With a week off of work, I made plans to move down the Channel from my usual marks around Redwick and Severn Beach and try somewhere new. But where? I consulted a few people, tinkered around on google earth and made a quick reccy of a couple of places before settling on nice rocky mark. It would make a refreshing change from being up to my eyeballs in thick mud.

The day before, I popped into Reel Fun to pick up a dozen peelers, a couple of packs of slaps and to get some advice on best rigs and methods. Now fully stocked with bait and knowledge I went home to tie a few more rigs and get some kip.

The morning dawned fresh and bright, but as I arrived at the mark, a hazy mist hung over the sea. High tide was due just before 1pm but I had arrived at 9am to give myself a chance to see how the mark fished at a slightly earlier stage of the tide.

I initially opted to swap my usual mud splattered wellies for an old pair of running trainers to give me a bit more grip when clambering over the rocks. Once I'd settled into my final position, I set up my gear and swapped back into my trusty old welly boots to give me more waterproofing when wandering around in the weed and rocks that were still largely uncovered by the slowly building tide.

The first rod was baited up with crab and black lug cocktail on 4/0 pulley pennel. I wandered over towards a nice flat rock from where I intended to launch my cast, but before I arrived I learnt a valuable lesson on why wearing wellies on rocks is not a good idea. I managed to completely lose my grip and tumble down the rocks. In a split second I was left with having to make a choice between landing on my rod or my head. It was a simple choice really and I managed to hold the rod safely out of the way as I bounced down the rocks on my nose.

A quick change back into trainers and I whacked the bait out into the swirling tide. I stuck the rod in the tripod and set about getting my second rod baited up. Before I had a chance to finish whipping the crab onto the hook, my first rod was nearly dragged from the tripod. I grabbed hold of it and felt a few strong pulls from what was connected to the other end before it all suddenly locked solid. I eased the pressure on the fish and it soon swung free from the snag, but my initial delight was soon tempered as it became clear that the fish was gone. At least it was a promising start. The rod was rebaited and thumped back out and I set about getting the second rod sorted.

Within 1 minute of hitting the water the first rod was dancing around in the rod rest again. I grabbed it and lifted into a nice solid feeling fish. I hauled it up onto the rocks and scrambled down through the rockpools and weed to rescue it. Running trainers certainly grip, but they are not particularly noted for their water resisting capabilties, so I was more than a little bit damp when I managed to bring this little beauty up from the waters edge. At a few ounces shy of five pound, it was a good start to the day. As I'd promised the family fish for tea, it was quickly despatched, gutted and put into my fish bag with plenty of ice packs to keep it in good condition.



I rebaited and chucked it out into the Channel. Once again, a bite registered within minutes of the bait hitting the deck. This time a slightly smaller fish of 3lb 12oz. It had wolfed down the bait, meaning that another fish was added to the ice bag to be turned into fish fingers later on.



And so it continued, with my second rod still not getting into the water before another codling arrived. This time a touch over 3lb and safely returned.



A couple of hours before high tide and the water started to slow down a bit and so did the bites. I had one more fish, which came off just before I got a chance to see it, though it didn't feel like a monster. Not long after high tide tide I had to pack up and head home, having been given strict instructions by Mrs Draws to get back by 2pm and look after the kids. Oh well, at least they would all have fish for tea.



So, from this session I learnt three valuable things. Firstly, doing some homework before tackling a new mark can really pay off. Secondly, crab seems to be doing the business as bait at the moment and finally, don't wear wellies on rock marks and if you do, expect to have to use your face as a brake to stop you sliding to a watery grave in the Channel.

All the best

Chester

Great report there Chester, good to see a few fish coming out as well.
You need some studs in those wellies mate!

Well done chester good result

yeap just aswell were rollerskates than wellies on them marks. :lol:

well done on the coddies.

Result.

Still a few about then. Weather permitting i am off on the boats on Fri from Poole for a days wrecking so will hopfully get something for the plate. Will stick a report all the same.

Snowbee rock hoppers from reel fun
it protects your face

Good work Chester, nice bag of Codling! Especially good effort as it was your first time on a new mark! Nice not having to hose down all your gear when you get home too!! :D

I can suddenly see their value.

That's the trouble with fishing, you need different kit for all of the different places you fish. It cost's a bloomin' fortune :)

Thanks Paul. Next up, I wanna bass or a thornie.

We must plan a trip out soon.

chester, if you were fishing where i think you were then it's a great place for bass and thornies also.

Yep, apparently so. I can't wait to have another go again.

A chester proberly the best and most important footwear youll ever choose
i use them on 99% of fishing even battery point at night!
I wouldnt use anything else.
When you take a bad fall like i did money dosent count.
You aint the first and aint the last everyone takes a tumble
just try and prevent it that matters...
by the way nice catch i blanked today lucky i wasnt out with dick. Theres always tomorrow. ;)

Simple message.

Snowbee Rock Hoppers saves lives! Fact!

Good report Chester

well done mate, nice result, even if the bluey failed to produce for you hey! ;)
As for grip, I bought some screw in studs and converted my baffins, grippy as hell at battery now with excellent supprt and warmth B)

All of your other advice was spot on, even if Bluey didn't produce on the day. Thanks!

great fishing there Mr Draws.nice codling for time of year....LOWATEREEFER....

A nice read, a few lessons learnt and a few fish from a new mark, a good day out except for your nose! :D

Well done Chester.
I believe I may have been directly to your right??
Missed your tumble. but if it was you I saw you led on your belly at one stage rescuing a returnd fish. :unsure:

I had one bite all day and promptly lost what felt like a codling of a few pounds at the edge.

Yep, that was me trying to get the returned fish to swim back out, but the little bugger kept turning around and getting stuck in the weed.

My tumble was just a bit before you arrived, so thankfully there was no one there to laugh at me.

Did I hear you cursing at one point when casting and getting a birdie? :D

Ha ha. No birdie, just a snap off from not paying attention and the line wrapping around the tip :D

You certainly didn't sound happy, but at least you didn't end up on your face like some other idiot not far away :D

Cracking report, made me laugh out loud and nice coddies

Hey Chester if you like wearing your trainers on the rocks then the cheaper option to buying a pair of rockhopper boots is water proof socks, i bought a pair from ebay for about a tenner last November and used them all winter(with a wash between trips i might add)and they keep your feet warm and dry but i think they might get a bit more smelly in the summer with sweaty feet but hopefully no worse than the smell of Lug and Rag juices dried into your hands and nails tho.lol

Thanks for the advice, but I'm gonna screw some Snowbee studs into my chest waders (into the soles obviously, otherwise they might leak a bit). They're around six quid for a pack and a damn sight cheaper than reconstructive dental surgery.

A wise choice indeed my freind!