Unfortunately I didn't get out with the fly rod again due a combination of work, the weather and a long list of house improvements. However, a couple of impromptu weekends away gave me the opportunity to dust off the LRF gear and have a few sessions chasing mini-species again, albeit with mixed results.
At the start of June the wife and I headed down to Falmouth to visit the boy, stopping off for the night in Exmouth to catch up with friends on the way. Early the following morning and despite a few drinks the night before I headed down to the docks with Simon and his lad Daniel only to find a proliferation of new "no fishing signs" in our usual spots.
The previous owner of the docks had turned a blind eye to fishing provided you were sensible and left no litter behind and we'd actually been approached and spoken to by him in the past without knowing who he was. Sadly he passed away recently and it looked like the new owners were not going to be so tolerant. However, as there was nobody about and with the ferry still parked out in the estuary we risked dropping our rigs down the side of the dock wall into the "wrasse hole". Normally the bites would start as soon as the lead hit bottom. However, after five minutes we'd not had a single nibble between us. Uncomfortable with having to look over our shoulders we therefore moved on to the next spot.Spent the next hour or so of slack water exploring the weedy fringes of the ramp, adding some tiny pollock, a female corkwing and a shanny. Casting out a bit further onto the mud resulted in a couple of black gobies before the incoming tide pushed me higher up the wall and into rock goby territory. The little beggars soon put in an appearance, apparently pushing everything else out of the way as I had 19 of them before deciding to call it a day. Had been nice to finally see the coast again and to catch a few "minis". I should be back in Wales in July (if if the Delta variant and Mr Drakeford allows) for a more concerted effort. In the meantime I'll be dusting off the trotting gear and heading out on my local rivers. Tight lines!