Classic surf fishing

There is something quite magical about standing thigh deep in the tumbling surf and fishing for bass. If plugging is the modern method, then touch ledgering in amongst the breakers is about as classical and traditional as our sea fishing gets - and I love it. Those bass have this incredible ability to home in on your baits right amongst the turbulent water and that bite is always unmistakable Don't get me wrong, we all miss a few because we get terribly overexcited, but the beauty of this fishing is in its simplicity. The real trick is reading the water and working out where to put your bait.

I have been using the Greys BZe 3-5oz rod for a couple of years now and I have to admit to seriously liking it for this kind of fishing. A 4oz plain lead and a good sized crab bait are perfect to get this rod working properly. As you can see, breathable chest waders are essential for bass fishing, whether in the surf or plugging from the rocks, and we used the new Greys G-series ones to great effect over in Ireland. Fairly cheap and they seem to be rugged enough to cope with it all.

A load of photographs from my recent Canada trip have been loaded onto my website, check them out here. Hover your cursor over the small thumbnail and a larger one will appear as if by magic !! This was one of the most special trips I have ever done, and there is also a load of stuff over at Aardvark McLeod's website on what to do, where to go and how. Get yourself out there, it really is that good. Talk to Pete, Charlotte or Jamie and they will get it moving.

I am off to London tomorrow to appear on the Sky Sports programme Tight Lines - done it a few times before and it is always a blast. The host Keith Arthur has a fishing encyclopedia in his head, he seriously knows his stuff and is always cool to talk to. Click here for transmission times.

The king of fish

As my mate Graham Hill calls them, bass surely are the king of our European sea fish - what could be more impressive than this spiked predator ? I am in love with these fish, partly because I so enjoy the light tackle methods we use to fish for them, and partly because it feels to me to be such a pure form of fishing. No stupid rigs that take a day to tie, no heavy rods and reels and no crowds of anglers if you go to the right places. Standing waist deep in the surf and touch ledgering or perched precariously on some jagged rock edge casting lures, fishing for bass is simply wonderful. This fine fish was taken on a crab bait in south east Ireland last week, when Graham and I yet again had the coastline virtually to ourselves. If I had the money I would buy a house in this part of Ireland, for the fishing is sublime, and I do not say that lightly. Please give me more time to spend over there, but life has a habit of getting in the way of one's fishing does it not ? Already plotting my return trip..........

If black metal is your thing, check out the new CD from the Hungarian band Sear Bliss, called The Arcane Odyssey, it is outstanding. Their last album was immense, but this just might top it. Metal and bassing, what more does one need ?

The killer lure.....

We managed a good plugging session yesterday before the worst of the weather came in and forced us off the rocks - I nearly got washed off a rock into the bargain, but when there are fish around you are naturally going to push it a bit to get at them. Managed a nice bass of about 6lbs on the killer lure that always seems to work for bass - the Maria Chase BW in holographic silver colour (get them here). You need to work it really fast to get it moving correctly, but I have yet to see this innocuous looking lure fail, it really seems to be that good. They are not very expensive either and if you go plugging with 30lb braid on your reel then you can wrench the lures out of most snags anyway. Awesome fish, it hit me about ten yards off my rod tip, I saw it come out the weed and smash into my lure just so hard - yet again it has been confirmed to me just how good the shore fishing in Ireland is and I am going to keep coming back as much as time allows. The bass fishing is about as good as it is anywhere I have ever heard of.

Will post some photos when I get home, I am working on a different laptop out here and I can not process my RAW files into a format that I can put up here.

Plenty of bass.

I can't put any photos up, will do when I get home, but as always it seems, the bass fishing here in SE Ireland is fantastic - first cast with a crab bait gave a nice fish on a stunning mark. Plenty more fish to baits and lures, weather is perfect at the moment, but due to change. Got some very cool photos, these fish are just in perfect condition.

Will post more when time allows...........fish to catch !!

Off to Ireland....

All packed and ready to head over to south east Ireland today. I am really looking forward to this trip, it is always good to see some decent bass fishing and going to Ireland is always very special. Have not seen my mate Graham for a while (the guy on the right above), so it will be a blast to fish and photograph together for a few days. Apart from the bass, we might have a crack at some other species like cod, flounder etc. It is such a pretty coastline and I am sure that like always, we will see no other anglers all the time we are out fishing. Anybody who is really into their shore fishing owes it to themselves to check out the fishing in Ireland - there is plenty of info on my website, access it here.

