Mackerel evening

As summer moves swiftly onwards into August, after months of absence the shoals of mackerel have arrived. As evening falls they hunt the Whitebait close to the shore diving out of the water and driving the whitebait with their feeding frenzy onto the beach in an effort to escape. Fishing at this time of year is easy and requires minimum skill. In an effort to make things more interesting and skilful I tend to fish only with one hook and try some float fishing.

Sometimes you can be surprised by what you catch, It's like being part of a large lucky dip where the unexpected turns up. The other day I caught something unusual a Twaite Shad which is a protected fish species ,

which I released back to the sea. I had never seen one before and knew of it only by my childhood obsession with Brooke Bond PG tips cards. Each day is a opportunity to learn something new and of course watch those wonderful sunsets.

Below a mackerel caught on a feather lure