Catching Supper: Beaulieu river

[laika]

Sitting on the Beaulieu watching the rain on saturday evening I noticed that there seem to be a lot of fish sploshing about. Further investigation suggests that Lord Montague will let boaters fish in his river for an additional £5 per day. From another current thread that might be cheaper than the Master Builder. My adventures into the world of fish slaughter have so far only encompassed trolling for mackerel.

What's the easiest edible fish to catch in the Beaulieu, and what's the best rig to use for it? Anything involving a hand line would be more attractive than anything requiring purchase of a rod, though I don't discount the latter if it could be used in a variety of situations.

 

[ChrisE]

Sorry to disillusion you but catching fish in the Beulieau is not that simple. There are bass, mullet and sea trout in the river but they usually require special techniques to catch them. You might be lucky if you threw a handline over the side baited with mackeral strip but I wouldn't bet my house on it.

 

[Mariner69]

What's the easiest edible fish to catch in the Beaulieu, and what's the best rig to use for it?

Hand grenade and net to catch them falling.

 

[Highndry]

Unless you're fishing for salmon or sea trout it's unusual to pay for fishing in tidal reaches of rivers but I see from the Bucklers' Hard website that charge they do. I'd love to know what the £5 is for! Possibly just to keep the anglers away.
I suspect that much of the sploshing is by grey mullet which, when you realise that they like nothing better than feasting around sewerage outfalls, puts them off the menu of most people. You'd probably be able to catch flounders fishing on the bottom and there is the chance of bass but hand-lining from a stationary boat is unlikely to produce regularly.
Buy yourself a cheap spinning outfit (7' rod, fixed spool reel, line and a couple of spinner baits) and try to snare one with a metal spinner.