20/02/2016 - Thank goodness for gobies!

As the title suggests, sometimes it's the humbler, or lesser, species that rescue a session and that certainly was the case today. A few days down in Wales meant there was an opportunity for the first LRF trip of the year. Picked the nicest day weather wise, although that still meant chipping ice off the car windscreen in the morning. Temperature was minus 2 degrees Centigrade when I set off and, although it had crept into the positive by the time I go to Hobbs Point, it then decided to chuck it down!


Sat in the car park, peering through the window at the near-invisible toll bridge, and waited for the rain to pass. I'd arrived just before low tide so, a soon as it was dry, I made my way as far as I could down the ramp, stopping before the algae made it too slippy underfoot. There was a bit of colour to the water after the rain of the last few days and still quite a flow towards the sea given it was slack water so, all-in-all, not brilliant conditions. However, had got some artificial baits (Gulp Angleworm and Sandworm and Marukyu Isome), together with a few raw prawns, so felt I could scratch something out. Dropped my rig straight down the side of the wall, felt it hit the bottom, and then just gave it an occasional lift. Had a couple of rattles before I had a proper bite and my first fish. Not really surprised it was a goby as they are greedy little gits!

 
Several more followed the first and, whilst there was quite a variation in size and colour, they all appeared to be the more common (certainly at this venue) rock goby.
 
 
Whilst the sun made a appearance and warmed my back up briefly, it was pretty exposed stood on the wall. After about an hour I'd begun to shiver and my nose had started that uncontrollable slow drip! However, despite the conditions I'd managed to chalk up a dozen fish, which was probably more than I was expecting when I arrived. Gave myself one last drop down the side for yet another obliging rock goby to "gob" a lump of raw prawn.
 
 
Packed up and headed to Lidl for some much-needed carbohydrates in the form of two Danish pastries, scoffing them in the car park with the heater on. We're down again in April, so hopefully it'll be a bit warmer and there'll be a few more species about. However, I was certainly grateful to the gobies on this occasion! 


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