fishing Dartmouth sea angling Devon uk charter boat shore plaice turbot bass river dart |
SO YOU WANT TO CATCH A DARTMOUTH PLAICE?
|
Mike Concannon |
|
fishing Dartmouth sea angling Devon uk charter boat shore plaice turbot bass river dart |
SO YOU WANT TO CATCH A DARTMOUTH PLAICE?
|
|
Mike Concannon |
| It was back in the 1960s when the
vocalist P.J. Proby immortalised the words of the popular song,
"There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us"......... So now
you want one too! We'll try to point you in the right direction
............. Regular visitors will know that Dartmouth is renowned for the excellent Plaice fishing on the "Skerries Banks" in Start Bay, which commence at their eastern extremity, just inside and west of the "Skerries Bell Buoy", about 4.2 nautical miles due south south west from Dartmouth. It is possible to catch good "flatties" there throughout the year, although for the top results, you will need to pick the best tide.
The majority of the plaice fishing is done from a boat, while freely drifting on the tide along the edges of the banks, where the shingle falls off into deeper water. This permits the use of lightweight tackle, with sinkers of just a couple of ounces. It allows the average sized Plaice to give a good account of itself when hooked.
Some anglers prefer to fish at anchor, allowing their lines to be carried by the flow back towards the edge of the bank. This can be very productive, but requires substantial weight as the tide begins to run harder, in order to keep the bait nailed to the sea bed.
Fishing at anchor, on a clearly identified feature such as a submerged sand bank, using large baits comprising such delicacies as Mussel or Razorfish, secured by shearing elastic on a hook which may be as large as size 3/0, nailed to the bottom by lead weights which can be as heavy as 1 Kg, in the bigger tides in excess of 5 metres, tends to produce the largest fish. This is a game for the angler with patience, who may spend an entire day without catching a single fish, but the fewer fish that it yields will often prove to be extraordinary. An excellent compromise can sometimes be fruitful and still allow the effective use of light tackle. That is to fish at anchor near the turn of the tide, then revert to drifting as the tide flows more strongly.
In 2002, I have tried fishing, with quite a degree of success, at anchor using an uptide rig. It allows you to fish lighter "gripper" leads in water up to perhaps 50 feet in depth, from an anchored boat. A rod of about 9 feet 6 inches, capable of casting a gripper lead in the 6 to 8 ounce range is ideal, allied to a multiplier reel loaded with 15 lb b.s. mono. You thread your shock leader through a sliding lead link, followed by a bead & swivel, to which you attach a short hook length and 1/0 hook. You cast your terminal tackle uptide, away from your anchored boat, which allows you to explore more of the sea bed. As your lead is cast, you let out a very large loop of your main line, on which the tide can exert great force and which pulls the wires on your relatively light gripper lead into the bottom. When you see a bite on your rod tip, which can show as a nod, or sometimes a drop back bite, you reel in the slack to set the hook into the fish against the weight of the lead.
If you can't hold bottom with your offering, then you will not catch Plaice, because that's where they live and feed. Tides, Winds & Weather Too little tide and the bait moves too slowly to be attractive - too much flow and the bait has whizzed past the waiting fish before they have time to grab it! The perfect tides seem to be anything between 3.8 and 4.6 metres. It may sound very little to many of you where tidal ranges can hit as much as 10 metres, but off Dartmouth our biggest spring tides of the year are only a little over 5 metres. It is best to avoid a wind direction with any east in it. An easterly wind, even a light one, seems to quickly build a "Channel Chop" which turns the Plaice off the feed.
It is probably due to excessive particles of sand being stirred up into the water, irritating the fishes' gills. It may be related to barometric pressure which the fish sense via their lateral line. Easterly winds are often associated with pressure troughs and resulting turbulent seas over the shallow banks. Whatever the reason, the old saying certainly holds true, "When the wind's in the east, the fish are least." Plaice are voracious predators and lie just behind the edges of the banks, waiting for the tide race to bring them copious small sand-eel as a ready food source. It's the marine equivalent of "fast food". Charter, or Own Boat At the risk of stating the obvious, fishing on the Skerries has to be from a boat. There are a number of excellent charter boats plying out of Dartmouth. You can find details of all of them on the "Charter Boats" page on this web site.
Lloyd Saunders, charters his 40 foot Aquastar "Saltwind of Dart". Lloyd is one of the better known "Plaice" hunters. Why not buy a copy of the popular "Plaice Fishing" video, produced by Liam Dale, which is readily obtainable via any good tackle store, or direct from Hyperactive Films Ltd, on 01549 844933. You will see Lloyd, together with the well known angling journalist Dave Lewis and several pals, starring in the video and showing how it is done. I really enjoy fishing the banks from my own small boat "Smokin' Bloata" as it gives me the freedom to fish the shallow multiple banks at the western extremity of the Skerries, just inside Start Point, about 9 miles from Dartmouth.
