Sea-trout and sandy bottoms

[Primarycolours]

I spoke to a tackle shop owner recently in regards to fishing for Sea-trout in the tidal waters on the Fife Eden.

This chap used to fish off the sands in near the old course in St Andrews and he caught many sea-trout with a 9' rod fitted with a #8 line and sand eel imitations.

My question is - do sea trout settle/feed around the sandy bottoms of a tidal bay or will they stalk predominatly the weedy areas along the coast.

Falkus' written account on SWFF for Sea-trout refers to weed clearing and lots and lots of hard wark - Falkus also reckoned that there are few that take advantage of this available bounty in the salty waters.

Why is that?
Thanks

Nick

["Squatter"]

Falkus' written account on SWFF for Sea-trout refers to weed clearing and lots and lots of hard wark - Falkus also reckoned that there are few that take advantage of this available bounty in the salty waters.

Why is that?

To busy catching Bass, thats why................................

When sea trout get a sniff of fresh water in the sea, they wont eat - that simple.............

Regards
Mike

[Primarycolours]

Ha! Cheers Mike, I thought the Bass may get a mention in reply. What about the Mullet?

Folk clearly do catch Sea-Trout in the tidal reaches, so it can't be all wrong, can it?

I'm now to the scene and am going to learn some basics hopefully on the Eden estuary. Once a very good Sea-Trout fishery apparently.

Any advice? Other than give up and go for Bass?

["Squatter"]

Nick,

Persevere mate, that is all I can say........

Ive had sea trout jump over my head in my float tube, heading up the Dysini would they bite - would they hell,perhaps Welsh sea trout are different who knows......

Regards
Mike

[glyn]

Hi all, this will start something...Mike I think you and many are wrong I think after 35 yrs of catching these things they do feed in fresh water they still take sand eels before they enter the rivers. I have caught new off the tide and stale fish on worms, maggots and nymphs and no one is going to tell me they do not feed in fresh water the idea that they only take through being annoyed or worked up, this is a human idea has anyone asked the fish.

The old thing is .every time i clean a fish theres nothing in the stomach..well I have opened many seatrout with worms in and insects inside them.

Also I have opened whiting, bass, flounders and Plaice and Cod and they have had nothing in their stomachs do they feed in he sea..I think so.

As i said I do not agree with this idea, they take grasshoppers, minnows, worms , maggots, nymphs, slugs..if it falls off the river bank and its not a cow they will take it wether its attached to a line or not. they feed maybe not as much as in the sea. When Im using a single small worm in the middle of the night near a shoal of seatrout in a big deep pool did it piss off the fish that took it just because it was there.. i dont think so. Sorry mate I dont agree as far as i'm concerned they feed in the sea and in the rivers..just my opinion.
Glyn.

[Clydebuilt]

You will take them in the salt on Falkus sunk lures, very spare black & white clousers, elvers and a few other patterns.
Try get them on an ebbing tide, ( hopefully your estuary will be similar to a river when ebbing if possible) and try intermediate line with sunk lure point and say a wee silver stoat or similar on the bob.
Keep at it and you will have success.
CLydebuilt

[guideline]

Hi Folks
I have to agree with Glyn, Sea Trout Definitley feed in fresh water, in fact they will go up and down with the tide feeding before they make an eventual run all the way and i have seen so many people wading in when you have no need to do so. Most i have taken have been within 2 to 3 feet of the bank and even within six inches. As Glyn says as long as its not a cow they will take almost anything dropping of the surrounding growth.

With ref to SWFF for them i have never had any luck on a plain sandy bottom. I always focus on what i refer to as a leopard skin bottom, open sandy patches between weed and and again they can be so close in you often would not beleive it. The best times I have personally found are from the turn on low water and to approx to the turn of the tide on high water, with a personal best of 7 within 2 hours after that forget it. Best places are small bays and accross the headland of a small bay but that also depends on the time, Generally small bays on the rise and just before the turn of the top on the head land. I have many times not fished and just sat and watched over an area and studied any action, that way i began to see a patter developing then I tend to try and test it out, has'nt really let me down yet.

