Southwest Sea Fishing Blog

I was looking at heading deeper into Cornwall for this session, but with the weather being so hit and miss recently - and flitting from sunshine to rain quicker than I can switch rigs - instead I decided to fish closer to home and revisit Mount Batten Breakwater, Plymstock.

A strong westerly isn’t ideal for fishing this particular breakwater since it comes right across the approaches and hits smack bang on the end of the pier, but seeing as fishing off the sides, north and south, can still be quite productive I went anyway. Today I Fished the outgoing tide from top to bottom.

Even in the time it took me to walk up to the end of the breakwater I must have counted at least 3 small Pollack being brought in by other anglers, it looked promising and I couldn’t wait to get in the water.

I fished the north side (facing Sutton Harbour) first, and dropped a big bait out onto the sand in the hope of a dog. I let that sit there whilst I set up my lighter gear for Pollack and mackerel.

Retrieving over the rocks with a small ball weight and rag took a Pollack every few casts, although they were absolutely tiny. Still, a fish is a fish! After a while I switched rigs and fished just off the bottom instead, again with rag, in the hope of a wrasse to bring my species to 2. It just wasn’t happening though – I couldn’t catch a wrasse to save my life. I guess if I was uber-keen on catching one I should have gone back down to the beginning of the breakwater on the southside where you have all the patchy rocks, kelp and sand. But instead I stuck up the top end where I could keep an eye on my doggie rig (which, incidentally, didn’t get touched all day).

Other folks kept pulling the Pollack in (mainly on rag and small lures), and I kept scratching near the rocks – but only up until I saw the first glint of a mackerel break the surface on a nother guy’s line. Yep – the mackerel were in! That was the first one I’d seen from the Plymouth shore this year, and what a sight it was.

Naturally, I quickly changed over to a float rig with mackerel strip in the hope of seeing a second greeny-white flash, but after a while I came to the conclusion that that particular mackerel’s GPS had failed him and he was a one off. Plenty of folks were now trying for the mackies – either spinning, floating or feathering – but no more were to be seen.

I kept a float out about 30 yards off the south-western tip of the pier just in case, but still no joy with the Mackerel or Gars. Surprisingly though, the float did still get a bit of attention – from a good sized Pollack this time, high in the water and on mackerel.

I started fishing closer to the rocks with larger mackerel strips in the hope that this was going to sort out the bigger Pollack from the small, but all it proved is that the horde of smaller Pollack around the edge of the breakwater would also take the float fished mackerel strip as easily as they did the ragworm!

Pollack, Pollack, and more Pollack was to be the theme for the remainder of the day, but you can hardly grumble at that!

After the rather dismal fishing session along the Plymouth Foreshore a few days ago, I decided this time to fish Hopes Nose, Torquay, instead. I really wasn’t up for blanking twice in a row and thought Hopes Nose would be the most likely place I would see a dramatic change in fortune.

Today, I’d be fishing the tide up and then back down for an hour. With the sun out and the sea relatively calm, the only thing I could see hampering proceedings slighty was the stiff South-easterly breeze hovering around the 20mph mark. Still, the beauty of fishing at Hopes Nose is that there is usually at least one mark around the old limestone quarry where you can shelter from the wind. Hope Cove would be perfect, however Hope Cove was pretty full. So instead I chose to fish the high ground and cower from the bracing wind between casts!

Fishing alongside me was a local guy - a real Hopes Nose regular – who was having a punt at the Plaice which apparently were now in on the sandy bank beyond the snaggy reef. I thought it too good a chance to pass up, my first Plaice of the season, so I dug out a wishbone with all the beads, bells, buzzers and whistles, loaded it with line-fed and head hooked rag, and lobbed it out as far as my puny arms would allow.

For some reason I felt pretty hopeful for a flattie, but nothing materialised – for either of us. We both must have been fishing for them for about 4 hours yet nothing showed, not even a dog. Inevitably, as is my way, I got a bit bored and went for something else. Fair play to the guy next to me though, he stuck at it all session (unfortunately with no joy). So, no Plaice on the bank today, or at least none that we were able to catch. I did get a starfish though...

I packed up and moved round to sandy point and tried for a few Wrasse and Pollack over the rocks. I used my favourite paternoster scratching rigs right down the wall with no luck, then switched to retrieveing rag over the rocks – again, nothing. I flicked out a float with mackerel strip and then worm, and then both – but still no interest. Incredible. Quickly losing faith in my ability I switched to baited feathers and tried at all ranged tight to the rough ground. Not a sausage. Anyhow, by this time the wind had picked up further and was really starting to bite so I went back round the point to Hope Cove in search of something else.

Whilst I had been freezing around the corner, a few folks had packed up and left Hope Cove, so I got a spot there. Nothing in the way of Pollack or Wrasse, and no dogs on the sand, but thankfully I did manage to pick up a couple of mackerel and avoid the blank! (oh, and I found those bloody lobster pots a couple of times - I can't believe how close they drop them.)

I left a big bait out while I continued to spin for mackerel, but each time I reeled in it was completely untouched. Even the crabs weren’t interested.

As we came up to high slack water the mackerel returned with a vengeance – they were everywhere. With just two of us left at the Cove we chatted and spun and, well, were kept busy enough until we both had bait for the next session and dinner sorted. So, far from a wasted day (but when is a day fishing ever wasted day?)

If I had to sum up Hopes Nose today, it would have to be: “nice pegs, shame about the Plaice.”