These can be treacherous waters, with "stopper waves" generated by fast tidal flows surging up from deeper water. On a low spring tide, you can sometimes be in as little as 6 feet of water. If you have your own small boat, and have little prior knowledge of these waters, choose a calm day and follow the majority of others until you know where you are going and the location of the best marks. If you haven't already got electronic navigation aids on your own boat, you will almost certainly need them to hit the best spots. A GPS chart plotter and a good fish finder make the task very much simpler. A more basic GPS navigator, or even a magnetic compass, can also help you to get safely back to harbour in the event of sudden fog or mist, but you must remember to enter some sensible waypoints during your trip out to the banks, to guide your return. Tackle You will already have gathered from my various articles that my personal preference is for light tackle, as it provides the best sport. Rods My usual rig consists of a 6lb test curve boat rod with a soft tip that lets you clearly spot bites. Rods over 12lb test curve tend to be too heavy and unresponsive, when drift fishing, particularly as, dependant on your choice of line and the tidal race, you will only be using, weights between 1 and 4 ounces. I like my boat rod to be between 7 and 8 feet
long. Very short rods are uncomfortable when landing fish on a long
terminal trace. If the rod is too long, it can be inconvenient
to handle aboard a small boat.
I have used rods as long as 11ft 6ins from a large boat to good effect, particularly when fishing unusually long traces. A good sized Plaice, hooked on a light carp rod can provide great fun. If you decide that you are going to do most of your fishing at anchor, then you will require a heavier rod. I have a boat rod of 12 to 30lbs test curve, which is excellent when retrieving lead weights of up to 2 lbs, though as I said, that is not my favourite way of doing things. Line - Mono or Braid? Many anglers swear by nylon monofilament of about 15lbs b.s. They claim that the inherent stretch in such lines gives a good cushioning effect and reduces the feedback to the rod tip as the sinker traverses the ripples across the sandy bottom. About 3 years ago, I went out on
a charter trip from Dartmouth, armed with a 6lb rod and 10lb "Spiderwire"
braid line. I recall the skipper telling me it would be no use for
Plaice fishing because there was no "give" in it and it would feel too
sensitive to distinguish bites from bottom bounce.
I proved him wrong, I out-fished the other half dozen fellow anglers aboard for the trip. I caught the most Plaice and the biggest fish of the day. I admit to feeling quite smug at the time!
I have used "Spiderwire" of between 10 and 14.5lb b.s.
on many trips since then. I also regularly use "Berkley" braid and
rate that very highly. The advantage of either is that the diameter
of 12lb braid is equivalent to about 3lb mono. The reduced water
resistance lets you use lighter sinkers.
Using braid, you will feel every "false bite" as your weight drags across the undulating sea bed. At first you will be very excited, believing you are feeling constant tugs from hungry fish. When you do feel a genuine bite, you will realise the unmistakable difference and quickly learn to distinguish the real "tap tap" from the false rhythmic "bounce bounce". The minimal stretch in braid will let you easily set a hook at distance. but more of that later.
I now tip my braid reel line with about 20 feet of 10 to 15lb mono. This gives the best of both worlds. It absorbs the abrasion created when it is dragged across a sea bed composed of shingle and shell. It reintroduces a slight degree of cushioning. You can change this tip regularly at the first sign of wear and it is less expensive than braid. Mono is stiffer when passed through bottom tackle which will probably include a running boom. Get Knotted Whenever you join mono to braid, you must use a strong and suitable knot. I recommend a "Double Grinner" knot, (descriptions of how to tie it can be found in many popular angling publications), with 10 turns of the braid around the mono and 6 turns of mono around the braid.
The secret of this knot is to use plenty of spit to lubricate it. Loosely tighten the two halves of the knot and gently snug them together before finally pulling them tight. Be careful, you can strip the surface off the braid if you over-tighten it and that will substantially weaken it. Practice this knot at home in comfort until you can tie it well.
