Saw some bass, but couldn't catch them (plus a truly monster pike)

• I went out for a few hours over the high water yesterday morning, to have another look around and see if I could find some bass. I had timed it to fish the last of the flood tide, and the moment the tide turned I waded out onto a sandbank to fish with soft plastics in amongst the tumbling water and deeper channels. As I waded out I saw perhaps ten to fifteen bass laid up on the sand, right next to the main channel, but the moment they saw me moving towards them they quite rightly spooked !! They weren't big fish, but at least they were bass. I also saw a lone sandeel swimming around - bizarre.

• To see fish always raises the heartbeat, and pretty quickly I got hit hard once on the soft plastic lure you can see above, but the fish did not connect - a MegaBass XLayer fished on an 18g Storm jig head (see here for the lures). But then nothing else happened. Typical !! I fished a few hours of the drop and then had to head back home. What a stunning morning when those clouds cleared, and pretty as it was, it had to have been too bright for the fish to switch on properly. That's my excuse anyway. Just me, Jess my sheepdog and a few seagulls - perfect peace, but rest assured that true Norwegian black metal in the shape of Gorgoroth was blasting out in my car on the way back. Peace when fishing, metal when not. Life is a series of opposites.

• I also messed around with this lure above, and in the water it looks incredible - it's a 6.5 inch Hart Gummy Leech on a 22g articulated Storm jig head that I picked up in France. Why on earth can you not get hold of these particular articulated jig heads in the UK ? (a big hint to Shimano !!) I have a feeling that this lure set up might do some proper damage later in the season, and I reckon night time is going to work well where I was fishing......

Photo courtesy Danny Parkins

31lb 14oz pike - 01.04.09

• But my brief efforts yesterday were certainly put into context when Danny Parkins rang me up and told me all about this huge pike he caught yesterday on the Exeter canal. Take a look at the size of that thing !! 31lb 14oz of killing machine, and Danny took this beast on a lure. I have met few guys who know their predator fishing as much as this guy, in fact he is an all round fishing junkie with a serious lure problem. Danny reckons this huge pike is a new Exeter canal record, so what can I say but seriously well done, that is a hell of a fish to catch on a lure and I take my hat off to the guy. I have been hectic with work too much over the winter, and I feel daft for not having got into this pike fishing properly - I have to make time for this, it's world class fishing. Nice one Danny.

• Please take a look at Nick Hart's blog here - I could not agree more with him about this Robson Green bloke talking rubbish on the (primetime) box about the fact that nine out of ten fish that are caught and released then go and die. This proves to me once again that the whole celebrity culture is something to be avoided at all costs. Another nail in the "image of fishing" coffin, this time banged home by a bloke who is meant to be a keen angler. I am not about to post what I really feel here, it ain't printable.

Is this the metal release of the year so far ?

• Sometimes a new album comes along that literally blows you off your feet it's so good. Some hit you straight away like a bullet between the eyes (see here for example), and some are what I call "growers" - they take multiple listens to fully open up because they are so layered and full of different emotions, tempos, and overall hugeness. Go and listen to a classic album like "The Sham Mirrors" by Arcturus to see what I mean (check the track Starcrossed here).

• The new Enslaved album "Vertebrae" is a truly immense release, indeed I am of the feeling that it is my album of the year so far. It is that good. This is a monster, a true "grower", something that I am listening to over and over again, and each and every time I am hearing new things that get me going. This is extreme metal, make no mistake, but it is hugely progressive, thoughtful and just downright awesome. When metal is this good I have to be careful not to weep with the sheer emotion of it all. Check out a few tracks here.

• Every single track starts off of course as a song when you first "spin" the CD, but the next time around and you begin to understand just what is going on as the different layers of music within each song begin to open up and reveal themselves. Give me a few more releases like this and I might consider changing jobs and looking for work as a metal reviewer !! Seriously, "Vertebrae" is immense. Go and buy it now and then spend the whole weekend with it on repeat.

• How on earth does a relatively small country such as Norway keep on producing so much outstanding music ? I would guess that more CDs than any in my somewhat huge collection are from Norwegian bands. Black, death, thrash, heavy, progressive, you name it, Norway contains some of the world's greatest metal bands. And the fishing ain't bad either...............!!

