C&F Design Line Pallet
Enter the line pallet available in 2 sizes, 19” x 12” with 12 cones and a larger 23” x 17” version with 16 cones. It is effectively a tray which will catch your line, before it hits an obstruction; meanwhile the smooth tapered cones store the coils neatly ready for recasting. I can honestly say that during my recent jaunt to the Emerald Isle that I experienced virtually no tangles. Tangles I can handle in small doses!
The C&F Design Line Pallet is ideal for wading
What really gets me are those annoying little rocks (often sharp!) which not only ruin fly lines but generally decide to trap the running line just as it disappears through the rod rings towards a shoal of decent Bass smashing Sandeel! When I was using the CF Design Line pallet this just did not happen. Within moments of hooking a Bass the line was back on the reel and I was in control. If while attached to a decent fish you have ever tried freeing a line caught by a rock or desperately attempted to remove weed as it drags line down tide then you will understand how important some kind of line tray is!
The C&F Design Line Pallet in Action (Picture by Henry Gilbey)
For years I used the “washing up bowl style” and they do work. Whether homemade from your local DIY store or one of the not inexpensive commercially available versions there is no doubting that they are better than nothing. As for the mesh sort, well I would rather do battle with the rocks. However the bowl style baskets have several major drawbacks. At best they are cumbersome which is not ideal for the nomadic approach to fishing, at worst when moving over rocky ground they can become dangerous. On more than one occasion I have caught my breath as the “bowl” got trapped between my body and a ledge leading to that horrible unbalanced feeling. In deep water this style of stripping basket can also become weighed down by liquid, dangerous and uncomfortable.
The advent of the new C&F design pallet has solved many of these problems. It is so lightweight that it can be strapped to a wading belt and you would hardly know it was there. When travelling a considerable distance the smaller version will pack away in a rucksack quite happily; much safer when covering dangerous territory. Alternatively these pallets can be connected to one’s self ready for a substantial yomp by linking the straps to a D ring or something similar. Either way it is far safer than conventional line trays.
It is even handy for storing a rod while releasing a fish! (Picture by Henry Gilbey)
This is also the case when wading. Two straps attach the tray to a wading belt ready for action, which can be quickly released if required, while a leg strap maintains the pallet in exactly the right location. But this is where it gets clever (yet simple) because when wading in deep water the leg strap can be removed leaving a floating line platform! While in Ireland I was wading out well above my waist and able to manage my line very effectively, even when the water was choppy.
The kidney shaped design moulds perfectly to a leg or waist and be in no doubt that this tray could be just as useful when fishing freshwater. In fact stick a bit of Velcro on the back and I reckon it could even be used in a boat! If I had to make a criticism I found that occasionally the cones dropped out, spares are available and I feel sure that the pallet would work even if some were lost. Personally I glued them into place! I am sure that many would argue that this product is expensive, but so is a fly line and it only takes one nick from a rock to ruin both a fly line and a days fishing. Overall a fantastic product that I look forward to using on my next saltwater fly fishing adventure.
The C&F Design Line Pallet is available in 2 sizes. 19″ x 12″ with 12 cones (£50) and 23″ x 17″ with 16 cones (£60). Click Here for further information
A Fish with Fight
I can’t believe that it has been a week since Henry and I arrived in the Beara Peninsula. Barley Lake was certainly an experience but when I head out to Ireland I can’t help but get excited by the prospect of Pollack. For serious arm aching fun … is there a better fish? For prolific sport … is there a better fish? One thing is for sure, the South West coast of the Emerald Isle has plentiful stocks of this dirty fighter.
Rocks, ledges and deep water. The Pollack are not far away.
My set up consisted of a Hardy Proaxis rod (you have to cast one of these things!) coupled with a Hardy Demon reel. Expensive kit to be thrashing around on the rocks but the Beara Peninsula (Kerry & Dingle) represents the chance to tangle with the fish of a lifetime. During our trip I met one devastated angler who had lost a fish that was well into the backing and then his cheap composite reel jammed. Unable to control the crash diving brute the backing was then sheared off by a submerged ledge. His fishing was over. A decent drag would have helped; carrying a spare line (or two) would have at least got him back up and running. I never go fishing for Pollack without spare lines.
30 seconds of mayhem!
There are various lines out there on the scene which are suitable, you could make up a shooting head for instance with a lead core. But personally I am into the Depthfinder 500 by Airflo for really deep work and I also took a T11 Rio with me. Next time I will also go with a T14. Various streamers, such as a Deceiver are staple saltwater patterns. White, silver and flashy patterns seem an obvious choice and do account for plenty of fish. In fact on a reasonably shallow reef mark, set just off a beach, these patterns were engulfed (and I mean engulfed!) on a regular basis. Awesome sport!