Taking over a few bits and pieces to try, including my new Van Staal fixed spool reel that I picked up in Denver a few weeks ago. I did not mean to buy it, but it was so hard to resist - I got one of the VSB series in the silver colour. For ages I have been wanting a full waterproof fixed spool reel that does not mind being drowned when out bass fishing, and also being taken for the odd swim when fishing abroad. The reel I have got is for my bass fishing really, but it is tough enough to fish for GTs etc. with big poppers. There are plenty of great fixed spool reels on the market today, especially from Shimano, but not many take well to being drowned. I have also got a brand new headlamp to try that I got from Veals Mail Order. It looks fantastic - light, very powerful and unobtrusive. It is called the Silva LX 5 watt.

Will try and update this blog out there, but apologies in advance if it is not possible. This kind of trip is a big part of my job - heading out somewhere to take photos of good looking fishing that then form part of various magazine features that I produce, and I love it. Some people out there might know me from the TV programmes that I make, but the bulk of my work in fishing is actually photographing and writing about it.

Last minute, very affordable Florida fishing deal....

A friend who runs a guiding operation down in the Florida Keys has just emailed me to say that due to a last minute cancellation they have a very cheap week's fishing on offer - B&B, boat, guide, free car hire, all the fishing you could want etc. Great time of year for sharks, sailfish, tuna, cobia etc. Click here, or email Rodney for further details. I have fished with Rodney a few times now and will be back out there next year - a thoroughly nice guy and he really knows his fishing out there. The Keys are plain awesome !! (and very cheap and easy to get to, direct flights to Miami all the time, stock up on cheap fishing gear while you are out there as well)

Gutted about the rugby, but we have to be honest and admit that the best team won - sure that when I am living on a mother ship this December with a bunch of South Africans, hundreds of miles from the Seychelles, that they are going to give me a little bit of grief about the great win. Keep the World Cup warm boys, it's coming home in 2011..........

And of course, a huge congratulations to Nick and Sue Hart on the arrival of their baby girl.

THE day is here.........

I still can not really believe that we are going to play in the final of the Rugby World Cup tonight, but the big day is finally here - so hoping that England can go on and win it for second time in a row. Imagine what kind of achievement what would be. Trying to also get organised for my photo trip to Ireland, but how can I possibly concentrate properly with all this rugby excitement going on today ?

Enjoy the game, let's hope we beat South Africa - I have a sneaking suspicion that the comeback story has one final chapter to play tonight and that Vickery will be lifting that trophy triumphantly. I know some guys who are actually going fishing tonight in the Plymouth Shore League competition - how on earth could the organisers have possibly planned for it to run this weekend ? Mad !!!

Not sure if the nerves can hold out...........

It's getting very close.......

THE FINAL is getting very close now, hard to concentrate on much with all the building excitement going on. The 2003 final was emotional enough, so what is this one going to be like if we win ? (be confident, WHEN we win more like). Bring on Saturday evening.........

Also starting to get ready for my trip over to SE Ireland, leaving next Tuesday, will get the Rosslare-Fishguard Stena Line ferry and then drive to a hotel near to a good friend of mine. For four days I will get the chance to fish and photograph this wonderful part of Ireland again, and all recent reports are of some outstanding bass fishing, especially to surface poppers (the large blue backed Yo-Zuri Mag Popper lures are working well, as well as the tried and trusted holographic silver Maria Chase BW ones, get them here). No doubt the fish will also take crab baits at a few quiet marks that nobody else seems to ever fish. The west coast of Ireland is staggeringly beautiful, but most people just do not realise that they are leaving behind some of the finest bass fishing in Europe.

Trout Fisherman magazine has published a good looking couple of features this month that use my photos and Nick Hart's excellent words. One on casting and one on our recent monster coalfish adventure over to Norway, see here for some photos. That fishing was off the scale.

As autumn is very much on its way, here is a classic, "moody" steelhead fishing shot from a couple of weeks ago in the wilds of British Columbia. Mountains, autumn colours, mist, torrential rain, cold water and big wildlife - what more could one ask for ? (the angler in the photo has lost all feeling in his feet, but that's fishing)

COME ON ENGLAND !!!!!!!