differing species all the time.

Pollock were falling to light weight clousers OTD in swell conditions on a regular basis.

But it didn't stop there when i was fishing with Colin MCcleoud for an article for fly fishing and fly tying magazine earlier in the year i tied up a selection of Bann special variants i used for my own mullet fishing on the fly.

He took them home to Portsmouth with him and visited hayling island not long after and nailed 6lb yes 6lb Mullet on my flies. Then this best of 7lb 4oz hit and ran like a steam train. A very proud moment for me and testament to my tying abilities indeed.

The best part of all is the fish being released after some time being revived in the water to swim away strongly colin i applaud your commitment to mullet angling on the fly my friend.

Then things just got better and better, i was species hunting and had 18 fish in quick sucession though moving marks Matt Newcombe of Plus fishing hooked into a cracking little wrasse using the graphite Leader finezza rated at 8 grams a brilliant scrap to watch indeed. LRF Wrasse is fast catching on just ask Jay La roche of Wexford Bass fishing he has taken Light game wrasse to a new level localaly in Ireland.

The most memorable fish though came from a mis cast for me and OTD it swallowed a 4 inch senko and weighed in over 6lb the first of many it would happen to be. All of the time many many hours in the water and patternig fish behaviour pays dividends. Purchasing specialist tackle, braids, rods. i remember only too well saying to /ben field when fishing one night i will only need 2 rods one hrf/bass and one light game he laughed then and still reminds me of that conversation now. 14 rods and 7 reels later does refinement ever stop? No not realy though i have the hrf and bass rods that are perfectly suited to my styles of fishing in the Century HPR Range. I still miss and anchor after another Zalts tubular tip to fully test another rarenium to open up more braids then i might be happy lol.....All in all what a year it has been.....

What starts with a 3 and ends in a 7?

2011-09-04T22:13:00.002+01:00

Well for the first time in a long while i am truely lost for words this evening i decided to do a big pig hunt this morning. As after sorting other bits and pieces that i needed to do this morning. I headed out to an old mark i havent fished in 25 years or so though i remember the ground there like the back of my hand. So starting off tight left i had a few nipe from the first cast in and things were looking promising.
So i moved to a gulley system fishing into 3ft of water and the gale force winds were nuts I held the rod straight and the lure was @90" angles!! Then the rain arrived horizontaly stinging rain wind and i'm getting bites. I opted to take the 7'3 HPR this morning with a 0.8pe braid and 5 gram texas rig using the snowbee stinger lures proven fish caters in my parts. Well casting away and concentrating to feel whats happening with the wind that was gaining and nip nip bang fish on a massive struggle ensued and i managed to land a fish of 4lb 11oz

Over joyed with a decent fish for the day i had a coffee to warm up a little and continued, fishing and then nip bang another fish on running hard and deep headed for ground tightening the drag well beyond the usual stamp of fish i managed to land it to my feet bloody hell this is a big fish!!!!! Weighed in at 6lb 7oz

A new pb for me by 3oz happy days so i nursed the fish before releasing it to swim away strongly. Coffee and several smokes later i regained my emotional state to fish soaked through and cold.
One more cast i though well that ended up being 4 casts to be precise and OTD i had a reel screamer This is ridiculous i have never felt anything like it, the fish i lost the other day still ringing in my ears play it out i was thinking but the fish was gaining all the time tighten the drag and let the rod do it's job or explode in trying lol....
Rod arching in and absorbing the lunging runs and dives i was getting, it broke surface at 30 yards out and bloody hell it's a prehistoric pig!!!!! Play it cool mike the rod will handle it the rod will handle it the braid is fine. I was clenching all the way through the fight 10 minutes later it's at my feet beaten into submission I removed the 2/0 rockfish hook and then bloody hell look at the size of it's mouth!! and belly has this fish spawned yet? digi scales back out again and it flickers between 7lb 8oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and 7lb 3oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This year i set a goal of a 5lb fish! I did that and then the 6lb i did that now i have the 7lber i realy wanted from the shore. I'm calling at the lowest steady weight of 7lb 3oz

What a tremendous fish and the rod did it's job beautifully all of the way through. Fast becoming the favorite of the bunch the whole kit stood the test of time and asked for more. Oh and in the distance the bass were moving in to but i was too over joyed and elated.............................

This is why i fish HRF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The HPR set has landed.... What a rod!!!!!

2011-09-04T09:42:00.000+01:00

Well we finaly have a full set of the Century HPR rods in my possession thanks to http://www.monstertackle.co.uk/. I have taken a small break from fishing so much due to matters of a personal nature but rest assured plans have been hatched for long term goals.
Thinking back a mere 4 months and Bream were a pipe dream target for lrf styles though i have landed the 100th fish this week. 7lb wrasse were impossable i have hooked him this week though the leader gave way once i had played him or her out not happy at all. I keep on seeing references to bigger bass being taken on plastics on or near the bottom in all media styles this year. Infact this week i took a friend out to fish for the first time, and she was getting bites from small fish, though wasn't quick enough to set the hook this comes in time though.

We fished this spot through last light and waded back in through the channel as you can she was had wet feet before we began though didn't moan once and wants to learn more of the styles. After a little coaching she was getting the jist of deadsticking ect.
The fish are there i fished on a seperate rock 25 yards away for a short time and actually concentrated though only a few smalelr fish came to hand.
I have however this month managed to bag a Rivally RBB floatation vest which i have wanted for quite some time i bought it from http://www.proluresdirect.com/. Though i do know he sold out the same day they went on sale http://www.monstertackle.co.uk/ also has them in stock at time of writting.

A truely amazingp iece of kit realy it carries everything that i use through out both lrf and hrf sessions with ease. Clips and D-rings for boga's, pliers, nets ect very useful and rated to 50 newtons. This roughly translates as supporting 7.5kg in the water. The average weight of a grown man with kit on is 5kg in th water merely physics.

Thus far i have used it on ever session i have fished with great success it is comfortable to wear, loads of storage and once straps are sorted you don't even know it is there.
I opted for a new pair of pliers that have braid jaws and a curved nose to double as forceps fishing barbless i dont need that much pressure so these Rovex pliers are Great value for money at £10 a pair with a lanyard and sheath included. Available from Mr fish

It has been an expensive month though this said worth every penny i have stripped and serviced both the rareniums and they are running good as new now.

Tested the Garbolino magistar further and that is handling everythingi have thrown it's way thus far a great little rod for less than £100.

And then last but by no means least we have the Century range of rods, i have held them in hand though not fished them seperately before this was a true eye opener i can tell you.

The balance point with a full weighting system in place is amazing on all 3 rods even though they are different weights and lengths.

Though this said i fished all three rods i am doing a write up on them as we speak so this will be brief, the 7'7 i have got so used to now doesn't seem that powerfull due to the immense sensativity it holds. This was until i rung up the 7'3 and cast 50 yards out and i could feel rock to week to snag and flick it out of snags most of the time. Thr rod loads beautifully and casts like a dream with hard plastics within weight range, 4-6 inch soft stick baits texas rigs down to 3.5 grams i could go lower but didnt have the time. It does highlight however just how much of a brute the 7'7 rod is i couldnt see it but jesus christ they are so so so so so different the blanks are different the tapers are different the actions are different. both designed for sperate jobs.
Then the 9ft rod was unpacked soft needle? 4 inch this aint going too far? Well bugger me i over cast by 30 yards with a flick!!!!! i tried to power it and same distance this is a true casting rod it is aking to fly rods in so many ways, you can't power it through its a progressive cast and distance is achieved through the rod and technique alone.
Anyways i went through to 9 inch lures weighted at 29 grams on the cast the rod doubles back and loads up ready to release the stored kinetic energy....
Am i glad i wasnt in the way when it released it thats all i am saying, 7'7 cast 57 yards with this lure..... 9ft cast????? Wait and see just suffice to say that it went past the 57 yards marker shall we....
I am privelged somewhat to own all three of the rods but being single got to have some up sides hasn't it though now i have fished them all i have to say i dont have a favorite though each rods is designed for a set purpose onl when i fished them did i appreciate the subtle differences in weights and lengths, actions even more than just seeing them. Again as i have said already true works of art.
I originaly posted the above on the JBG forums to inform people of my initial findings on these rods ect. Since then i have broken 80 yard casts with a soft plastic!!!!! This was measured at 81.3 yards for the longest run with a 9 inch lure. Using the 9ft rod they truely are exceptional at what they are designed to do.
Until last night i feared the 7'3 might bbe a little too stiff for lighter metals sub 7 grams for instance, though this simply isn't the case it flies out with all metals including a 3.5 mahi jig that the zalts usualy fires out. and sensativity from a spinner bait is electric you feel the buzz and turn through the rod. If i should choose i could fish heavier lrf metals with this rod for bigger fish it would seem, especially with the tip not folding on buzz retrieves i find. more much more testing and finding to be yet.
Yes Keith i have discovered buzzing baits lol... Same as alterated fingering positions need i go on lol.... :)

These rod have people talking worldwide already though until they are fished you can't tell a thing the thing is i picked up 2 of them and though nice but not special when i rung them through and fished them i immediately thought bloody hell these are amamzing!!!
Mor testing and htoughts to follow over the following weeks though guys untill then thanks for reading and tight lines to all.

More bloody expense but it's worth it in the end.....

2011-08-30T08:22:00.001+01:00

Well since i took the quite major step into rock fishing styles and opening up new doors i learnt so many things it is quite impossable to go through them all. Starting fishing for wrasse on a bass expedition and everyone was blanking so i switched to pig fishing and landed 9 fish in 3 hours.
Then i started to look further into the HRF field, at first it was confusing and Keith white the chief exponent on the styles in the beginning was getting a couple of emails a week minimum how do i do this or that? What tackle is suited? It's not working what do i change? Why cant i feel this?

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”
"William Morris"

This was a lesson that was expensive to learn and understand going through many rods, reels, lines that were the in thing at the time. Though they served little purpose. Granted i picked up a Morethan Brazino rod recently that i will end up owning merely because it is indeed beautiful, and i will fish it on occassion.
After going through the pile of rods reels lures ect and selling offf a lot of them including the last of the fly rods the transition has become complete.
As i have been using the Century HPR 7'7 for sometime now and understand the complexities of the rod and uses i thought it was time for something else so i ended up ordering the pair of 7'3 3.5-25 gram ST and 9ft 5-28 grams HPR rods too. Matched with a pair of Shimano Rarenium 3000 reels

2lb sunline flurocarbons and 0.3pe varivas light game braids for light rock game. Also paired with 0.8pe and 1.0pe Yamatoyo braids for Hard rock games.
I am ordering another 2 spools though i must admit to cover 1.2pe sunline for rough ground carolina work and a 0.4pe rockfish line. The highest will be a 1.2pe line something that i would never have thought of 2 years ago. Still fishing the Major craft Zalts 0.5-5 gram rods and going very well indeed. The feel with 1 gram jig heads is great indeed.

I bought a 2nd rod last week from Ben @ http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ now this is a mark of a good retailer, i walked in with the intention of buying a couple of bits i needed though looking through rods and i would have happily spent over £300+ on this day Ben points out a Garobolino Magistar and just says look at this mate, check the power curve!! This thing has immense power and still retains the solid tip for

sensativity.... Just what i was looking for and under £100! A bargain indeed and idealy suited to buzzing small metals over reef beds where you cant afford for the tip to fold or lose the lure 8/10 times.

So i pop off to a mark that evening after the 65 mile drive home again, Ben makes a mean cup of coffee though.... So i set up both Zalts bottom and magistar with small Mahi jigs and the casting range with a 3 gram metals was out of this world!! A very impressive rod for twice the money in my eyes. fishing bottom games with it i was comfortable fishing down to 1.8 grams, below this the zalts is in a world of it's own.
So finally i have 5 rods to cover all games from 1 gram jigs through to 21 gram carolina rigs, soft needle minnow distance surface poppers, burkai (baited jig) caro you name it i can fish it. Matched with their respective braids and reels we are laughing no matter the conditions i could fish any type of weather or terain now happily.
This week there were a small selection of the Rivally RBB (River burning blood) Floatation vests delivered to the Uk, so i took the opportunity to grab one myself, They are £175 each though rated to 50 newtons supporting 7.5kg in the saltwater, before you think i weigh a dam site more than that!! This is respective to water weighting and displacment, your average full grown man will weight 5kg's in the water.

I love it there are D-rings and pockets galore to carry all i need on a long session and comfort to do it in to excellent finially i have luggage thats suited to rock climbing. I will add the images at a later date as the software is playing silly buggers this morning.

So this month i have gained another 3 rods, floatation vest, and assorted lures, jig heads, cone weights the list goes on. though we are what most pluggers call mid season? Sorry i don't have seasons i just have fishing ime 12 months of the year such is rock fishing....
Well that is the working kit complete, though i still have things to work on though these are slightly more dificult and expensive for instance a Van stal VSB100 for skishing and kayaking uses. Why spend so much money on a single reel? It is bloody bullet proof thats why and the reel will be submerged in saltwater for long periods which eats non sealed drag systems in to time at all. All in good time though i have a great many other things to sort along side the fishing i live for.....
Well thats it for now as i need to pack up for a HRF session today conditions looking good so promising results are hopefull todays aim is to land either a 5lb rockfish or 15 + fish! Is it doable? Yes! Time teaches you skills and tricks that practice alone will perfect..

tight lines all.

Showing more potential....

2011-08-27T08:40:00.000+01:00

Well i had a break in the daytime so i popped off to a slightly different mark with an increasing wind, constantly changing stance or spot to use the wind to advantage and not affect the braid too much. Started off using the Garbolino magistar and hooked a fish close in i was pleasantly suprised by the sensativity of the rod i will say, though a 0.3 braid could cope with it and parted company oh well back to the crostage for it's goodbye session before it goes to a better home.
Hooked another couple of fish and landed a smaller one htough one just smashed through everything like a bull in a china shop, ok change rods again hpr this time and target the reef ledge, found out recently that this ledge was and is fishable though needed a stiffer tip to work it up the ledge with out snagging so much.
Then from nowhere a couple of floats anglers arrive Well they have fished for an hour whilst i have sat watching and driking coffee not a bite between them and i pop along re rig again crouch into a little gap and flip 6ft and bang fish on!! Christ it must have been 6 inches away from it's whole It went to ground though i refused this time to give quater to it and used the full power of the rod, now i'm using a 0.8pe braid with a 12lb leader here and i had the rod bending into this fish with all that i could give it. I was slowly gaining ground on the fish, eventualy i managed to break its hold and land it. Not a huge fish only a shade over the 3lb mark and in open water no match for the HPR.

The guys came running over to see what it was they didn't have a clue so i explained about the species and styles i fish for them ect. Returned the fish and passed the rod to them and just said have a go do this... So they did they were getting electric bites i could see through the tip though not hooking up quick enough. Enjoyable session all through i must admit.

Then off again in the evening to meet andy though winds were prohibhitive so off to cornwall on a Bass hunt and an old chap was asking about stick baits for trawling slowly ect behind a boat, so he went off to investigate http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ sadly no fish on the hooks bass and mullet were present just would not bloody feed lol.
This said though i did a lot more experimentation with the HWL Stick baits i had delivered from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ Andy was casting a variety of lures including Patchenko 100's though he was getting a couple of swirls nothing would commit. I was hitting 50 yards each cast with the 6 inch version. Allowing the currents to work the lure and using the rod in the fulcrum position this realy does read the smallest knock from the bottom. I can't help but think just how far would i manage to cast a 6 inch stick bait on the 9ft HPR?
Well its only the same rod but a foot and a half longer isn't it? Oh no it isn't i picked one up in The art of fishing the other day and was pleasantly surprised by the action of the blank it is completely different! So is the 7'3 for that matter. each of the rods were designed for a set purpose like it or not these rods were designed ofr the rock fish styles, it is a happy result that anyone could fish plugs, hrf, metals, jigging, tenya ect on the same rods. But more on this when i have the other 2 rods in my grubby mits which should be within the week or so. Along with a new Rivally RBB ( river burning blood) Floatation vest, and new pliers too test out aswell.
Testing has begun on the Garbolina magistar 220 1-5 gram rod too, bought this primarily for my son to use and if he shows a keen interest then i will buy him a tubular tipped zalts though all in good time. First impressions are very promising indeed. though it is stiff in comparison to the zalts i use most of the time i have thrown out 12 gram spinner baits and it behaved impecably. Down to 3 gram metals it will cover all baits i have tried thus far. So exciting times ahead this season and other stuff is in the pipeline as we speak with relation to HRF exponents ect....
All said and done a very enjoyable day all around.

LRF Trout fishing fun fun fun....

2011-08-21T06:46:00.000+01:00

Well over the weekend i had the chance to take the kids to fish properly, so packing up a few bits and pieces off we went to a little LRF mark i fish that produces well on flood tides. Though kids being kids thing tooks longer than planned and tides weren't so good so, a plan was hatched to take them trout fishing with the Zalts solid tip lrf kit.
Not knowing how well trout would react to lures, we arrived at the Tavistock trout fishery sorted tickets ect and on we went. today was about getting the kids involved so i wouldnt even wet a line myself. Soon arriving at the junior lake i went through the bag and sorted out some jig heads and lures changed leaders ect. Good to go right who's up first?
Up steps the Boy and looks at the water looks to the inlet and says to me me i think they are there just behind that water movement, good call son i thought. A couple of casts later and he is into a superb little trout.

A littlep laying nd it is safely landed, and then subsequently dispatched, being a commercial fishery it has a catch and kill policy. Which doesn't bother me when i want to eat the catch. Not sure who was proudest just then though me or the boy?

Next up steps my 9 year old Daughter, whom has fished with me on occassions over the years and caught many species though she never caught the lure fishing bug that much i must admit. This said with a little instruction she was into fish straight away.

Considering her lack of recent experience she realy did play the fish well and landed with ease despite several braid searing runs from this one, she did it all very well indeed.