The grinner knot also serves you well when tying braid or fluorocarbon to swivels, or fluorocarbon tippets to hooks. Reels Any reliable reel will do the job. It matters little whether you favour a "fixed spool", or "multiplier". I favour a multiplier, if only because it is easier to control line when letting line out, the importance of which will become apparent later. I use an Abu "Morum" 6600 model, which is at the top end of the Abu range. You could just as well use one of the Shimano "Calcutta" and "Charter Special", or Penn ranges. There are some excellent economy models available from companies such as Okuma and Shakespeare. I like the "Morum", because it is engineered like a battle tank from a single block of aluminium. Its level wind, lays the line evenly across the spool. It has the added advantage of a thumb operated pad which conveniently releases the spool to let line out. It was originally designed as a multiplier reel for casting lures to sea trout and salmon in the rivers of Scandinavia, but it is perfect for our intended purpose. Terminal Tackle First, put a large plastic bead onto your reel line, this prevents the tackle being pulled into the tip eye of the rod, which can break the ring liner (if it has one), and ruin your day out. Next pass your line through a lightweight boom or running link, to which your main sinker can be attached via a clip fitting, to allow quick and trouble free weight changes as the tide flow fluctuates. The most effective weight is a "watch lead" pattern. It kicks up spurts of sand as it drags across the bottom, which excites and attracts the plaice to see what is causing it. After that, pass the line through a small bead and tie on a small but good quality swivel, using a 6 turn grinner knot, or a tucked blood knot. Cheap poorly constructed swivels are not sufficiently free running to prevent line twist. The bead prevents the knot jamming in the end of the sliding boom and reduces the likelihood of the weight and boom damaging the knot. To the other end of the swivel, tie your hook length. I have found that fluorocarbon of about 10lbs b.s. is perfect for all conditions. It has a refractive index close to that of water and is therefore almost invisible. If the water contains plankton or sand particles, plain mono will work just as well, but seems to be a disadvantage when the water is clear. I favour a hook length of between 7 and 10 feet total length. I often insert another swivel in the middle of this hook length as the hook bait will rotate in the tidal flow imparting twists and this additional swivel minimises that effect. I often use 10lb mono above this mid-trace swivel and 10 lb fluorocarbon below it, through to the hook. Quite often I place a half ounce drilled bullet lead above this mid-trace swivel and thread a single small bead onto this trace, below the lead. This will ensure the trace really is nailed to the bottom. I'll return to the use of second hooks on a flyer, together with coloured beads, rattlers, spoons, worm stops and other attractors in a moment, but first, let's talk about the hook. Hooks For general use a good quality long shank wire Aberdeen hook - size 1/0 will be just fine. Avoid cheap hooks which are too soft and can easily straighten. The bright red coloured "Mustad" brand long shank hooks which are made from very fine but strong wire are excellent. They have a needle sharp point and are easy to bait. The major disadvantage is that Plaice are greedy feeders and often gulp traditional Aberdeen hooks deep inside. My favourite is the "Circle"
pattern hook in size 1/0 or 2/0, which was originally developed for
commercial longline fishermen. These are less convenient to bait
with worm, but have the considerable advantage that more often than not,
they result in fish being cleanly hooked in the scissors of their jaw.
Excellent models are produced by "Eagle Claw", "Owner Mutu", and "Gamakatsu".
All work extremely efficiently and reportedly give a hook-up rate some 80%
higher than traditional designs.
We will discuss the differences in fishing the various hook styles later in this article. Bait Stops Even when fishing a plain hook on a trace without fancy spoons and attractors, I usually put a moveable stopper knot just above the hook, similarly to those used on shore fishing rigs. I find the simplest method is to thread the line twice through a short length - say about 4mm of small diameter, fine silicone tube. If you prefer it, you could use a wrap of fine telephone wire. Below this I put on a single small bead. The luminous green oval ones work well, as they can prove to be an extra attractor. I then thread a single sequin onto the line, immediately above the hook. This prevents baits from working their way up the trace from the hook. Bait The best bait is whatever the fish fancy on the particular occasion! So, take an assortment with you and don't be afraid to experiment. Ragworm - Lugworm (live or frozen) - Mussel - Peeler Crab - Hermit Crab Tail - Mackerel Strip - Cockle - Razor Fish - Cuttlefish - Squid Strip - and Sandeel or Launce, alive or a filleted strip from a dead one will all work at different times. I have even caught Plaice on a strip of cooked chicken skin when I ran out of traditional bait! My favourite all-round bait is a cocktail of ragworm, followed by a piece of lugworm, tipped off by a sliver of squid, which will move enticingly in the tide. I prefer the lug to be a couple of days old, so that it is starting to "blow" and smell. Flatties seem to love it that way.
People have said to me, why don't you just use sandeel, if that is their normal diet? Believe me, we've tried that and yes, it does work, but fish are like kids, they prefer a juicy fruit sundae to plain old bread and butter. Exotic baits seem to work better. It is interesting to note that the guy who won the shore prize at last year's Dartmouth Plaice Festival later told me that he had applied "X - Factor" a commercially available bait enhancer, which the manufacturers claim contains pheromones, to his baits. This obviously worked for him and the fish. Additional hooks on flyers The disadvantage is that they can create additional spin on the trace, resulting in a tangle that impedes your fishing on that particular drift. Their clear advantage is that they allow you to fish a greater variety of baits on a single rod. They permit more scent and juices to flow into the water, alerting the fish and doubling your chance of a hook up.
