Sheephaven Bay Beach, 2nd & 3rd Jan 2020

[guernica84]

2nd

I'd hoped to be up at my folks' place much earlier but life got in the way. Anyway, headed to a nearby beach that I'd put some work into sussing out in the Autumn after years of ignoring what was on my doorstep and always travelling. Had results in Autumn albeit quite modest.

Well this was one of the better flounder sessions I've had in quite a while and thanks to the usual pin round fish I was having to fish through in addition, it was probably the most fish I've ever caught on a beach session.

Anyway, pin round fish and plenty of unweighed smaller flounder aside, best flounder was 1lb 13oz, had 1 at 1lb 3oz, 2 at 1lb 2oz and 3 twins at 3/4 lb exactly. Photos are fairly random based on whether or not I had time and dry enough fingers to take one amidst the action.

Good session to kick off the new year, actually decade . Home with a wet sail and already got my thinking cap on in attempt to answer the classic question of "where next"? One more cod trip I hope in Jan. if I can get bait.

3rd

This is a post-script really. What a difference a day makes. Returned for a daylight session hoping the round fish would be absent and I could just get on with the flounders. Well I came over the dunes to that heart-sinking view of something more akin to a tsunami than a surf. Foolishly set up, knew that the previous night's 5oz watch lead would need replaced with a 5oz gripper but even then the sea just laughed at me and washed it back. Moved to one of those trick of the eye spots where the waves look flatter but the surges were just as bad, going way past the HW mark at mid-tide. Soaking, rods and tripod trying to make a swim for it. I toughed it out for ooh, 4-5 hrs (too patient for my own good) and finely gave up biteless as it started to p1ss down. Still, I was high on the previous night's session and TBPH, I didn't care one bit. 

Ta,

G

[guernica84]

Another couple of photos.

[Teegerstk]

Nice report guernica- let's hope a blank early in the year means it's the last you'll see of them for a while.

Question, I noticed the imax coat you have on in one of the pictures. is it the ocean smock or the jacket? I've been considering getting one for a while now

[guernica84]

Ocean Thermo Smock. It's fantastic, will not feel the cold in it. Only criticism is that there are no hip pockets for hand warming which is a bark when you're wearing waders and not trousers with pockets. There is a very large chest pocket for holding things but no use for warming hands.

[MartinC]

Niceley done.. good result on the first and fairplay for sticking out the second..