I am categorically not a fishing tackle tart

• Yeah right !! I am not thinking much at all about all those lovely rods, reels and lures (and more lures) at the Nantes fishing show (watch my nose grow as I type that sentence). I have spent so much time in France, and I love the country and the people, but this will be my first real chance to properly delve into the French sea fishing scene. And obviously the bass fishing is a big part of what fascinates me here......

• In all seriousness, weird rigs and strange set-ups don't do much for me at all, but give me a glimpse of high end rods, reels and those lovely, shiny "please buy me" lures and the tackle tart within me comes out to play. I've used countless different beachcasters over the years, and in my honest opinion I think we are making them about as good as they need to be, but the massive potential within the lure fishing side of things is what is driving me forward at the moment.

• On that front, check out pages 120, 121, 122, 123 and 124 in the brand new issue of Sea Angler magazine. There is a very cool feature of mine on fishing for bass with shallow diving lures - I know I would say it is cool because I back my own photos (modesty eh ?), but the guys at Sea Angler are really making the magazine look very strong at the moment. All credit.

• If you are interested in stunning photography, then I implore you to check out the outrageously incredible work by a photographer I have just stumbled upon. I love awesome photography of the world around us, and my wife gave me one of the most stunning photography books I have ever seen for my birthday the other day. Galen Rowell was an American photographer and environmentalist who tragically died in a plane crash in 2002. I can't believe that I have only just "found" this guy, but his work was and is truly inspirational. His use of light in his photography is truly jaw-dropping and it makes me realise just how far I have got to go before I am close to being fit to even carry the gear for these kinds of photographers.

• Galen Rowell's website is here, and the (awesome) book my wife got me is called "North America - the beautiful" (the cover is above) and you can get it from Amazon right here. There are plenty more books by the same guy here as well. I love my photography and I feel that I am getting better and better every year, but when you see a collection of work from a guy as talented as Galen Rowell then you realise just how powerful a medium photography really can be. If my kind of work can better help to show fishing off in the best possible light, then that is what I strive for.

Fishing with braid

• There has been a fair bit of talk I have seen recently about using braided mainlines for fishing with. Over the years I have heard some serious garbage talked about the pros and cons of using braid, but there is no doubt that it is the best way to fish lures for species such as bass. I am totally sold on the benefits and all my spinning reels are loaded up with braid.

• But the thing you really want to do to ensure trouble free fishing is to take a close look at the photo above - note that I have deliberately underfilled my reel, for this really cuts down any chances of getting a dreaded wind knot. Do not be tempted to fill your spinning reel to the brim to try and get a few extra yards distance - yes, of course I have done this, and then paid the price with a beauty wind knot first cast. Underfill for proper performance. Let my previous distress save you from any yourself !!

• My favoured breaking strain for bass fishing is 30lb, preferably in high-vis yellow. I like seeing my lines and I fish a short clear leader to the actual lure. I know that I'll never land a 30lb bass (here's to dreaming...), but 30lb braid casts great, sits just fine on the reel, and enables me to wrench stuck lures out of most snags. I can also horse hooked fish near rocks. You can't go far wrong with 30lb Sufix Performance braid or Power Pro. Both are excellent lines. It was my mate Graham Hill who really put me onto fishing with 30lb braid. You can see him in a bunch of photos here. This guy catches serious bass !!

• I presume you are aware of the news about the somewhat thorny issue of a UK sea angling license - the government has abandoned any current plans to introduce one, see here for the full story. I have deliberately remained quiet about these issues for my feelings are strong and would no doubt cause some kind of reaction which I do not seek.

• Should we have to pay to fish our sea waters ? No, of course we should not.

• But will we have any fish left if we don't pay the right people to fight for the future protection of our already very depleted fish stocks ? Like most sea anglers, I refuse to believe that the introduction of a government run license (or stealth tax in my book) is the way to do this.

• If I felt that my money was going to the right people though.............that is another matter altogether. Things can be done properly - look at the success story of the US striped bass fishery for a shining example of stock regeneration and a booming recreational fishing industry directly linked to having plenty of decent fish to catch. Imagine what kind of industry we would have here in the UK around our own bass fishing if we had lots more big fish to go after ?

• Anyway, politics over for the day. Below is a photo of one of my all time favourite species, the ballan wrasse. The first fish I ever caught off the shore was a wrasse, just below Trevose Head in north Cornwall, and ever since I have had a serious soft spot for these hard fighting fish. Like most shore anglers I went all out for them with heavy gear for a while, but actually all you need is a powerful spinning rod and reel, and some decent bait. Fishing for them is a blast.

Easter weather

• After spending Easter last year mainly on the beach in some of the warmest weather of the year, this blast of strong, cold winds and icy rain is a bit of a shock. I would imagine that the hordes of people heading to the westcountry this weekend are coming armed with fleeces and hats rather than shorts and suncream. Above is a photo of some rough seas on the wild and rugged coast of North Cornwall, a place I have loved all my life.

• If any of you have seen Simms catalogues and adverts over the last few years, I am sure you will have been struck by the very distinctive style of photography that was used. I certainly was and a lot of it looks simply fantastic. Check out a load of very cool images by the photographer who did the Simms work, see some collections of his here and here. He is called Tibor (great name) Nemeth. Some fishing really lends itself to a black and white or a desaturated, moody look, something that I have never really played around with. But this outstanding photography certainly inspires one to go out and try......

• I have finally sorted out exact times and flights for this Montana fly fishing photography trip that Nick Hart and I are going on in June, and both of us are ridiculously overexcited about heading out to the American west. We are off in mid June for a week, flying out of London into Denver, then onto Bozeman - easy journey, we will be there in a day. I simply can not wait to get my first glimpse of Montana. All this has been arranged through the fly fishing travel specialists Aardvark McLeod. Bring it on.

• Have a good Easter break, don't freeze the proverbials off outside.