THE STORAGE STORY
On a trip to Ireland recently, after a full  weeks fishing at sea, I was complimented on how neat my tackle box still was. I  took the compliment, I just didn’t tell them how many years of trial and error  it’s took me to get a system of storing gear that I’m fully happy with.

I use one of the Daiwa plastic seat boxes  with the storage tray in. This carries several boxes with gear in. In the  middle is a Tupperware box that holds several small Fox boxes. These carry  swivels, beads and links in all sizes, and anything else I may need frequently  throughout the day. It also carries my honing stone, a pair of scissors, bait  elastic and other items of gear I deem necessary for the fishing I’m doing at  the time.

Another small elongated box carries all the  hook patterns and sizes I need, still in their packets to avoid potential  corrosion. These are stacked sideways in the box with the smaller sizes to the  left and bigger sizes to the right, all in sequence. I mark the left side of  the box in red marker, just in case it gets turned round when I put it back to  give me instant identification to save time.

I also have two clear lure boxes with  dividers in to hold separate tackle items that might come in handy. These sit  on top of each other on the right hand side. These two boxes hold bits of gear  I may need, but use less frequently.

My spare spools of line sit in a Mustad  spool holder, neatly stacked side by side and in line breaking strain order.  This goes on the left side of the tray. My pliers, T bar for unhooking and  cutters are placed at the front middle of the tray for easy access.

I carry two rig wallets. One carries all my  day to day rigs, the other all my feather rigs for mackerel and baited feather  fishing. Each rig in a packet with the contents written on. The wallets sit on  top of the boxes in the tray. Inside the box below the tray are small separate  boxes holding muppets, artificial eels and Mr Twister worms. My long flying  collar booms and short drift booms are held together in a bundle by adjustable  cable ties in here, alongside my knife and rod lanyards.

Everything has its place and I make sure is  returned to that place immediately after each use. Being so neat and tidy means  I gain valuable fishing time often lost when searching for needed items. Having  everything in individual boxes also means that nothing gets contaminated with  saltwater and rain. Take a leaf out of my book, get your gear organised and  simply by saving time you’ll catch far more fish when afloat.

TIPS AND TRICKS
When constructing wire shark traces and  heavy mono traces for common skate and conger, crimping in just a single loop  of wire or line running through the eye of the swivel or hook may not always  prove strong enough. You need to make what’s called a Flemish Eye.

Slide a double D crimp over the wire or  line. Take the end of the wire or line and pass it through the eye of the hook  or swivel and bring it round and back on it self to form a full circle. Now  pass the end round the back of the circle you’ve formed and fully back through  the circle. You’re basically wrapping the end of the wire around the bit you  first threaded through the eye. Take the end of the wire through the eye of the  hook again, then around inside the circle and out again to form another wrap on  the opposite side.

Complete the Flemish eye by sliding the  crimp down and passing the free end of wire or line back through the crimp.  Before crimping, you can tighten the Flemish eye for neatness by pushing down  on it towards the hook or swivel. Now close with proper crimping pliers. This  double wrap of wire or line takes all the pressure off the crimp and increases  overall strength of the hook to wire join by at least three times.

BEACH STONE GROYNE TACTICS
We’re meddling with nature and constructing  stone groynes on many of our beach at weird angles in a vain attempt to stop  seashore erosion, when all it does is shove the problem somewhere else. The  plus side though, is that they make great angling venues.

Individual groynes jutting straight out to  sea tend to concentrate round fish like bass and winter cod on the side the  tide and surf is hitting. Food is either washed up against the base of the  groyne by the tide, or gets smashed of the groyne itself to fall in to the sea.  Casting big smelly baits like lug and mussel tight in to the base of the  breaker on a flowing trace rig is sure to score.

The ends of the groyne will have a tide run  passing by. If the water is deep enough, it’s this area that will hold rays and  trotting a bait downtide to them on a plain lead gives the ideal presentation.  If the sea is fairly calm, but the tide running strongly, fishing a night tide  in to the edge of the passing tidal run should produce a few cod again.

Just inside the tide run where the flow  eases is a good spot to try ragworm baits for a plaice, or lug baits for a  sole. These two flatties have a habit of sitting just outside the tide run  taking advantage of any food morsels that wash their way.

The totally slack water on the inside of  the groyne facing away from the tide is most likely to hold flounder and dabs,  both fish that like quieter water where they can sit tight in the sand, only  moving in and out with the tide to feed.

Also look for groynes that are built at  different angles, say one parallel with the beach and another facing straight.  What tends to happen here is that the fish will trace a line of travel from one  to the other going with the tide. They first work around the end of the  straight out to sea groyne, swing in along its inward facing side, then swing  out across the sand heading straight for the end of the groyne built along the  beach and follow it the full length. The knack here is to put your baits right  on the path of travel and you’ll intercept cod, whiting, bass, flatties,  coalfish and a host of other species too.