Then it was the 4 year old's turn this could be a little more difficult i thought to myself but no she was right in there holding the rod trying to reel at the same time, this is going to take a little more work though. Changed lures for the aqua straw tail though no interest!! this was a first, then started searching a little more and bites on every cast though short takes from small fish for some reason. Change lure again still using the cultive 1 gram head, for a trout lure almost the same as the straw tail just slightly smaller and bang she has a fish on!

She is playing the fish herself reeling and stopping letting it take line and reeling again, from a 4 year year old this is some doing i can tell you. Not long before the fish is almost ready for the net.

Then the final result the fish land and one very happy daughter!!

We fished on and all the kids had 2 fish a piece, with popinter the fish were taking OTD on the far bank just 6 inches off structure was i suprised? Nope natural trout behaviour wild or stocked from experience. though the light heads worked a treat. Each fish weighed between 1-2lb in weight not realy a match for a zalts to be honest.

But today wasn't about fishing for me or research (well maybe a little), but having fun and hsowing the kids the joys of lure fishing in all it's forms to which i think we suceeded very well indeed. The whole day including tickets to fish ect cost less than £23 for the family to fish and made a stunning fish pie for the family and extra fish for a close friend everyone was happy especially the kids and today thats all i cared about.

A picture is worth a thousand words? Well this says it all to sum up the day for me...

Until next time

Tight lines...

A little exploration pays dividends...

2011-08-16T10:00:00.000+01:00

As it happens i managed to blag a couple of hours free time yesterday morning, and popped out to a usual mark i have fished, though the Ebb tides were going to make this bloody hard going at the best. So what to do i rigged up both the Crostage and the HPR this morning. I had some Roboworm zipper grubs arrive that i havent used so rigged up this on the HPR and then a small Snowbee worm on the Crostage. As for weighting this is where it got interesting i played around and ended up with 7 grams on the crostage, and could feel whats happening perfectly in a cross wind that was increasing.

Though when i altered the weighting on the HPR i dropped to 3.5 grams and lure weighing in around 4 grams. Total 7.5 grams and i could cast it like a dream and feel whats happening to the point of i made a cast across the wind keeping it low and bottom bumping with 10 second dead sticks. Jumped a snag and before it could fall, bang a fish has taken at fair old distance OTD! The fight that ensued was something to behold i was prancing around the rocks trying to hold the braid away from the reef that i know from experience will slice through 2.0pe let alone a 0.8pe i have spooled up on this rod. Well nothing for it lock and load i guess, i braced it and let the rod take the full strain and it bent right through, now i have had it do this at night recently though nothing in the day and watching the rod bend and bend. Now i would have been fearful of a snap off of braid at this point normaly, though no it just seems to handle it. A couple of minutes later i had the fish on the rocks a superb coloured weed wrasse as i have been calling them recently taking on colour to blend with their enviroment.

Not a huge fish by any standards only just over 3lb though it fought like a demon on speed in the shallow ground it inhabits. With the fight that i had i did expect a much bigger fish though this is the beauty of rock pigs, they will fight well above there weight.

A brilliant little lure that seems to have a fairly high salt content adding weight and a nice fall rate as the unpegged cone weight slides down faster and allows the last 12 inches to drop under its own weight. I found a deep pool to play around with whats happening to the lure in general, watching what happens provides a great insight to lure action and behaviour.

This is the type of ground i was fishing over here, though whats not apparent in the sheer volume of weed that lines the rocks and extends arounf 30ft out before i hit a ledge that holds a good head of fish.
Fish were tailing out at distance though out of weightless range, so on goes a 10 gram caro rig again, though i could reach them then i could get follows though not hook ups. remembered that i had a couple of Megabass lures in the bag on loan from Andy @ http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ so i popped one on and first cast i was onto a fish only a small bass that managed to slip the hook then again i wasn't paying much attention i was watching the tide flooding over my exit at the time. considering i had just de-barbed the couple of trebles on them and i let the fish have slack line it was a stupid error but never the less fish swam away happy thats what counts the lures proved their worth.
The pollock and bass have been showing a preference in these parts on lure retrieves that simply hasnt changed through the past 12 months, i knew keeping notes was a good idea, then so have the wrasse, flounder, scorpion, ect. If i want to fish the bottom game then it becomes target dependant, Pollock and i will cast let it hit bottom and bottom bump all the way back with a slight quick draw or retrieve to get it through the water only a couple of turns of the handle and settle again. Exactly the same with Bass, they will hit a moving lure over the bottom with a lot more accuracy and freedon than they will a stationary lure, if deadsticked they will only hit it when it moves. In swell or current they have the added advantage of the water moving the lure on a light 5-7 gram head. Theory has proven itself time and time again the lure most move for Pollock and Bass.
Wrasse however are the other way around they will hit it when deadsticked or stationary twitch it and 2 seconds later bite, twitch and bite, though they will and do take moving lures they have a preference of waiting for it to stop, are they watching and thinking about it first before striking? We know from people personal experiences when spear fishing and diving that Wrasse will swim up to you and look you in the eye, and watch whats happening with no apparent fear..
Then i thought there is a nice cross wind at the moment time to see just how far the 6 inch HLW Stickbait from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ will cast out on the 7'7 HPR Now this rod wasn't designed for distance weightless casting though by christ it handles it very well indeed.

I rigged the 6 inch lure on a Decoy Rockfish hook from Ben@ The art of fishing superb hooks for this type of rigging, a couple of casts later and by christ this thing flies, weighing in around 17 grams if i remember correctly, sink rates are lovely and slow too which always helps.
As the tide pushed in a little it was time to change spots, i didn't have all day to fish through the tides, so i needed an exit available that would soon disapear unless i changed spots. Making my way to the prefered spot to fish through my remaining time i settled down to fish changed lures and stuck on a snowbee worm again my favorite for this area. First cast and i had a superb bite.

I only had half the bloody lure come back ah that will be wrasse bites then i thought, using 2/0 rockfish hook from Andy well i only have another hour or so beforei have to makes tracks to the hospital again. so i will fish on with the lure and see what happens replaceing the hook and first cast into another fish.

Not a huge fish though welcome all the same, and it took the half sized lure, many fish recentlyy have been hitting the back of the lure here opposed to the head. could the short lure make a difference like that? Well cast again and another carbon copy i could have sworn it was the same fish?

The same lure, bite feel everything i am still not convinced it wasn;t the same fish i cast to the same spot at 10ft away to a hole and even the bite was the same? Did it still feed immediately after being caught?
Another cast to a different part that often holds fish and the result again?

Now this tested the rod a little more weighing in at 4lb 6oz and taking just over the hole it wanted to get back into, a superb fight and christ did it want freedom. i had the drag tight and it still wanted to make home taking drag and bending the rod like mad both hands on the rod to stop it. God i love HRF and close quater fishing sometimes.

I only had 10 minutes beforei had to pack up for the day though i was making the most of a solunar event coinsiding cast again and bites missed, re cast to the same spot and bang fish on again, only small though welcome addition to the Tally.

But it didn't end there either, they kept on comming, looking back across the exit i was running out of time fast so time to make a hsty retreat i think here. Total for the day was 7 fish landed and a few lost through out the session 3 rigs lost not a lot really considering i lost 2 rigs in the same spot. solunar events are making themselves known with results.
Thinking back 12 months ago for me personaly landing a 4lb fish would have been a red letter day in itself, combined with a 7 fish total? Well that would have been like christmas. Though as time went on and i adapted more learnt more recorded more i found catch rates going through the roof target sizes have grown exponentialy. I only landed 7 fish what could i have changed i should have done better! I know if i fished through the tide i would have broken 20 fish with ease on this tide though more important matters required attention on this day. On a brighter note though i have just recieved another 25 mepps style blades though in 10 grams for more distance work which i shall be working with over the next few months. I have hatched a plan for them on trout fishing amongst other stuff late this and next season.

So untill next times tight lines all..

Always learning and always evolving...

2011-08-15T10:16:00.000+01:00

Well where do i start? I have cut back on fishing hours slightly due to personal stuff in the back ground though needlesst o say i have been fishing through the past week or 2. Since Taking delivery of the Century HPR 7'7 fist session fish landed and released and impressed was an understatement i can tell you that. Though since then i have landed Bass, Wrasse, Pollock ect ad the rod has handled everything i have managed to throw at it. Eve though his is the bigger brother of the 7'3 in more ways than one i was fishing last night in total darkness using a 3.5 gram cone head a rockfish weedless hook wth a 4 inch HWL Stickbait (senko type) and even in currents i could feel it moving aainstthe currents passing over it using a 0.8pe braid.
Then onto a carolina rig weighing in at 21 grams + lure, hook, swivel ect. Cast out as far as i could and bang it hits hards an fast though i dragged or hopped it through the worst of the grounds i often fish down my way, leaving the light on so that i could merely watch the tip of the rod action not to see bites you understand i will feel then long before i register seeing them. But to ee how much pressure is exerted before the tip gives and allows a lure to snag that much easier. It didnt happen it just eat it up my god i love this rod more than i thought i would. What i can't quite comprehend though is when i have a fish on the rod it band with ease??? tough no exertion of power or stress just absorbs runs dives ect nothing huge so far 6lb 2oz Bass and now 4lb 9oz wrasse big fish yes but in no way sape or form did i worry for the rod at anytime.. Though the rod behaves in sucha way that it absorbs the lunges of the fish on fine braids.
I was told this many times though always took it itha pinch of salt so to speak though nope it realy does absorb the shock and lighter braids are a dam site more effective. I will have the 7'3 and 9ft versions now i have decided that, at £350+ each they are not cheap, but they are the best rod i have used and thus far bar one rod that i picked up and lvoed from the off the Nories rckfish bottom jighead snapper they are the only rods i have just loved from te off for HRF work.
Sadly it would appear tere are people downing these rods though they have never picked it up let alone fished with one in day or night situations, they are a tool to be fished and only when fished do they come alive!
Well between hospital trips yet again i managed to fit in a quickie last night, ariving at the chosen mark i set up at the car and proceeded to where i wanted to be. Sat watching the currents for a couple of minutes and half listening to someones conversation and they have now caught 3 fish in 3 casts impressive i thought. Then I hear thse magical letters mentioned LRF!!! Bugger me did i just hear that??
Yeah i did another chap fishing LRF!! o i cast settle and deadstickd 4-5 seconds later a good fish is on and fighting hard went to lift out of the water and the leader went!! I realy should have canged it about 3 sessions ago lol.... Oh well such is life guess so on goes a new leader and cast again into another fish this time slightly smaller landed and returned.

Then from the side i hear christ it's mike, turns out to be a chap i ran into a year ago and expelled the favours of lrf/hrf to since then he as bought a varivas violente rod, stella 1000, sunline braids ect and realy getting nito the light game well this just made my day it realy did so fishing on through the night had a load of fish mostly taking OTD again. Only one fish stuck in my mind to be honest as when i landed it i could see bait still sticking out of the gullet, yet it wanted the lure too greedy bugger i thought.

all in all a bloody good night and Mark the chap i fished with has spent the day telling more and more people about lrf and sent someone off to bens to have a look at rods to get them started as an addition to their own personal bait angling. good man..

All in all another good night, and shall be meeting up with mark again tomorow night for a session and getting in some more shots of tackle ect. Fish ad good company what more could a man ask for..

Tight lines until next time..

New Sunline Small game FC

2011-08-07T16:19:00.000+01:00

New Sunline Small Game FC

I recieved a spool of this is 2.5lb flurocarbon the other morning and only just spooled it up. When i popped it out of the packet first impressions were the superb line lay on this line i have seen it only once before with the Toray FC lines. Spooled up on a spare Rarenium 3000 spool i had and ready to rock. Just preping for a mixed light and hard rock session fishing toni...ght through an entire tide comming into darkness could be a winner i reckon. Also stocked up on a couple more packs of the amazing Ecogear Aqua strawtails ordered from Ben Field of The Art of Fishing as always amazing service and unknown to me a free Aquagear contained thrown in on special offer if you buy 2 packs of aqua lures a free container the webite has full terms and conditions ect.
Restocked with 14/21 gram drilled bullets last week to for carolina rigging tonight at distance on the Century HPR 7'7. The rod has only been delivered this week though i find it hard to put down since Tom Newbald of Monster Tackle delivered it.
Each time i fish this rod it seems to deliver something different, texas rigging is a dream, carolina swinging brilliant straight retrieves a dream. Though the area i want to fish tonight holds big pigs right under your feet and the power curve will be tested as long as i can hold the bottom in currents that occur there on occassion.

Tight lines all

No rest for the wicked i guess.

2011-08-04T11:09:00.000+01:00

I have been a little on the quiet side of late weeks, sadly my mother has been through major open heart surgery, and it was touch and go on many occassions though finaly things are looking up. It is going to be a lot longer than originaly planned for recovery though. All signs are improving though.
so first chance i had i grabbed a few sessions over the past couple of weeks, fishing both HRF and LRF as always. The most memorable was Light rock fishing the other night. I remember Talking to Keith White about lrf fishing for bream and it could be fun and interesting. Well i new where they should be though couldn't hook up.
All came together the other night, and i landed 7 bream the first night along with 3 pollock of good sizes..

They are not huge but on the right gear they don't half fight well, they are loving the Marakyu power insome just as well i restocked through Ben @ http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ . I might have to restock again the ammount i have been going through htis week...

It total over a couple of nights i have managed to land 17 Breaam and a load of Pollock. There never seems to be an end in sight when it comes to Light rock games. Always learning and evolving in some respects. There and always will be people choosing to use 25-30lb braids. Personaly i find this affects the lure action, casting and so many respects it costs fish.
I have now spent 12 months going through differing braids, and finaly settled on pe braids of 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 with the new 8 strands we have access to the lower 0.8 is 12lb B/S the 1.0 16lb B/S and 1.2 20lb B/S. So do we realy need to go above these weights?? I think not personaly i have landed 6lb+ Wrasse on 0.8 braids, big bass on 0.8 and 1.0 braids. Casting OSP Yamoto lures which are wind resistant and heavy at 28 grams. Never had a break off using a fluro leader of around 2lb under the B/S of the braids.
Light rock game braids and fluro's? Well i am using a 0.3 at the moment though when thi needs replacing i will be using a 0.2 i think. i have ordered a sunline fluro this morning in 2.5lb which will handle anything that the Zalts rod will i feel.
The wrasse have been playing silly buggers of late, though i have still landed good fish using the 1/3 hooking rule, and taking bass more and more even though i havent fished for them i still manged to catch them and always welcome especially watching them swim off afterwards.
The biggest news of the week? I came home recently and found 2 packages with another rarenium and 1.0 braids, and a new Century HPR 7'7 EBT rod. Quickly zipping it out of the box and putting it together and smacking on the reel, getting a friend to hold the line whilst i leant into it and bloody hell this rod will handle anything in uk waters no issues there. Right out the door i went still wearing work clothes i couldnt wait. Crawling through the rocks in total darkness and casting a 3.5 inch lure with a 5 gram head and 2/0 rockfish weedless hook to 40 yards plus in deep water....not the crostage is sensative and rated the same 5 - 28 grams. Though just so different, it is stiffer a lot stiffer, though retains better bite detection, i could lift out of snags with a flick, cast with a single hand and retrieve through the water columb with no issues after playing about i got into the fishing properly.
BANG!! What the hell was that?? Landed a 2lb fish with ease from the bite seensation i thought it was 3 times that size this continued it truely felt electric. Cast out the Crostage again no sorry can't do it, back to the HPR it is i cant fault the crostage for close range work though carolina rigging with 21 gram weights it just ate it all up and distance fishing my god it just become alive in the hand.

Settle shaky shaky, lift settle dead stick my god i can feel it all!!!! The rod is understated in design though technicaly it is astounding. Balance systems? Well i played around with it and found the full setting was great for me allowing different fingering positions.

The rod balanced with a rarenium 3000 SFa and it's like it isn't there..... i fished again last night straight from work i couldn't help it the same mark and Bass arrived fished dead stick though nothing happing, so on went a 7.5 inch slug-go would it cast ok? The crostage would cast them though distance wasn't great.
So cast bugger where did it go i havent heard a splash done?? SPLASH!! oh there it is then out there firther than i thought lol..... Let it sink through the columb and start the retrieve. I could feel what felt like fish gill slashing the lure??? Never experienced this before for sensativity. Doink!! the rod stopped i don't mean slowed done, it just stopped then the reel started to scream and run my jesus whats this landed a bass of estimated 5lb out came a tape and measures 67cm in length wheres the camera?????? S**T it's at home... Well fish on i guess, i ended up with 3 fish land to soft needles next around 3-4lb in weight.

How did the rod handle it? With ease the lines were singing, rods bending and it just felt alive almost like i could feel the fish turning and skating in the water?? I only bought the rod on a whim when i was chatting to Tom of http://www.monstertackle.co.uk/ now tom had fished the rod prior to speaking to me and was out fishing again that night. Now i have figured this rod and it's ability i will be buying the other 2 rods in differing weights i know that for a fact.
The zalts and HPR's matched with a pair of rarenium 3000's a marriage made in heaven for rock fish styles. These are only the initial thoughts on this rod though promising isn't the word, to the point i could throw anything i wanted from sinking to surface hard plastics, carolina, texas weighless soft needle. Just so so so versatile.
HPR + Rarenium with pe 1.0 =?

This morning is tipping down rain a 4lb 6oz fish landed with ease in a boulder field when i have lost fish many many times......

