Sunday saw Neil and myself fishing together for the first time in two months, with the Isles of Scilly enjoying some fantastic weather (finally a proper summer) it has made for a largely frustrating time when it came to finding the time to meet up and fish! I shouldn't complain as it will be the winter soon enough when the islands become a rather different place when all the holiday makers have disappeared.
Catching the Jet boat over to Bryher with the local vicar I was tempted to ask for some help from him upstairs to boost our catches such was my confidence in the dire weather an east wind and such a small tide! But Neil had a completely different opinion and was confident that ''todays gonna be a good day, I don't know why, it just is!!''
There was a little swell moving around but with the easterly winds it meant the sea was gin clear and the ground was looking very fishy. Tackling up with my 7'7'' Century Vectura-Ti I decided to fish a slightly heavier cone weight of 13g to counter the swell, Neil on the other hand was christening his new baitcaster combo and chose to fish with a 7g. Both of us rigged up Yoshikawa superworms in watermelon and almost straight away the wrasse were nailing them! Action was frantic but the majority of the wrasse were 2.5lbs and under but were scrapping well despite their lack of size.
We both said that there had to be bigger fish out there and next cast Neil 's baitcaster bent over and a better sized wrasse was doing its best to test the new outfit. Slipping the net under the near 5lb fish cheered us both up.
We rather hoped that would be the start of the better sized wrasse coming into the bay but still the small wrasse were nailing the lures first. A change of lures to the black Yoshikawa Superworm resulted in several slightly better fish.
Next cast I decided to put a little further out and BANG, instantly I shouted to Neil that this was a beast, the Vectura was hooped over as the wrasse tried its best to head towards the reef to our left. Side strain applied I managed to turn the wrasse. There is no point in letting a good wrasse take line as the fight can and will be lost in the first few moments with a loose drag! Its hit and hold em to get them up and away from the snags and with this fish hitting me 30 yards out it was anything but subtle!!
I had the wrasse to the surface and coaxed it towards where Neil was waiting with the landing net. Its a 6 Neil shouted excitedly as he lifted the wrasse up!! Pulling the scales down it was indeed a 6 and went 6.6lbs so a new pb as well!!!
It certainly was a chunky brute with an enormous tail that after a few brief moments to regain its strength disappeared back to cause havoc in its haunt!
We fished on hoping for its old man to take our lures but after an hour and with the top of the tide arriving and the small fish still making a nuisance, we decided to make a move.
Another boulder filled bay and with slightly shallower water it again looked fishy. I had a few taps then all hell broke loose as a wrasse hit me that certainly felt heavier than the last beast. Sadly I could do nothing as it rubbed my braid against a reef and was gone! The next few casts and small fish plaguing us Neil had a tap and instantly he knew he too had hooked a big wrasse! Yet again though it did him on a boulder. The look on his face said it all, he was shocked I think you could say! I think there was a few choice words if I remember correctly too!!!
We continued to fish but with the tide ebbing we were starting to loose the depth and could clearly see the extent of the ground we were fishing over. It was brutal ground and the boulders were the size of small cars, we didn't really have a chance landing these big kelp donkeys!! It was frustrating as there was some monster wrasse here, just getting them out was a nightmare!
It was time for one last move to find some slightly deeper water, again the next bay was full of smaller wrasse that were loving the new Ghost Maggot.
Time to head back home, great to be back out on the rocks and it had certainly had its moments with a new pb and a crazy amount of small wrasse. If only we had landed the ones that had smashed us both up!!!
I think Neil was right though, It had been a ''good day''!
