#bcfsa

Sunrise on a new year At this time of the year, all I want to catch is cod. For me, that’s what winter fishing in the Bristol Channel is all about. But has targeting just this one specie kept my rod tips nodding?

The Bristol Channel has huge potential to chuck up a lunker shore caught cod from any of it’s marks (hot spots of course). Finding a good fish this January has been tough. Giving up however, would be too easy. Some have hit it right, inspiring reports of odd double figure fish being landed, as well as fantastic cod being caught from the boats has kept me going. It might still yet happen. I’ve not done a huge amount of fishing this month, but what I have done has been a bit all over the place (not my usual bread and butter marks I often fish). Brean beach and Burnham-on-Sea, two beaches I love to fish, have produced the odd codling to 4lb 6oz, with mid-channel reef marks also showing a few codling, but nothing greater than 3lb.

Burnham-on-Sea (4lb 6oz)

Lilstock reefs

Reports of cod around Minehead, with seasonal Blond Rays coming inshore early January got me looking further afield. Having never caught a Blonde Ray, a session targeting something else was refreshing, there was still the chance of cod too. A cracking sunrise was all that greeted me that day, it was nice fishing somewhere different though.

Minehead sunrise

3 on the trot I had some ragworm left in the fridge from Friday night, the weather looked good and although I was hungover from a wedding the previous day, I went for it. It wasn’t long until I was on the mud hunting Dovers again. I could have done with a few extra hours in bed though!

I fished the same location as usual, but decided on a different mark. It’s not that I felt my usual mark was unproductive, it was more a case of moving around to explore new ground and see if I could better my chances.

The small neap tide (10.2 m on the Avonmouth chart) enabled fishing on top of the peat ledges for the duration of high water (except being pushed back to the grass banks right on high water). There was a stiff westerly wind and the waves were rolling in. It wasn’t exactly screaming Dover Sole. I baited both rigs and waited for the tide to hit the peat ledge.

Both baits soon flew out, just a short over head chuck puts you in ample water depth for sole. The chop on the water had increased due to the strengthening westerly, but the small tide meant the lead remained anchored in the mud. I remained confident I’d see one today.

5 minutes into the second cast, the left rod pulled over, Dover Sole style! I use braid on a fixed spool set up, there’s no messing when you hook a near 2lb sole. You know when you’ve got one. Things were looking good, this one went 1lb 13oz. I was already glad I dragged myself out of bed!

Sole unhooked and bait cast to the same spot. Another five minutes past, I was taking some photos of the surrounding peat ledges and noticed my line on the left rod was completely slack. Rushing to the rod, I lifted into another sole. This one went 1lb 14oz. Two sole pushing 2lb in the space of 15 minutes, I was buzzing!

Recast to the same spot, unbelievably the same rod went over again, this one felt a little bigger upon retrieve. I had a bit of a nightmare getting this one lifted out the water and up the peat ledge. I could feel it was a slightly better sole, I panicked a little, but a good surge of swell washed it on top the ledge and there laid a 2lb 1oz Dover.

During this frantic period, the right rod remained motionless, it was clear the fish were holding in one spot which I was lucky to find. Towards high water I had a good bite, but that one missed the hook. Despite fishing the tide back down, no more action was had.

I’ll remember this one for a while, mostly for the buzz we anglers get during a frantic run of fish. It places all those failed trips to the back of the mind.

I do hope the Dover Sole fishing continues to be productive this summer. I’m still yet to land that magical 3lb slab!

Too early for a summer sole? It was worth the punt.

Fishing hasn’t been top priority over the past few months. Wedding planning and a busy work schedule all played their part in not getting out, and to be honest, local catch reports haven’t been inspiring - thornback rays really aren’t my thing.

The past few weeks have felt warmer, perhaps summer is on it’s way? Surely the dover sole won’t be far behind? Last Saturday a favourable small neap tide and settled weather came together, I headed out in search of a sole.

Brean beach cod fishing My luck was finally in this morning. After a run of blanks on the Bristol Channel, this beauty came in at 9lb on the nose.