Tight lines all

Soft needles are working and getting better and better

2011-07-22T14:31:00.002+01:00

Something that has started to become more and more apparent for myself when fishing Bass night game is the use of soft needle and weighting ect. The fish are a dam site closer to shore than during the day using the cover of night to patrol and hunt actively. Makes perfect sense realy considering they are a nihgt time (nocturnal predator).
When fishing senko's soft needle little issue due to materials and diameter ect setting the hook with the 1/3-11/4 hooking rule small hooks can be used though when it comes to slugs in either 6 or 7.5 inch. Swimbait and EWG or indeed straight shanked hooks what ever the preference. Too things have shone through in the last 2 months since all bar a couple of bass sessions have been at night.
Hook exit point firstly use a gel to ease transition improved hook up rates and regrease regulary, though i did find to stop the slipping effect skin it a little adds the leverage ect working well no huge fish though fish landed the most important thing realy i guess lol.
Secondly reflied slits.. Cut a relief through the under belly allowing the weedless hook to pentrate through with a wider gape and increasing the hooking potential grease the slit you have cut aids in transition too.
tried normal hooking with a SS hooks sakuma 5/0 and it works very well indeed though this said if fishing close to the bottom rigs are lost a lot though mid water perhaps boat use very effective on deeper marks and suspended fish.
I know this may sound like teaching grandma to suck eggs, but just wanted to share what i have been finding of late bass fishing hrf during the day works though seems to enter another dimension at night and they are actively seeking out baits mid to bottom of the water with slow movement or dead sticked, has been mirrored almost identicly in the LRF bass fishing at night.
Tight lines all.

LRF Pig is there an end in sight i don't thnk so.....

2011-07-15T12:06:00.000+01:00

Well during thefternoon with a nice breeze bowing i hit an old wrasse mark not big fish usualy so off i popped with the hrf kit and a few bites that i missed later. Started to think a lot more, and for the first time actualy used the 1/3-1/4 hooking rule. ext cast bang fish landed only a lb or so and next cast another. Time for a smoke bugger left the lighter in the car wande back and think what would they fight like on a lrf rod?
Nothng for it has to be done i guess, so spooled up with 0.3 pe braid and bac i go with a 5lb leader tied on freshly. First tentative casts with a 3 gram texas rog and a modified 3 inch senko. couple of tentaive cast andthe rod loved it so i cast to a spot i had previous bites and nip nip bang fish on! Bugger me the rods bending wel and drag running people watching from a beach including some women topless sun bathing!! no transfixed at whats hapening, playing it one handed i hadnt extended the net yet one hand operation was a god send on this occassion.
Steered safely to the net a cracking ish on3lb 2oz!!

A little close up shot!

Biggest lrf wrasse to date on a high andrecieving a round of applause from people watching lol. Time for another smoke and then chill watching the water contemplaying what i had just done and how the rod handled it with ease and grace considering the size.
Well fish on i guess, few cast later a smash and grab again! Its running and running fast towards me????????? Whats happening it screaed round the rock right to my feet hading for the hole below me i had already had bited when i arrived in though couldn't hook up??? Net down in the water and smash it's run into the net almost a flick and it was out of the water!! My jesus it's a monster!!! Scales out and weighed in at 4lb 8z!!!!!!! i have done it again whatit it ran out could i have slowed it down i don't know if this run was anything to judge it's sheer power by!

Photographed and released it went straight into the hole i had covered by the net! do fish return to set holes it would certainly appear so i reckon anyways..

Met up wth the usual lrf croud that night still fresh in the mind the events of the afternoon couldi catcha single fish? Could i buggery bites yep though i just couldn't brng it together oh well blanks hapen every now and again i guess though not a common occurence 2 this week i realy should concentrate more lol.

What has Rock fshing taught you?

2011-07-14T11:21:00.001+01:00

Well popped out last night for a couple of hours woking on finalizing something and i was right with thoughts ect though more on that at a later date. Ran into Danny Parkins in my neck of the woods, and chatted ofr a while ect. I was fishing a surface lure for bass that rashed everywhere, butnothing happening. Mark whom was with anny swappd to a sp slider on a lightweight jig head and bang couple of pollock almost immdiately.
I have both HRf and LRF igged and ready swapping between the 2 last night and swapping to LRF small heads and drifting the current ended up with 7 small pollock and 3 bass less than a lb though welcome all the same. Switched back to Plugs an nothing put on a senko 4 inch on the HRf rod and bang pollock again.
So after a couple of hours of having general fun and games i sat bac and htough about when i first started which seems like such a long itme ago now. And how i though back then and impesions i had and o they have changed. I always thought that a soft lure would have issues with distance thgow finaly undrstanding rod action ect and matching rods to casting weights ect. Realy is suprising just how far a 4 gram lure goes on a true lrf rod isn't it? Transposed to HRF and casting a weightless DOA do live the same distance as an 18 gram lure, using both lures to do exactly the same job. Texas rigs on the bottom dead sticcked and twitched deadly lost count the numbers of fish now. Straight retreieve with a jig head or weighted in some way and cst a bloody long way either mid/top/bottom water deadly also.
Feel the most important thing i could have learnt personaly, i still remember th first LRf session with Matt and Ben, Borrow rod off of matt and i cast out staight away i had bites and they were electric, Then moved mark and i was csting into deep water and kept feeling a slight twang i though i was hitting the bttom with a 1.6 gram head and thought christ this is sensative. ntill i felt it appen twice on the same drop. So i asked Ben why that could happen? The answer was simple the next time it happens strike it! The begining to understandig OTD (on the drop were formed).
Size matters? does it buggery like i have had big fish on small lures and ig fish on big lures ect ect. Though the speed andmatching the prey behaviour has had a gret impact on my fishing personaly. Then playing with Carolina rigs, Texas, sliding, pegged, jig heads, weedless, weighted lures ect the list truely is endless. Hard lure will aways have a place in lure fishing though for me ifinay understand that i can match the behavious of a lure or prey with something a lot more effective in my personal styles, have i caught more fish than i used to? YES!!!!! A dam site more and cost wise? Well roughly about the same to be honest th difference beingi will cast a lure ad are not if i lose it tie up again and carry on like nothing has happened. Find the snagiest roughest ground i could and fish it on te bottom, top you name it fish are there. Freshwater i have plans to fsh with danny for pike and chub this year too all being well using hrf/soft plastics for them expanding my personal rock fish repetiore.
Though the progression for me has been largely thanks to Keith, Kevin White, The JBG exploits forcing me to think more, ad anglers that run shops catering for and taking the punt with LRF /HRF like Ben of the art of fishing, Tom of Monster Tackle, Andy @ http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ , John of Lure Heaven, Dave of pro Lures to name a few Guys i just want to say a personal thanks for all your hard work in the rock fishing field.

Operation 6lb pig complete!!!!

2011-07-05T12:58:00.000+01:00

Well it has been a very busy time this end working on new ideas and tide mapping, structure mapping on marks i fish a lot of the time. I wrote a piece recently on not getting fixed onto any one method of lure fishing be it hard, soft, metal ect there is a very good reason for this.
The next time you are fishing for pigs at close to long range look at low water the bottom your fishing into and it has changed a lot over the last 4 weeks especially on the osuth coast. The bottom is now covered with weed debris and growned weed plumes that realy make the fishing of a texas rig difficult at the best of times not imposable by any stretch but more difficult.
This will be easier for anyone from a fly fishing background to comprehend, during the summer, fishing a loating line for surface feeding species in the shallows or an intermediate for fry feeding fish in autum, during the cold winter a type 6 bottom bumping. As the season changes fish behaviour changes match the behaviour and your catch rate chances are increased simple as that.
Applying this knowledge and techniques recently and trying out a few different methods has paid dividends in so many ways. The biggest thing was tide mapping a month ago Wrasse would feed again on the ebb tides though this has stopped for a few weeks, back into the hyper agressive state of 3 hours before high water infact i had 4 fish in 5 casts yesterday nothing over 3lb though a good fight all the same. Bass shifting through the shallows this week and would not touch a soft lure on the bottom just swam past no matter what i did.
Change to a shallow diving hard lure with de-barbed hooks and bang fish on only a 1.5lb schoolie though goes to show change the tactic and catch fish. This has happened a couple of time this week though last week it was the exact opposite.
Low water fishing a reef on slack and pollock were active, though only with a moving lure again especially OTD (on the drop). Though the single biggest thingi have found htis month is the needs of a carolina rig at distance and pitching. Now the carolina rig is so effective in the right fields using a semi or bouyant lure. Cast out with anything from a 7-28 gram weight and hold bottom and jump or twitch it back through the water. This keeps the lure above the bottom weed and debris. This method with a 4 inch HWG Senko i have obtained from Andy : http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ . A lot of people knew i had the 6lb fish though never knew what it was caught on the fish pictured here still has a 7 gram football head and 4 inch senko down it throat it swalloed it whole!!!

THank god i was using a de-barbed hook is all i can say here, but the fish weighed in at 6lb 0oz!! To give a scale i place my shovel hand next to the tail of this fish.

This fish was a true beast and pushed the rod and braids to the maximum, using a Yamatoyo 0.8pe braid with a 12lb fluro leader. Landing net used and fish revived and returned swimming away strongly.

Another fish from the same spot 2 casts later weight well over 5lb again, at firth i though i had the same fish but not subtle differences on this one though colouration matched the enviroment perfectly. Even when playing it through weed i couldn't see it at times with polarised lenses.

Here we have the lure of the day again in black a truely effective colour it would appear, rigged with a 2.o rockfish hook. Here i have set the hook further down the line to show different hooking points that could be using if you should choose.

Then a pollock desided to jump on a Snowbee stinger as it wandered past, and gave a good account of itself for such a small fish i must admit, had a couple of takes on sp'ss out at distance wished with a 5 gram head though no hook ups.
To this end i went back to carolina rigs at distance over a reef ledge and wrasse were playing ball again...

God i love caatching these fish such a fight from each hook up, i decided to fish drop shot styles close in and i mean real close in using 28 gram weights. Result?

Another fish falls to the carolina...

Oh and another...

This time i changed a little and fished football jigheads from alan @ AGM perfect weight at 7 grams in strng swell conditions and distance if required fishing through clean ground. I have spoken to Alan this week with a possability of obtaining 5 gram heads or smaller shall keep people updated on this.

I have a bunch of skirted jigs that i have been playing with of late aswell, recently i have only carried what i need for that session instead of everything including the kitchen sink. The Terminator jigs from AGM are chap and realy nice though i have yet to fish them. Thats down for next week after i have benn through a selection of hard plastics i really need to check and fish properly too.
So much happening and changes afoot, plans being hatched for the year already and starting the search for a 7lb plus pig has begun in earnest already.
Well i need to sort through the lure colection and get ready for another night session i think.
Until then tight lines to all.

Century HPR (High performance resin) Nearly there.

2011-06-30T10:33:00.000+01:00

Well the Century HPR rods are due for release is only hours away now. Time for a little information i think on these rods, they have been designed in conjunctin with Keith White of Jersey Bass guides . Over the past few years of lure fishing things have changed somewhat.
No longer are people happy to only use power houe rods for throwing out 40 gram plus lures and ragging fishthrough sur and rocks like many of yester year. Species actively targeted now include Bass, Wrasse, Pollock, Cod, Salmon, trot, char, chubb, the list goes on. Lure types have hanged some what from the traditional hard lure which has and will always have it's uses and proving days through to weightless soft plastic lures, carolina rigs, texas rigging, splitshot rigging, caro and bombarda fishing.
Many of which have been developed from the Japanesse and amercian Freshwater bass fishing scenes. The issue that became prevelant then were tha we have the techniques though the rods to handle this with out exception were fewand far between. A gap in the market was created and people started ag for lighter more sensative rods, they wanted feel at 30 yards+ out of a 3.5 gram jighead with a small soft plastic, bounceing down a rock or hitting sand, the smallest bite often from the biggest fish.
Century hae stepped up to the plat on this issue and in step the HPR (high performance resin systems). I have been watching these from the first prototypes being testd and rettested. Not happy with the shape, length, action, fittings until it was right and tested as effective for the statement of purpose.
We are dealig here with a company here that has been poducing world beating rods in the distance casting marke for many a year now with the world famous Century TT-R. A fine pedegree by any standards would say.
I remember wellthe testing stages of the Hardy ad G-Loomis fly rods using the silica technology, landing tuna on 7wt fly rods sall sharks on 7wt fly rods again!!!The materials used are exceptional to say the least lighr,stronger, more sensative. It answers all the questions with the rght answers. But what is a HPR?
High Performance Resin. Century have secured an almost unique agreement with 3M - the technological & innovative science company - for their new patented 3M Resin System. Most fishing rod blanks are mde wit a carbon weave and bonding pross though these are builtd with a differing version of a carbon usinganother proess in the making of such to provide power with the nw 3M materials.
The aterials used utiise nano particle technology, with carbon of the highest quality, combine this wth Century's Autoclave proessing and your oto a winner.
The rods have bee designed for a purspose there are 5 rods in the initial line up, these re the following lengths and weights:
7'3 EBT + ST        3.5-25 Grams
7'7 EBT + ST        5-28 Grams
9' EBT                   5-28 Grams

EBT * Equal butt and taper     (same legth 2 secton rod)
ST   * Staggered Taper          (short butt section lng taper section)

All rods are fitted with abutt weighting system, allowing the angle to weight the rod to fish in a negative, neutral or positive position far easie than traditionaly. As far as rock fisingis concerned the rods are designed ofr a seperate purpose.

7'3 Close range pitch and flip for species, or weightless fishing, aswel as small hard lures, skirted jig heads, metals ect, the list goes on wth the lower end weighting feel is everything.
7'7 Boulder and carolina rod where you ay well being sing a weight of 21-28 grams for casting a distance and you will be required to flip a large weight from the bottom quickly though retain powr and feel through out the weight range.
9ft A soft needle and hard plastic rod for distance, now distancs that have been achieved are excellent imagie casting a 7 ich soft plastic slug 60 yards + with your eyes closed? The JBG Team and testers were doing this from session one on these rods.
I have long wanted a set of rods that would see me through all my styles be it hard soft or metal, i wanted feeling through it all. I hve already reserved my first HPR with http://www.monstertackle.co.uk/ i can'tweight personaly and ill provide honest fedbac on how the rod performs in the Soutwest. Sea angler magazine as a main feature comming next week of the HPR rods that Hery gilbey has alreay tested. I ca'weight forthe next couple of weeks toget through so i can test out the rod have waited an age for.
If you want further information feel free to visit either http://www.monstertackle.couk/ or http://www.jerseybassguides.com/ and read throug the release nformaton or reserve you rod today before the iitial stock is snapped up. So untill later tight lines all

It couldn't have been right could it? NOJO way.....

2011-06-27T23:00:00.000+01:00

A couple of months ago i recieved a sample pack of the Nojo baits something a little different i must admit with the flat underbelly, and in differing lengths from 4 inches through to 9 inches in length.

The lures themselves have a neutral to positive bouyancy making them ideal for fishing on the carolina rig, where you might be fishing with a 28 gram sinker and a 4ft traceline. Think this is a bit extreme? I will come back to this a little bit later on in this article.
I have fast started to lose count of the sheer ammount of times i had heard people say but i can't cast a soft plastic far enough! So i can only use hard lures or crank baits, well there are options other than hard lures chaps either purchase a rod designed to cast the lures extra fast actioned rods, with backbone but fast compression and relation rates. For instance the Century HPR rods have been designed for fishing short medium and long range styles using soft plastics in the HRF style. Further information will be released wheen i am allowed to as too prices, release dates ect. rest assured i have mine on order already.
Carolina rigging with a heavier head and neutral or positive weighted lure. Why neutral or positive weighted? simple the Carolina rig is designed for distance and feel when the weight hits the bottom the lures then activates and follows it's own sink rate unweighted or remains bouyant attraction fish on each twitch of the lure. Caro or bombarda rigging? Caro floats are brilliant for distance and fishing the top water if thats your thing guys and very simple but effective i must admit i have taken bass last week fishing lrf caro rigs as listed in a previous article. My personal favorite is to fish weightless and weedless especially with longer baits.
The Nojo came into its own fishing the Carolina rig though i fished it with a slighty shorter trace for wrasse and had some very good fish to over 5lb on them.

Soft plastic teratory? Most people would reach for distance rigs here, nop i wanted to hit close range and hold slight weight on the bottom so out comes the 21 gram weights and carolina rigging wrasse do like swell on occassion and bigger fish will watch from their holes for baitfish being washed past and pounce much like bass will.

Another fat fish thats holdingo ut in the back wash under a ledge again. This was taken using the 4 inch version last week, i have taken over 30 fish on the lures i had though sadly i think i have depleated the stock. They are soft enough to allow the hook to tear through when required if fished weedless though this said i was fishing them on jigheads on occassion too.
Though carolina rigged they are excellent, casting to around 50 yards out and feeling the line through the water, i could feels slight knocks occassionaly OTD though ignored them and wedged the rod in a nook to take out a smoke and the tip arched into a fish! I didn't even have the rod in hand, so we know they work i was messing about recently also cutting down the length and fishing them in 3 inch versions for wrasse a lot of fish fell to this method especially on the C rig again close into 5 yards out.
I have a great and long standing relationship with senko's though these have been added to the arsenal for the next fishing year There are plans afoot to start rockfish styles from a kayak again this year deep water OTD with nonjo's? I can see long drops nito coockoo wrasse teratory comming early next season.
These lures are extremly versatile i will admit check the video for a surcae WTD style of fishing with them too. Click here I could go on about these lures though realy try them for yourselves they are imported by http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ . This is the first time i have fished these though it will not be the last i know that much i realy should get around to fishing for bass with them soon. If fishing a long lure for instance they also rig up very well with the 1/3 - 1/2 way rule. As they are tough enough to withstand sliding up the line with the hook hidden inside the lure adding the point at the strike point of the lure. I will be fishing these again soon when i have a restock delivered for the bass in the area too as soon as i et a clear night with no work or commitments to target them by and large i think 95% of my Bass fishing is now night based, time versus results with a lure like this you trust in and nigh bass game go hand in hand and results speak for themselves realy. More news comming soon on thes lures when i hit the Bass with them and i will hit bass on these i am positive of that.

tight lines all

The Plymouth Breakwater Sessions

2011-06-26T20:31:00.000+01:00

Well there was a competition to fish the Plymouth Breakwater organized by Castaways sea angling club in conjunction with http://www.southwestseafishing.co.uk/ . A friend was meant to be fishing it though, due to personal commitments couldn't make it out there so i took his place fishing a early morning session meanng a 4am start but hey that is life.
I have never actually got around to fishing the breakwater before so a chance to test the HRF skills on a completely new mark putting all knowledge and skill sets to the test. Well a walk along the structure picking out spots that i felt would hold fish, after choosing my start location rigged up going with a 5 gram texas rig, first cast deadstick twitch and bang fish on landed after a short tussle.

