Any questions: russ@reelfoto.demon.co.uk
This is the time when the fish feel much more confident about moving into the shallower water on the beaches, when they hunt in the undertow a rod length or two from the rocks and boulders. In the quiet of dusk you will often find fish behind you when wading a shadow danced cove or estuary………… we frequently lose sight of the fact that fish are truly wild creatures which observe no timetable other than their own.With a little experience it is often a logical step to work out where the predatory fish are going to be waiting in ambush for the shoals of sandeel to come swimming by as the tide changes. Or where the prawn or crab are going to be dislodged by a swirling surf, but unless you think of it, the logic of the situation will be wasted. Why else do brain-dead beachcasters fire baits three, four hundred feet out into a surf when the fish are under their feet?One of the most cunning presentations after dark is to fish a prawn or sandeel under a float, so that the bait is floated past the point where the fish are waiting in ambush. The problem is, how do you see the float in the pitch dark, how you detect that palpitating moment when a fish takes the bait?Like a good many other things, it is not difficult, it is just knowing how to do it.Rig your float with a bead and sliding stop then with some Selotape securely tape a couple of small activated Starlight’s to the top of the float. You will be amazed at the distance that these starlights can be seen at after dark, and the clear and dramatic indication of a bite as a fish pulls the float under.Don’t be frightened to use tougher tackle after dark, you will find the average size of fish caught will increase dramatically.
Any questions: russ@reelfoto.demon.co.uk