How about this weather ?

• This weather we are having at the moment is stunning - I was out walking Jess this morning just before 7am, and to see dawn appearing was breathtaking. The first proper cold morning I have felt this autumn, but that's just fine by me. I fancy a bit of plugging for bass over the weekend with the big tides and settled conditions.

• Above is one of the photos from my last Irish bass trip, when we had this incredible few hours early in the morning where the sun was struggling to burn though the fog, and it allowed me to shoot some really moody stuff. I deliberately underexposed the photo a little to make sure the rocks and angler remained essentially black shapes against the sky, plus I needed to make sure the sun was not washed out. Overall I am really happy with it, but of course you are not seeing the full size image on a properly calibrated screen. I hope it looks ok on this blog, because on my monitors here it looks awesome.

• The only bad thing about that morning was that the fish simply would not play ball !! There were stacks of monster mullet milling around and sunbathing, but could we get any of the bass to hit our lures ? Could we hell............oh for a few loaves of sliced white bread and my mullet gear. There were double-figure mullet there, I kid you not.

• I know I have mentioned it before, but I passionately believe that we need to keep looking for better and more effective ways of dealing with the fish we catch, if that is we intend to return them - and I do. Right now I still reckon that one of the most effective and cost effective tools to carry is this Berkley Pistol Grip, see here. I am not sure how many shops stock them yet in the UK, but they are worth tracking down if you are properly into caring for what you catch so that it goes back just fine. Make sure to wash them in fresh water and douse them in WD40 occasionally and they'll keep on doing the job.

• I was driving back from north Cornwall early yesterday evening, thinking as I do about all kinds of things, and naturally I began to have debate in my head about one of my most favourite things on earth - extreme metal. What else am I am meant to do in the car ? I am booked up to go and see this Unholy Alliance Tour on the evening of October 30th in London, where Slayer, Trivium, Mastodon and Amon Amarth will be shredding my eardrums for a few delightful hours, and I can't wait......

• So I am debating away in my head, thinking about the albums that have really affected my life over the years (and there are plenty), and then I began thinking about the greatest thrash metal releases of all time. We blokes are into top tens. And what still sits atop my list after all this time ? Come on, what else could it be other than the life-changing, thrash metal classic that is the immense "Reign in Blood", by the best thrash group of all time, Slayer (Metallica don't come close, too many rubbish releases in recent years and I can't forgive them for it). I'd put albums such as Master of Puppets by Metallica (their best ever album, by far) and Peace Sells..........But Who's Buying? by Megadeth in that top ten, but nothing yet has managed to knock the Slayer's 1986 masterpiece off its shelf. I was 13 years old when that came out, and I can still remember hearing "Reign in Blood" for the first time - what a great day. I'm getting all misty-eyed with emotion here.

• So what did I do in my car last night ? That's right, I put it on at full blast and air-drummed for 28 perfect minutes while I drove home. What is really exciting is that I hear Slayer will be playing this classic album right through from start to finish at the gig I am going to see. Put this album on and it'll take you right back to those early days. Nostalgia rules !! Sleeveless t-shirts, studs, filthy jeans, spots, booze, fags and head banging - now those were the days.......