Not big, but huge fun on fly or lightweight lure tackle
This was not the case out on the deep water marks. We were on neap tides and even the lure struggled to regularly pull fish. That said in one session Henry landed 3 fish all over 6lbs, such is the quality of this fishing. All of these fish came to dark lures and unfortunately I had nothing in the fly department suitable at the time. The next day I returned with an old favourite Pike fly tied on a 4/0, jet Black Marabou and a bunch of crystal hair for the tail. That fly worked within 2 casts and I managed several fish to around the 4lb mark. Not huge, but Jesus how hard do those things pull? It’s all go for 30 seconds as a rather angry Pollack crash dives towards the sea bed, doing its best to stick your fly where the sun don’t shine.
Would you want to be a little fish?
This trip has made me think about this species in an entirely different way. To be honest I have always considered them easy, yet I did not hook a really big fish off the shore. The lure did. The fish were obviously there. If I had cast that dark silhouette pattern for more than one session, would I have connected? One thing is certain I will head back to the Beara with an open mind about Pollack, especially after Henry finished our last session off with an 8lb specimen, just look at the size if that eye, captured perfectly in Henrys photograph (see more here).
If you are heading out to Ireland this summer then you could do far worse than hook up with Paul & Anne Harris of Dromagowlane House. A great place to stay with a fine breakfast and Paul also offers to guide anglers to some of the best marks on the Beara. But be warned, bait, lure or fly … once infected by the magic of the Beara Peninsula you won’t want to leave!
Picking & Choosing in Ireland
Since we began stocking a bit of lure tackle at the shop we have had mixed reviews. Opinions seem to range from “why have you got this in a fly shop” (the phrase “going over to the dark side” has been heard being quietly whispered in a corner) through to those who see lure fishing as a method with characteristics not too dissimilar to fly fishing … and are keen to give it a go.
If you fancy targeting Bass with light tackle, then it is the definite way forward. Take a look on the internet and you will find any amount of blogs, forums and general banter related to this exciting form of angling. And I think we fluff chuckers should be taking note. Make no mistake that during my current visit to Ireland I am longing to catch as many fish with the fly as possible. On some marks the fly has even out fished the lure. But there is a “But”. Had I decided to head out early this morning with just fly gear then I would have been in deep trouble.
Henry photographs James Barrys huge Bass caught on lightweight lure tackle
For sure looking out over the coast things looked just perfect, light winds, mixed clouds and sun, just the conditions which produced fish to the fly earlier this week. Arriving at a stunning looking set of ledges I reckon I could have spent around 10 minutes comfortably casting and not with a #8, no it would have required a #10. Soon afterwards I would have been sunk, that is unless I was carrying a lure rod.
Chucking a stunning bit of plastic known as a Feed Shallow with ultra fine braid and a super lightweight 7’ 6” Mazzera lure rod I would love to say that I went on to bag up as the wind steadily increased in strength whipping up a substantial surf. My efforts were rewarded with a follow early in the session but our conclusion was that the drop in pressure and temperature had taken effect, leading to slow fishing.
James Barry with 5 1/2 lbs of Irish Bass
But it’s not just about the fish. I had a thoroughly enjoyable session in the company of James Barry of Absolute Fishing, chatting tactics, weather conditions and hanging on to his every word regarding technique. These guys are just so willing to help. But this session was only possible because I was carrying a lure set up … now is that going to the dark side or plain practical? Fishing is very personal of course and some anglers just love casting flies so much that nothing else will do, but if you are struggling at times to cope with conditions while fly fishing for Bass I urge you … grab yourself a lure set up! I have some thoughts on this subject with regard to the similarity to fly fishing but that is for another blog.
If you are thinking about it, but are not quite convinced then I urge you to head over to Henry Gilbeys blog and check out a simply sublime session that we enjoyed yesterday, Bass maestro James Barry scoring a trio of stunning fish including a double.
Getting in the mix – fly, lure or both?
Last week I was sorting out my fly collection and while doing so happened upon a recently acquired box of lures. Lovely, shiny lures and some that were still in their original packaging! After snapping out of my comatose state (lures seem to have magical powers!) I began to dream about the season ahead, after all its that time of year when we begin making plans.
Cast using modern day lightweight equipment it seems a natural progression to use lure techniques when fly fishing may be difficult or even impossible. Rarely have I been blown off a Pike water with fly but on several occasions I have turned up at a Devon Bass location either to fish myself or guide clients only to find that the wind has effectively stopped play. If we had some lures to hand the outcome may have been very different.
Of course many “fluff chuckers” are so deeply wrapped up with the whole essence of fly fishing that they find the idea of using a fixed spool reel almost blasphemous! This could be connected with the widely held opinion that spinning or worming for Salmon is a poor second best to the art of casting a fly. In part I can understand the thought process behind this, there is nothing like connecting with a fish on fly tackle.
