Flatfish, Whiting, Parasite, Frozen Bait & a Subscriber
Some trips are planned out for weeks. Others… just happen because you need to get out the house and breathe in some sea air. This session at Hampton definitely fell into the second category. Me and Connor weren’t expecting fireworks — we just wanted to feel the shingle under our boots and get a couple of rods in the water.
Setting Up, Simple Gear & Leftover Bait
We parked right in front of the car park and set up along the shoreline. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.
I used my 14ft Penn beachcaster with matching reel
Connor used his 12ft beachcaster and reel
Both rigs: 3-hook flappers, size 2 hooks
Bait: leftover frozen worm + pieces of squid
Even with bait that had definitely seen better days, we were happy to just cast out and see what happened.
Surprisingly Early Action
Within the first part of the session, things started looking promising. I managed to pull in two lovely flatfish, both worth taking home — always a bonus when dinner literally comes out of the sea. One extra flattie made an appearance too, but he was too small, so back he went to grow on for next time.
Connor was next. He landed a couple of flatfish as well, although both had issues. One was clearly attacked before — half its tail was missing, poor thing. The other didn’t look healthy, so both were safely returned.
He then added a whiting, which brought him up to three fish — matching my own tally.
And this whiting came with a shock…
The Tongue Parasite – Disgusting but Fascinating
Inside its mouth was something neither of us had ever seen in person:
A tongue-eating parasite.
We’d heard of them, seen pictures online, even watched videos — but to see one attached to Connor’s whiting was something else entirely. Equal parts fascinating and absolutely vile. Connor managed to remove it, and the fish was put back safely. Nature never stops surprising you.
The Highlight of the Day
But the true standout moment of the whole session wasn’t a fish.
It was a person.
Partway through our time on the beach, one of our subscribers — Paul — came down to Hampton specifically to see if he could find us just to say hello. We honestly couldn’t believe it. Having someone take the time to come and meet us absolutely made our day.
Massive thank you to Paul — we really appreciated the visit. Moments like that are what make running this channel feel so worthwhile.
Watch the Video Below
A Simple Trip That Became Something Special
We walked onto the beach expecting very little. We left with:
A few fish each
Flatfish ready for dinner
A crazy tongue parasite encounter
Some laughs and great father-and-son time
And a brilliant visit from a subscriber
Hampton might not always produce monsters, but it gave us exactly what we needed — a refreshing, enjoyable day by the sea with good company and a few surprises.
We’ll definitely be back soon
Until then… tight lines!
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