Tsunarmi Salt X 4000

The released in 2019 Tsunami Salt X 4000, fully sealed and considered by many in the US a far better reel than the Val Staal or Zeebass lines. Ordered at a time when I'd have thought Covid 19 was a Latvian heavy metal group its taken over 5 months to arrive with me such is it popularity. It's 40g heavier than my Stella, and costing US360 plus £83 customs charges this reel isn't going to be to everyones liking, but I'm pretty sure it's to mine.
 Looks a piece of art, comes with the Bailess converstion option, line lay is on par with a Shimano and gears are a match too. Plus I dont know anybody else in the UK who has one, even Henry Gilbeys not reviewed it.

Books and Covid 19

Why do anglers in the West Country think they have to share their thoughts with the rest of the world in the form of a book. These 2 are receiving mixed reviews on a certain fishing forum, due no doubt to Corona lockdown, or some of the members partners suddenly having free time to read books to them.

James Leakyboots Batty's effort.
 The authors name gives 2 big clues whats coming, and whilst he might sound like your local Monster Raving Looney Party candidate, his condescending tone throughout knocking anybody who doesnt dress like a tramp, drive a shitheap and fishes with cheap crap gets as irritating as one knocking on your door. Obviously being the hero of the book he catches some fish, as would happen if you were retired, live in one of the best bass hotspots in Britain and have little else to do. Fortunately he doesn't catch to many, as I couldn't find a picture of one alive. Really thought the days of somebody hanging a fish in front of them in a car park or backgarden were long gone. The continueous attempt at humour fails in my opinion though others seem to find it funny, but some people also found the Chuckle Brothers funny!!!. As for the book not being just about the "hows and whys"as promised on the dust cover, he manages that very well.

Mark Cowlings effort.
If there was something I enjoyed, did for a living day in day out, spent huge amounts of time doing, yet my best Bass was around 8lb, I certainly wouldn't feel quilified to write a book on the subject. Not to worry though, put a lot of charts in, baffle the readers with well thought out logic that obviously hasn't worked to well, bring out a most basic and copied lure with your name on it, and you're an expert author-guide-tackle manufacture. Never caught a Bass referring to a Pie Chart?, heres your chance.

Finally a 3rd West country angler has seen fit to bless us with his fishing experiences. Robin Bradley or something like that. I've read his "lengthy" catch reports in the BASS magazine, page after page of nothing when a 2 line text would have been sufficent ensures I wont be falling for this offering.

If you really want to read some well writen Angling books, try the brilliant and  sharp witted Clive Gammon. His book "a tide of fish" changes hands for around £150 upward even in very bad condition. Given another year these 2 books wont be costing 1% of that in the bargain bucket. Gammons other work is considerably cheaper, and being a proper Sports Journlist, he can write. Also worth a read is anything by John Gierach, an American author, based loosley on fly fishing, but more about his observations on fishermans behaviour. Finally, for instruction, John Darling. ( Who was a good friend of Gammons)

Dorardo off Chesil

Got 17 a few mornings back on lures off Chesil (no need to elaborate how far off Chesil).

Humbled

2019

Earliest Bass I can remember in this area, but it was a mild winter. 55cm. And the madness begins.

Getting Bigger

81cm, 12lb 3oz , sorry about pic quality, grab from Gopro video.

Trying not to be smug,

Fishing Shed

With the 2017 season over, thought I'd build a fishing shed.

Reels re-strung. Lures sprayed to the UK fishes liking, not what a Japanese Bass would go for.. DRF working on the new rod. So many decent fish last year, so many new idea's to develope in the 3 month break, but getting there.

Surprise amoungst the Bass

Out last night after a meeting run on late, very late. When I caught up with my partner he already had a 4 and  two 6 lbers. Fish first cast for me and steady adding to my tally, but then floored when my mate landed a 75.  Long cast, one turn of the handle and solid hook-up. Something wasn't right, but it was heavy so it was a bass. Lots of splashing in the shallows, crested in on a wave, bent to un-hook it with the headlight on low and something wasn't right.  6lb 9oz Sea-Trout not right. On the Orange Belly Pearl Zonk.  Finished the night with a good No of Bass to componsate.

70 cm plus

Lots of 60cm plus, getting some 70's too.

Jetlag Fish

Back from Barbados this morning and was never going to sleep tonight, so out and about for a 66cm

60 cm Fish

Getting our fair share. 60cm plus fish most trips including this morning at 4am.

Excuse the quality, was very lowlight.

A few posts back I mentioned the damage a 7lb and a 10lb fish did to my Feed Shallow Mullet hooks last season.  Back on the 24th May at 3.30am  I clipped on a White FS retrieved from my box of doom, when fishing a mark my partner in crime stated just seconds earler could throw up a personal best that morning.  Three casts later it tried to oblige, the smash, the pause, the massive head-shakes and then the charge for freedom. I let it do as it wanted, very aware I hadn't changed the hooks on the FS. Three times I got the fish back, my partner tried mouthing it when I had it at his side, but the lure was across its mouth, so the only option was to walk it 100 yards back to the beach. Now my partner has had plently of doubles, and he put its weight well in excess of 12lb, more likely mid-teen, but he was good enough not to tell me that. Half-way back to the beach when the hooks straightened, he did.  It didnt make me feel any better.