Fish estimated at 2.5lb, quickly photographed and released unharmed to fight another day, then a change of weight and decrease to 5 grams on a controlled drop. Providing a couple of short takes OTD. Flip casting to a ledge that was just visable i had another impressive take and landed the 2nd fish on the session.

A smaller fish though as always welcome. Following this i spent some time catching up with old friends and chatting with other anglers. Explained the style i was fishing to catch wrasse and rod designs ect. Stopped for a bite to eat and continued another small fish fell to the usual tactics.
Now the tide was mid state and casuing issues with the access points bide my time on this one, wait and be patient something that HRF realy impresses on you from an early stage fish smart not long. When the tides were right i found a likely looking hole again and pitch cast to a crack and bang fish on immediately.

Following this fish i was fast running out of time so a spot of speed fishing, i landed another 4 fish in quick succession after a few more changes. I had a delivery yesterday from Andy K of http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ with a re supply of offset rockfish hooks in 2/0 and size 6 just what was needed today as it would turn out Andy your a life saver mate.
The fish became finiky on takes, so out came a pack of 2 inch senkos again from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ and 2nd cast into a hold bang fish on. Arounf 2lb landed with out much hassle and released. Next cast and bang fish on again. I always knew that the 2 inch senkos would be wrasse killers though i just didn't realize how good they were going to be. I started playing with a pack of Keitech lures i have had for a while oh boy did they work? Yep.... Though more testing to be done with them before publishing findings on them i'm afraid.

A 2 inch senko wacky rigged on a specialst rockfish hooks that i recieved from andy, lets just say it works and works well shall we results have spoken for themselves already. I have great plans for these on a specific wrasse mark i have to fish this month.
But it was an early start and i realy need sleep lol..

tight lines all

A long hard road part 2....

2011-06-24T21:42:00.000+01:00

I have been looking back through catch reports of mine this week and the rates have been steadily increasing. Species caught increased ammounts of fish caught, size of fish caught lures lost decreased. To this end i have spent a week writting a piece for the RF4 "Rockfish files edition 4".
I have fished the worst conditions that i could have imagined, only 6 months ago i would have arrived looked at the weather and surf and gone bugger this for a game of cards i'm off home. But no not this time no more it's not right for HRF today there is always tomorow.
Arriving at a mark this week i was confronted with searing winds and surf that was smashing into me wit little to no warning, chest waders in this situation were a hinderance and a possable danger, so back to the car and change into something a little more suitable a "wetsuit".. Yes i looked like a seal wandering across the marks though it allowed deep wading and coasteering to a mark i wanted access to for a while now. With the conditions whilst moving a floatation vest would have been a good idea but now back to the slingbag and off i go rod in hand. Plug in the mp3 player and go for it.. Suitable music chosen to drown the sound of thundering waves and spray.
Getting to the mark i set up on a high rock and first few casts searching for holes and nooks and crannies, i had a couple of taps so i can feel the bites in the rolling swell, though would i be able to connect to them?
I soon had the answer yes......

A fine wrasse that weighed in at 5lb 8oz i have been getting closer to the 6lb marker i have set myself though i would connect and play out a couple of fish much larger and funnily from the same 4 square ft of water as this one. When playing them the swell swipes the leader along barnicle encrusted rocks and slices straight through like a hot knife through butter. Now i was using a 15.8lb fluro leader so i shoudnt have an issue here..
I connected and lost 4 fish over the 5lb bracket though landed another 3 over 5lb also, so i have found a big pig hole, i wanted somewhere to realy test the new Century HPR that i have on order, i have been watching these with keen interest since i heard of their inception. I have fished Loomis NRX and Hardy sintrix rods with the same type of loading capabilities and they are simply put stunning. So i had no quarms in paying out for a 7'3 3.5-25 gram rod for all my hrf needs for this year.

Tides changing and pulling harder i sit watching the weed moving and folling a set path through the gullet system that i have chosen to fish, where the weed is being pushed through the bait will also have no choice but to follow the same path, straight into the waiting ambush of predatory and non predatory species.
Now the conditions screamed heavy heads to get down through the surf, so as a test i fish both texas and carolina rigs in 10-21 grams and not a single bite? Same area covered with 3.5-7 grams same lures same rigs and bang bites forth comming again.
Let's think of the old fly fishing analogy here shall we? "Match the hatch" This doesn't simply mean cast a lure that looks like an available food source, it also means make sure if acts like said food source in the current enviromental conditions. Drifiting a fly down the current i would mend the line for a drag free drift, or get refused takes as the fly isn't acting like it should and the fish are not stupid!! Wrasse like Bass are slow growing creatures and get big through being smart...

A couple more small fish landed beforei chose to head back through worsening conditions to safe and dry land.
though i hatched a plan to fish it again the following day in what are forcast as worsening winds and rain, so i take the waders and wetsuit though fish a differing tide state to investigate changes in behaviour. First cast and bang fish on using the 4 grams sinker with a sliding texas rig.

This time i had taken a different net handle and keeping the fish away from my feet i was able to single handidly play the fish directly into the net and land with ease no scratches on the fluro leader at all, and fish safely photographed and returned via net to swim away again.
Fishing on i went through a selection of lures i wanted to try out though mst admit that the senkos i have left from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ and snowbee worms were doing most of the damage, i did get some testing done on Gulp leeches i got from Alan @ http://www.agmdiscountfishing.co.uk/ i have fished them before though no success today however they were all over them fished on a jog head all taking OTD, a straight fall did the trick here, i used a set of Owner Cultive jig heads that i have from Mick @ http://www.mrfishjersey.com/ these are great for spiral falling OTD baits and again took fish though all seemed small im comparison.

Then i had the final test i have been waiting for a calm day though what if?? I have been playing with creating a "Sauce" a gel paste that could be added to hard or soft lures and add attraction. I took 3 different types i have made and from the first cast i was getting bites quicker and fish chasing the lure if they missed the first couple of bites. Though through the next hour a clear winner emerged and i will be making another pot for when i run out asap.

Sadly only small fish were around the 4lb marker though plenty were had in silly fishing conditions again i managed another 7 fish on the rocks.
All the times watching swirls in the surf and flashes, Bass moving through the surf again like i have watched so many times before on these marks. Now the thing i found really difficult when i started fishing rockfish was to do nothing at all.... Yep thats it do nothing for 45-60 seconds if needed twitch and wait again a shake and wait.... I just couldn't do it. Though now i sit fishing away happily wondering and pondering this and that, whilst the chap next to me may catch a couple of fish i will average 10 fish to 3 of his. What am i doing different? Watching learning "fishing"..
Rockfish styles are not singular in their pursuit, as i understand more and more the deeper i delve into it, fishing last week "Burkai" baited jigs for bass in shallow water. Through to fishing a 0.5 gram jig head or split shot rig for small and i mean really small rockfish through to it's larger bretheren Hard Rockfish. Using small 2-6 gram metals for light rock fishing, to 18-25 gram metals for bass and pollock especially. Hard lures plastic or wood. Soft needle styles hard and soft.
My Sensai once said when i was training

"You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you."
— Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings)

These words ring so true now more than ever, the weapons are avilable to use for the quarry that we pursue. I could use a traditional handmade forged Japanesse Katana, though with out the knowledge and understanding of pricipal combined with study and practice it would be useless. Though with study, understanding, and practice i could find a journey that teaches so many things yet nothing all at once.

Through the next 12 months i have plans to understand and fish many different styles though in a very different way, be it hard or soft the approach and type will be used in conjunction with the conditions and quarry pursued. I will often watch people on the coast cast a lure as far as possable and just wind and wind and repeat the same process over and over again untill walking away empty handed.

What if people thought about the process and how bait acted through the water? Think about your own styles do your actions "Match the hatch?"

The journey continues further down the rabbit hole.....

Tight lines all

The Cornish Lure Festival 2011

2011-06-23T20:13:00.000+01:00

If you haven't heard, Ben @ The art of fishing is organising a lure fishing festival on the weekend of 1st - 3rd of July. Full details can be found here: Click here . If you could make it then have a look around and re stock your lures, jigheads, hooks ect at Ben's if you should wish.
Takayoshi Orimoto (Japanese Nories Pro Staff) will also be present along with other Japanese and European representatives. so a chance to meet people that would otherwise not happen as well as fish with old and new friends you have yet to meet. Sadly i can't make this year due to personal circumstances though wish all competitors and visitors a fun and fruitful weekend.

Tight lines

Sakura Koa pack

2011-06-22T20:46:00.000+01:00

Well i have been using the Sakura Koa that i picked up recently from Tom @ Monster Tackle . I know a few people that have used these now and mixed reports have been recieved, though i will say each person has only used it on short sessions. Personaly i have a habbit of holding the rod either straight at 45' or across my chest on a retrieve. I did thin that the chest pack would have been a hinderance to this though no in fact the other way around and all comming good. I have both the chestpack that is my favoured HRF luggage and a slingbag for LRF. Both have there advantages over each other though for roughly £35 a piece why not have both? I pack up each bag according to disipline fished.

I find that i put all the things i will need quickly in the front pockets and food and drink in the backpack section, as you can see the spaces and rings ect provided will cover all your basic needs on the move.

The backpack itself may well look small though you can fit a surprising ammount of gear through out the bag, for instance here is a selction of the HRf gear that i could carry if i choose to on a single session will it all fit in the Koa?

Now this box isn't smaller infact it's larger than most briefcases and stacked to the gunnels, now i couldn''t fit all of this in a slingbag i know that i tried out of buggerment. Though the Koa on the other hand..

Everything that was in the box is now in the bag and a lot more besides i fitted 2 bottles of coke, 2 choclate bars, bogas, pliers, forceps ect. When all strapped up and moving the bag site nice and high on the back providing a surprising amount of comfort.
There are enough adjustment straps on the Koa to fit most torso sizes and shapes, i have used it for long sessions over 12 hours walked miles and miles with no issues as yet, i wouldn't carry all thats it the bag as a norm though just wanted to prove how much can be carryed by a regular hrf angler. No longer is there the excuse for i should have nrought this ir that lure with me.
If your into hard plastics then the front pocekts take the sakura lure boxes very well indeed, and more room in the back for spares ect, this will keep me going for a long period i think to be honest cracking piece of kit and well worth the money in my opinion. There are a few stockists of this bag though i got this one from tom @ Monster Tackle .

Well i must sort the fishing gear from this afternoons session and get the write up done on that in a few days too so until then tight lines all

A new Rockfish member...

2011-06-20T18:56:00.000+01:00

Well father's day has loomed again and i have the worlds best children it is official lol. Arriving home from a long shift at work yesterday, and i have a box and cards opening the box to find that the kids have bought a special edition "Build a bear". They have stuffed it themselves and added the "heart" and other bits dressed ect.

To top it all off they have even named it and given me the birth certificate, Name: Rockfish!!!!

So just want to say a big thank you to all of the kids Talaina, Michael and Lilly. Michael has joined me recently to start a journey on his rock fish endeavours, only the other 2 to get out there now.
Though on a serious note if you ever take kids out either HRF or LRF obviously make sure that all safety precautions have been taken into consideration.

Tight lines

Ever growing.....

2011-06-16T22:51:00.000+01:00

When working through the blog this morning and chatting to a friend in Ireland, i had an idea of bringing all Rockfish game anglers together on another platform so we now have a Facebook group dedicated to Rockfish styles.
Rockfish Game Group
Feel free to join here, the plan is to publish any and all updates for a variety of rock fish inspired blogs and sites around the globe. Another good source of information shareing.

Tight lines all

Revelations and impressions

2011-06-16T10:10:00.000+01:00

Well as a lot of people will know i have been testing out a whole load of new gear of late, rods, reels, braids, lures, caro floats, hooks the list goes on and on. I have tested the Sakura Shinjin 702ul almost to destruction landing wrasse over 3lb on the rod with a 0.6 braid. Though still craved more sensativity for the bottom game and OTD methods (OTD= on the drop).
So the Major Craft Zalts solid tip 7'6 was ordered and what a rod it is!!!! The solid tip comes alive when bites are registered, i have been fishing fast moving currents of late, though i fished a rock mark the other night on a falling tide never idel though 5 pollock landed from my vantage point.
Proving not only the sensatvity, but the power to handle fish in direct correlation to the rod tip in strong and building winds again. The Zalts has tremendous power in the mid to butt section, with a limber tip for bite registration rated 0.5-5 grams, i have fished both ends of the weight and no issues what so ever.

I have tried all methods with the rod in general and thus far have no issues, the butt section and grips are perfect for holding for long periods of time.

Fishing 6 hours sessions haven't taken their toll on the arms, in any way which i have to say is perfect when the conditions are right or you want to fish a tide through for recording or testing purposes.
I have to say that when Major craft made this rod they got it right in the naming..

I have been using the rod with a 0.3 braid, again the varivas light game and what a braid this is. But more on this later, i have fished it before with disasterous consequences with an older reel with wind knots ect, though no more.
I feel this is a mix of using the Rarenium 3000 SFA with the braid and also the low rider guides fitted on the tip of this rod.

Thus far i haven't found anything that could rival this rod for senativity, my 5 gram rod of choice for a long time i feel, though i will say please remember that there are differing configurations and options available, for instance the 7 gram tubular version of this rod, the solid tipped reins Aji ringer-z 7 gram, the Graphite leader Calzante 8 gram. I have a feeling i will be fishing a lot more light game this year. As yet i can't really comment on the Reins available from dealers such as Mr Fish or the Graphite leader Calzante from John @ Lure Heaven .
Light game rods are truely comming on in the uk now i have big plans of fishing both lrf and hrf drop shot for mullet this year as well as a spot of trout fishing on split shot rigs. If you haven't fished light lures then don't be fooled by distance? A 1.6 gram splitshot rig can be cast 20-30 yards 60-90 ft with a flick, now not that many fly anglers can cast this with ease.
This brings me nicely onto the reel i have been using of late the Shimano Rarenium 3000SFA, available from Mr Fish. I have had it loaded before even leaving the shop thanks mick saves me time and effort. Loaded with the light game varivas 0.3 and running a 4lb flurocarbon leader. Also on the other spool i have been fishing the Yamatoyo 0.8 4 strand for all of my Bass and hrf fishing on late, apart from a few leader breaks on big snags i haven't had any breakages on casting or fish at all. The reel itself has exceptional line lay, i have been fishing light game in very strong winds, to which i would have expected a few winds knots to say the least though not a single wind know in 13 sesssions and counting. The drag feels like silk, feel and weight light as a feather and a beauty to wind for long period of time. Funnily enough this rod balances the Zalts in a neautral point of balance straight out of the box perfect.....

Here you can see the line lay after many many hours of fishing the light game line and the lay is still perfect for me personal needs. Indeed the best reel i have used for rock fishing to date.

I have found the perfect balance for reels and rods straight out of the box no one more shocked than myself i have to say.
Though what good would a reel and rod be with out a lure and hook atattched to the business end? Oh gos i have spent so much time fishing of late with new lures there is so much i could write though i shall keep it short and concise.
Hooks choices? There are so many on the market these days i could go on for ever though the first thing to say it de-barb those hooks people!! I have lost 2 fish i feel was due to de barbed hooks an acceptable lose at any stage for fish care and conservation.

Sizes are dependant on the size of lure, i use from size 6 through to 7/0 dependant on the lure i am using these are a few i picked up over time from http://www.mrfishjersey.com/ and http://www.agmdiscountfishing.co.uk/ i personaly prefer a EWG type hooks allowing that extra little space for hook up rates. All of the hooks above are working great though i do have some from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ that i can't provide photos of as i lost the last ones last night, though these are exceptional and work very well indeed check there site for further details on this one.
Lures, i have been on a mission on late to find a lure that works well on increased hook up rates of wrasse. Well i have a selction of go to lures emerging this year a bit different to last year i must say, for instance i have been fishing the OSP Do-live sticks in 4.5 inch these things stink of crab and work very well for getting the bites, though even working the 1/4-1/3 rules i get a lot of fish bungeeing me which is a major personal annoyance. Yet to get any 3.5 inch lures which i think will eliminate this issue though onlyy time will tell on that i guess.

Exceptional lure for bass, though then they need to be shorted for rockfishing i think but personal preference. i guess.
I then grabbed a load of the new snowbee lures to test out and oh my god!!! Considering that this is the first time they have realy been in the lure market and they have got it right. I fished the first packs and caught 18 wrasse in a single session this is the best i have ever done on wrasse and bites were hard and tought i have to say.

I have been trying out a few colours and they are all working and the scent as soon as you open the packet just hits you full in the nostrils...

Fishing these on both football jigheads and weedless rigs hook up rates went sky high, 2nd bite rates also dramaticly increased. All i can say on these lures both size, scent and pliability they work and work well.
I will bee fishing again today and seeing what happens on a couple more lures i have been using and finalising my thought on these too.
So off i go fishing to finish a load more lures that are almost finished with technique testing ect so tight lines all

Mullet Madness....

2011-06-13T21:08:00.000+01:00

Well this is an accomplishment i had to share with you, as i published a while ago i was Going out with a journalist from Fly fishing and fly tying magazine. A top gent Called Colin Mcleoud, after a long session a few fish caught though more importantly plans for long term things were hatched a friendship cemented.
A had tied a set of flies aimed for Mullet in the past i had spent 18 months getting these right catching mullet to 4lb myself on them.
Though a few days ago i recieved an email from colin saying that he had finally fished the flies i had created and tied for him. End result a 5lb and a 6lb!!!! Mullet landed and released unharmed, the bigger fish took over 30 minutes to subdue on a 7wt G-Tec fly rod no mean feat for any seasoned fly angler.

A superb 5lb fish there mate

Now thats a fish i would love to catch on rockfish gear, indeed i have plans hatched before this of fishing dropshot styles for them mixed with Burkai..

