03/03/2013 - Newhaven

An old Ports Authority building atop the sea wall

A while ago it had occurred to me that the left 'bank' of the Water of Leith as it left the docks and entered the Firth of Forth might be accessible around this area so I'd gone down to investigate. However it was at high tide and it was difficult to properly assess it's potential.

So, after a night on the sauce and a kip in Edinburgh at a mate's flat, I headed down to explore the shore at Newhaven at low tide.

View of the bridges along the Firth of Forth

On arrival, in the first hour after the low tide, I was met with a flat calm and no swell at the tidal limit. The boulders used to construct the breakwater had enough gaps to whet my appetite for some blenny and sea scorpion action. But by the time I returned to the car and tackled up, there was a bit more of a gentle swell and it made 'settling' my Isome in any one spot quite difficult. Whilst I was unable to find any fish at all, I'm sure they are there somewhere.

However, it is an easily accessible stretch of the shoreline and I'd suspect it will be better for actual shore fishing at the right time of year, whether lures for Coalies and Mackerel etc, or maybe even some bait flung out to find a dogfish or codling or similar.

Looking back towards Newhaven Harbour

I made my way as close to the Water of Leith as possible, although there are plenty of Ports Authority restrictions and restricted areas, you can still access a fair amount of water.

I made my way back along to Newhaven Harbour itself. In the low water I could see a shopping trolley which will no doubt snag up most of the people who fish it this year.  I dabbed my Isome around hoping to find a bottom dweller, but despite my best efforts, couldn't stir so much as a barnacle.

While this was a resounding blank, it was as much an investigation of this part of the shore as a fishing trip and I'll definitely give it another try from midsummer onwards.