Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Sea Angler

The tail end of storm Amy was still battering the west coast of Ireland at the start of last month when I found myself standing in the surf and fishing the famous beaches of County Kerry’s Dingle Peninsula. On strong south westerly winds the waves roll in from the Atlantic all the way from the Caribbean. It’s a stunning place to fish and a glorious part of the world to spend time in. The days straight after, or even during, storms can produce some great bass fishing, and this month James Batty provides some expert advice on how to make the most of the incoming winter storm season to keep your winter bass season swinging. Big old bass like a big old swell. As tempting as it is to put…

The air is warm and still, there’s barely a ripple on the glass-like harbour. You are sitting down at a bar, chatting all things angling with a mate: the one that got away, the fish to come, the new lures you are excited about. Around you are people from all walks of life, drinking the evening in, relaxing. You sip your favourite drink. Resting against your chair is a tiny ultralight rod and reel, rigged and ready with a small lure. Underneath you is your tackle bag, also as small as you can get away with. Most of your tackle could fit in a coat pocket. Suddenly, you notice the water burst into life, as baitfish scatter in panic. This is your moment; you jump up and within seconds you…

Your choice of hook type, size, gape and degree of sharpness can be critical to maximising catches and reducing missed or lost fish. How do we select the best patterns and improve overall sharpness? KIRBED OR REVERSE HOOKS These are hooks with the point offset to one side of the hook’s shank. Hold the eye of the hook with the point facing upwards. If the point is angled to the left it is a Kirbed pattern. If the point angles to the right, it is a Reversed pattern. The idea of these hooks is that the offset point is supposedly better able to find the inside of the mouth of the fish when either the fish moves after taking the bait, or it comes up against the weight of the…

When I first started to obsess about these amazing fish we know as bass, I don’t mind admitting that I didn’t have a clue about how this one species of fish could be so infinitely fascinating. Why, you might ask? Because there is almost nowhere bass cannot be caught, and I mean from offshore reefs to many miles up a river system in what is essentially freshwater. I don’t believe we have another species of fish quite like the European bass. I used to catch bass almost by mistake when I was targeting say small-eyed ray or cod. I remember a particularly gnarly session on the north coast of Cornwall when a mate simply wasn’t able to get his sandeel bait out to where the rays were. He went on…

Turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, is one of the most prized species a sea angler can catch either afloat, or from a beach. A large left eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea, turbot have an asymmetrical disk-shaped body. The average size of turbot caught afloat around the UK is probably from around 2-8lb, but double figure fish and a few, albeit rare, specimens in the high teens or even 20lb are caught most years. The current British boat caught record for turbot stands at 35lb with a fish caught from Muckle Flugga in the Shetlands in 2022. The shore caught record is held with a truly magnificent fish that weighed an incredible 28lb 8oz, caught off Dunwich…

One of the first articles I wrote for Sea Angler after I was appointed Contributing Editor in 1993, was an account of a day aboard a charter boat off the Pembrokeshire coast in south-west Wales. We had fished a mark known as ‘The Knoll’, a well-known and often productive sandbank that lies between the twin islands of Skokholm and Skomer. It had been a productive day during which I caught what still ranks as my largest blonde ray, a 20lb plus specimen that at the time was a very unusual catch off the coast of South Wales. Many years later, in the spring of 2007, I was invited for a day inshore fishing over the same ground by Alan Tawton, who at the time skippered an Evolution 33 called ‘Dev-Ocean’.…

Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of wearing chest waders. Never have been. I rarely do these days, in part because my extra narrow feet usually flap around in them uncomfortably, but also because I find them cumbersome and sweaty. My previous pair left me looking like a sewage treatment worker about to empty a septic tank, which didn’t help either. Fishing from the shingle beaches of Kent rarely necessitates them, and when I do wear them it’s simply to prevent getting wet tootsies when I launch my boat from the slipway. I avoid wearing them even when fishing flat surf beaches in summer, wearing shorts and getting wet as long as the weather allows it. However, for an October trip to fish the wild surf beaches of County Kerry,…

