As I announced in an article published at the beginning of the month on the regulations, the history of the fishing ban on the site has been made official by a decree. Recreational anglers may not target the site until the first of May, as fishing/releasing is prohibited. .
As a result, I'm switching targets and adapting to the winter species still active in Brest harbor. Of course, with weather like this - frost at the launch, water temperature around 8°C - winter clothing is a must. But with the sun shining from 10:00 onwards, it's all very pleasant.
In search of squid
For this first outing, although the sun is out, the wind is also present and forces me to stay on the sheltered side, which further limits the hunting ground. As a result, I'm looking for squid, which are still present in the harbor. The water is heavy, as a result of the heavy rainfall of recent weeks. In addition to the Tataki rig, I boost my jigs with flash attack, a shrimp-flavoured attractant. The drifts are quite fast, due to the wind, but I use it to make my jigs move in the layer of water between the bottom and 10 meters above. At this little game, I manage to decide on a few nice tubes. They will be transformed into a delicious recipe with candied peppers and chorizo...
After a well-deserved snack break and the tidal shift that dropped the wind, I take out my kabura to scrape around the navigation channel. My astunya is boosted with a knife-foot. With this combo, it'll be pretty little gurnards on the kayak.
The second day I changed kayaks. The weather was as cold as ever, but there was no wind at all. There's a small coefficient of 80 and I'm going to take advantage of it to visit the foreshore. The stepper allows me to go where there's less water, unlike my pedalboard. While waiting for the foreshore to open up, I look for a few cephalopods. No squid today, but big cuttlefish, still on the Tataki mount. Some of them are quite damaged, as if the reproduction period had begun. It's still a bit early, though, as it usually starts with the arrival of spring, weird, weird...
Clams on the foreshore
With the foreshore uncovered, I settle on a corner of the beach and start picking. It's the right season for beautiful clams. In fact, I quickly get my fill of shellfish, plus a few crabs that will remain on the foreshore. After an hour's scratching in the gravelly sand, I have a snack in the January sunshine and take the opportunity to remove one of the extra thermal layers I'd put on this morning - it's really nice out. Winter outings are still possible, but you have to target the seasonal fruits, as I'm wont to say.
On these first two outings in January, I came across six different species, which just goes to show that there's plenty of activity, and the January sun is good for replenishing your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D helps keep you healthy, and 15 minutes' exposure to the sun is enough for your daily intake. As I often say, kayak fishing should be reimbursed by social security...