By the way are you the Glyn that lives near the borders?

Guideline

["Squatter"]

I'm sure they eat all sorts in the river once they get there.

When fishing off the beach - 100 - 200 yards out on the estuary mouth, I have been catching Bass, and have had stax of sea trout going loopy around me - splashing, jumping etc, and as I said, clean over me. but to date never had one take a fly of any sort - hence my comment of the fresh water.

They have obviously fed while in the sea ..............

Regards
Mike

[glyn]

Hi Guideline, sorry no i'm not that Glyn i'm from South Wales in Swansea. I dont think our views will sit well with many but there you are we all cant think the same lol. I saw a bloke once throw half a pint of maggots over a big shoal of seatrout and a handfull of salmon, they went mad there wasnt one left after a few minutes there were fish pushing through from the rear of the shoal to get at them, i took a few of these fish the on fly the next night there were part - digested maggots in the on stomach.
cheers Glyn.

[Clydebuilt]

I have caught seatrout over sandy seabeds.
Heavy sandeel pattern pulling through the sand, not puristic but successful.

There is the odd rock with kelp but apart from that its flat and featureless, however, it is on an outflow from a river with many eddy's and streams and a good source of shrimp and sandeel.

You could do what falkus suggests and build small croys etc to induce flow during the flood and ebb, especially on the edge of shallow bays etc.

Guideline has found different tide time success but as i said before, i have great success on an ebb, preferably a fast one.

Is there any kelp beds nearby?, prominent features i.e. single large rock etc?

If so then target these areas as the seatrout will sit in wait behind the current and ambush food.

There are differing views on best taking time, the usual dusk and dawn is best however, i have taken a 7lb fish in bright sunlight with a size 14 silver invicta.

As guideline also suggests, observe the area at differing stages of the tide, see it on a really low tide to give you an idea of the area you're covering (also good if you are to wade, although you will be shocked at how shallow the fish will be!)

Lets us know how you get on if you decide to give it a bash.

Clydebuilt

[guideline]

Hi Clydebuilt
I have to agree with alot of what you are saying there. Sea trout do like fast water and that was a point i was trying to make about the headland on the retreat of the tide, basically i find the water moves fast around the bay and speeds up as it hits the point. With regard to depth when taking Clydebuilt is right, I have never seen anyone take a Sea Trout on the fly wading to much, they scare dead easy so be very careful if wading.

Now i can see you are a Sea Trout enthusiast have you tried one of those lines yet? Free competition started just in case you might enter, i have. It says they are giving £500 away. It also looks as though they are giving away nets next month.

[Clydebuilt]

guideline said:

Now i can see you are a Sea Trout enthusiast have you tried one of those lines yet? Free competition started just in case you might enter, i have. It says they are giving £500 away. It also looks as though they are giving away nets next month.

I havent tried the line yet and unlikely too unless i win one , quite like the look of the stripping net idea.
Think i'll make one and see how it performs.

[guideline]

Hi ClydeBuilt
I bought one of those too at the BFF, very neat idea and it works too. I like the fact it has a double use. Not quite sure how you will make one though unless you are an engineer or something.

[Clydebuilt]

guideline said:

Not quite sure how you will make one though unless you are an engineer or something.

That i am, it won't be too difficult, I'll get some light 1/4 stainless rod and bend it to the same dimensions.
Weld it or thread it together for dismantling, slip on a spare net and bob's your uncle.
There is one in my local tackle shop im going to sneak the sizes off
I like the double use idea too.
With your username, are you connected??

[guideline]

Afraid not, I just like iinovative things and like to try new stuff. I suppose you could just call me a Tackle Tart. My other half thinks I have more interest in fishing fasion than my day to day dress. After all what do we go to work for.