After many weeks of lengthy deliberations about the weather and angling prospects, we finally meet Mick early on a very cold January morning along the beach at Fleetwood, Lancashire. Today, the weather is acceptable – cloudy and somewhat windy. We’re hoping the gales will abate long enough for us, and other members of Mick’s sea …
Turn up on the quay-side with the wrong rigs and you could spend your time knitting – tying rigs – instead of fishing. Here is a selection of rigs to see you through most boat angling situations. It’s important to remember that hook sizes should correspond to the species you’re going for. Dabs, for example, …
Carry spare fuel in jerry cans safely stored or tied in. You can get jerry cans cheaply from army surplus stores. Before taking one to sea, grease the moving parts of the cap and its locking device with waterproof grease to preserve them from salt. Plastic petrol cans have no place on boats – they …
Owning your own brings great fishing flexibility but demands time, effort and money. First find out what type of boat handles the sea well around your stretch of coast. Then find somebody who is selling a suitable boat second hand. It’s important to go for the best choice of boat for your specific purposes. So …
Conger eels often wait inside their lairs for prey to swim nearby, but they may also prowl the ocean depths. Residents of holes and fissures on rocky reefs, conger eels are the legendary snakes of the sea. Immense, muscular fish of littered wrecks, they are at home hundreds of fathoms down. Wreck conger can reach …
Boatcasting is a fairly new method, but one that has had an enormous impact on shallow water boat fishing since its development in the 1970s. As its name suggests, boatcasting (also called uptiding) involves casting the baits away from the boat. It is most effective in less than 30m (100ft) of water, though it does …
The journey to the fishing spot is a good time for last-minute preparations. Store your gear neatly – it makes moving about easier. Some of the best fish, like this conger, are found a long way offshore, which means booking a fast boat to get you there quickly. Charter boats are often quite crowded, and …
In a boat you can reach marks well offshore, but away from the shelter of the coast, tides can be very strong. This requires the use of heavy weights to reach the sea bed. If the tide is not too strong, light tackle such as this pirking gear is much more sporting and more fun. …
Taking a surface-feeding fish by dapping is a time honoured technique. But to be successful, the angler must first master the art of concealment and be prepared to move swiftly There are two methods of fishing that are called dapping. One technique is employed when fishing from a boat and aided by wind, the other …
Although much knowledge can be gained from the bank, to read a big pit well, a boat is essential. Bankside observation cannot reveal the underwater structure of out-of-reach areas, and at best only shelves near the bank, depth changes and other structures can be charted. By rowing round the pit and sounding the bottom with …
