Guethary, SW France 05 - 12 August

[glengormley-gavin]

People: Moi

Duration: 4 sessions for 2 - 3 hours each session

Tide: Filling to High and over

Weather: Sun, sun and more sun

Bait: Squid, whole fresh prawns, cooked mussels, cooked prawns and mack

Rigs: Pulley, single hook clipped and scratching rigs

Results: Ahem :oops: 1 Octopuss


Report:

Was here on holiday last week and brought along the 4 piece PPT Jetstream I bought earlier this year. The wee apartment we were staying in was 5 mins walk from the village harbour which included a small sheltered beach.

RESULT :lol: :lol:

The wife could sunbathe on the beach, I could fish safely from the harbour wall into a choice of rocky ground or clean sand with a light cast.

Session 1
On the Sunday, there was a market in the village, I spied a fish stall so I loaded up with some frsh squid and prawns and then headed down to the harbour. I fished for three hours but nothing caught.

Session 2
On Monday we had to get some grub in from the supermarket so I managed to get some fresh mackeral. I got to the harbour again and managed to land a feckin big Octopuss over the rough ground on mack using a pulley rig. At first I thought it was more weed so I just kept hauling it in. Whem I realised what it was I then began to worry that I had no idea how to handle or unhook the thing. Fortunately I didn't have to worry because I also had no clue how to land the thing so I foolishly let the thing attach itself to a rock which it stuck to like sh1t to a blanket and then freed itself from the hook :( :( The wife was trying to get the camera ready while this was going on, alas - she was too slow to get the pic!!!!!

I think the locals fishing nearby were more annoyed than me because they thought they were getting a free dinner :D :D

Session 3 & 4
Blankety Blank cheque-book and pen........

Most of the locals were using some really foreign (pardon the pun) tactics. Pole fishing in the sea using floats and size 8 or smaller hooks..... A new one on me..... Also a new one on me was their habit of keeping their catch - mostly 10cm or smaller sea bream (dourade). I found that hard to take......

On a separate note - the local seafood was excellent - Moules (mussels), Sardines and especially the Dourade (not the 10cm ones!!!!), all fresh and cooked to perfections - bon appetit!!!

Back to basics now - I'll be up Cushendun direction over the next few days to round off the holidays.....

Jude

[Adam S]

Hi

yup the french and the italians and the spainish etc will keep anything to eat, sandeels, tiny bream and so on. our standard beach tactics dont work to well there i have found.

next time you go bring a match rod, 4lbs line and some wagglers. mash up some bread with water in a bucket and add some fish oil for groundbait and use a size 12-16 hook with some tiny peieces of squid or prawn as bait.

good fun for catching the tiny reef fish all day long to add some new species to your list