The mark on an enlightened angler, nursing the fish to strength before releasing to swim off strongly again to be caught when she has grown another winter or two hopefully. Well done Colin on a superb fish mate.
If you should wish to read of colins explits in Devon recently the article is in this months (July edition) of Fly fishing and fly tying magazine.
In the mean time i have been fishing with so much differing rods reels, braids and other assorted things of late i need to do a few posts on the findings of it all, some excellent some good though could try harder.
Until then tight lines all

A light rock transition...

2011-06-10T13:04:00.000+01:00

As you will know from my previous entry, i had a Major craft Zalts delivered this week and what a rod it has turned out to be. The first session was a mini rock fis species hunt in a single night, loads of fish and a variety of species caught.
Then the time had come to test the feel and strength of the rod on bigger fish in fast and i mean really fast flooding currents. So i drive to a mark about 12 miles away as the tides are flooding through very powerfully. A couple of mullet angler are there alread after a quick chat and catch up on there efforts on light rock fishing since they last met me they had baught lures and no waiting on choosing rods. A fish sirfaced in a boil at around 20 yards out.
Thinknig cap on and caro rigs are the way forwards though i needed to combat the current at the same time, so rigged up a 2 gram caro float and runnig system with a 2 gram cultiva jig head, thoughh slight too heavy so downed to 1.5 grams instead and the depth was perfect. Result?

A small bass jumped on the lure and hit hard with a good run around all the structure it could find to try and escape the power of the Zalts but wasn't to be landed after a few mins of running about. The fish took a aqua straw tail grub a great little lure i must admit.

Playing around with other carolina rigs and fishing shallow and fast under my feet and backwards i was hitting fish after fish and ambushing the ambusher. The guys Mulleting were in awe of just how quickly i could fish and catch.

As the loight started to fail the pollock also made an appearence, and provided great sport with the bass showing too. The rod handles everything upto and including 5 grams its max casting weight. The solid tip was just comming alive with knocks and hits using both the 0.3 braids and the 3lb flurocarbons i tried out.
OTD takes were like electric shocks traveling through the rod.
I have fished the same mark in different spots for 3 nights straight now and a total of 7 Bass and 17 pollock have fallen to the zalts fish over 2lb were showing in abundance also running amock through the small baitfish.
Lure choices made a big difference, i tried the Paramax, straw tail , tri tails ect though the strawtailsc and reins rockvibes were shinning through the bunch of them all i must admit.

I have learnt a lot on fish behaviour and styles in the previous year, would i have used caro rigs in the past? Nope hard plastics or nothing though fast forward 12 months and the lures could reange from 8mm through to 7.5 inch soft plastics, or small sinking lipless minnows, surface lures to walk the dog, shallow divers. The list truely does go on texas rigging, carolina, caro, weedless, splitshot. nose weighted, tail weighted , soft needle. no restrictions or black bagging here or any rockfish style, "fish for what is there" not what you want to catch adjust the mark to offer chances of your target though walk away with catching fish and not blanking a single species.
For instance i fished the 2nd night and 2 bait anglers were there, so i wander down and past not even a hello was exchanged.. I set up and by the 8th fish i had earwigged there conversation of LRF and it's a waste of time and money... Well i had 8 fish when they left to their 0!!! So just whom was wasting money? I digress here each to there own so all is well. Return to the mark again last night and a chap is freeling sandeel and had a few small bass chatting away he asks if i ever use slug-go's?
So i grab the hrf bag out of the car and sit going through differing techniqyes i use and explaining the theory of tide states, fish states, and the solunar index after his brother tried explaining certain times to fish that work.
A realy nice chap and thanked me for my time and assistance so i make my first cast and bang into another bass.

Bloody hell he shouts your in already that was about 10 seconds of fishing!!!! That's the way it goes mate match the hatch size and colour fall rate, besides i have an advantage i have fished it 3 nights now adjusting weights and fall rates colours ect.
Where could i get some of them? So i directed him to certain websites that sell specialst gear all happy he landed the fish for me to which i am indebted due to structure and obstacles i just didn't have enough hands lol.

Using all of the rigs and styles i had available i could land fish that others could not access for a simple reason, access to depth and fall rates, it realy is that simple.

It has seemed that pink was the killer colour though, i did set up an artificial light source last night so that i could observe fish behaviours and a lot more was learnt on takes and how... More to follow on that later though.

The zalts has sensativity like i have never felt or used so new avenues have been opened up to me here and i am exploreing them all in good time. Tomorow i will be fishing daylight lrf in a boulder field with my young lad to see how he takes to it and go from there.
Is rock fishing only for saltwater species? Nope i have plans to caro fish for trout on certain marks this year too to see just how many specoes i could target for each species .

I have fished with lures below 1 gram and i could feel everything even with the fast moving currents especially as they dropped off, though so did the fish the feeding patterns were with the moving currents and very effective it was too.
What can i say about the Zalts matched with the rarenium 3000 and braids, fluro's? EXCELENT!! is the only word i could use to sum up my experiences so far as for power it is immense, and i can see how the Jersey boys have landed 7lb bass and 5lb+ rock fish on these rods they are monsters with an angles touch....
Untill next time tight lines all

Major Craft Zalts first thoughts..

2011-06-07T18:17:00.000+01:00

Well the new Major craft Zalts solid tip 7'6 rod arrived yesterday from Dave @ Pro Lures, as soon as i took this out of the rod tube. I could see that the rod just exudes build quality. The ferrules meet nice and snugly with a small gape as usual.
The whippings were perfectly aligned, the eyes were a perfect size with low riders fitted higher up the blank.
Paired with a new Shimano Rarenium 3000SFA from mick @ Mr Fish . Reel has been loaded with new varivas 0.3pe light game line and a Yamatoyo 0.8pe on the spare spool for HRF wrasse fishing. I wrote a piece recently on the balance points of rods, i prefer a neutral balance point on my rods i added lead to the older reel i used on my other rods.
This time now jiggery pokery needed balanced right out of the box, the top section of the rod is white aiding in positive detection of light bites in low light conditions if using visual techniques. Though trust me the feel of this rod for bite detection is truely immense.
Popped out to meet Matt Newcombe of Plus fishing Pro Staff and we fished a local mark thanks to Matt for the photos from last night. Using a wide array of lures we were on a mini species hunt and i could feel everything that was hitting me last night though only managed one hook up with a size 6 hook.

Now i have big hands, though the jig head a Cultiva available from Mick @ Mr fish though i scaled down to a size 10 Owner split shotter hook. Now with the scaleing down and breaking of pices of Power insome from Ben @ The Art of Fishing yielded results rather quickly as it turned out.

Scaled down with a 1 gram drilled weight and 0.1 gram split shot to hold it in place secured the first wrasse of the night. It was hard going fishing this light in a cross wind though as always these are merely to be overcome.

Then a member of the rockling family a really good size too i must admit, a true "Rock Fish". These fish may be small though on the correct light balanced tackle great sport is to be had. With a gaining wind we decided to try something a little different, and moved around behind a pub and fished a private slip.
Matt the Jammy bugger hooked into the best fish of the night a wrasse that was a couple of lb +. Now on hrf gear this would be a good fighting fish though remember that Matt was using a Graphite leader Finezza rated to 8 grams top end.

The bend that was in the rod was something to behold, i even reeled in and watched as the rod handled everything that was thrown at it. All in all first thoughts on the zalts rod? Well i can sum it up nicely realy "EXCELLENT!!!!" The feel in perfect, casting light heads a dream feel in the hand superb and fish playing again excellent. I will be out fishing again tonight with 2 gram heads in cross currents for pollock and bass should they be around.
Slightly bigger fish and fast currents should test this rod further than last night. Now that the lrf kit is complete, i will start looking at the Century HPR 3.5-25 gram rod for wrasse hrf and the 9ft HPR as my next rod purchases over the next 6 months. One thing has shone through though there truely is no need to hold a rod rated above 28 grams in the uk.
I can not detract from the ability of the Sakura shinjin in the slightest though it is a different leaugue to the Zalts, then again so is the price point. Well off out testing the rod further so untill i write up the next report tight lines all..

What a year it has turned out to be...

2011-06-06T16:45:00.000+01:00

Ringing the bell of changes, I have been through records of what I have caught and where over the previous 12 months now. Last year I caught maybe 3-4 wrasse in a session if I was lucks using 5 inch lures. 14 gram jig heads at the lowest level or 10 if I was being adventurous.

Taken bass on the occasional soft plastic on the bottom though not weedless, Light rock fishing? Not really for me sorry can’t see the point. Then fast forwards 12 months and what has changed?
Well for starters I have suffered a single blank in the last 4 months now merely due to not trying hard enough. Weights have dropped to anything to 0.8 grams split on a weedless presentation. Times are now that I fished last night and took 14 Pollock in 2 hours, a good result by any standards. Rods have dropped in weight and differing actions, gone are the hard stiff rods of yesteryear and in with fast or medium actioned rods that bend though handle anything we have thrown at them to date.

I have clocked over 1000 hours on the water and the fish rates have gone sky high I stopped counting after I had caught the thousandth fish yes I said the thousandth fish. Now I will openly admit as anyone with the rock fishing styles have a hell of a lot to learn we are merely scratching the surface at present.
Species wise I have caught Flounder, Sea bass, Pollock, whiting, pouting, smelt, herring, launce, black head gobies, shore rock ling, Mullet, scorpions fish, dabs, the list goes on also I have been playing in fresh water for brown trout and having a blast.

As with any style of a sport there will be the detractors, though I am the first to admit everyone has the right to voice their opinion, to me rock fishing is just so broad. Visiting a close friend the other day whom is an avid bait angler he was getting ready for a wrasse session so he went off to the rock for 3 hours collecting crabs, then tying rigs, and getting tri pods out sat down with a flash one rod on the bottom and one on the surface with a float.
Now I was chatting away as he had fish grab and take him to ground 3 times, so I took the rd and sat there holing the rod, and bang fish on fight, did it fight? Nope not really a 4lb fish that was just pumped up through the water whether it liked it or not. Now he enjoys this style so fait play and I must say he does only use barbless hooks so good on that man.
Now he did come out with me a couple of days later for an hour only hooked and landed 4 fish to 3.5lb though on my gear he couldn’t believe that we could land them on these hyper fine braids and light rigs 5 grams versus 6 oz and guess who catches more fish need I answer this one?

I have started to find that the equipment is more specilialist than I could have imagined, oh here we go another elitist angler I hear some people say? Nothing further from the truth, funds allowing I have decided on new rods over this year now the funny thing is each of the rods even though so specialist covers so many bases you wouldn’t have thought of.
Light rock game, I have the Sakura shinjin 7 grams casting weight, a superb and I mean a truly superb rod for both light rocks small bass, wrasse and trout, perch, the list goes one oh and my favourite mullet rod both fishing burkai and lrf.
HRF rods, I really did have no idea of just how versatile these rods would be, I have used my hrf rods for both bait fishing, and lures of all varying types from a small 3 gram jig head with a soft plastic through to lipless minnows and surface poppers casting up to 28 grams provides one hell of a varying field of lures available on the market today. A lot of the lures are Japanese originated and the weights are based on their own casting weights for instance a small lipless minnow average weight 12-18 grams. A surface lure 23-27 grams. Distance that can be achieved with these lures is amazing. Something that always bothered me was distance with fly fishing specifically I could cast on a calm day 100ft without hassle. Though times I wanted that little extra or to keep the fly higher or lower in the water.
Times fish were feeding at a certain depth, and I wanted to suspend a fly at that depth or a prolonged period of time issues again though using a true suspending lure I could achieve this. The only issue I had remaining with presenting a small lure and I mean 2 inches long at distance in the top water at varying depths. Up stepped the caro / bombarda rigging systems. A casting float that can be set using a swivel or float stop and bead to allow fishing at any given depth at distance available from 1 gram through to 30 grams I had it covered.
When fishing last week with a relatively new rock angler I was experimenting with distance and weedless casting to 40 yards right to the middle of a kelp field. Now a hard lure with 3 trebles isn’t coming back from here in a hurry though on pops a floating caro rig and bang out it slides through the weed now issue. Deeper depth for surf conditions and using a sinking version of the caro casting float and distance again immense.
So many differing methods exist these days there is no end to the exponents of rock fishing it would seem. For instance last night I fished, a local mark again and started off with a reins rock vibe that I was sent from Mr fish in jersey this week, and caught 6 fish in quick time, them swapped to a aqua straw tail from the www.theartoffishing.co.uk . Again caught more fish very quickly.

I have found recently that I very rarely us jig heads these days for hard rock fishing, though light rock I was almost exclusively weedless hooks, I have been re stocking on a large scale this week and will be submitting what I have been using to improve my successes even further of late.

This week I have taken delivery of a Major craft Zalts 7’6 solid tip, as soon as I took the rod out of the tube it just exudes craftsmanship and fish playing ability. The tip is so fine it looks brittle though this couldn’t be further from the truth in earnest. A new Rarenium 3000 SFA an excellent reel and the choice of many a dedicated lure angler. A new stock of hooks and soft plastics and cone heads ect.
As I get a chance to try the lures and hooks ect I will provide feedback on them this started last night. Fishing a light rock night game session. I took 14 Pollock on the session using both the reins rock vibe indeed first cast and fish on. I chose to fish this in a 1.5 gram cultiva jig head from mick @ Mr Fish in jersey.
I made a return to using braids again last night fishing the varivas light game 0.3pe braids the bite detection was simply superb, both OTD and moving. I fished a 3.3lb fluro leader and not a single break off. All being well I will be out tonight for the first official outing of the zalts to put it through it’s paces.

Most of the fish last night were al in the 16oz catagory, though a cupleo fish fell to well over the lb marker. At the end o the night i was using the articial ighs to se how the lures behaved in the water. And this fish fell to a spiral fall OTD.
I could not get a decent photo last night for love nor money, i really shold buy a new camera. Well time to get t ear ready or tonight for another session. So untill hen tight line all.

When size realy does matter.....

2011-06-01T21:30:00.001+01:00

On the South Coast rock marks we have had wind and swell almost every trip that i have planned of late. Thogh fishing through the conditions both LRf and HRf fish have been caught. though i still had an issue with fish grabbing the lure and running then dropping at differing distances.
This was becomming an issue that needed to be addressed, i do love the OSP Do live sticks i must admit, though i only have stock of 4.5 inch lures. Though when fishing the other night, i try a new snowbee lure a soft plastic 4 inches long and very soft looks the business i though on the first cast had a cracking wrasse landed.
So a quick trip down to Snowbee and walking out with 10 spools of flurocarbon later and 7 packets of lures i was ready to rock on... Driving directly to the mar i wanted to fish i arrived in hurrendous wind conditions and well that looked unfishable. Ran into a couple of bait anglers and talking to them they said they were using 8oz of gripper leads to hold the bottom and laughed when i said bugger maybe i have to go up to 10 gram cone heads then.
So i wander off across the rocks to my spot i love to fish on these tides, decided on fishing a carolina rig to start of the session.

Rigged weedless on a gamkmatsu EWG size 2/0 hook is sat perfectly, a cast into the surf and feeling down a 7 gram head to the bottom it wasn't there longer than 10 seconds and tap tap tap. Waiting for the next set of taps and it didn't happen instead the rod arched in immediately. Resulting in a lovely 3lb wrasse.

Initial thoughts bloody hell that was fluky, couldn't do that again, oh how wrong could i have been?

Another superb fish around the same weight landed in 2 casts, whats happening i haven't had a bungee fish yet? Why not? Not that i was complaining you understand, granted the lures are 4 inches long slightly shorter than the do live sticks.
Time for a change of rig and texas rig them unpegged would this work aswell? as it turns out yes it would dead sticked and naile time and time again.

The rig realy did the business, no bungee fish and all nailed, i did lose a fish that managed to jump the hook though fishing barbless and only losing a single fish, now that i could accept.
The fish kept on nailing the lures on many varying rigs.

I then had a thought and dropped the line weight again to 0.8pe braids and a 10.2lb leader 100% fluro carbon, would i lose fish? Nope simple answer there then.

Nailed the lure in the same way now i had just kanded 3 fish in 3 casts, something was definately afoot here, smaller lures were doing the business on the rock pigs. Though the sacricficial lure died on this fish. Did i mention wrasse will eat lures?

Well i cant complain i ended up going through 2 packs of lures in losses and fish ripping them off of the hook, though in total i ended up landed 18 wrasse in a single session really could not complain on this one. The stamp of fish were amazing all ranging from 2lb through to 5lb exactly.. Here is a selection of fish that were caught through out the day on a differing colour of the same lure.

I had a change of heart and then used a 7 gram jig head, football style and the hits were amazing.

The fish were comming thick and fast, now strong fighting fish and beautifull colours. The braids and leader combo were working better than i could have imagined.

So far i have learnt so much on wrasse behaviour and species behaviour in the last months though each time i find something new and evolve my style of fishing again and again.

As you will see from the pictures above the fish were nailing the lures with gusto on weedless and jig head rigs. Both Texas and Carolina rigged.
I put it down to lure size, scent, and profile, all came together in total 18 fish landed and more missed bites that i should have had easily. Though on the 17th fish the strangest thing happen the fish got to ground so i beded into wait it out after a short period of time the fish headed for the surface at speed, only when i could see the fish did i see why! There was a bloody great bass trying to eat it!!!!!!!!!! The biggest fish i have seen in this country by far, it managed to get its tail on the mouth and tig of war between me and a Sea Bass!! though i won would have loved the bass as well to be landed.
Never have a seen this happen in the past and wouldn't expect to see it happen again. though wouldn't have missed it for the world. Lure sizes are getting smaller in a conversation the other day Keith White of JBG said 1 year ago we classed lrf lures, now we often use though same lures as hrf lures for big and i do mean big fish. Fly fishing i would match the hatch, now in hrf i would merely do the same. Though i can safelt say that i will be buying more of the snowbee lures this week to replace losses pronto.
Working on plans o carolina rigging for smaller lures at the moment and also distance fishing sps in daylight fr bass using caro rigs and soft needle for night fishing.
Watch this space for major technique personal development during 2011/12, Rock fshing is about fish for what is there using all available techniques, from a standard or tuned hard plastic through to a 1 inch soft plastic lure on a jig head.
Until then tight lines all.

