North Gare 6-2-15

[Settle Simon]

Venue: North Gare, Mouth of the River Tees, south of Seaton Carew.
Date: 6-2-15 Low tide: 11:27pm
Time fished: 9:15pm to 3:00am

Bait used: Frozen black, frozen squid, frozen mackerel, frozen crab legs and claws.

I was sitting at home yesterday afternoon reading the reports in the Angling Addicts forums, and contemplating another night spent at home arguing with my wife about the relative virtues of Katie Price v Katie Hopkins,
V

whilst trying to work out why Keith Chegwin left the band Kenny



before he had chance to go on Top of The Pops and tell us about the "new dance that was going around" whilst urging us to "do the Bump!"
(Although he did of course go on to much greater things )


When I suddenly had a brainwave ..I decided I would go FISHING

So with a little sweet talking (to the wife ), my pass out was agreed. During the next 2 hours, I hastily tied a couple of rigs, sorted out my tackle, packing the car, whilst cooking tea for the family, tidying the kitchen and seeing to my wife's every need (well not quite every need as I needed to keep my strength up for the fishing). then I was ready

At 7:30pm with the car packed, bait retrieved from the freezer, and the house spotlessly clean, I headed east towards Seaton Carew and the North Gare. the car journey took me about an hour, but unfortunately when I arrived at where I wanted to be the two nearest car parks were closed for the night so I ended up parking in Seaton Carew and trekking for half an hour along the beach and dunes to my chosen spot.

For those who do not know, the North Gare is a stone breakwater that juts out into the mouth of the river Tees


As Dabcatcher said in an earlier post, it can be very dangerous, particularly in a big sea, with wave crashing right over the breakwater. However, this time there was only a breeze and the sea was pretty calm, in addition I was fishing over low water, so felt pretty safe. My original plan had been to fish what is known as "Ring of Stones" which is immediately on the south side of North Gare, which would have meant I was fishing on to relatively clean ground (I think?). however, as it was night time and I was pretty knackered after my trek along the beach, I didn't fancy the short trip across the loose boulders in the dark and a night spent tripping and slipping over rocks, so the breakwater it was.

I set up two rods, one with a pennel pulley loaded initially with mackerel and black lug and one with a single smaller hook with just black lug. I cast out and began the wait.


Sorry about the pic quality, but this is the view across the Tees.

I didn't have to wait long as I had a good rattling pull down on the lug. I struck but my line immediately broke. when reeled in the line the end of the line was all frayed (I was using mono) from rubbing on the boulders.

I got set up again and cast out. a couple of other anglers arrived at about 9:50pm and set up next to me. we had a bit of a chat and I had another cracking bite on the lug. this time I struck and was stuck fast, nothing to do but pull for the break. I reset up, this time with a single hook pulley. The gents who had set up next to me explained that the ground off North Gare can be very bouldery and the best tactics is to strike and reel as fast as you can, even if you have a big fish on! This proved to be good, if a little knackering advice.

The next hour and a half down to low water was fairly quiet, with just crabs stripping the hooks. Thankfully, they weren't doing this too quickly on my hooks, but the other two fishing next to me were having their hooks stripped too quickly for their liking so went off to fish the beach just north of North Gare.

I tried various baits, squid, squid stuffed with crab, squid stuffed with lug, lug tipped with mackerel, but nothing much happened until about 12:40am when my pennel rod, which now had a big frozen lug sausage on went crazy. I struck and felt the fish and immediately reeled like mad. the fish kept trying to dive back to safety, but I held on, kept up the reeling and eventually landed a codling of 2lb 4oz



I re-baited and sent out the bait again. About 1:10am my other rod with the single hook pulley and lug had a good pull down and a steady thump thump. I struck and again felt the fish and began reeling like crazy. I eventually landed another codling, just under 3lb (sorry no pick as the battery went flat on my camera whilst I was trying to perfect a scenic night time shot of the lights in the distance across the River Tees )

I was now thoroughly warmed up and excited at the prospect of more and possibly even bigger fish. Unfortunately it was not to be and all that happened was that I lost another 4 rigs. One thing that the night had proved to me was the effectiveness of the pulley rig when fishing over rough ground, as both fish had clearly pulled the weight clear of snags, thanks to the pulley.

Just before 3:00am, I decided that enough was enough and packed up ready for the trek across the dunes and beach. I stopped off on the way to have a chat with the couple of gents that had been fishing next to me earlier. One had had two bass (biggest about two and a half pounds), and the other had had a flounder.

I got back to the car and began the journey home happy with my fish and even happier that I had not had to watch Big Brother .

[sharpey]

Quality report beautifully written Sir. You should have been a teacher writing like that..!! Sounds like a tackle graveyard but well done on the fish you got. Good to have you reporting again !!


Sharpey

[grumpyppops1]

For somebody who remembered the bump (aaaagh)

[rob f]

I enjoyed reading your report mate

[mac]

Couple of nice cod there Simon or do we call you Catterick Simon now you`ve moved .
Good report

[Padsta Tel]

Hi Simon miss your smiley face on the Wall a great post and a good read well done on the cod shame you missed a good one.

[dabcatcher]

well done you had a couple out when conditions weren't ideal. in rougher conditions its been fishing well. supprised the others went on to the beach this time of year, but they caught.

in a recent rough spell a lad was washed off there getting pushed into the ring of stones loosing all his gear but got washed againt the rocks and safety.

if you go again and its too heavy for the pier the ring of stones is ideal, the reef breaking the waves. cast off the stones as the tide leaves them casting slightly up river as you,ll find clean ground and deeper gullies.

Bill

[thairover]

Cracking post, well fished, safety first!