Folkstone 2nd July 09

Took the kayak down to Folkstone as the wife and mother in law wanted to look around the shops, too good an opportunity to waste really. I just wanted a quick paddle really and thought i would sort out a spinning rod and a few lures just in case. Launched in front of the old Rotunda amusement arcade. Weather was scattered cloud and sunshine and a fairly good easterly breeze. I secured the rod to the Yak with a home made leash and I headed off straight out for about 200 yards and sorted myself out. I tried spinning on the drift for 15 minutes or so, just to see if there were any mackerel about. Nothing doing, so i cast the lure back out, put the rod back into its holder as paddled off down to Sandgate way trolling the lure behind me.
The wind was picking up a bit and i thought that i would see just how unfit i was by periodically turning into the wind and seeing how much headway i was getting. Either i am fitter than i thought or the kayak handled better than expected, for i made good ground paddling into the wind. Anyway, got down to sandgate reef and had a cast around on the drift, for half an hour, looking for Bass. Nothing was biting, so i headed back towards Folkstone, casting into likely looking spots on the way. Still nothing so one last cast, put the rod in its holder, engaged the bait runner mechanism, and trundled back to the car. Five minutes from the car park, the reel started spinning like mad. I thought i had hooked up in some weed, but i struck into it any way, just in case, and what do you know, i was into a fish. It fought well on the little 6 foot pike rod and after a short spirited fight, a little school bass was alongside the kayak. My first fish, i was really chuffed as i lifted it out of the water and unhooked it. It probably weighed around the Pound and a half mark, but it was a great moment and i put it back into the water and watched it speed off. I had another couple of casts had one more bite but no more fish and headed off back home.
Also, on the way back to the car, the wind picked up some more and started throwing up the odd "white horse". The sea swell increased also and the ocasional wave came over the bow. The Kayak was still a very stable place to be and at no time was i concerned and felt totaly happy and confident.