Wind rain and big fish all in a days work...

2011-05-25T21:58:00.001+01:00

With a recent break in work and other family duties i managed a prolonged session through the weather. Though on the morning the weather gods were against me, the winds were howling and rain lashing down.
The water colouration was deteriorating by the second.
Nothing for it but to fish through the conditions and see what happens. Arriving at the mark with 2 boxes full of lures and both lrf and hrf rods i opted for the hrf Major craft Crostage 5-28. Little did i know that this choice would ring in my ears for hours to come only minutes later.
Lures sorted and hooks sharpened and de-barbed, i climbed down the cliffs to where i needed to be, desperatly wanted to access my spot but the surf made it near suicide to attempt it this high on the tide.
So i get down to the mark the wind had subsided a little down here and i found a little hole i could fish through to open water.

This iss the water i was fishing though the photo was taken a couple of weeks back in settled conditions. A first cast to the rock on the left an accurate flip was made to inches on the back quater. A 7 gram inline weight to make up a carolina rig drifted slowly down through the water and twitch BANG!!! from no where, a fish was on and fighting hard running sideways. Deep and fast, then out to open water until i managed to get it slightly under control.

Having managed to subdue the fish or so i fought i had to pile on the pressure to pull it up through the water, and still losing line. Then suddenly, from no where it made another crash dive after i took this photo.

Oh my god so thats what a rod looks like with a big rock pig on the end then!! Though i have to admit thatt it handles everything i have thrown at it thus far.
I managed to play the fish to the rocks on the right and land it safely, thankfully the surf was still hammering the right hand reef though i was tucked out of this nicely here.

The fish actualy measured over 51cm though i couldnt hold it straight another big long fish, weighed in at 5lb 3oz. Now the thing is the fish was only an ounce over my personal best though still over so i was over the moon after landing this fish.
On a high i fished on through for a couple more hours and landed 6 more fish though only photographed a few.

Though the fish were only around the 3-4lb marker they all fought very well and gave good accounts of themselves. I experiemented with a great many lures though the killers on this day were the DA from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ and the do-live stick from http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ using hooks supplied by Andy from Jacks LRF, with a message asking me to try them out and see what i thought. Well after impaling myself on them many times they caught fish and bloody good fish at that.

Again the crostage took all of the events that were chucked at it and gave no quater to the fish in return. Using the shimano exage 3000 shallow spool, with the Daiwa pe 1.0 8 strand braids.

The reel has also stood in good stead, and handled again everything that i have thrown at it with no issues as yet to speak of. With the shallow spool akin to the Rarenium 3000 it is ideal to hold fine braids.

Another fish that fell to the Da from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ a good account as always on this lure and set up.

It always fascinates me on the colouration and eyes of wrasse hey hold so many colour variants, as with the colouration in the eyes of this fish.

Then i used a smaller snowbee lure on this i like the feel of this lure fished with a carolina rig i could feel the strike from distance. The lure itself was soft and pliable and smelt strongly like another popular lure type.
this aside it worked well and caught fish i intend to try some more of these over the next few months especially for wrasse and bass.

The final fish of the session, i stopped off on the way home for a few casts lrf 5 casts and this nice looking pollock fell to a small 1 inch lure in daylight. All in all a great day, a new personal best and new ideas to be working with so i realy can't complain on any score hat so ever.
so until then tight lines all.

Evolution versus Revolution....

2011-05-23T09:32:00.000+01:00

I have spent the last week returning to old haunts that i used to baitfish only. Part of the reason is the comming times of the garfish arrival again that i want to target on the Light rock gear this year.
To make a refeshing change when i i fishingi have taken a camera or photos, just fished for fun and sheer enjoyment.
It has most definately been worth every second of it, i have had bait anglers asking for advice on the techniques, and where to buy the rods, reels, braids, lures the list goes on. Especially when i arrive at a litttle bass mark with LRF gear and meet 2 bait anglers that mention i'm the 2nd person to fish with that gear here in 3 days!! By the end of the session they were going to look up stockists online that night to think of investing.
Now as you would expect for every 10 people that see the positive sides of Light or hard rock fishing there will be many others that have the mis guided opinion of they have been doing this for 30 years plus and done it all before. For instance i friend using a standard spinnnig rod and braids with cone heads afixed texas style and pegged using rag worm,, aking to "japanesse Burakia" Baited jigs, when i mentions the relation i got a load of abuse from people bugger off we have done this for years!!! Oh realy?
I do find it sad that people will not accept adaption and change, but merely rebel against anything thats different. Rock fishing has 2 major components 1: it's effective 2: it's fun what else do you need?

Fishing the other night i was lucky enough to witness bass in shallow water below my feel hiding in structure in a negative state, no matter what drifted past there nose they would not take, as the tides changed they went into neutral finaly with a running tide they became positive attacking lures at differing ranges. A real eye opener i must admit. Fishing a different mark i was fishing to boulders for smaller rock species and scaling down to 1/2 inch lures with size 14 hooks though it worked a treat though all the takes were OTD "on the drop".

Then off to a wrasse mark in terable conditions, and from the first cast i was getting bites though suddenly it stopped and i couldn't find out why? Still haven't figured out why this happened though i am sure it will not be the last time.
I scaled down the weights and lure sizes again and bites began to start again, using 1.8 gram split shot rigs and 2 inch lures did the trick here nothing major taken all fishing around 2lb though on the balanced tackle it proved excellent sport.
Recently i wrote an article in The rock fish files edition 3 Click here on the evolution of soft plastics which i feel rightly or wrongly has fed the rock fish revolution over the past 3 seasons. Following this people are adapting more and more to the balanced tackle approach and the abilities of these rods to land extremely big fish. For instance people using the Nories Jighead snapper Evergreen Bay shooter or the Graphite leader Tiro The thing with these rods is that they are designed for a purpose and sensativity for bass and hard rock fishing. to which they are very effective.
Are the days of heavier rods numbered? I think so, for instance my personal light rock rod i ordered is rated to 5 grams, and solid tipped, the heaviest rod i use is rated to 28 grams for distance only. do i lose fish? Not yet i have had wrasse get to ground very quicky and lost this way though i have haven't had a snap off as yet through the braids going. As for the breaking strains i keep on reading that you need at least 20lb braids? So in this case why do i use a pe 1.0 equivilent to 12lb breaking strin and no issues at all...
There are 3 words that ring through rock fishing and i shall leave you with this thought..

Balance - Balance - Balance........

Balaced tackle lands a lot more fish than broom sticks and is so much more fun especially using barbless hooks..
Until next time tight lines all.

Never stop learning...

2011-05-15T23:13:00.000+01:00

Well it has been one of those weeks, i have fished in the worst posable conditions i could have imagined. With raging surf, gale force winds and lightning storms. Has it been worth it? you bet it has fish landed lures tested new methods working out at long last.
Firstly i have had a selection of lure arrive from Andy @ http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ a great selection of lures that can't be found elsewhere, jig heads in 0.3 grams, 0.5 and 0.9 grams. Lures from tri tails 1 inch long to smaller through to 6 inch floating worms and slugs.
Following my recent accident on the rocks the camera dies a death so waiting on affording a new replacement though managed a few snaps on the phone to keep up with the tests i have completed.

As the tide turned i got to confront a raging swell as it hit the reef at 30 yards and hammer me for 6 long ardous hours of fishing. Though i did fish some exciting methods and types of lures from the Do live stick from Ben @ http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ god i love these lures they truely do stink of crab!!

Fished with a 5 gram head sliding to 12 inches by choice accounted for numerous fish before the turn of tide, though it went off for a while. A change of lure and dropping the size down to 3 inches proved it's worth.

Now this was the first outing for this little beauty from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ i fished it tight to snags with a 3/0 decoy rockfish hook and 3.5 gram head and i had bites from cast number 1!! Took 11 fish in the session on this single lure it survived numerous smash and run grabs and a few more bungee fish.
I was continuing fishing with a 8 strand 1.0pe line that i love from Diawa. On the exage 3000 shallow spool.

Then i got to playing around with a few ideas and time fishing to snags on a vertical drop, and the crostage pe concept rod showed just how much brutal force it has in reserve when it is needed.

I have been keeping a log of HRF and LRF sessions over the last months and i have managed to clock over 1000 hours fishing!!! Through this amount of time you would think i had learnt a thing or two? Yes granted i have learnt so much it's unreal, though this said the more i learn the more i need to learn and understand.
If you just want to chuck a lure and wind in then this realy isnt the style for you.
Though if you want to think and learn to fish? Then start off now and you will never look back, i have had so many differing species it's unreal. From dead sticking for 2 minutes, and feeling the under water vortex's that are created fish hitting a lure at 50 yards and sucking it in using soft needle, drifting through deep currents and winding so slowly i thought i had stopped.
Understanding why lures work and where how to jump snags that i can't see only feel them happening. To explore and compliment your fishing you must understand the theory of what is happening at the business end of your line.
I still read people saying oh i can catch anything on this lure that cost £25, yep they will catch fish if the target species is there though i will catch more fish and more species by fishing for what is there on the day lol...
To this end i have been craving more and more sensativity in the rods i use, i am just waiting now on a brand spanking new major craft zalts 7'3 solid tip being delivered in 2 weeks or so. Just how much more is possable with that extra feeling of whats happening?
I have a pile of lures that i havent got around to trying a re arnament of hooks and weights to fish this month and just placed another large order for replacement lures for lrf many of which i have never fished.
I did have a surprise package arrive from andy this week with some little 1.5 inch lures just saying something a little special. I just had to immediately go out and fish them arrived at a mark i fish often though never catch on low water so on went on of the smallest lures i had and bang all hell let loose at once, a 5 minute fight ensued to land the biggest pollock of recent times on this mark and deeply smallowed hook.

Not huge by many standards though a cracking fight on the light balanced tackle. I realy must start saving for new rods for this and next season as things are realy hotting up now. Thanks to suppliers like Andy @ http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ and Ben @ http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ spending out often vast ammounts of money to buy in the right tackle.
For many people it has started to pay off in a big way, and i still feel we have only just started scratching the surface. I have been working on some theory work this week also that i shall explore in the nexy blog entry this week, it is going to shed some light on whats happening with out seeing it but feeling the force lol.

Unril then tight lines all..

Rockfish files edition 3 released...

2011-05-07T20:20:00.001+01:00

It has been some time in the making from conception to proof reading the initial copies, new articles comming through and proofing again. Then i had to finish my article on the "evolution of soft plastics" within the magazine. But with the efforts of many people worldwide it has been fishing and released.
Rock fish Files 3
This edition id based on Bass as many people will have or will fish for them on lures of differing sorts and variants. If you want to improve your rockfishing and bass fishing ingeneral digest the information herein.

Tight lines all

Personal best Wrasse and LRF Bass....

2011-05-06T08:48:00.000+01:00

Well it has been an eventful week to say the least again. I have been fishing a specific mark again that produces good wrasse and on occassion pollock. We had a nice spell of weather so i popped out to a favoirte mark and fished LRF on the rocks for wrasse, i hooked up a few times though i only managed to stop a single fish of 3lb 1oz.

with the correct balanced tackle it was a tremendous fight and more than fair account of itself. This was taken on a 3 inch slug-go and 2.2 gram decoy jig head. Safely returned to grow bigger and stronger.
The following day i popped out for a spot of light rock at night and the pollock were playing ball, as usual..

This one fell to the Aqua straw tail on a fulling mill straight shanked size 8 hook a good fight insued and again returned safely. The straw tails realy proving their worth as always.

They were showing a preference for anything pink on that night, be it the power insome or the straw tails both available from Ben @ http://www.theartoffishing.co.uk/ .
A couple of nights later i popped out to a new mark and had a few small pollock then out of no where i was hit by a 2 1/2lb bass on the power insome again a really good fight and safely landed and returned using barbless hooks as always.

It is always a pleasure to catch and land a bass though i am equaly enjoyed to land a ballan wrasse, both species giving a more than fair scrap on balanced tackle. No longer do many people on fish for bass on 30lb braids and long may it continue.
On that matter, i have been using a new braid from Ben this week to land this bass the Daiwa tournament this is a 15lb braid 8 strand though also a pe 1.0 line thin and very strong i have lost a fish on this line yet through breakage both hrf in realy snaggy ground. Also clean beach work with the reduced diameter this line realy flies out with a 6 inch sluggo on the end, or a 5 gram head and 3.5 inch lure.
To pair it i chose a Yamatoyo fluro carbon mainline, so far i have been very impressed with both lines, i fished yesterday with the new lines on a new shimano exage 3000 SF very impressive for the money and some snowbee magic line in 12lb breaking strain fluro.
Team this with a OSP Do live stick i was using the green and i love them they actualy accounted for my personal best HRf wrasse yesterday weighing in at 5lb 2oz!!!!

Sadly i did have a slight accident on the rocks and dislocated my shoulder and brusing that i am paying for now as well as lost glasses and bruised pride. though this could indeed have been fatal if i should have landed head first thankfully the water broke my 15ft fall.
But this week i have been refining my tackle further and balancing it lighter and the results have spoken for themselves, fishing in silly winds, 5ft surf, and i could still feel bites at 30 yards. so all working well. Come the end of this month i will have my new LRF rod on order for this year closely followed by a specific HRF soft needle rod for 12 months abuse.
As well as this i have a package of goodies on the way from http://www.jackslrf.co.uk/ to try out both hrf and lrf end tackle. so watch this space could be a busy week all in all.

tight lines all..

A week well spent.....

2011-04-27T19:06:00.000+01:00

Where do i start? It has been a busy week in so many respects, change of job, HRF kicking off in earnest for the wrasse and pollock showing in greater numbers. I did the sessions with A fly on the weekend for Fly fishing and fly Tying magazine article to be published this year.
A few of the shots obtained through the day of testing on different marks.

Stood on a favorite rock mark for bass on low water in the local area, so many to choose from where do i fish today is the hardest part of the equation.

Could you ask for anything else from a HRF /Bass mark in the Southwest?

When this mark flooded a couple of hours later we were litteraly stepping on the grey mullet at out feet.

A change of flies and mark and the pollock started playing ball 5 in quick succession fell to a DNA tied clouser a personal favorite of mine.
Then another session the following day Meeting up with matt Jones to explore a couple of cornish marks and he nailed another Wrasse on HRF.

Note a huge fish though welcome in the wind that picked up over the change of tides, we moved a few miles further and hit a new marks after slipping half way down the cliff to get there the hike back up was a killer though all worth it.

Yet again the nories Ladyfish caused a wrasse to fall foul of hard rock fish techniques. Though try as we might nothing else was showing through.
The following day and out again for a quick session falling through to night and i managed to bag a spinned bullhead on Hrf Taking a DOA Cal 3.5 inch lure the fish was that much bigger just goes to show how effective these techniques realyy are. The theory of the rock fish games are fishing for what is there and it works very well indeed.

A cracking little surprise and somethingi havent managed to do again today though always trying. I did lose a lot of wrasse last night using msaller hooks though increasing hook sizes on the weedless rigs proved the final nail in the coffin for losing too many fish.
I was using a 4/0 - 6/0 hook on the DOA's though fish would only take a brown shaed and refused everything else last night. Fishing over a submerged reef jig heads don't stand a chance here so weedless is the only way forwards. Then this morning the wrasse kicked in properly the day ended with 6 fish landed biggest going just over 4lb! A wrasse of this size tests both the equipment and angler alike. The Major craft Crostage 802pe specific rod handles it with dignity and grace, Yamatoya braid excelent all came together, Lets see if all of my marks are kicking into life now shall we?

This one fell a shade under 4lb, though a cast to the same mark prodiced the slightly bigger brother, at 4lb 2oz.

A real brute that desperately want to head to the depths though rod bent double and taking the pressure safly landed and returned soon as i released it the fish went straight into a crevice i didnt think it could fit into.

I am always amazed at the colour variations of these fish, truely stunning colours a superb fighter and big fish are there what esle could we ask for?

Yet another differing colour though the all too the same colour lure and destroyed, lures in the process.

Well i have almost exhausted my supply of DOA's and weedless hooks, must get bigger SS hooks and more swimbait hooks this week and also more lure ready for the new season kicking in even further.
If you havent though of fishing HRF / LRF as yet why not? These are only the beginings of the season so whats possable this year?

Until next time tight lines all

A long hard road.....

2011-04-24T20:55:00.000+01:00

Well today's antics started at 6.30 this morning all the gear loaded into the car and off i went to meet up with Colin who incidently left Portsmouth at stupid o'clock to meet me this morning. Load all of the gear into my car to make things easier.
Off we set to the first mark containing thick and thin lip mullet on occassion, fishing through the flood with colin fishing flies and my on Burakia methods of a baited jig. Though nothing was working this morning, went through all options and not a sniff of a mullet despite there being a load of shaol movement there.
So off to the 2nd mark for pollock bashing on both HRf and fly fishing methods, 5 pollock taken on the ebbing tide and then a bloody Launce grabbed a clouser on the stripped retrieve.
Tide was running low this morning, a sit down with a cup of coffee and interview, loads of questions on methods, species, flies, HRF, LRf, cross over techniques caro fishing. The list goes on so all the information is in place now and ready for conversion to the article for fly fishing and fly tying magazine.
Then discussing the differing coastline we fishing for different methods and there approaches, and pit falls ect.
Move onto the last mark of the day for a flooding tide though both exhausted and legs aching from up hill and down dale trundleing around all day.
Arangements made for a 2nd edition of flies pitted against, HRF / LRF techniques during the height of the bass season and also mullet down in cornwall on a specific mark. 2 fly anglers versus 2 HRF/LRF anglers should be a good shout all in there.
Flies compared and discussed, also the ability of caro rigs fished either close range or at distance for Mullet fishing using a team of flies suspended, at any given depth for stripping retrieve or drifting on the current seams. Some great photos of the day htough these are a closely guarded secret until the publication is released then i will be able to put a few up here on the blog too.
My mind is racing at the moment with ideas of what i could use in fly patterns and distances that could be achieved with a caro weighted set up, this could prove to be the best mullet fishing year i have had to date thus far....
all in all a superb day, great company fish caught, talking fishing all day what else could you ask for?

tight lines all

Going the distance time and time again....

