Saltwater Boat Angling — December 2017

54 Saltwater Boat Angling

just 10g of weight for a single hook

baited with ragworm.

Giving a good account

When a flounder is hooked on light

tackle it can give a really good

account of itself and is great sport. I

can vividly remember a 2lber I

caught in Poole harbour. I was

anchored just out of the main flow

off Rockley in about 1 meter of water.

I had gently lobbed the 10g weight

and ragworm on a single hook up-

tide and let it trundle round slowly.

The flounder took to my right on the

down-tide side and as soon as it felt

pressure it bent the rod double, took

line and actually moved the kayak

round in the tide. Given a chance

even the humble flounder can

be a sporting fish, it is just that

many are anchored to the bottom by

a 4oz weight or more and on a

heavy beachcaster don’t get the

opportunity to show their mettle,

which is a shame.

Ideal target for youngsters

For getting youngsters out in safe,

sheltered water through the winter

months the flounder is an ideal

species to target. The upper reaches

of wooded estuaries are wonderfully

scenic places to fish too and because

of the tidal constraints you will rarely

encounter any boating traffic and the

more awkward to reach marks can

yield some specimens. A 3lb flounder

is a prize worth pursuing, for these

bigger fish peeler crab is the

preferred bait, the odd one will be

taken on ragworm, but crab usually

sorts out the bigger fish.

Rods and rigs and

twizzle sticks

When fishing from the kayak I tend

to fish with two rods but just one

hook on each rig, I have always done

well with a popped-up ledger rig, not

only does it help to give the bait

movement and the floating beads

act as attractors, but it does make the

bait last longer against the ravages of

the crabs.

FLOUNDERS

Simon with a flounder

A flounder comes to the kayak

Simon's

successful

flounder bait

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