However quite often an angler may choose to spin rather than fly fish for Salmon simply because it is more practical …. in high water conditions for example. This makes great sense to me, after all, we are out there to have fun right? In contrast I have tried to beat the wind during a saltwater fly fishing session by tuning up my double haul, smoothing out loops and even turning to heavier equipment but the simple fact is that in many circumstances (especially very high winds / heavy swell) fly gear just wont cut it. I could spend the day working I guess or head to a freshwater venue but I love the sea, the mystery of not knowing what might grab hold of the bait next and of course the sheer excitement to be found in standing next to a pounding ocean. If I refuse to investigate other opportunities then I am sure that I will I be missing out and that’s no fun! Plus and this is a very important point, I am sure that whatever I learn while lure fishing will help me to become a better saltwater fly angler anyway. What have I got to lose?
Lure fishing kit has also developed to bare a striking resemblance to the lightweight benefits of a fly fishing outfit. The rods are now very short (8′ seems about average), fixed spool reels are silky smooth and the braided line offers the ultimate in sensitivity. Most important of all the lack of overall kit required ensures this is a highly mobile method of fishing making it a natural partner for fly fishing techniques. Am I trying to justify my decision to bring lures into my life? Certainly not, fishing is fishing after all!
If you are a fly fisher reading this and would like to get into lure fishing you could do much worse than check out Henry Gilbeys blog which features lively debate and a wealth of knowledge regarding the subject.
Irish Bass Fishing – Catching the Lure Bug!
Anyone who has ever read Henry Gilbeys blog will know how passionate he is about lure fishing in Ireland. A few years back, in fact almost a decade ago, I travelled to Ireland a few times myself to fish in the company of well known guide John Quinlan. Henry came along on one of those trips in the hope that we would hook a few Bass for his camera. It was a tough week and although we got fish I remember feeling back then that perhaps the fly was not always the best method to target this exciting sport fish.
Granted, there is no doubt that on its day the fly can be truly deadly. But what if the wind is gusting to over 30 miles an hour and the surf is rising to in excess of 3 ft? Add low visibility and there is no doubt that fly anglers will be at a distinct disadvantage when these conditions prevail. Heading back to Ireland with Henry last week there was no doubt that I was hoping for the right kind of weather to allow me to experiment with a bunch of new flies and methods. In reality it was never going to happen …. well, at least not this week!
During his many trips to Ireland I know that Henry has found it invaluable to fish with anglers who know the coastline like the back of their hand enabling fishing over the right place at the right state of tide. One such person is Cian of Absolute Fishing who was certainly getting excited by the prospect of Southerly winds which can turn the fishing on along the Southern Irish coast line, creating the all important “fizz” as he calls it. This highly oxygenated water, crashing in over some of the sexiest Bass features you have ever seen (gullies, weed beds, drop offs and more) can turn the fishing on. A brilliant predator, Bass love the “fizz” and whenever we happened upon yet another brilliant mark I felt that the fish were never far away. However, fishing often boils down to conditions and as the wind whipped up into a series of snorting gales fly fishing became impossible.
I did find some fly action, hooking up a bunch of Pollack (always a great fallback for fly anglers looking for Irish Saltwater action) and also realising a long time ambition to hook up a half decent Wrasse on fly. See more here. But then it struck me. Short, sensitive rods. Mouth watering, silky smooth reels clad with braid. And lures! Lots of lovely, fantastic, shiny, amazing …. Lures! I could feel the kind of buzz I distinctly remember when I first got in to fly fishing.
With brilliant names such as Zonk, Xorus Patchinko or the Jackson Athlete Minnow it is hard not to be drawn into this game. But there is much more to lure fishing than being a tackle tart. What a brilliant method of fishing which has so many similarities that simply must appeal to all but the most ardent of fluff-chuckers. Its highly mobile, the lures have a variety of actions and in many cases it is highly important to “work” the lure with subtle wrist flicks. This is when the specialised rods really kick in, especially when coupled with non stretch braid which offers an unbelievable amount of sensitivity. But best of all this is light tackle fishing which can be enjoyed in conditions which rule fly tactics out.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Henry for taking me along on one of these trips, as this is his chance to get some fishing after a season spent behind a camera rather than a rod. All manner of lavish tackle was thrown my way, plus lures (sorry, I did lose a few!) and I even learned some new knots. I must also extend my thanks to Cian, plus his friends James and Paul who had never met me before and yet offered advice, their time and knowledge to ensure that we had an amazing trip. The fish were not easy to come by, but fishing is not all about catching. Its the experience. I will never forget this week, especially as I have now found lure fishing. In fact tomorrow I head to Chew Valley Lake with good mate Karl from Leeda to fish for Pike and will be my goal to hook one on a lure! Now that’s a first.
