Sea fishing: Perfect time of year to get hooked on worthy hobby

Having jumped through the bureaucratic hoops to work with children, I took some fishing tackle to the school and was quite pleased with the reception and interest shown. We put up the rods, reels, line and hooks, tied a few knots and talked about where I would be taking them fishing. Time flew by and a day was arranged for their first fishing trip.

One of our most well-loved Victorian poets Alfred Tennyson, better known as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ about the Crimean War. His famous line, “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die”, as many were killed at the hands of the Russians but who showed such valour was put down to the training that the officers had acquired hunting and fishing. I can’t offer hunting but fishing has many character building facets – team work, self preservation, courage, humanity and patience to name but a few. I would be over the moon if I could give any of the children an interest or hobby or who knows, a job, fishing.

Until the school day arrives, I must report on my Bridlington boat’s readiness for the sea.

The marine mechanic, assisted by me and David from the South Shore boat yard, have given the engine the ‘once over.’ The service revealed the need for a new battery and one defective spark plug required changing. The new battery was a ‘deep cycle’ one for boats as opposed to the ‘starter battery’ used for cars.

I had the Ah (Ampere Hours) and the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) to consider and was recommended 100 or more Ah and 520 or more CCA.

Weather conditions have been against boat fishing as yet but the beaches have been producing some splendid early season catches.

I chose the day of my next expedition carefully, and I arrived at the South Withernsea beach at 10am. High tide was at noon and there was a light cyclonic wind that was just sufficient to move the high wispy clouds around the sky. Sea state was slight with a five-metre tide. A few other anglers were dotted about in the distance but I was alone on my stretch of beach.

I soon had two rods cast out, baited with a peeler crab and squid cocktail. After 30 minutes one rod tip began to dance to the Morse code - dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash - before I struck and connected with a lively fish.

From its actions I thought a bass or smooth hound which are both lively fighters. I saw it flash in the shallows and gently beached a nice sized smooth hound. It was quickly returned to its shoal.

Before I had chance to recast the other rod straightened up and I saw my line was slack. Something had picked up the bait and weight and was coming directly towards me. I wound in and felt resistance of a dead weight. Perhaps it was an old polythene bag or a ray digging into the sand.

Five minutes of pressure and teasing later and I had a 3lb thorny backed ray on the beach. This was followed by two more small hounds, but the best catch of the day was on my last cast. I used a whole peeler crab resulting in a 3lb cod in lovely condition.

This is a good time of the year to fish our beaches and I highly commend it to any hard-working or hard-retiring person who likes the open air with the smell, taste and noise of the seaside at your feet - unwind and catch a mixed bag on the Yorkshire beaches.

Recreational anglers are reminded that the European Commission’s ban on taking any sea bass from our waters strictly remains in force until July 1 this year.