If you're going to use them, keep the snood short and of heavier trace material, so it stands clear of the main trace. You can tie them directly to the 90 degree link of a standard three-way swivel, just a little way, say no more than 18 inches, above the main hook. A better solution is to tie them to one of those three way swivels sold by Veale's Mail Order, that are constructed as a complete two way swivel which rotates around the link of another two way swivel. These will minimise line twist resulting from a flyer rig. Attractors - beads - sequins - rattlers & spoons Many anglers will not drop a line into the water when in pursuit of Plaice, without festooning the hook trace with all manner of beads, spoons, sequins and rattlers. I sometimes use such attractors. I believe that when the water is at all coloured, their flash can excite the fish, which as you have already learned are fierce predatory ambush hunters, teasing them into a frenzy.
Two years ago, I fished the Dartmouth Plaice Festival from a charter boat. One of the guys had beads, interspaced with red sequins just above his hook. He caught about 3 fish to every one of the other anglers. He joked that he would sell us red sequins at £5 each. At least I think he was joking? I've fished both with and without attractors and generally now fish a long trace with a minimal number of sequins and beads just above the hook. In clear conditions, I find them unnecessary, though they are undoubtedly a help in lightly clouded water.
Just as a silly aside, I went shopping with my Daughter in a store in Reading. I was attracted to the wide variety, shapes and colours of sequins and beads on sale in a material shop where she was browsing. I selected several packs as they were far less expensive and identical to those sold in tackle stores. When I went to pay, the assistant enquired why, as a man, I wanted them? Before I could say a word, my Wife, who was also with us, blurted out, "Oh, he's a cross dresser." My Daughter looked shocked at this sudden revelation and the assistant moved one pace further away from me! I paid and quickly left. Fishing Technique The basic method when drifting, is to gently lower your terminal rig slowly to the bottom, ensuring the long trace does not tangle around the main line as it sinks through the water. You must feel the line with your fingertips to be certain your weight is on the sea bed. It is essential that it is not swept up from the sea floor by water resistance as your boat drifts, or the tide puts weight on your line when at anchor. On occasions, a small Plaice of only a pound and a half will strip line against the ratchet of an unattended rod. At other times, the bite will be no more than a gentle double pull. The fiercer bites tend to happen when conditions are good, the Plaice are feeding well and competing with one another for available food.
Lesson one, do not immediately strike at a bite. All you will do is pull the bait away from the fish. Quite often, what you felt was the Plaice grabbing at the waving tail of a squid tippet or worm. You must give line, perhaps 5 or 10 yards, depending on the speed of your drift, so the Plaice has time to inspect and take the bait into its mouth. Frequently you will have to give line on two or three occasions, until you feel the weight of the Plaice come onto your line. This is the point when you set your hook. If you are fishing a conventional Aberdeen style hook, you strike to set the point. It is the period of waiting for the Plaice to take the bait well inside its mouth that can result in a lot of deeply hooked fish when using traditional hooks. If you are fishing a Circle pattern hook, tactics are a little different. When you feel the weight come onto the line, you just gently tighten by pointing your rod tip down the line and then smoothly lift it without the jerky action of a conventional strike. This causes the fish to realise the hook and bait is attached to something. The fish will turn away to the side as it tries to spit the bait from its mouth. As it does so, the inward angled sharp point prevents the hook catching deep in the fish, but as it is leaving its mouth, against a sideways turning movement, it inevitably hooks the Plaice in the scissors of its jaw. Believe me, they really do work well. Make use of a landing net to lift your fish from the water alongside the boat. It is not unknown for flatties to hang on to the bait, without actually getting hooked! Catch & release Last, but certainly not least, please return any fish you do not want for your own table to the water with the minimum of fuss and delay. They will be there to be caught again another day. If you respect wild fish and conserve them with care, there will be stocks for our sons and daughters to catch in future years. Plaice do make exceptionally good eating, but don't be greedy. One afternoon late last August, my Wife Patsy and I caught 14 plaice. We returned 6 good fish unharmed to the water. We kept 8 as we had friends visiting for that weekend. The 8 fish we kept totalled more than 24 pounds! A final thought At Dartmouth, we do not often capture the huge Plaice that present themselves off Weymouth on the Shambles banks. Ours are medium sized fish, but they are there the year round. The largest Plaice to be brought into Dartmouth last year by an angler weighed a magnificent 6lbs 4ozs 12dr. It was caught on the 19th May, by David Pakes, who was fishing an unmarked wreck, some 15 miles off Dartmouth. He was using a whole fish bait on 30lb class tackle rigged for conger and ling. As he retrieved his line, he saw the outline of a large flat fish. He initially thought it was a Turbot, until it broke surface, when he could see that it was a large Plaice in prime condition. Now that is not the usual "method" - so what do I really know about catching Plaice? |
