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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.