• I am especially glad to be able to praise this new Enslaved album so much because their drummer Cato Bekkevold is a friend, and he happens to be one of the biggest fishing junkies in Norway. Apart from being an outstanding drummer and a thoroughly nice guy, he also writes and photographs about fishing for various magazines and books - Cato seriously knows his fishing, indeed he catches more big pike, cod, coalfish and other such beasts than anybody I know. I also know that he has a series of signature pike lures out there, made by a company a company called StrikePro, see here. How cool is that ? As I keep banging on about, what better mix can there be in life than fishing and extreme metal ? Except that Cato is actually doing the metal part big time, instead of simply air drumming like me !!

• I still get emails about the TV programme that we filmed up in Norway, for those huge coalfish, cod and wolffish, and not many people know that we only got to hear about those places because of Cato. He told us we had to come and film the fishing at Rost and Saltstraumen, and I listened to him because I trusted his opinion. Anybody who has seen the programme will have seen how insane the fishing was up there, and it seems to be getting better and better every year. Check out some photos here, here and here. Cato came with us when we filmed - I owe that episode to the guy big time. What an outstanding drummer as well.

• It is Cato you can see in the photo above and further on down the page - I photographed Enslaved up in London when they last toured the UK, for Metal Hammer magazine, and they blew the other bands off stage that night. As a live act they are truly immense, and after I had done my bit photos wise down in the pit, Cato had got me access to take photos around his drum kit. It was a blast. There are some more photos of the band below. Check here as well. Go and buy this new album.

Daft sea conditions - more like winter

• Yesterday saw some of the roughest sea conditions I have seen for a long time, more winter than summer. I know we Brits like to bang on about the weather, but when you have the kind of "summer" we are having at the moment, you would understand where we are coming from. The beaches were blown out here yesterday - Constantine was a seething mass of white water and foam, so my chances of plugging have been zero. I could have made a proper effort and sneaked over to the south coast to find some calmer water, but I would rather spend some time with the family and leave the serious bassing for back home and Ireland in a couple of weeks (bring it on !!). If the conditions had been better, I would have done as much as possible - all the gear is with me here, including these stunning looking new plugs I want to try out.

• I am heading back to Plymouth today, but the forecast for the next few days is still for strong onshore winds and a mix of sunshine and showers (but more showers I believe), so I have a nasty feeling that I am going to get blown out on the south Devon coast as well. There were a few decent bass landed on baits around Plymouth recently, including one of over 11lbs, so there are a few serious fish around it seems. But general reports are that bassing has been a bit slow - is it because the sea is taking so long to warm up this year ? I reckon we could be in for a very good late summer and autumn on the bass. Guess I had better look at booking myself another Irish trip for September or October !! (all work of course.........)

• The guy I went pike fishing with a while ago (Danny Parkins, a seriously good angler) has got hold of me to tell me about some epic fishing for chub he has been having on lures, around his home town of Tiverton. Danny had a chub of just under 7lbs the other day, and that is some fish. I am going to have to see some of this fantastic fishing - he has really made me think about getting into a bit of winter pike fishing later on in the year, so I hope to be able to do a bit of that when time allows.

Not the finest fishing session

• Three of us headed up to the rugged north Cornwall coast on Saturday evening to try for a ray or two, but we ended up with virtually nothing - James landed one miserable dogfish to show for all out efforts. I am hearing of some good ray fishing around the south west, but I guess we picked the wrong spot !! Above you can see James blasting out another bait.

• We left Plymouth in the pouring rain, and it then cleared up around Bodmin. But when we got to the north coast, it was shrouded in a dense fog that never lifted the whole time we were there. Conditions seemed to be excellent, with a nice swell rolling in and a good tide as well, but for some reason the rays were staying away from our sandeel baits.

• But just how good are those Daiwa Saltist reels ? I first put them on this blog back in January, see here for my review. I am seeing more and more shore anglers using them to great effect, and at the moment I know of no better 7000 size shore multiplier that we can get our hands on. Mine are loaded up with 20lb yellow Sufix Tritanium, with my current favourite shockleader, rig and trace material - the staggeringly good Sufix Zippy that is now available in the UK. Check here for details. You have to use this line to understand how good it is.

• I hear that more and more forward thinking bass anglers are starting to get hold of the Tenryu plugging rods that have so grabbed me. Reassuringly expensive, but worth all of it, these rods are where it's at right now for me. Whilst I am using the Red Dragon Express and can't find one single fault with it, arguably the most popular model is turning out to be the Rod Bar Model 270, see here. Think I might start saving up again !!