2011-04-23T16:51:00.000+01:00

Well the sun was shining, the wind had ddropped of the old radar, the clouds had disapeared over night, the temps are up not exactly perfect bass conditions for myself. So off i popped to a local ish mark i wanted to fish and check out again first session there in 10 years odd for me now.
So i arrived and was duely charged to park my bloody car, not that i'm a cheap skate but come on guys there's a recession lol. Well i wandered along the rocks looking for wrasse holding spots, i found a couple of gin clear holes and watched the fish moving around slowly and sedately. Ah here we go i dropped in a lure 2ft away and trotted it past the nose, nothing just sat watching it trundle past!!! This went on for 40 minutes i also netted it in frustration!
Well i wanted to disprove my own theory this morning of wrasse not feeding and remaining in a negative state on the ebb tides, now if i did the same 10 minutes after the turn of the flooding tide this would be a different story let me tell you.
Well i perched myself on a nice little casting platform and OCD took over i laid out hard plastics from 12-18-21-28 grams out in line with clips all ready.
Let casting begin several casts on each plug and taking nots of which rock it landed opposite, and take not of lure ect. Now repeat the process again with soft plastics, weightless 6 inch slugs we falling around 5 yards short of the longest casting minnow!!! added a little 2 gram split and hey presto i was covering the weight and distance aspect with little to no issue.
Carolina rigged weights and texas rigs were flying out to just where i wanted them with out issue, if i had a penny for the ammount of times people have said hard plastics will cast further and better, i would be a very rich man. Thus defeating the old adage of hard plastic die hards that distance is everything. Granted times i want distance? i will either rig a 6 or 7.5 inch slugo, or hoggy and nail the distance with relative ease.
Should i want a little more distance or a little difference? Then i will add weight either nail weights in the slug itself, or rig with a stinger hook in the back. This take time and best prepared at home prior to fishing. Take a look here for more details: Click here make sure to watch both videos.
Though i must admit during the day bass especially seem to favour bottom fished rigs, bounced or drted across currents. If they are content to watch the surface? Then forget poppers, fish a slug or alike and alter the retrieve speed slow to stop let it sink and fast few turns will shoot up through the water columb and alter through shadows and water displacment. no splashing needed there realy isn't should fish be in a neutral feeding state then this could and it appears often will scare them off from a take though a silent approach will allow time and efficient stalking of prey items.
Biggest issue with sp casting is the right rod!! A poker stick stick will nthe rod must! Bend and load, this transfer of energy transfers into casting distance. This was the reason for the new Century HPR being designed and made distance sp fishing. Many of the Japanesse JDM rods will bend into the butt section they are made for it and work very well.
If fishing close range wrasse HRF, then i prefer a slightly stiffer though sensative rod though distance it must i will say again bend!! Rig the lure straight and you will reap the results. Distance fishing is simple just choose the appropriate lure for the job. Should bass be chaing and feeding on small smelt, at range then fish a carolina rig. but they are hitting the surface? Your only half way there the fish you see are hitting the surface usualy the juevenille fish at that, the older wiser fish are sitting waiting for the meal to come to them with increased body masscomes a state of catharsess, they will only chase f they have no option scattering food will go shallow and deep, scattering for safety. Bass are ambush predators anything for an easy meal more or less.
I fished the same theories using flies and took less though often bigger fish than people i fished with, don't get into the they are surface feeding therefors i must fish the top situation you will lose fish that way. Shallow water and hitting the surface? Then wade to weightless casting range or caro rigs? There is always a way if you want small 2 inch lures at 50 yards? Then use a weightless rig and a floating caro set up. There is always a way to do it just open you mind i did and i am learning more and more every day of the week.
For instance tomorow morning i am fishing and doing a photo shoot with a national magazine, with one guy fishing flies and i will be fishing something called burakuri (baited jigs). I did say a little while ago that we have only just scratched the surface of rock fishing...

Tight lines all

Hollow tips and metals what a sensation...

2011-04-23T09:43:00.000+01:00

Well i have fished quite a few small sessions this week, especially over the past 3 night with different results. The first night showed up at the mark and surround by a load of bait anglers. As usual i had the sniggering comments of "you will not caught bugger all on that crap mate", thanks for the heads up on that i reply.
Then a few casts later i had the first of the pollock landed, and again more pollock.
So how many have you caught tonight mate i ask? no reply was given instead they packed up and went off home actions speak volumes i guess.
The following night i popped into meet up with a couple of chaps and they were suffering a hard going night with only a giant black headed Goby and scorpion landed and another lost bass at the net, Bad luck Matt. I managed a smashing grab using the new power insome in pink

A superb lure that has become a firm favourite in my personal arsenal, i do happen to know that Ben @ The art of fishing has just had a delivery and all colours are in stock but if you want any hurry up before the plymouth LRF crew buy them all again, thus scuppering the Jersey Harbour Dogs...
Finaly had a play around with the Aqua straw tail grubs also i have been using the standard straw tails for a while now and very impressive indeed.

These are infused with a liqued designed by ecogear, and work a treat many timesi know these have caught fish when all else has failed in differing situations, though be warned here the liquid smells awful so i would suggest using the Ecogear container:

I did think of using a speciment jar for the purpose though when i picked one of these up they are just so much more durable and protecting the lures inside more better than the other option. I have managed to fit in 2 packs of straw tails adaquately with no issue. If you should use the larger Ecogear Aqua baits for instance the Bug ants

Then i would only use the Aqua stocker container with an aittight seal that protects the liquids and lures in transit over rocks and up and down ladders ect.

These are amazingly tight and suitable for purpose, i would definately spend the little extra money on the right item it saves times and money in the long run it realy does.
Though last night was the hadest nights fishingi have had in light rock fishing since i began bar none. The usual marks not producing and spotted some kind of pipefish just under the surace in the lights around 18 inches long it wasnt small and the other species were hitting the syrface though i just couldnt buy a bite. Andrew pullet out the biggest shore caught poutingi have seen to date on light rock gear guesstimate at 1.4lb!! A superb catch indeed.
I did get to try the shinjin through it's paces, on small metal vibe baits though what a feel i love these and i want more of them now i was casting using a 2lb flurocarbon and they fly out of sight and fall rates are varied on lures. Though i had a couple of small hits i didnt fish them slow enough im sure of that though i didnt want to lose them when they were on loan lol.
I tried the Ecogear VX35:

Oh my god this lure flies out there and retrieves like a dream need i say more on it? Use a very small lure clip on there for perfect action i love watching these in the light at night the action is stunning. Then i moved on to try the Ecogear ZX30:

Again a lovely casting lure the thing i realy like about these is the option of replacing the stinger hooks on them an option rarely seen on lures. So worse case and hooks are damaged? Then sinply replace the hooks much cheaper than replacing the lure

Options are endless here, then i tried the Jackson Cymo lure guess what it went like the proverbial rat up a drainpipe, out of sight i could feel everything that was happening through the water columb.

And last but not least i tried the smallest of the bunch the Jackson Jaco vibe bait, this thing is so small it is a sure fish catcher i have seen many smelt falling to this lure in previous weeks

Don't let the small size put you off this is a deadly little lrf lure for multiple species taking pollock again last night the list of species that fall to both metals and jig headed rigs is simply endless.
I was again using the Sakura shinjin 0.4-7 grams last night for all the metals work and proving it's worth as always i can see this rod being my dedicated lrf metals rod this year with possably a Major craft Solpara being the jighead rod.

Now this rod will handle all types of styles assocaited with Rock fishing i have a feeling the extra couple of grams and coupled with a hollow tip does lend itself perfectly to small vibe baits.
All of the lures i have used in the past couple of days were bought via Ben @ The Art of fishing i might just aswell set up a direct drain from my bank account to his shop at this rate lol.
On a brighter note i have to spend the day tying up flies and getting the lrf gear ready for a stupidly early start in the morning, as i am doing a photoshoot with a journalist for a national fly fishing magazine, comparing the flies to light rock capabilities i for one can't wait...
Anyway until next time tight lines all...

Casting like a rocket on shorter lighter rods..

2011-04-22T13:05:00.000+01:00

Long gone are the days of fishing 11ft poker stiff rods, boxes and boxes of hard plastic lures. Packet upon packet of lure clips and losing £20 of plastic in a single chuck. Many people will still fish this method and i wish them all the best in their chosen fields and endeavours.
Rods, reels, lines lures they are all changing for the better, no longer are many anglers willing to just cast and retrieve a lure through the water. They are studying the prey, habitat, behavious to this end are starting to catch a dam site more fish.
Rods are designed for a purpose, if i wanted to cast 80-100 yards then i would simply use a surfcaster and fixed spool with appropriate gear or bait. Though this isn't my bag, i enjoy the lighter mobile approach hunting for the fish knowing where they are residing figuring the approach thats needed.
For instance approaching a rock mark and watching the water movement where is the curent and eddy's caused? Whats the bottom topography? Jig head or weedless? These are the basic questions, the last time i hooked a fish at 60 yards? Cant remember though if i should feel the need icould cast a 6 or 7.5 inch slugo that distance especialy with the rods designed for this purpose. I am not the worlds best caster by any stretch. But rods are built to balance lines and reels. Standard distance work i favour 8-9ft rods with a regular action and 2500-3000 sized reels weighted to balance the rod in a neutral position. Lines currently using 1.2pe for hard rock games and 2lb flurocarbons for light game. These lines cast like a rocket and will be dropping to 0.8pe and 1.0pe for bass and HRF styles this year.
Back to lures soft or hard? Well i have just spect 3 days tinkering with hard plastics again, and still don't like them far far to restrictive in there presence in the water. For instance using a shallow diver max 30cm and hitting the reef time and time again, them through week 2 lures are lost £40 down the plug hole again.
Return to a 6inch slug-go and cast and twitch retieve a couple of decent pollock landed no losses.
Chatting to and passing the time of day with a chap i ran into and he asks about surf fishing with them surely that cant work?
Ff i wanted distance into surf then i simply match the lure type and size to bait present and increase the jig head to match the distance that is required, or fish weedless with a split shot rig, allowing a slow sink through the turmoil caused by the surf. Though please remember that the surf is churnng up the bottom and bait along with it, when the jig headed lure will be active pulling and pushing with the water movement.
There are indeed times when i choose to use hard plastics though these are few and far between favouring soft plastics for 80% of my fishing these days.
Never write of any technique or tactic each has it's place in the order of things for instance bass fishing during the day? A jig headed rig on the bottom is top dog for me, at night then fishing slow soft needle methods again are indeed deadly.

Exciting times ahead....

2011-04-20T11:58:00.000+01:00

Well it has been a busy week on so many fronts here, I have had a couple of light rock trips this week using only the power insome in pink! And also the aqua straw tail grubs,from Ben @ The art of fishing in a side wind that would make bait fishing with a 6oz lead difficult at best, i used the wind and currents to move the lure into structures that otherwise would have been unreachable. More pollock and rockling caught and released, Pictures to follow when i get them transfered.
The imenent release of the first Uk designed and made rockfish rods are here they have been tested re designed, altered and altered again. They have had so much going into them over the past tests in jersey.
Please bear in mind these are not do everything thing rods they have been designed for a purpose rock fishing styles from close range pitching through to long distance SP and needlefish work.
They are release a 7'3.7'7 both equal section and staggered tip much like an injection or nories design. Then the power house the 9ft 5-28 distance rod, indeed the first of the 2 rods that i will be investing in for soft needle and hard plastic work. Perfect for all of the styles i choose to fish i never go over 30 grams in casting weight i have no need in this country. More information can be found here:
Century Website
The HPR pre launch party
Gilbey on the HPR Launch Party

As well as this the work is well underway on the 3rd edition of the Rockfish files, "HRF Specific Bass" this could be a nice little read for anyone whom fishes for bass in many different styles. Release date will be in May, though even if i say so myself, it is looking good....
Just picked up a nice little pack of straight shanked hooks for rigging straw tails on carolina or split shot rigs testing them later this week.
Until then tight lines to all

Extreme low water light rock games

2011-04-15T14:49:00.000+01:00

Well went out for the usual meet of like minded anglers in the Uk Mecca of the light rock fraternity, though being a 0.4 metre tide and fishing in harbours doesn't inspire confidence for any of us? Well thats where you would be wrong, the low crystal clear waters provided an option of sight fishing for flounder, Bass, Mullet, pollock Scorpion ect.
With only 4 people fishing and myself and Matt Necombe catching between us, Scorpion fish, Shore rockling, Pollock, Poor cod and Bass. All in all another good night.

I have developed a definate fondness for catching Scorion fish, many traditional anglers regard them as bait stealers, though just look at the differing colours and sizes that lives in our harbours. Especialy the bigger presumed male counterparts when you thumb them and they clamp down on your finger the power is realy quite something to behold.

They will regulary take during the light and night hours proving more bites after darkness, i took another straight after this on the next cast.

This little shore Rockling was more than happy to pose for a couple of snaps before being returned to swim away again. I did notice that the fish were sat on a slight drop off to deeper water last night or hiding in clumps of weed and ambushing anything that wander by looking like food.
Again fish caught great company and more learned for the next session, lures used were the straw tail minnow, Power insome and grass minnow all available from Ben @ The Art of Fishing Now fishing at distance this time using a Zappu bullet weight in 0.9 grams through to a glass bead and a size 10 fulling mill grub hook, providing a delicate wacky rig and taking many fish over the past few sessions. Long may this continue, i have ordered more straw tails though htis time the Aqua version stored and infused within their own liquid a proven fish catchier that i have yet to try in earnest and of course more power insome in strwberry this time though lets see if the fish have a sweet tooth shall we?

Tight lines all

Patterns emerging in the wrasse behaviour

2011-04-14T16:55:00.000+01:00

Well i have a set of certain marks that i have been fishing through the winter they all hold bass and wrasse, i have take enough fish to know where they are hiding themselves there. Though during the spring they moved out and changed their behaviours again.
So i then return to the marks and fish the ebb tides to gain early access to certain parts that are holding fish before they move again, though after sat on the high ledges and watching wrasse emerging from holes and moving swinging lures of all types straight past their noses and not so much as a sniff.
Then the slack water would hit and they woul hold to where they are sitting, the minute the tide turns, they are becoming agrrssive again and hitting anything in there proximity!!! so they are only feeding on the flood tides, this is a pattern that emerged in Jersey last year apparently, and switching to both tides for feeding through in late April. Colours and lures? Nope they are hitting anything in the area with gusto, though i did notice the hits were so agressive that they are straight into a knock down drag out brawl, no time to strike, to this end getting caught up in the moment i missed a lot of bites and lost fish through not setting the hook enough to hold the fish. Happened using both the Sakura shinjin for them and also the Major craft crostage so i know it wasnt a rod or line issue.
Tackle losses this month have been at an all time high, though i have been experiementing with rigging options and getting to the bottom of this slowly, it appears at the moment that the head weight is dropping the lure into snags on a slow retrieve though a 2-3ft skip with avoid a lot more of the tangles and crags i fish through.
A split shot rig using SSG shot accumalated along the line with even spacing proves effective allowing a straight drop through the water and not positive or negative in any way. As with the slow retrieve we are dragging through to snags and getting well and truely jammed into place.
On the bright side, the braids and fluro mainlines are proving their worth session after session, a batch of power insome worms in pink and also aqua straw tails have been ordered i have high hopes of this especially. aswell as the usual comestables and some new hard plastics to have a play with.

The Sebile stick slim surface lure, weighing in at 28 grams, should suit the crostage pe to a "T" as i have already pushed it well past this mark on caro rigs.

Again the same lure though a little darker for the condition changes.

The sebile Koolie minnow 118SU weighs a little over 18 grams and a shallow diver, a cracking little lure i have used in the past.

Again the same lure though in a different colouration offering options for the conditions to suit. The keep them all safe i have had to invest in another lure box so this time opted for the snowbee large box.

Inside the box itself are V shaped grooves allowing the trebles to sit nice and firm with out hitting and indeed scratching the lures themselves.

These are possably the best lure boxes i have found to date also allowing a small section down one side for storing rig clips and swivels split rings ect. The boxes are available from Ben @ The art of fishing .
Initial tests are almost complete for this week on new senkos, creature baits and small slug-go's the decoy micro jig head kit and other materials i have collected of late.
so until then tight lines to all..

Light rock game Wrasse

2011-04-11T09:40:00.000+01:00

Well i was out testing a couple of marks and seeing how and when they fished, i have fished the same marks on all states of tides of late. Wrasse are as fickle as ever, as they will not feed and remain in a neutral or negative state until, the turn of a flood tide.
Fishing into boulder fields and deep drops into gullies, though i know the fish are there and they would not take, though the minute slack water finished and tide started pushing through the bites would start again.
Taking fish from blow my feet and then at range up to around 30 yards. Takes were different on seperate marks, for osme strange reason though they have been racing through ith tides pushing to get to the best crevices and holes as usual.
I made my way down to another mark i fished for 8 hours last week with out single bite in perfect wrasse ground. Though then i returned and fished through to darrkness, first cast using a DOA cal 3.5 in purle saw hits though no hooks ups, so i replaced with a finer 4 inch senko and i could only say it was the same fish hit again nd again though no hook ups!! So replace again with a 3 inch slug-go and bang fish on first cast, Did i mention i was using the sakura shinjin for this?? Seriously i changed rods for the 2nd part of the session to see what would happen and feelings were high sensativity increased. A few good long runs though a bend like i have neve seen in the rod fish tamed photographed and returned to swim away safely.
So then i though keep with the rod, through out the evening i had many hits and would start to lean it and lose the fish? Why is this happening? I sat back and thought the agressive takes were so hard in hitting i didnt have to strike into the fish at all, to this end was i setting the hook enough?