I remember fishing lots of big competitions back in the 1970s but I had forgotten just how many competitors there were. The Hastings Shore Festival in 1978 boasted no less than 375 entries. The fishing was dreadful and the 80 anglers in the white zone to the west of the town had a grand total of one silver eel between them. In the end, the competition was won with a single 3lb codling! The Eastbourne Nomads Christmas Pier Open that year had 275 fishing shoulder to shoulder, with the winner landing a 1lb 15oz sole. My single pout of 4oz put me in 7th place with only 11 anglers weighing in. Fishing wasn’t all that much better in the ‘good old days’. Early in 1979 I fished the Saga Holidays…

There are still people who say there’s no such thing as climate change, but mostly they fall into two camps: political operators funded by the oil companies and the Gulf States, and a few odd bods who believe the earth is flat and the Met Office is run by subterranean dinosaurs from Uranus. As anglers we can see that things are changing. On my patch we used to view gilthead bream as summer visitors from the Mediterranean, now they winter over and breed here. In the summer and autumn giant bluefin tuna often chase mackerel and herrings within a few hundred metres of the shore. Different types of jellyfish show up to give the open water swimmers more varied stings. And above all, we have a lot more storms. I…

I have been asked many searching questions during the decades since I started fishing: what is my heaviest fish; my favourite venue; favourite species; favourite bait; most memorable experience? My responses have been ambiguous at best and have been constantly subject to change. But there’s one question which I can answer with absolute certainty: “What attracted you to fishing in the first place?” Many years ago, during early autumn, I strolled at dusk in the company of a young lady along a very remote storm beach in West Wales. As the sun dipped below the horizon, following a very stormy day, the sky erupted into a kaleidoscope of colours: fiery oranges, crimson reds and deep purples blending seamlessly. The wild wind still howled, turning the vibrant, silver sea into a…

Steven Fry FISH: 8lb small eyed ray BAIT: Squid and mackerel VENUE: North Devon DATE: 02/10/25 Gordon Blyth, Yorkshire FISH: 1lb 10oz sole VENUE: River Humber DATE: 5/10/25 BAIT: Yellowtail Liam Williams, Swansea FISH: 20lb 6oz tope BAIT: Half a mackerel VENUE: Pembrokeshire DATE: 10/10/25 Shane Foster FISH: 13lb 6oz smoothhound BAIT: Ragworm VENUE: Aboard Heritage Charters out of Watchet DATE: 18/10/25 Alan Yates FISH: 28lb cod BAIT: Gummie tipped with mackerel VENUE: Cullivoe, Shetland DATE: 5/9/25 Paul Woodward, Southampton FISH: 15lb bull huss BAIT: Mackerel VENUE: Out of Falmouth aboard Anglo Dawn DATE: 01/10/25 David Proctor, Stoke on Trent FISH: 6lb sea trout BAIT: Mackerel strips VENUE: Cresswell beach, Northumberland DATE: 10/9/25 John Shaw FISH: 175lb common skate BAIT: Dogfish VENUE: Oban DATE: 15/10/25 Eddy Anning FISH: 148lb common…

Some of our readers may remember at the start of this year, Sea Angler profiled a young Scottish angler, Franky Hamilton, who was being mentored by some of the more experienced anglers from his hometown of Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland. I had become involved after Franky was subjected to a bit of online ribbing from guys that should have known better when he had asked some perfectly reasonable questions on a Facebook sea angling group. The responses were fairly good-natured but unhelpful and, ultimately, Franky was being given hints and advice from some of the harbour regulars which were probably not going to help him in the long run. That article highlighted how this young lad – he was only 11 at the time – had taken…

ASK THE EXPERTS When sending your question, please remember to include your name and address CHRIS KENNEDYBARNARD Chris is a specimen hunting specialist based on Sark and answers shore fishing questions. DAVID MITCHELL David is Sea Angler’s editor and is an expert on sea angling policy and conservation. BEN BASSETT The Plymouth angler and blogger will provide answers on the sport of light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. ANDY SMITH Andy has represented Wales and specialises in lure and fly fishing for bass. BRIAN PASK Brian is a qualified sea angling coach and casting tutor who works with young people and experienced anglers to improve their fishing skills. SHORE ANGLING Q How do I…

