Sundays Are For Fishing | Colin Chick

It's 5am and the alarm is going off, which means only one thing on a Sunday... time to go fishing!

Up, washed, dressed, and in the van with a quick coffee stop on the way to Newton Beach, Porthcawl.

40 mins later I arrive to an empty car park. Maybe it's too early and I'm the only idiot who got out of bed?

Quickly set my yak up 'old skool' style. No electronic navigation or fish finder. Just two rods, a bag of tackle, and a cooler box full of crabs.

At this funny time of year, the biggest decision is whether to opt for a drysuit or dry trousers and cag combo?

Fortunately the sun showed it's face so I went for dry trousers and packed the cag just in case.

The sea was flat the sun was shinning. Perfect.

After a brief paddle just a mile and a half from the slipway, I arrive at my desired fishing spot. Anchor dropped in, first rod set up, crab on and cast out. I was just setting up number 2 when the 1st ratchet screams off. FISH ON! The fish fought well, putting up a proper scrap. It was a 15lbs Smooth-hound, which was the species being targeted today and also happens to be one of my favourite fish.

Time to cast the second rod. Fresh crab on the first rod and drop that one back in, which means it's time for a drink and a chill.

The tide had almost died and I was waiting for the flood, but I didn't have to wait long. The kayak swung around in the increasing tide and that was when it went mental!

Soon I'd lost three fish while I was playing a fish on my other rod, so decided that it was officially single rod season. This would also help me out as I stupidly thought thirty crabs would be enough ....wrong!

After catching around twenty five Smooth-hounds, all over 10lbs and quite a few close to 16lbs, the crabs were all gone. With no bait left and feeling rather pleased with such a great session, I pulled up  the anchor and set off for the slipway. On and off the water in 3.5 hours, not bad.

There was a beach angler who had set off from the car park same time as I had, who came rushing up to me saying he thought I'd be out all day. I told him I'd run out of bait and showed him the photos. After he picked his jaw up he told me he'd caught a couple of dog fish and that he needed to get kayak ASAP! 

Bonus points... I arrived home before my wife and 6 week old baby had even got out of bed!