Tackle, Tactics and Experience
WADING AND PLUGGING by Alan Aubert
Following a favourable response
from my article in the Spring issue of BASS I have been prompted into
action to write another article in relation to plugging for Bass around
the coast of Jersey.
A colleague of mine has taken up
plugging this year and I have persuaded him to join BASS, he was
nagging me to show him the way down amongst the gullies and sand banks
on the South coast of Jersey. So welcome Paul Vane, and I am sure that
you will not mind me repeating this story.
Let me set the scene and give a
warning to anyone who may feel that they can safely visit this spot. BE
WARNED this place has claimed the lives of a number of people who have
left it too late to return to the safety of the shore after the tide
has turned. Approximately a mile off the south east coast of Jersey
lies Seymour Tower built a few hundred years ago to protect the island
against a French invasion. On a spring tide as the water ebbs it
uncovers a vast area of rocks and gullies interspersed with sand banks
where huge shoals of sandeels live.
Let me get back to the story, I
had arranged to meet Paul at the slipway opposite the tower and I
arrived in plenty of time where Paul was waiting. I had got the tides
slightly wrong and it was obvious that we had a wait of approximately
half an hour before we could wade across the first gully. As it was
July and the sea temperature was about 17 C we were just wearing shorts
and T shirts. Carrying our spinning rods, I had a landing net and a
small rucksack in which I carried a few Chug Bugs, life jacket and a
mobile phone in a waterproof bag. You may consider it a bit over the
top but better safe than sorry.
My God! who said the water was a
comfortable 17�C? Especially when it reached the vital parts of any
fisherman's tackle. We got used to it and we managed to get across the
first gully, this then meant a walk of a mile out towards the tower.
About 15 minutes later we came to a small pool/gully which I know
always seems to hold fish. The water was about three feet deep and I
cast approximately 15 yards ahead of me, using a large blue and white
coloured chug bug. First cast - first fish, a fish of approximately 3
lbs took the plug. However it was not going to be a straightforward
day. I brought the fish towards my net but the small snap clip had come
undone and I saw the fish swimming off down the gully with the lure in
its mouth. The water was clear and I could follow this fish for another
hundred yards before it moved out into deeper water.
This is not going to be a story
just about fishing but it is also other things I get out of my fishing.
Such as the stress relief of being able to concentrate solely on my
fishing leaving the stresses and worries of modern day living back
where I had parked my car. The fantastic wildlife one can see on such
trips, such as the terns feeding on the sandeels in the summer or the
Barnacle Geese that arrive here in the winter. Or maybe it is the sight
of Dolphins leaping and playing in the deeper water off shore.
Sometimes when I am wading through these gullies with their fast ebbing
flow on a hot sunny day, I imagine that I am fly fishing a river in
Scotland or even the flats in Florida. If I took a picture of the sand
banks and the azure blue of the water you would be hard pushed to tell
where in the world you were.
I digress, after the sadness of
losing the first fish on the first cast, I could see that Paul had a
look of amazement on his face and started to talk in almost a foreign
tongue about a fish taking a lure in just about 3 ft of water. We moved
on exploring small gullies, rocky outcrops and sand banks always
keeping a wary eye on the time. I suppose I had about eight more takes
but each time the fish failed to hook on, despite leaving the Chug Bug
in the same area. The terns also made several dives at the lures as
they made their way across the surface of the sea.
I decided as it was almost low
tide to try a spot further up the beach where I knew that fish would be
holding until the tide turned. This was a small rocky outcrop in about
4 feet of water. Part of the rock was uncovered and part of it had
about 1 foot of water covering its seaweed-laden rocks. I cast to the
side of the rock and immediately a fish took a silver coloured Chug
Bug, this time I landed a small fish of just over two pounds. Paul had
cast a large Hot Tiger Coloured bug right into the middle of the
seaweed. A mis-cast and I told him to be careful that he did not lose
the lure. He had spent some considerable time telling me it was the
first time he had used this. Suddenly an explosion took place alongside
his lure as the water parted and a large fish took his lure. Paul
struggled to control his first large bass on rod and line and in fact
did not play the fish as well as he could. He did not let the fish tire
itself out nor use the rod to tire it, but in his excitement reeled in
too fast. I had my net ready and could see the fish approaching me
fairly fast. I would estimate the fish to be around the 10lb mark. All
was going well - net ready, fish near, then suddenly, "twang", the line
had parted company with the fish and lure.
Paul was not impressed and
offered several expletives to demonstrate this. Later examination had
shown that line from Paul's reel had caught underneath the spool making
the drag inoperative. Paul had learnt a valuable lesson that day and I
am sure he will not mind me telling this story. The tide had now turned
and this was no place to remain after the tide turns and we headed back
towards the distant shore line, with memories of what might had been.
Just one more note of caution and that is Paul went the following day
and despite having been there only 24 hours before he could not find
the spot very easily as it sometimes all looks the same. NEVER go down
there in FOG as you may never come back again.
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