Early Start

After a good few trips chasing hunches and failing miserably this morning at 4am things started coming good.  5 Fish the best of which went around 60 cm, all on the Candy Komono II

9.4.17 Season Starts

So on an extremely sunny and warm spring morning a 54cm falls victim to the Zonk

DFR Entice 9' 6

Thought I'd add another rod the the Arsenal, the DFR custom made Entice,  9'6 , 6-28g.  Gotta love Richard Cakes work.  If its half the rod my ST Croix is, I'll be more than happy.
This is my 4th DFR, 3rd custom made, and I've had doubles on the previous 3, so no pressure on the Entice.

Photoshopping Fish Photo's.

Apart from the black line coming off the back of the fish, isn't that arm a bit odd............................

Screaming Stella.

With the extra hour, having put the clocks back, its was up to a pretty new mark for me. The absence of other anglers was a welcome surprise, and the 2nd cast producing a 67cm fish even better.

When inspecting the Feed-Shallow I noticed 2 of the hooks were bent out. I bent them right and carried on. 5 Casts later I hooked into something much bigger,  and against a tight drag the fish made  a 50 meter , bent hook memory joggin run. There's 2 ways to go when this happens, end the fight quickly or go gentle. I went the wimp way.  10 minutes later, 76cm of Bass slid up the beach. Measured and Photographed she went back strongly, splashing me with a tail slap. The photo shows how fat she was, and while I never weighed her I reckons she made it over 10 lb. The Feed-Shallow didn't fair so well, one hook completely snapped off, one bent right out, although the hook in the fish's scissors was completely OK. I've always considered Bass clean fighters, but I do wonder if that Bass tried to knock the hooks out against a rock. !!!   Anyhow, best fight a Bass has ever put up on my rod.

This red-letter day hasn't been exceptional in Kent this year. I know of at least 15 doubles coming out to lures, yet these are very rarely mentioned on Forums.  The WSF lure fishing Forum used to be the place informed practicing anglers shared catch reports and tactics. Now its full of caught nothing keyboard warriors spouting their ill informed opinions. You get it in all walks of life, the pratt who thinks if he hangs onto an expert long enough some of his reputation will rub off on them. If they talk long enough somebody will listen. If they stack enough chairs at the AGM they're part of the management team. Bless em.

I caught my first fish from here 22 years ago when I was 11, and last night I went back there and caught some more. Why did I wait 22 years to revisit a mark that always held fish and is 5 minutes from home. 
Answer.   Because I'm a pratt.

Another season over.

Dawn in November.

Thoughts

So the EU has seen fit to suddenly stop pair trawling for the rest of the year for Bass, and thats got to be a good thing. It offers protection to Bass down in the Southern Approaches of the English Channel spawning, (well, those that haven't already been caught this season) and the acknowledgment by the EU that there is a problem with Bass Stocks.  There is also a proposal of a 3 fish recreational limit and a increase in the minimum size limit for recreational anglers, no bad thing either.

So my prediction,

1. Bass Prices will increase.
2.Recreational netting will increase, but at least they come under the heading of recreational anglers and can only take the same as Rod and Line Anglers
3. Recreational netting will go completely un-policed.
4. The pair trawling will be reinstated within 2 years

Hope I'm wrong,  would be great to see a fishery recovery on par with the Striped Bass in the States. Trouble is while we say Americans are a greedy race, we are greedier and stupider.

Did the Irish Bass Festival back in July, 6 of us went. Had a few fish, best at 64cm was never going to worry the leaders. As much as I enjoy it I think that will be my last one.

 Don't think this sort of event lends itself to group fishing, 6 blokes scrambling to get to the best marks, (and rooms), shouting across the water to each other, lights on and off.  Stealth is king on these deserted rugged coastlines where light pollution is non-existent, especially at night, when collectively we caught hardly anything with nearly all our fish coming in daylight. Anyway, only remember it because I found this pic on the camera earlier today

 If you get a chance to go, do it. Great Comp

2014, it's nearly over.

There was a plan, a crap plan according to the wife, that Joe and I would shoot down to Weymouth Boxing day, get a Double each, and be back before anyone noticed. Unfortunately the wind is now forecast to go East and the only plus is the family think I'm not going because of them.

Shore fishing has taken a backseat this year to fishing from the RIB. Spending the sort of money we have on it meant we had to use it. Nine Doubles, plenty of 8-9lb class fish, Dolphins at sunset, ease of fishing all suggest it's now our first choice for a day out. But in reality it was the first fish of the season, at first light from a rock mark at 7lb that gave me the biggest rush. The flat seas at Sunset when the fish smash a topper,  or bringing back a shallow diver though the surf when everything locks up are still moments that can never be beaten on the RIB. You have to work for every shore fish, often aching days after from miles on shingle or life risking climbs in and out of marks. The fish from the RIB just hurt the pocket.

So, with a days Holiday to use up and no chance of a Bass, it was a long walk along a deserted beach, a Pub Lunch, and assuring the Family Christmas wouldn't be a one day Holiday (unless the winds swings back around).

Best Fish of the year,