The people we surround ourselves with, whether they realise it or not, have a huge influence on our lives. They can support us, discourage us or be totally disinterested in our goals – all of which can have a marked influence on your ability to successfully achieve the goal of mastering your chosen area of angling. Do you have friends or family members who are anglers and are interested in supporting you in your quest to be the best? Or are your friends non anglers and ambivalent, at best, or perhaps even mocking at worst, of what you are trying to achieve, since it isn’t in their sphere of interest? The skills is to learn what to look for and what to avoid. Finding people who create an atmosphere that…

In order to succeed as a shore angler, you have to deal with or overcome a lot of barriers and obstacles linked to successful fishing. Some of these are physical while some are psychological. Others are driven by natural forces from Mother Nature, and some are simply just not possible to overcome. Either way, there are paths through the obstacles and if you can’t beat them – go around them. Above all, remember: the biggest obstacle on the path towards glory, or even just catching a few fish for the table, is you! Success is a result of leaving as little to chance as possible, and it all starts with either lowering or upping your expectations to a realistic level. It is important to gather as much information as possible…

In association with £25 TACKLE VOUCHER WINNERS Fishingmegastore.com awards a £25 voucher prize to each of two winners - the youngster with the best shore fish and another with the top boat catch. The winners can use the voucher to select tackle from Fishingmegastore.com which is based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. ■ Send your Young Rods entries by email to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be writing these words, I would have laughed and shaken my head. Like so many anglers, we dreamed of one day catching a bluefin tuna on our own boat, but it felt more like fantasy than reality. And yet here we were. “The reel’s screaming!” Luke shouted over the wind; his eyes locked on the rod as it bent towards the water. I swung Squidward 3 into position, heart racing, while line melted from the reel in long, burning runs — pure chaos, pure adrenaline, pure bluefin. This was the moment we had dreamt about for years. But to reach it, we had to earn it through licences, preparation, practice, and finally the chance to prove ourselves at the Bluefin…

Mrs Coach and I headed north in early September to visit her sister and brother-in-law in Amble, a lovely little seaside town 20 miles north of Newcastle. There is a small harbour with walls either side stretching out to the sea. These walls provide a great platform for fishing but this was not what I wanted. I was after the open coast! The north east is known for fishing from rocks into rocky or broken ground. However, the only time I was able to wet a line was going to be over a low tide. Sensibly – at least for me – I decided not to fish from the rocks. I had no idea about the tide runs and where the water could get behind me and cut off any…

Owning a small angling boat isn’t just about the vessel and the engine. There’s a whole range of additional equipment that can make your time on the water safer, more efficient and more enjoyable. Beyond marine electronics, anchoring gear and essential safety kit, these addditional items are the extras I never leave home without on any trip. FIRST AID KITS AND FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Extra safety kit is crucial for every boat. A well-stocked first aid kit should include bandages, plasters, antiseptic and a foil survival blanket. Add a suitable fire extinguisher for small boat fires. Regularly check expiry dates, integrity and accessibility to ensure you’re prepared for emergencies at sea. BILGE PUMPS Most small boats do not have self-draining decks, so an efficient way to remove water from the deck…

NOVEMBER ● 1: Colwyn Bay Victoria Open, North Shore Llandudno, fishing 5-9pm. Booking in at the paddling pool area. Anyone interested in entering can do via the Colwyn Bay Victoria Sea Angling Club Facebook page or through e mail to dazjones26@hotmail.co.uk ● 1: Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers 1st November Ayr beach, times TBC. All are pegged, catch measure and release pre book only. For more information contact Chris Horn on 07872 944807 ● 2: Skegness Pier Angling Club, Mablethorpe North End to Gibraltar Point, Skegness 12:00 till 18:00, Trunch Lakeside car park - Match HQ & booking in at Big Catch Tackle Shop Booking in from 10:30. Biggest Fish Rover - Single biggest fish to be brought to Match HQ for weighing. £10 Entry. Russ Parsons - 07385 150259-…