Norman
Well-known member
It has to pick up somtime was the thought ....... 
So, with Tony off on an outdoor weekend with friends and family I was left with the decision , ..... do I ? or don't I ? what with all the unfavourable reports of late maybe it was better just to have a lazy day off and wait until things get better and stories of good catches start flooding in ...............
but nah, that would just be negative it's I, me, that needs to help make the reports to coax others into giving it a go so with that in mind it was up and out early, but not too early, this morning.
Apologies at this point to all those I did not invite out today but would normally have done, its hard enough to take a day out when it's "just not happening" but to invite guests only to have them spend the day without fish is difficult and more than I really want to go through, so until they arrive ...... sit tight my friends
Off this morning then to suit the tide at 7.00am with low being at 8.00am I decided to fish a full tide up -- solo --
met up with Tony and Mistress on the fuel pontoon (that doesn't sound quite right somehow, but I'm sure you know what I mean) with a full squad of keen anglers itching to fill their bags.
Then it was off, out to sea running up the flattest River Tyne I've seen in ages.
Seems this sudden spell of good weather has got to many people as the river at 7.30am was surprisingly busy with small boats, all heading one way ... out to sea.
I headed for my first port of call a small wreck not too far out that has yielded good the past few years, and within 20 seconds of hitting the bottom pulled into my first codling of the day (on a humble hokkai).
with a quick despatch and re-drop down I was into my second a few minutes later on the next drift. This was a little smaller at about 2lb so with 2 codling in a few minutes I decided it was going to be a bumper day so released the second smaller fish.
A little wait about 10 minutes or so seen the third codling, again a small fish of probably under 2lb so once again this was released .........
To say I was ecstatic at this point was an understatement with three fish in the first 15 minutes ... whoooo hoo thats it they've started, the April spring run is here now in May ... .... but hold on I got only one in the box at about 3lb 
... but no worries they're here in their number I'll soon fill the box
errrm, it went a bit quiet after that ..... no more bites on this wreck so I moved on ....... and on ....... and on... no worries 
be cool
Anyway at 10 mile out or so with a decent fish in the box and a few returned its time I'm sure to try a few tricks ..... slinky shad test time ... (I had sneaked a drift in earlier with no result but won't mention that )
Off she went a Slinky Medium Shad deep blue in colour down to the depths of Wreck Number 58 ............ I think she may have been taken before touchdown ... BANG !!! what a fight (or it seemed anyway in these hard times) and up to the surface came the first true Slinky Shad caught fish, a cool hard fighting ling of about 3-4 lbs with a typical shad, in the scissors, caught fish.
To say I'm happy is a way way understatement wheee hee
Well the day went on and the fish do seem to have arrived, but not yet in great numbers,(and I got a codling on an orange slinky shad - well kinda) but it did feel good out there today with nips and tugs, bites and snags here and there all day.
Came back on the top of the tide with 4 cod keepers and a small ling, at least it IS going to be fish and chips for tea tonight .........
lets hope this is the start of the season.
A few pictures of the day, unfortunately simply fish as I was on my own, but still its good to see in picture format ......
the start of the day with Slinky Kate at the fuel up and Mistress with a full compliment of anglers ...
The first of the day 20 seconds into the fishing mode .......
The first ever Slinky Shad caught Fish .....
Maybe a bit unusual but an Orange Slinky Shad capture (something must have lured the fish that way )
And just for Steve (Sixfoot) in case he's watching in .. ....... one of his
The usual end, and I know I've shown similar pictures before but it really is such a great relief to be able to show again ... frying tonight
cheers for reading
norm
So, with Tony off on an outdoor weekend with friends and family I was left with the decision , ..... do I ? or don't I ? what with all the unfavourable reports of late maybe it was better just to have a lazy day off and wait until things get better and stories of good catches start flooding in ...............
but nah, that would just be negative it's I, me, that needs to help make the reports to coax others into giving it a go
so with that in mind it was up and out early, but not too early, this morning.Apologies at this point to all those I did not invite out today but would normally have done, its hard enough to take a day out when it's "just not happening" but to invite guests only to have them spend the day without fish is difficult and more than I really want to go through, so until they arrive ...... sit tight my friends
Off this morning then to suit the tide at 7.00am with low being at 8.00am I decided to fish a full tide up -- solo --
met up with Tony and Mistress on the fuel pontoon (that doesn't sound quite right somehow, but I'm sure you know what I mean) with a full squad of keen anglers itching to fill their bags.
Then it was off, out to sea running up the flattest River Tyne I've seen in ages.
Seems this sudden spell of good weather has got to many people as the river at 7.30am was surprisingly busy with small boats, all heading one way ...
out to sea.I headed for my first port of call a small wreck not too far out that has yielded good the past few years, and within 20 seconds of hitting the bottom pulled into my first codling of the day (on a humble hokkai).
with a quick despatch and re-drop down I was into my second a few minutes later on the next drift. This was a little smaller at about 2lb so with 2 codling in a few minutes I decided it was going to be a bumper day so released the second smaller fish.
A little wait about 10 minutes or so seen the third codling, again a small fish of probably under 2lb so once again this was released .........
To say I was ecstatic at this point was an understatement
with three fish in the first 15 minutes ... whoooo hoo thats it they've started, the April spring run is here now in May ... .... but hold on I got only one in the box at about 3lb ... but no worries they're here in their number I'll soon fill the box errrm, it went a bit quiet after that ..... no more bites on this wreck so I moved on ....... and on ....... and on...
no worries be cool Anyway at 10 mile out or so with a decent fish in the box and a few returned its time I'm sure to try a few tricks ..... slinky shad test time ... (I had sneaked a drift in earlier with no result but won't mention that
)Off she went a Slinky Medium Shad deep blue in colour down to the depths of Wreck Number 58 ............
I think she may have been taken before touchdown ... BANG !!! what a fight (or it seemed anyway in these hard times) and up to the surface came the first true Slinky Shad caught fish, a cool hard fighting ling of about 3-4 lbs with a typical shad, in the scissors, caught fish.To say I'm happy is a way way understatement
wheee hee Well the day went on and the fish do seem to have arrived, but not yet in great numbers,(and I got a codling on an orange slinky shad - well kinda) but it did feel good out there today with nips and tugs, bites and snags here and there all day.
Came back on the top of the tide with 4 cod keepers and a small ling, at least it IS going to be fish and chips for tea tonight .........
lets hope this is the start of the season.
A few pictures of the day, unfortunately simply fish as I was on my own, but still its good to see in picture format ......
the start of the day with Slinky Kate at the fuel up and Mistress with a full compliment of anglers ...
The first of the day 20 seconds into the fishing mode .......
The first ever Slinky Shad caught Fish .....
Maybe a bit unusual but an Orange Slinky Shad capture (something must have lured the fish that way
)
And just for Steve (Sixfoot) in case he's watching in ..
....... one of his 
The usual end, and I know I've shown similar pictures before but it really is such a great relief to be able to show again ...
frying tonight 
cheers for reading
norm
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