Too rough tonight

It was what you might call a little bit on the rough side tonight. High water just before 7pm, with a big-ish tide sounded promising. But when I got there, the gale was blowing along the shore and the sea was an ugly maelstrom of mud-coloured waves and spindrift.

The waves weren't that big, compared to the swell you get on a big, northerly sea. There isn't enough fetch - the amount of open water for the wind to blow along - to form big breakers when it's coming sou-westerly up the estuary. The waves don't travel far enough to build.

It was pushing the surface along against the tide instead and there was a foaming running chop along the beach. I'm not sure what was going on under the surface, but the water looked cold and turbid.

I don't see how you could fish this churning, surging sea with lures or bait and abandoned the idea without even putting a rod together.

I know a few had tonight pencilled in, but one texted to say it's going to be a waste of time and the fancied spots were all deserted. The only people out were a few wind surfers racing along off the esplanade.