Off up North

• I am flying up to Newcastle tonight for a couple of days of meetings with Hardy & Greys at their place in Alnwick. There are some great people up there and I really enjoy doing plenty of different things with these guys. Most anglers would be fascinated to get a proper glimpse of just what it takes to design, manufacture and market all that fishing tackle that we buy. Trust me, it takes a hell of a lot of hard work.

• Since I have been talking a fair bit recently about plugging for bass (not that I am obsessed with it or anything !!), above is another very well known and successful bass lure, the Yo-Zuri Mag Popper. A kind of popper/walk the dog hybrid lure that really can excite the fish to come up and nail it on the surface, it works well in most conditions. More modern lures tend to cast that bit better and turn over less in flight, but the Mag Popper will continue to catch bass for plenty more years to come. I always have one in my lure box. It was mainly John Hall over in southern Ireland who really switched me onto this lure. Check out some fishing with John here. There are various sizes available, but the one you see above in my view tends to work the best for our bass.

• You will be pleased to know that I have just about survived my weekend looking after my two young daughters on my own, even with the filthy weather we had yesterday. Nothing stops us getting out for walk with our sheepdog Jess, but it does take me about half an hour longer than my wife to kit the girls out in their waterproofs etc. We have had a blast, and with plenty of trips overseas coming up in the next few months, it is great to spend some proper time with my daughters. Both of them are having an afternoon sleep at the moment, hence me sneaking upstairs to my office to do a bit of work. I know how good a mother my wife is, but after doing it all myself for a couple of days, I have a whole, renewed sense of admiration for her !! It's easier going to work................kids are awesome, but take it from me, changing nappies is a highly over rated experience. My father-in-law says that he did his first ever nappy so badly (on his daughter, my wife) that he was never allowed to change one again - what a result !!