Ballans in the Borders in technicolor

Last weekend myself Brian and Scott, headed down to St Abbs head. Myself and Brian's intention was to catch some wrasse, whilst Scott was doing his best to add to his yearly target of 50 saltwater species by trying for a dragonet .
As Scott arrived I had just lost a fish to the kelp  on the first cast on a gulp sand worm which was intercepted on the drop , I suspect it was a decent pollack. A good few coal fish were landed after that then it went quiet until after low water.

I found a gully with a narrow patch of sand sourounded by kelp beds that caught my eye so had a go on the incoming tide , and started getting what I thought were wrasse bites and sure enough I eventually hooked up with a nice little ballan , I gave Brian a shout to get the net when he netted him for me. A beautiful wee fish .

Well before you know it I had Scott on my right side and Brian on my my left muscling there way in on my "wrasse hole" , and it didn't take long for Brian to get a nice wrasse .

combat fishing!

Brian's wrasse

I then followed it up with another, whilst Brian went in search of his own wrasse hole, where he lost a decent fish .

The last wrasse I had was a real brute, or a "rock donkey" as Scott called it.

this guys definitely been flossing .

I was over the moon a new pb for me , don't know the weights but it
 Was a nice one. Unfortunately Scott's didn't encounter any of the wrasse a couple of cheeky wee sea scorpions seemed all out to ruin his chances. After that wee retreated to the harbour where Scott got a single flounder Brian a coalfish and a few sea scorpions , but it wasn't on its best form.


The following week Me and Brian went down for more. Another lovely day but this time we fished a falling tide.
Brian was first into a wrasse a nice stamp too!

 Next i managed this dark  old warrior from my wrassehole.

 Brian then returned to a wrassehole he lost a fish in the previous week . And it proved really fruitful.not only producing another two very fine wrasse but also a couple of nice cod.

what a bruiser!

Brian was delighted with this surprise kelpie! 

 Brians second  cod took a a gulp! sandworm.

Fantastic light tackle sport cant get enough of it just now!

Wrassing Around

Ive been doing a fair bit Wrasse fishing of late mainly to Burntisland , mixed results  but every time has yielded a few wrasse as well as other species for myself or my friends.

Last Friday i got there for about 3pm , dug some rag at low tide  then started fishing the fishing was great from the start first a goldsinny then a ballan , then a few more of the same before Brian joined me at about 5'ish .

  He too was quickly in amongst the fish .

soon after Scott joined us along with another fellow lrf'er Dan. Dan managed his first goldsinny ever, and both he and Scott also got amongst the Ballans that were really in the mood.

Dans first Goldsinny

 Scott also added   a butterfish and then  my favourite of the moment  a stunning little corkwing wrasse.

Stunning!

Some of the goldsinnys were pretty chunky!

Other fish caught were coalfish and Dan had a wee lss scorpion.

Best wrasse of the night was a joined effort between Brian and Scott both baits were picked up by this fish.

Joint effort

Myself and Brian were back out on the Saturday. More of the same more Ballans and goldsinnys .

Dan turned up and got his second ever Goldsinny then his third Brian managed a Yarrel's blenny .

A wee olive /brown ballan

Yarrels Blenny

Stupidly i attempted to lift a small ballan up the peir wall only for my  rod to snap  .

Had the day off on Tuesday , plan was to take my son Jack for a bit wrassing fun.
Scott joined us along with his mate Nick. The sea was a bit lumpy and the fishing down the back wall was pretty poor . Scott and nick were first into wrasse and Jack got a goldsinny , The inner harbour fished much better and that's where we picked up most wrasse , nothing big but good sport. Scott got his first yarrel's blenny of the year to add to his impressive uk saltwater species list , and i got my corkwing and my first pollack of the year.

Jack getting to grips with a wee Ballan

Yes!

Fuerteventura

Just had my hols in Corralejo in Fuerteventura , fishing was pretty good. About a hour after arriving I snuck out the back of the apartment to have a go. I was expecting my first fish to be a ornate wrasse, but no it was a white bream.

the ground at back of apartment

I followed that up with a painted comber .

what a cool fish

.next up a wee derbio put in a appearance.

Then a dusky grouper took a liking for my isome chebarashka combi.

After that with the tide going out i had a go in the rock pools, tthey were full of Madeira gobies.Some of these gobies look like they've had a few battles , probably with the crabs?

a sucker fin

The last species of the day not sure what they are some sort of bream species was also getting pestered by something biting up my angle worms and even biting off my hook lenghts but i had suspicions of the culprit.

The next day i had a go at the back of the harbour. inside the harbour looked great a aquarium of big fish  and a few of the ones on my wish list parrot fish , but under spanish law there is no fishing allowed in harbours.

fish soup but off limits

So i had a go at the back of the harbour made up of big boulders .First fish up was a canarian damsel fish.

Folowed by more of the same and loads of these ornate wrasse.

After a few already caught species i cracked another .A female emerald wrasse.

beautiful

Frustrtingly i lost some fish that were smashing me at will when i tried to stop them ploughing for the snags , i knew exactly what they were and they became my most wanted.

That was my lot for that day next day again i returned but not before a visit to the tackle shop for some stronger flourocarbon   . Along with the ususal culprits i added to the species list a lizard fish.

saddled bream

 and the culprits for bite offs puffer fish

almost at full bloat

another painted comber

Next opportunityfishing saw me at a real smashing although popular mark with the locals .

the big rock was great though id did get cut off at high water

Here i encountered and landed my most wanted parrot fish!

The female of the species

I managed quite a few parrots during the course of the week and lost a real cracker when i tried to lift it unfortunately the hook snapped. some more catches for the week.

peacock blenny?

another wee parrot 

cant remember

male emerald wrasse

male hairy blenny

female hairy blenny

dusky groupers are cool

female emerald wrasse?

 Fuerteventura was great fun, like to go back shortly , id pack more gulp products and heavier nylon and more hooks next time.