SCALING UP
More and more anglers are starting to carry  scales to record the exact weights of their catches. Likewise those new to the  sea species and specimen scene are keen to get their trophy fish accurately  weighed. One set of scales doesn’t really cover all aspects, and some anglers  have several types for each situation.

For general beach, boat and species fishing  you can’t beat the Avon Dial scales or the Waymaster Flyweight. Both are  relatively small and lightweight. The Waymaster weighs to 30lbs by 1oz, and the  Avon’s to 40lbs by one ounce divisions. I’ve  had a set of Avon scales for the past 15 years  in my shore box and they just soldier on, plus they are consistently accurate  too. It’s worth buying a protective wallet though, giving the inside of the  scales a shot of WD40 now and then, and storing the scales in a plastic bag to  stop possible corrosion.

There are also several types of electronic  digital scales available now. These are very accurate but have been prone to  struggle in the marine environment with corrossionary problems making for a  short life span. Good, but they need looking after.

When you move up in to the specimen hunter  categories, then most anglers end up with a set of scales from either Salter or  Reuben Heaton. Salter do a useful night vision type weighing 60lbs x 1oz.  Rueben Heaton offer a marine scale that’s saltwater resistant and this comes in  both 60lb x 1oz and 120lb x 2oz versions. I carry the 60lb type in my rucksack  for weighing heavy shore fish like conger, but opt for the 120lb type for boat  fishing.

For accurate and fish safe weighing you’ll  need a weigh bar to support, lift and hold the scales with. Ideally you should  always weigh with the scales supported on a strong tripod, though when walking  to distant marks this is rarely feasible. In this case, try to find a rock or  other structure to stand on to allow you to properly lift up the fish well  clear of the ground holding the support bar without your arms being high and at  full stretch.

For small fish like flatties you can get  away weighing these with a plastic bag without harming the fish in any way, but  for bigger fish then you must have a weigh sling. I prefer slings as I can fit  a conger safely in a big sling without it sliding out. A sling also fully  supports the fishes body, plus it stops bass and cod from jumping around and  huss twisting out when weighing. You can also carry the fish if need be back to  the water and release it directly from the sling in to the water to minimise  handling the fish.

TIPS AND TRICKS
I see lots of anglers wearing steel  bracelet type watch straps when fishing. My advice would be to change these for  a Velcro type.

The beauty of the Velcro straps is that  they are quick and easy to remove in the heat of combat when you’re trying to  handle big predators like tope, sharks, congers and the like, and there’s more  than one expensive watch disappeared over the side in just such a situation  when the clasp has broken or torn free. Velcro takes no damage from saltwater  either, just a rinse under the tap to bring it back to near new.

Metal straps can also occasionally catch  the line when you’re fishing with a big boat multiplier and retrieving line by  thumbing the line evenly back on to the spool. This can chafe or even part the  line. Velcro straps avoid this.

Velcro watch straps are also a better  choice for beach fishing as it gives when the wrist flexes during a powerful  cast allowing for freer movement of the wrist increasing casting power and  fluidity.

SCRATCHING TACTICS
February and March are classed as the most  difficult time for shore fishing. Most fish are offshore in their breeding  season, leaving just a few small fish left to catch like dabs, rockling and pin  whiting. Bites are at a premium, and we call this time the “scratching season”.

The basics of scratching tactics means  going smaller and lighter to target smaller fish. Start by reducing the size of  your hook traces to say 15lb, and be prepared to go down to just 8lb in calm  clearish seas in daylight. Go for clear line and dull the shine on it slightly  by rubbing it through a kitchen sponge or a handful of wet sand.

Choose your hook pattern carefully. They  need to be ultra sharp in sizes 4 down to 8. Start with the 4 only going down  to the size 8 if you need to generate bites. Also try adding coloured beads,  luminous tubing and especially silver or gold sequins to gain some light  reflection to attract fish. Also worth adding are float beads, but use just  enough of these to get the bait to occasionally lift off the seabed as a wave  passes by. Its movement that counts, not suspending the bait above the seabed  like a pop up bait.

Carry a wide selection of baits. Lug, king  rag, maddie rag, white rag, a mackerel, a few razorfish, mussel, crab and squid  gives you a multitude of combo baits to try, and this time of year is when the  combo baits can really score. Typically use the worm as the main bait and tip  with another to draw a smaller fish to the hook point end.

Also try changing from a grip lead to a  free rolling lead and allow the baits to trot round with the tidal current to  cover much more ground. Also change casting distances to find the fish. This is  where fishing two rods can both save time locating where the fish are, plus  doubles your chances of catching fish.

Good places to fish are the ends of beaches  where rock meets sand. Also the edges of rough ground, which offer both food  and protection for small fish, put baits in to gutters, and cast to the end of  wooden groynes where a deeper pool washed out by the tide also might hold food  and fish.

I’ve detailed a good scratching rig below,  but if one rig does not produce, try another type, and keep trying until the  bites come. Also experiment with different lengths of hook traces.