C Cheetah dropped slowly off the plane, the GPS had shown an average of 20 knots as we scooted across a glass smooth sea an hour or few out of Plymouth. There are not many days like this each year, each one is a longed for blessing.

The sounder started to show some low lying reef markings 60 to 70 metres below. Geordie said "it’s a small reef, there are three small pinnacles, some rough ground and that’s it! Usually there are some good Cod, but I think a netter spotted me on it and "boxed it" on the last set of neap tides". I will not tell you what else he said regarding the netters paternity.
"Watch for the line to slacken when the pirk taps the bottom, reel three or four turns quickly to take up enough slack to lift the pirk just off the bottom, then lift the rod up high like this to make the pirk work, drop the rod so that the pirk flutters down, reel up a few turns and lift the rod high again, the pirk and lures have got to be working, they won’t catch if they are just left static!" Sage advice from a master of this style of angling.

Geordie had spent some time tying up the three dropper rigs from a bulk spool of 70 pound monofilament on the way out, so that the anglers could choose to fish they way they wanted to, or his way with a pirk and three Eddystone eel droppers which "will catch them fish, if the fish are there".

It was easy to see that Geordies reputation for not suffering fools gladly was not very far under the surface when he explained to me that often the fish could be seen on the sounder and the anglers were not fishing the tackle and methods that would put fish in the boat.

I have often fished with Skippers who after a few hours would get their rod out, catch a few fish to indicate to the anglers the best way of catching the fish then retire to the cabin with a quiet satisfied grin creasing their face.

Geordie just tells you like it is, with a bluntness born of an easy expertise. "But now that I am 65 and semi-retired I don’t give them such a hard time as I used to" he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Summertime Cod are a Westcountry phenomena. According to all the pundits Cod are essentially a cold water species and we should not be catching them in the Summer months. Well, years ago I fished with a biologist who reckoned that the Western Approaches had an influx of Cod each summer which came up from the deep waters off Portugal and the Bay of Biscay. He used to say they often had a green tinge to their back which cold water Cod do not have.

Suffice to say that some years, and this seems to be one of them, that there is a lot of Cod about on the deep water wrecks and reefs. If it goes true to form they will disappear for a spell around August, then put in an appearance again from September onward. So book your boats, I have feeling that this year could be a good one.

"Have you got an orange one of those? Because that’s the colour they seem to want this year" Geordie had been watching me fish one of Roger Bayzands "Fat Tails" on a fluorocarbon trace which I had shortened up to eight feet. It was the work of a moment the next time I was up, to swap the white fatty for an orange one.

Dropping a flowing trace away in deep water when you are using a large water resistant lure such as the fat tails requires a measure of patience plus the use of a long boom, because the water resistance offered by the lure will often make it tangle it back around the main line, unless the drop is gently regulated with your thumb on the spool of the reel. But it is worth taking your time and getting it right, because these fat tail jelly lures can be deadly on their day. I am rarely without a bunch of them in my tackle bag, especially on deep water trips where cod, pollack and coalfish can be expected.

Breathless calm on the last of the slack water, the numbers on the GPS started to kick over, C Cheetah was just starting to move, as the first of the flood tide started to kick in and put some movement into the water. I wish I had brought my shorts, it was glorious.

A couple of the other rods kicked over as the fish found a shoal of Eddystone eels.

There it was, the 20 pound Power Pro braid sending the hesitant tap of a bite up through 70 metres of water, carry on reeling gently I said to myself.

It’s a headbanger, my first Cod of the year as the fish took line with that heavy deliberation that we all know so well. Minutes later Geordie slipped the net under a glorious 15-16 pound fish and I have got to say it felt good. Her indoors will be well pleased with that!

After that initial flurry, the fishing went quiet again so Geordie told us to have our lunch whilst he took us to another mark fifteen minutes down to the West to see if the young flood had stirred the fish up there.

One of those things, lots of little Pollack but no Cod. So back we went to the original reef mark.

Somebody had brought a box of Calamari which had quietly de-frosted and remained unopened so Sneaky Symons decided it was going to be a bait job for the last hour or so.

I made up a 2 foot trace of 50lb fluorocarbon, rigged with a heavy line Slida and a slightly heavier sinker. The 7/0 Gamakatsu circle hook was passed once through the squid and its pointed end bound around the eye of the hook with elasticised cotton. If there was finicky Cod down there that ought to sort ‘em out.

Seemed strange, even with a couple more ounces of weight I couldn’t seem to tap bottom and line was still going off the reel. Puzzled for a moment, I made the decision to point the rod and slowly reel, as you do to set a circle hook, if there was a fish there the circle would get the chance to hook up.

Momentarily there was a slack line sensation but then a satisfying thump and it didn’t take the Brain of Britain to work out that the squid had been taken close to the bottom and the fish had swum off with it. Turned out it was another Cod not as big as the first one with the circle hook set nicely right in the corner of the mouth. I have got to say I like these hooks, they have caught me a lot of fish which I don’t think I would have hooked using a conventional J hook.

That was the last fish of the day, Geordie decided to end on a high and set course for home across a slick smooth sea that was starting to show the warm light of sunset. After about an hour the C Cheetah slowed and started to circle because off our bow there were several massive fins belonging to a small school of Basking Shark. Cutting the engines we drifted alongside them for several minutes before they decided to come over and have a look at us. Passing right under the boat we could see every detail of these massive fish. There were three of them feeding on the plankton rich water…. passing us with their huge mouths open and gills flared as the filtered sea water exited. No matter how many times you see these creatures, each and every occasion is a joy and privilege. Believe me you do not get the same buzz watching them on Discovery Channel.

I had a fabulous day out with Geordie, I found a Skipper who was on my wavelength, who at 65 has more get up and go than some people half his age. Make no mistake, I want some more.

See his advertisement in the back of Sea Angler or give him a call on 01 752 201 572. Mobile 0781 2204994.

Any questions to russ@reelfoto.com

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