I didn't realise this until it was too late, though for the first time the hits continued through the night and into total darkness now this is a rare occurence for wrasse hrf fishing. I had had it in the past though nothing like this. Time for a little invention and change i think so back to the crostage my favoured hrf rod in total.
Fishing into rough snaggy ground has issues namely tackle losses.
Carolina rigged, weedless, jig heads they all have there own pro's and cons, though i was losing more tackle again and couldnt find a way to minimize it no matter what i tried. Until that is i started pinching in 2 grams of split shot just before the nose in 0.5 gram incremenets and then i would feel whats happening though i could hop skip and jump over the reef ledges and drops with out losses again and casting distance was very improved.
Why does it behave so much better i ask myself? Physics 101 come into play here, a paralel weight with lay and hop, sink flat, nose weight i.e. carolina style with sink nose first straight into snags and crevices. Weighted hooks lowing a slow plane through the water? 2 grams through to 7 grams?
So i tied on a couple of weight EWG (extra wide gape weighted hooks) and no issues again all hoping and skipping over ledges that i needed. Tried all different patterns and types though i lost 8 fish in total through the session and landed 2 decent though slipped the 2nd when preparing the camera back into the water.
doing a return recci session again in the morning and tried the shinjin again for hrf fishing and seeing just how much it will cope with. All fun and games in the rock fish camp..
Tight lines all

Shinjin + currents = fish

2011-04-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

Well as mentioned previously i went out last night with the Sakura Shinjin again and tested it proerly. Went to a personal favorite mark that on avaerage allows 4 hours on the turn of tides of excellent sport, so i arrived early and had pollock to 1lb landed in daylight which is unusual for light rock game for me.
Though as the light faded and the temratures dropped it got a lot more interesting, fishing 0.8 gram shot rigs and jig heads in fast moving current the tip of this rod came into it's own it realy did. I was using the marakyu power insome worms again and really am amazed at the versatility of these lures.
Drifting current the tip was reading the smallest tap and knock through the water, this is the first hollow tip i have used that i would happly so yep thats the rod for me. A few bigger fish showed and realy tested the rods power and reserves.

The rod handled them with grace and prowess, now even i thought you needed all different rods for different things, though the shinjin has proven it's worth against cheaper solid tips and hollow tips time and time again.
I switched through to braid and casting 4 gram heads up the river and again no issues and feeling was excellent again fish landed.

Then the rest of the fish arrived they are clones of the last one caught all in between 1/2 to 1lb in weight though on light balanced sport, especially in fast currents excellent sport. Steve arrived and was immediately into good fish also, we fish on for a couple of hours and landed 22 pollock between us last night both using the same rod.
A superb night and great sport to mke it a real cracker, as for the rod i love it and realy haven't found fault ith it at all as yet, if you require further details then i'm sure Ben or Jo @ The Art Of Fishing will oblige in more details on this rod. In the sub £100 price bracket is there anything better? Only time will tell i guess but hand on heart im glad i made the switch to this one.
Tight lines all

Sakura shinjin 702ul initial thoughts.

2011-04-06T15:49:00.000+01:00

Well i picked the rod up last week, and had a quick session with it though in hurrendous conditions and problems across the board it wasn't easy. I went out the other nigt and took the wrong spool with me using 6lb flurocarbon wasn't ideal if anything this was an absoloute nightmare.
Asthetically the rod is simply put stunning, it feels stiff in the hand in comparisonn to a lot of the solid tips i have tried, though please remember this rod is a hollow tip and rated 0.4 - 7 grams. I took it out last night though the recent weather conditions have caused a major issue with colouration of the water and most of th resident fish have moved somewhere now i just need to find them again.
With a distinct last of fish it gave me a chance of searching with differing weights for the realy small species, i haven't had a corkwing wrasse this year yet though i have managed to find them, so down to 0.35 gram shot rigs and small 13mm lures and i was ggetting lightning quick hits though just couldnt strike fast enought to hook up last night.
So the feel on the lower end rating is spot on in my opionion. As for the higher ratingi have been plaing over the top this week i went to a boulder field i fish reguarly and blnk reguarly on too lol....
Though casting a 5 gram bullet weight carolina rigged with a 4 inch senko and i could feel every twitch and movement in the water using 6lb braids. I had the smallest wrasse ever landed must have been 3 ounces if it was a lb. Though goes to show what feel with read back tyo you the angler. So all in all feel wise this rod was amazing and i couldnt fault it at all.
Last night i compared its action to a nories rod and the tip action wasnt all that different to be honest ok the nories is 4 times the price and indeed worth every penny in my experience. A good friend bought the rod and could catch for toffee's passed the rod to me first cast bang on to a cracking little scorpion fish. Next he bought a jig head snapper and same issue first cats again bang pollock lander OTD. The curse was broken and he caught fish there after lol.......
Though i fould a spot where i could jig for weed dwelling small and i mean realy small fish, so i could feel the action completely, the top 5 inches of the tip is very very sensative and picks up the smallest of bites fast or slow. Then another mark in fast moving currentand takes were felt again.
Weight wise balances perfectly with a 2500 reel loaded with 2lb fluro carbons. This is a stunning rod for light rock game and will be my go to rod for the next 12 months unless i want to fish OTD for long period then i will opt for the quantum solid tip. The rod was purchased from Ben @ The Art of Fishing Thanks mate, i love this rod i realy do..
If your in the field for a new rod then this is definately worth a look and a couple of casts, there are 2 people using this version in plymouth right now fr extensive light rock games and have shown no issues what so ever as yet. Hopeing to get a couple of bigger fish tonight and see just what it is capabel of in mega fast current and photos to follow.

tight lines all..

Congratulations to Matt Newcombe...

2011-04-05T09:39:00.000+01:00

A lightning quick post here, i just wanted to say a big congratulations to a friend and fishing partner Matt Newcombe on becomming Prostaff for Plus fishing i am sure that he will provide an indepth and un biased view on tackle and tactics for new stuff hitting the market in the Uk.
Couldn't have happened to a nice guy and well deserved well done again mate.

What a week iit has been..

2011-04-05T08:51:00.000+01:00

Well the weather started of nice though quickly went downhill rather quickly, i have only managed to get out for a couple of short sessions in varying degrees of weather conditions. A ight rock game session last thursday saw 2 bass fall to lrf tactics and tackle, mine taken on a marakyu power insome worm, and Andrews falling to a reains i believe.

A superb speciment taken in the internal harbour again 20 yards further up than i had perched myself, sadly i was unable to get a pic of my fish though roughly the same size. always nice to take a good fish on the lrf tactics.
The plymouth Light rock boys have continued to take a good stamp of fish especially more flounder again. I was out playing around and mnaged to bang out a small suud 2lb mullet on lrf more by accident that attempt i'm sorry to say. Though the tactics are showing just whats capable with the correct balanced tackle.
Out on saturday and could feel very shy tail nipping bites nothing taking properly with gusto this time. So out again on sunday with Matt Jones, fishing his 2nd HRF session and landing another wrasse 2 session 2 fish realy isnt bad for something that many people said wouldn't work is it?

Only a small fish but shows what is about and happening on the business end of the line, this took a nories ladyfish lure 3.5 inch. A close up here shows how the lure reacts when a fish takes on a weedless rig.

As you will clearly see the fish has taken the lure and and soft plastic will fold away from hook alolowing a nice firm hook hold and playing the fish with ease once hooked.
Shortly after i hooked into something a little bigger and it went straight to ground and i couldnt budge it even after slacklineing sitting down for a smoke and a coffee it ran again and burried i just couldnt stop it no matter whaat i tried. Though then again look to the bottom left corner of the photo and notiice the weedbeds we fished over and indeed into? This is where the fish are holding a lot of the time. Hence the weedless rigs, come into their own.
Apart from the fishingi have been playing with new rigs, lures and rods collected the sakura shinjin ul 702 and overlined it and casting well over 10 grams all up no issues. Then drop to 0.5 grams heads and again amazing feel and sensativity through the rod tip. Completely different to the quantum hollow tip i was using a lot more responsive and powerfull mmore info and review to follow on this one. Collecting a solid tip in 10 days time and finer braids at some point soon, i will attempt to get the initial reviews of lure up this week on findings ect but until then tiht lines all...

A game of 2 halfs....

2011-03-30T09:26:00.000+01:00

Well i managed to get out ofr a spot of day time HRF and night time LRF the other day. Productive all round, hit a usual bass and wrasse mark on the turn off the ebb tide. fished through the gullies and structures though nothing showing returned back to the original starting point.
Now i know there are big rock fish here and i have lost a few this year, so casting at 25 yards to a deep gulley i was slowly retrieving and getting small tail nips though nothing else. Dropped the lure size to 3.5 inch DOA Cal baits from AGM Discount fishing and started getting hits, landed this little beauuty going 3.6lb on the scales.

Following this casting to slightly off the drop i had another big hit and line was taken at speed played for 5 minutes then it felt like if just spat the hook. know big wrasse can grab the lure and run with out hooking themselves on occassion, shame it was a bloody good stamp of fish i could tell from the bend in the rod.

Just goes to show why japanesse made rods for there seabass game and hard rockfish game are designed to bend and protect lighter pe braided lines.

Would i heavier line and heavier rod have landed it? Doubt full to be honest, would i have even felt the bite? I doubt it, as for hook pulls would happen far quicker. Though i did turn the air blue for a few minutes.

Then on the way home in the dark i passed a favorite light rock game mark of mine so i couldnt resist a few casts with the new Marukyu power insome worms from Ben @ The art of fishing well lets just say 2 casts and this was the result:

A small goby species...

Closely followed by the 4th flounder of this year taken both fish on a wacky rigged worm using fulling mill fly tying grub hooks, that allowed a nice lip hooking, and instant results a little test i wanted to try using a slip shot rig with these hooks and the results have spoken for themselves.

I also have had the chance yesterday after work to try a Sakura stingray 5-21 that i considered buying, though a lovely looking rod if is heavier and less sensative than my crostage rate 5-28, so for my uses when i need feel it isnt up to par. though for others that like a slightly stiffer rod it should be more than up to anything in these waters. This merely serves to reiterate that forget rod ratings and go for feel it lands more fish..

On the brightside i pick up a new sakura 702ul tomorow night and a pack of decoy micro jig head kits and and zappu bullet weights in 0.9 and 1.8 grams. Also a load of new things on the way from AGM for the comming weeks aswell as slug re fill.

What a week it has been....

2011-03-28T07:55:00.000+01:00

Well i have haven't had the chance of much fishing this week due to work and other personal comitments, though the session i have had were realy good fun. LRF in the strongest current i could find using 3.5g jigheads and they we just shooting away from me covering vast distances though i hasten to add.
A HRF session where i managed to catch and release a 6ft 2 spear fisherman!!! Yep the soft needles catch again right inot the fn this time and i though i had hooks a Baracuda untill i saw a snorkel appear above the water.
Just packing up the gear for a session today and plaaying with a few bits and pieces i have bought this week and a dam site more on it's way from The art of fishing , AGM Discount fishing , and monstertackle.co.uk Sp over the next 5 weeks i will have tthe images and thoughts of new slugo's, 7.5 and 6 inch also 3 inch come to think of it, the sakura shunjin 702ul rod the sakura stingray 5-21 rod, exage 3000 Fb for hrf uses.
Marukyu power insome lures, wacky jig heads, more weedless hooks, more caroline weights, zappu weights in 0.9 and 1.8 g for carolina rigging lrf stylee. Senko's creature baits ect the list goes on Oh and thans to my ownerfull children a brand new fishing jacket for my night sessions. I really should get back to sorting through the gear ready for this morning a cat report to follow if all goes according to plan.

Tight lines

A strange day....

2011-03-24T15:22:00.000Z

Well i finaly managed to get all the work sorted out and out for a spot of bass hunting. Sadly ended with a bass blank, though i did get smashed up completely by something big it didnt stop and sheered through 16lb pe braid. This isnt the first time i have had this happen sadly on this mark.
Though the distance required to hit where they are sitting requires a slightly heavier head and weedless presentation. I have found them again though then it got really interesting. Cast out a weedless soft needle and winding so slowly, if i wound any slower i would have been in reverse lol.. Then a knock didnt feel normal though so i struck in and suddently i have braid stripping off the reel and rod bent double!!!!!!!!! Holy S**t what is this?? Then out of no where a bloody snorkel appears! I have a new specimen for this year a 6'2 spear fisherman!!!! After swimming to shore with the bai arm off and untangling himsefl from the braid miracoulsy without losing any braid. The chap apologised and said he didnt see a line in the water. Though he did see the brink pink slug walking slowly through the water lol.....
So after stopping up at the car shortly after and exchanging fishing stories and being invited spear fishing this year not my bag but always nice to be asked. Turns out the wrasse i have been targeting are in a shelf in deep water and wrasse bigger than i could have imagined are down there. Also a load of pollock there too big fish apparently.
All in all a fun day though no fish landed could have been a lot worse..

The right feel...

2011-03-21T09:38:00.000Z

Only 4 times in my life have i ever picked up a rod held it in hand and known there and then the weight is right the sensativity after a single flick it all worked. A sage xi3 fly rod and helios did it in the past. Both unforuntaely expensive. Also the crostage the first time i picked this rod up and first cast in i knew it suited me perfectly. Though last week i picked up a sakura shinjin 702 ul rod fishing with a mate in a secluded spot LRF.
Even though it was rated 0.4-7 grams hollow tip it felt like other much more expensive rods. Casting a 1.8 gram rig it read everything. I often go around the houses a lot before parting with hard earned cash though this time it felt right! so it's on order and i pick it up in 10 days.
Then this morning after doing the family thing with the kids i popped into a mark i have never fished and didnt know the bottom terrain and carolina riged my crostage with 2-11 grams rigs with small sp's and found with out seeing it there is a mud bottom with a silt edge before hitting weed. Now reading this through a 3 gram head and pe braids with out knowing whats there was simply amazing. The only time i have done this in the past was with marker rods and carp fishing. Going off topic a little though just goes to reiterate the fact of weights of rods mean nothing it's how it is balanced with tackle and it's feel that are important. Thats me happy with rods and reels till HPR's are released now i think. HHmmm might need a 2nd job at this rate for tackle supplies this year.
So when looking for a rod for a style be it LRF/HRF/PLUGGING, forget the weight on the blank, fish it cast it bend it, see how it balances with your reel in hand if you can. This is where your specialist lure shops will come in to play pop in if you cant make it get cheeky. Ask if they could balance a certain reel and tell you the balance point. There are a great many rods made daily that appaprenty off al the bells and whistles. But nothing will suit everybody...
Make your own choices for your fishing the single most important thing in this style is feel, closely followed by confidence...

tight lines all.. :)

Rock fish game arguments........

2011-03-19T23:14:00.000Z

If i had a penny for everytime i have read a negative comment directed at light rock game and hard rock game in the past week i would indeed be a very rich man. Now no matter the species or tackle used we are anglers at heart. Not a waring faction or so you would think to read through current forums and other communication means on the net.
Lets take a little time to clear up a couple of the facts behind the hype thats being pushed on people shall we? Rock fish game 岩魚ゲーム was invented and intered to the japanesse masses by Norio Tanabe and was indeed credited for doing so. Daiwa Japan then trademarked HRF the hard rock game. So has this been done for many years in the Uk? If so how comes we have the history documented of the trademark registration and rods reels, lines designed for a specific purpose.
The introduction to the Uk fishing scene was thanks to both Keith and Kevin White in the channel islands. It is thanks to the hard work and dedication of this two chaps, that we have the ability to follow through the journey down the rabbit hole so to speak. At this point we have merely scratched the surface at this point.
People seem to want to shoot down the terms of LRF light rock game and HRF hard rock game.
For no other reason than something to moan about or argue a point over. As i learnt studying the arts of Togakure ryu ninpo taijutsu (ninjutsu) There are 5 states of being and in combat you become a single state or a state of 無効 (void) where you encompass the abilities of all elements at once.
To this is see rock fish game. We have the options of using a hard plastic plug, a weedless senko, lightly weighted, tail weighted, soft or hard needle fish. A dead sticked bait a OTD (on the drop method).
We have not limited ourselves to casting and retrieving a lure that has a built in action, but changing nd adapting the action or depth of a lure whilst in the water. fishing ground that would normaly eat treble hooks and catching as a result.
We have indeed become 無効 (void) utilising what is needed at any given time to outwit our chosen prey. Combine this with fishing for what is there as opposed to what might be there on occassion. So we take a whole arsenal with us in a single bag and catch more species and total fish all through the year.
So if people want to degrade the rock fish game 岩魚ゲーム , then take a look at your own closed views and abilities and ask why we fish these methods...
I am not saying rock fish games are for everyone, indeed if forces to you think a lot more and concentrate all of the time, if you want to bait fish, lure, plug then be my guest and i wish you the best in your own personal journey and may you get that prize fish we all search for..

Until then tight lines all

Is 2lb enough breaking strain?

2011-03-18T09:22:00.000Z

Well i think after using it for the past couple of week now i can safely say that yes it is more than enough. When i started so light i had indeed deep reservations on using this stuff. though after getting used to it and started to trust the line the biggest part of the problem i feel was confidence in thel ine itself.
This said i have fishing rocks marks and harbour structures, kelp beds, pontoons and other strong tidal areas and it has handled everythingi have chucked at it thus far. I will definately be sticking with a spool of 2lb flurocarbon for light rock game. Team this with a 2nd spool of 0.3pe braid and all bases are covered in this game.
The line has accounted for smelt, pollock, whitting, short spine scorpion, long spinned, pouting, all in the last week so i realy cant complain on the presentation stakes.

The most striking Scorpion fish i have taken to dat i love the vivid colouration of this fish, and a lovely fight from such a small specimen.

Then we have the pollock arrive to play the game, and most of the fish taken were the same stamp with a couple of extra 1.6lb + fish thrown into the mix.

So all in all bearing in mind i have used nothing but the flurocarbon for a couple of weeks i have found it does everythingi have asked of it thus far and will continue to use it.
Flurocarbon used with a Snowbee fluro-tec 2lb. I will choose and try other 2lb flurocarbons in the next weeks and see if there is a difference in their over all performance so watch this speace for further details

Until then tight lines