14th November. Just when I thought I was back in the groove as per my last post, I had a run of bad luck; my car was randomly deciding not to start but testing at a couple of garages could find no fault with the battery, starter or charging system. As if that wasn't enough it then started opting for limp-home mode, again diagnostic testing at my usual mechanic and also the Main Dealers failed to find any problem. I now carry a large leisure battery along with my jump leads in case of starting problems and the power loss seems to have sorted itself out (a fill of"iffy" Diesel?). Now that I was confident to head out, my shoulder seized up leaving my right arm hanging at my side. At least the "diagnostics" revealed the cause and after a couple of weeks of physio I was fit for active service. In the meantime I had heard and read several reports of great fishing so I undertook a trial run. My right arm wasn't quite 100% but I could manage to cast after a fashion, well enough to capture a dogfish, a rather skinny 37cm pollack, a large crab and a couple of missed bites before everything went dead, including the car. Out with the leisure battery and jump leads and off we go. Half way up the laneway, the car slid sideways into a groove, no; a rut. I ended up being hauled out by a large 4 wheel drive tractor. How does that Born under a Bad Sign song go, "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all".
21st November. Undeterred by last week's excitement, I headed out for more. First spot gave a little shelter on a fairly unpleasant day though it was due to improve later. 2.5 hours later I hadn't had a bite but the hooks came back stripped each time so with the weather improving I headed for another venue. The wind had eased and a gentle , perhaps too gentle, surf was rolling in as the tide ebbed towards low water. Three hours later and not even a bite to show from either rod; perhaps the flood tide would bring some activity? A series of rattles on the distance rod failed to develop but on retrieving, re-baiting and re-casting I barely had replaced the rod in the rest when it started bouncing and I tightened into something; a dogfish. Better than a blank but only just. Another hour produced nothing more, 6.5 hours fishing for 1 doggie and 1 bite, I'd had enough. There's nothing like a good day's fishing and that's what this was; nothing like a good day's fishing.
28th November. Fishing can't be good all the time, flipping the coin, it can't be bad all the time either so off I went again. I stopped at a supermarket for grub and coffee and also picked up some fresh mackerel fillets, a bit disappointed to see blonde ray wings on sale too. I chose a beach which would have the wind at my back (how often does that happen?) and hopefully a nice surf coming in. Sandeels and mackerel strip were soon heading out near and far(wind assistance contributing significantly) and my shoulder seemed to be back to 100%. Second cast in close produced a decent 37cm flounder which came in without much of a struggle, just as well as the hookhold was quite tenuous. The flounder weighed in at 1lb 3oz. Twenty minutes later another rattle on the close rod resulted in a double of smaller flounder, one of which had taken two baits. No wonder I didn't get a treble shot! A quiet spell lasted about an hour before a small turbot took the mackerel strip very close in. The distance rod was producing nothing (apart from a well polished lead) so I switched it to a 2 hook flapper and cast in close. Another 37cm flounder responded to the change of tactics but this one thrashed and darted about every inch of the way in. Another slightly larger turbot added to the tally, all fish in close and on mackerel strip. Things went very quiet with not a bite for the next two hours so I headed back to the car for a coffee before moving to another spot to try a steeper beach but this gave no return for another 2 hours effort, even darkness failed to help. Today was a genuine pleasure; shoulder recovered, a few decent flounder and the car started first time. Roll on Sunday and the next trip.
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