Bits and bobs - 05/11/2013

Work, buying a new kitchen, weekends away at friends and relatives......I could go on! Needless to say there hasn't been much fishing done lately. A trip down to Saunton with the lads was an opportunity for another crack at the bass with the lures. However, day one on the coast near Woolacombe drew a blank. The next morning saw me on the estuary just after dawn for a social with Joel Squires (http://www.joelsoul.co.uk/). Conditions seemed perfect - the light was good, the wind had dropped and there were even birds feeding on shoals of bait fish, albeit tantalisingly out of casting range most of the time! Worked hard with surface lures, following the incoming tide up the gullies and making sure we didn't get cut off in the process. 

Joel on the estuary

Retreating back onto the beach I tried "trotting" a soft plastic on the current but, apart from a tiny "basslet" to Joel, our luck just wasn't in. Bit frustrating given such good conditions and the fact that the following weekend in Pembrokeshire (and the last chance for a bass) was completely blown out. Never mind - next year! Back in Nottingham, a couple of trips with the light lure outfit following up a "hot tip" about some big perch just resulted in a few small pike before the heavens well and truly opened and flooded rivers brought things to a halt.

Jack on a Big Hammer

At least I've caught up with my reading, not least the great blogs and online magazines that are out there. One of the latter is http://www.esoxworld.com/, which is currently available as a download, an iPad App and PC/Mac App and has some great articles on pike and muskie fishing in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada and the United States. Another good fireside read is http://www.catchmagazine.net. Even if you're not a fly fisherman, you can't fail to be impressed at the amazing photography and visually stunning locations. It's certainly got me hankering (on a less global scale!) after some fly-fishing for grayling once the rivers have dropped back to normal. If you're cack-handed like me and can't tie the simplest fly to save his life, http://www.islandflies09.co.uk/ are well worth looking at for value, quality service. Just hope the weather improves a bit now!