New Mark

First casts went out, one with a pop-up squid and one with a mackerel head on a circle hook, another snag reduction measure.

Soon the squid rod was rattling, but the fish went to ground and eventually I had to pull for a break. While I was dealing with that, there was a run on the mackerel head. This one was also jammed solid when I struck. Great start!

I tackled up both rods again and cast out two more baits. 

The squid had barely settled before the rod was rattling again. This time I faster on to it, and soon had a bull huss out. Not a whopper, about 6 - 7lbs, but nice to get from a new mark.

I'd just finished unhooking that one when the mackerel head rod was off again. Another huss, and as it came close to the rocks there was a massive swirl just behind it. A seal had just missed the huss. It surfaced a few yards out and eyed me in disappointment.

The circle hook had worked perfectly and was lodged in the scissors. I soon had the hook out and returned the huss on the other side of the rocky promontory, hopefully out of the seal's way.

It was shaping up to be a grand session, but unfortunately everything died over the high water slack and although I had several bites on the ebb, they were all LSDs.

Several dark clouds had scudded over producing sharp showers and some spectacular rainbows. When a more substantial bank of rain clouds appeared from the Atlantic behind me, it seemed like a good time to call it a day.

I'm enjoying catching the huss but I'm surprised at the lack of congers at the moment. Perhaps I'll have to try harder at night.