• Well done to Nick Hart for grabbing a few hours before work and landing a nice westcountry salmon, see here for the report. I have yet to photograph salmon in the UK, but they are such special fish to be around. My only experience of them was over on the Gaspe peninsular on the east coast of Canada, an experience that totally blew me away. Check out some photos here, and then book yourself a trip of a lifetime with Aardvark McLeod. Read Pete's report of a monster permit on the fly out in Cuba the other day - what a fish !! Just how badly do I want to photograph that saltwater fly fishing ?

• My mate Cato Bekkevold over in Norway has just emailed me to tell me about some great zander fishing they have just had, for fish up to 20lbs !! Together with a few nice pike on surface lures, this convinces me more and more that Norway has some of the best fishing around. I also hear that they guys are doing really well up at Rost for the halibut, cod and coalfish. See here for some reports. Reports are also excellent for the start of their salmon season.

• Anyway, enough about fishing for today - onto my other obsession in life, extreme metal. I can't believe that any metal fan does not listen to the awesome band Opeth - I know of no other group which so successfully blends such far out, progressive elements into their own brand of crushing death metal. The lead singer can seamlessly switch between stunning clean vocals and one of the world's most brutal death metal roars as naturally as I can switch between fishing and metal !!, and it makes for a seriously good band. I have just got hold of their new CD, called Watershed, and it is a hell of an album - spin it over and over and you'll start to lose yourself in this stuff, it's that good. The kind of CD you really need to sit down and listen to the whole way through. Listen to some tracks here. I photographed these guys in London a while ago, check through this lot here for some very cool photos of them, a few of which appeared in Metal Hammer magazine.

Just too much breeze

• I was meant to be out photographing with Malcolm Jones today, the skipper of the Plymouth charter boat Sea Angler II, but the forecast was just that bit too fresh to get out. It's a real shame - Malcolm rang me on his way back from sea yesterday to say that they have a really good day, with plenty of good pollack up to about 15lbs, and masses of launce around for bait. We are going to try again this Tuesday. If you want to spend a day at sea with one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet, book Malcolm up for some fishing. The photo above is Malcolm at the wheel of his boat, just passing by Plymouth breakwater.

• Bright and early tomorrow morning I head up to photograph some fly fishing for pike up on Chew reservoir with Nick Hart and Wayne Thomas from North Devon. Wayne is a seriously good all round angler and it is always a blast going out with these guys - Wayne recently landed some seriously good pike up on Chew, check here for details. And if the pike don't want to play ball, then it is a very good time for trout up there.

• Hopefully the weather holds for Tuesday out at sea with Malcolm, and then on Wednesday I am back out with Nick Hart to try and photograph one of stunning local rivers for the wild browns and grayling. I simply love this style of fishing and photography. In less than a month, Nick and I are heading out to Montana and both of us are in a complete state of over excitement about it. Fly fishing for wild trout is surely one of the best things on earth, and I get a huge kick out of photographing it.

• I heard of a stunning 9lb plus bass taken on a lure from Jersey waters, on Saturday I believe - that is a proper fish and the angler deserves all credit, especially as he released the fish unharmed. I know the guy caught it on a Tide Minnow 145SLD lure that is apparently working well over there at the moment. A tricky lure to get hold of, but you can get them here. If they work in the Channel Islands, you can bet your life they'll smash fish over here as well. Good to hear that the guy concerned took the fish on his new Tenryu rod (a Rod Bar Model 240 I believe) - these red devils are starting a mini-revolution in top end bass fishing, so check them out here.

Pike fishing - very nearly....

• I went out first thing this morning to do a bit of pike fishing with Danny Parkins from Tiverton, and while we did not land any fish, Danny had a nice couple of 10lb plus fish hit his lure and then shake the hooks free. I had a little jack grab my lure right beneath my feet, but in all honesty he would have had a hard time getting the hooks in his mouth he was that small. Danny also got followed right in by a really big fish that refused to take the lure. We both had a few more follows. It was a blast to get out and chase pike again, indeed it has been far too long.

• We were fishing a couple of different sections of the Exeter canal, and take a look at the light in the photo above - this morning was beautiful, but by about 11am the rain was coming down so hard that I could hardly see what was going on. Time to wimp out and head for coffee !! Fair weather anglers eh ?

