finesse fishing: Holiday

We arrived for a few days holiday in North-East Anglesey on Monday lunchtime to be greeted with glorious sunshine despite the poor forecast.

The view of Point Lynas from our caravan

This is the view West down the coast from Point Lynas

It was really windy so grabbed a couple of hours fishing without success in a sheltered little cove. I had a few follows from wrasse but couldn't get any to actually take the lures. I was dying to try out my solid tipped Major Craft Zalt so went to Amlwch harbour and had a hour catching Blenny and Poor Cod with my youngest - Jack. We were just dibbling Marukyu Power Isome on tiny jig heads and sight fishing for the small fish living in the weed of the harbour wall. It reminded me of fishing with a piece of cane and a bent pin as a kid - great fun!

The Blennies come in a whole range of colours and patterns.

This one bit me and I had a job getting it to release my finger! A comical looking Blenny with attitude.

Both the Blenny and tiny Poor Cod were new lure caught species for me.

We ended our first day lying on our backs outside the caravan watching the amazing Perseid meteor shower!

Tuesday afternoon saw me trying to catch my first bass. I knew there were fish around as they were leaping out and swirling for sand eels near the surface. I tried everything in the box but couldn't manage to catch one.

I did get one of the Launce on a very small wedge though! New species number three!

The view across Bull Bay

Wednesday saw me still chasing my first bass. After a trawl on the internet and gleaning some useful information fro 'The Lure Forum' and from Scott and Mal from the LAS (thanks due to both!) I had a few marks not very far away from where we were staying to try. The chosen venue was not as picturesque as those I'd tried earlier in the week but I'd been told that it often holds a few bass and fishes best at low water. So while the family slept I sneaked out early and arrived at the mark at 6 am. I'd tried all the fancy crank baits without any luck so sticking to what I know from my fresh water luring stuck a free-lined slug-go rigged on an offset worm hook on.

I cast into the boiling white water and after a few turns of the reel there was a wrenching take. What followed was undoubtedly the best fight I have ever had from a fish of this size. The fish went on several blistering runs and repeatedly turned and shot off as I tried to net it. After half a dozen goes and some anxious moments I finally slipped the net under it. Not a monster, but one of the most satisfying catches in my life and a fourth new species.

The washing machine water that gave up my fish.

Thursday was a washout with the extreme winds and lashing rain making the rocks a pretty unpleasant, and at times dangerous, place to be and the fishing nigh on impossible using light lure tackle. I was hoping to catch wrasse but after an hour, and despite a few follows from good fish to small paddle tailed shads, I retreated to safer ground.

Friday saw a complete change in the weather with very light winds and warm sunshine, it would be hard to find any two more contrasting, consecutive days!

We spent a few hours catching small fish under our feet on the LRF set ups. I added more small Pollack to the weeks catch.