A flounderful day

You can't catch all of the fish all of the time but you can catch some of the fish some of the time. My words of wisdom for you today!

I like to get out for my fishing fix at least once a week, whatever the weather or sea conditions are doing. There's always somewhere to try, sometimes you just have to lower your expectations a little when things look tough.

Eclipse day it was and I felt pretty positive that two nights in one day would have the fish feeding in earnest, well I hoped so anyway. On my way to the car I found a five pound note, honestly!.... so I just knew today was to be a good day!

Do not print this off or her majesty will "have you"

I headed up to Blyth in Northumberland to dig some ragworm for bait underneath some old jetties that I know of.  Wild ragworm is a cracking bait and it's so much better than the farmed shop stuff, plus I often just go with the flow and it just seemed like a great idea at the time.  Five years since I last dug bait and wow what a killer! However my beer muscle memory soon came back in regards to the good old garden fork and I was soon whipping those whipper snappers out of the mud like there was no tomorrow!

Then the sky darkened and the eclipse was on, I sat looking up through a hole in the jetty above which framed this spectacle perfectly.  I was absolutely gobsmacked for five minutes and just sat there until this awesome sight was over and when it was all the worries in the world seemed to evaporate with it to.

Bait in the bucket it was now time to hit the beach up at the River Wansbeck near Newbiggin in Northumberland. The sun shone once again after it's mishap with the moon, it was a great day and I caught a flounder, in fact a good few flounder! "Flatty" fishing isn't everyone's cup of tea I know but as I said earlier sometimes you've just got to go with the flow and lower your expectations, it's either that or sit in the house watching Jeremy Kyle and I know what I'd rather be doing!

A cracker to start.

A must have for me when after flounders is a couple of silver sequins above my size1 hooks.  Flounder are naturally inquisitive and just can't resist checking out the silvery flash.  When you see a bite, let it develop a little, even moving your bait a tiny bit. Flounders are suckers for a movement and will pounce immediately. To get the best out of this type of fishing, a sporting combination of rod and reel with braid for mainline is required, ultra light rods are perfect.  

After some decent sport on the beach I moved to the River Wansbeck which the tide was quickly filling bringing the flounder with it. 

The mouth of the Wansbeck is a fantastic location with white sand that squeaks under foot and another angler was already there enjoying the spot and the fishing as I arrived.  He gave me great local knowledge which worked well for both us.  Just drop it in six foot away from the bank he told me, the flounder move along the edge of the channel, practically under your rod tip.  We both had great fun, pulling out small but very pretty fish.  This spot would be fantastic for the ultra light lrf type tackle fisherman.

After my little session on the Wansbeck I returned to the beach for more flounder fun.  So a most enjoyable day in Northumberland and not bad for our normally poor month of March!

Info

Try fishing the beach over low tide and move to the Wansbeck two hours before high tide. Two hook flappers baited with worm, tipped off with a sliver of mackerel is great.  Flounders can be found at any range on the beach but drop close in at the Wansbeck.  If you can't get worm, just mackerel is fine and it's a cheap and easy bait to source.

I do like the odd flounder hunt when times are tough but if this isn't your cup of tea, please stay posted I can guarantee you bigger critters in fantastic locations as spring and summer move on. Tightlines!