• Danny uses a stunning little Shimano baitcasting multiplier that he picked up from Japan, plus a short, 6' jerk-bait rod that is designed to deal with casting and working some heavy lures. Note that he is standing back from the bank, because the cast before Danny was followed in by a decent fish. Like me, he loves to fish with lures, and I can't wait to have another go at the pike sometime soon. Danny also does a fair bit of bass fishing and his father is a mad keen sea angler.

• I am out photographing some fly fishing with Nick Hart tomorrow, and the plan is to head into Cornwall and try and nail some wild browns on a Bodmin Moor reservoir. The forecast is up and down, but I know Nick feels pretty confident of getting the job done. Hopefully it isn't going to lash it down all day - a mix of sunshine and showers usually gives some pretty dramatic light. We shall see....

• I have just taken delivery of a very special fishing rod indeed - bright red, nearly 10' long, an ultra-fast action and feather light. I think this might well be THE bass plugging rod that I have been looking for, but before revealing what it is and where you can get your hands on one, I will try to get out on the coast later this week and give it a thrash. In the hand it feels simply incredible - unlike any kind of UK spinning rod that I have ever come across, and it is has actually been designed purely for bass fishing with lures. I have a strong feeling that this is the one.........keep an eye on the blog and I will say what it is before the end of the week when I head off to the Florida Keys. This bass rod is not cheap, but if you want the best, then the best costs. Reassuringly expensive !!

Chest waders - live in them

• If you have yet to experience wearing breathable chest waders for your fishing, then you are missing out big time. The fly guys have been using lightweight, breathable chest waders and felt or rubber-soled wading boots for sometime now, but not that many anglers in the sea fishing world have switched on to just how useful they are for a lot of our shore fishing - and especially when you head out lure or bait fishing for bass. Some of you might not mind getting a soaking when you are fishing close to or actually in the water, but personally I like to live in my chest waders and keep nice and dry. The photo above from the other day is a perfect example of the need for chest waders. Please note that I used a long lens to compress the scene, and that the water is actually breaking safely behind where Mark is standing.

• Not only are they good for keeping dry when you are wading, but they are great for those (frequent) times when the weather takes a turn for the worse. I simply can not imagine going bass fishing without mine. I also wear them for a lot of my mullet fishing, plus every single time I go out to photograph fly fishing, and they are even perfect for a lot of our standard shore fishing. Think of the shallow reef marks such as Lilstock on the Bristol Channel and then think how useful it would be to be able to wade out a bit if you could. I reckon my chest waders are as important to me as a decent rod or reel, and as such, they are worth every penny. In the winter I wear a fleece bib and brace lining from the fly fishing market to keep me warm.

• Yes, you can pick up neoprene chest waders very cheaply these days, but personally I would rather wear nothing than have to wear neoprene for my fishing. Heavy, non-breathable, hot and horrible !! Look around though and you can usually pick up a good deal on a pair of breathable chesties and wading boots. You can't go far wrong using the Greys G-Series waders and the GRX wading boots. The boots are sized to allow for the waders, so just choose your regular shoe size.

• If you want to spend more, then I can really recommend the Hardy EWS waders and EWS wading boots - I use and abuse these all the time for my fishing and photography and I can't talk them up enough. Sure, they cost a bit, but as I said earlier, I reckon waders are as important to me as a good rod and reel. I hate to think how many hard miles I have walked in mine so far, and they are standing up strong.

• Some friends of mine had a few nice fish up on the Bristol Channel on Saturday, including a 6lb cod and a few thornbacks. This is a good time of year for the rays up there, and spring cod are always a real bonus. Southerly winds and medium tides are perfect for the really shallow reef marks - I have always been convinced that the thornies are put off by the noise or turbulence of rough conditions when you are fishing very shallow water, hence winds in the south being so good. My biggest thornback ray came from the Bristol Channel when it was flat calm, indeed all the best rays I have seen up there have been when the winds have been from the south, coming from behind us and flattening off the sea.

• Check out some serious pike over on Nick Hart's blog - Chew Valley is an awesome place, and Nick and I filmed a TV programme there some years ago now where we had some big pike on flies. I am due to be out tomorrow in fact to photograph some lure fishing for pike, so I'll post here if it all goes well. Although I have not fished for them for a while now, pike have always held a fascination for me and I can't wait to see them again.