Author: Robin Bradley

As I’m sure many will know, Defra are working on a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for bass. As part of this, they have commissioned Policy Lab to collect people’s views about what’s wrong with the status quo, and how this can be improved.

This is a chance, perhaps our only chance for years to come, to achieve a bass fishery which reflects the needs and aspirations of anglers, and recognises the huge socioeconomic contribution recreational sea angling makes to society.

There are lots of ways in which things could potentially be improved if anglers have the will to ask for them. The Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society and the Angling Trust  have worked very hard to come up with some serious proposals in this regard. But it’s also vital that as many anglers as possible engage in the process of developing the  FMP via Policy Lab. It doesn’t need to get complicated – at the end of the day it’s about being able to regularly catch bass when you go fishing, and having a realistic chance of catching a few decent-sized ones each season.

I recently attended one of Policy Lab’s drop-in sessions – at Newlyn. It was good to see other anglers keen to share their views and experiences. I found the Policy Lab staff easy to talk to, and they were genuinely interested in my comments.

Although these sessions have finished now, you can still have your say by taking part in the collective intelligence debate starting on 15th August – click on the link for details:  Bass FMP Collective Intelligence Debate, hosted by Policy Lab (1).  And you can always email your thoughts to Policy Lab via bass@policylab.gov.uk

As part of my ‘lived experiences’ of bass fishing, I submitted  a report on the standard of bass angling in Cornwall, on behalf of the Cornish Federation of Sea Anglers, to Policy Lab. You’ll find this on the CFSA website here. If you fish in Cornwall, and aren’t already a member of the CFSA, why not think about joining – either as a member of an affiliated club, or a personal member?

Catches

Fishing-wise, things are pretty quiet at the moment. I did manage a couple of bass in the mid-fifties while estuary fishing earlier this month, including my first half-decent one on a surface plug.

I was using my all-time favourite Yozuri Arms Pencil, worked with my usual turn-stop-turn of the reel handle retrieve, when the fish slammed into it. The size 1 VMC barbless single hooks held well, and made for a quick (and painless – for the fish and me!) return to the water. Sadly, these lures are no longer available as such, but you should be able to find them, albeit in a different colour range, by searching under ‘Duel or Yozuri Silver Dog 90’.

There seems to be a few bass around the 26cm size in or near estuaries at the moment. Like this one, which was my first bass on an IMA ‘Chappy’ lure.

I was interested in what year class it was. From its length I estimated this to be a 3 year old fish, so from the 2019 class. Hopefully you can make out 3 rings on some of the scales I took in the photo below. 

Our juvenile bass surveys suggested this class was reasonably good (but nothing compared to the great classes in the past).

In the last few years, I’ve found that the fishing hasn’t really become consistent in Cornwall until August. As this is just around the corner, I’m hopeful that things are about to take off (we’ll see!).

Handsome boy

Readers of my book A Bass Angler’s Life  may recall that our late golden retriever, Toby, was awarded 2nd prize in the ‘Most Handsome’ category in the fun dog show at  the Classic Cars and Country Show at Trewithen Gardens near my home. Despite our current dog Archie’s somewhat (very!) excitable nature, I couldn’t resist entering him for this year’s event.

To his credit, he was a very good boy. As we waited for the judge to take in all the other ‘competitors’ I whispered  “no pressure” to him, reminding him of his predecessor’s achievement. But he is a handsome boy, and I was half expecting it when the judge turned towards us with the second prize rosette.

Light show

A recent Facebook post from the Kernow Weather Team  talked about bioluminescence in the sea at night. This is something I see quite regularly during the summer. I always think what an awesome sight it is, lighting up the waves, and even giving a momentary trace as your lure or bait comes through the water.

The other night I thought I was seeing things when the weed on the beach literally sparkled – like some early Christmas light show, as I put my rucksack down on it. Just to check I wasn’t seeing things, I walked heavily across it. Sure enough, every step lit up the weed. Amazing!

That’s it for this month. Thanks for reading.

 

Please note this is an update of my last blog, containing revised information regarding sea trout reporting.

You can say that again! Having never caught a sea trout in all the years (nearly 40) I’ve been sea fishing in Cornwall, that was the last thing I expected to see as I landed my first fish of the session. As I got closer to the water’s edge I thought “that’s a funny-looking bass!”, and then recognised the fish from photos I’ve seen as a sea trout.

I was lure fishing at night on a beach, when the SF125 (courtesy of Danny Watson at High Street Tackle and the UKBLF raffle) I was using was hit hard  – not far out. This was its first outing after receiving it and  changing the treble hooks for size 1 VMC barbless singles. I’ve caught lots of bass on this plug fitted with singles. I love that ‘Joker’ colour, which previous experience suggested would catch fish in the dark.

I did a Facebook post, to see if anybody else had caught a sea trout on the Cornish coast. Apart from the responses to my question – it turns out quite a few people have – one responder mentioned that sea trout are not as robust as bass. After measuring (53cm) and photographing my fish, it seemed to go back just fine – maybe this had something to do with the fact that I had switched to single hooks, causing less damage to the fish?

One of the responders to my Facebook post suggested I also report the catch to the SAMARCH project, which I duly did. I find the science aspects of fish, especially their movements and spawning,  fascinating and salmonids are a good example of this. Dylan Roberts contacted me and explained:

“Sea trout are like salmon they spawn in rivers, the juveniles spend 2-3 years in the river then migrate to sea to feed and grow. They go to sea in March – May and then spend a year or two at sea before migrating back into the river between May and September to spawn in Nov & Dec. Your fish was probably feeding near shore with the view of finding its natal river to return and spawn this year as I say probably in Nov.”

Dylan adds:

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust are looking for scale samples from any sea trout caught at sea to help with a study to investigate the movements of sea trout at sea from their natal river. If you catch sea trout at sea and want to help, please contact Dylan Roberts, Head of Fisheries at droberts@gwct.org.uk and he will send you a scale collection kit and what details need recording.

It should be noted that the Environment Agency needs to know about any captures of sea trout and are keen to receive scales if accompanied by information on location of capture (email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk).  Please note that anyone wishing to target or retain  sea trout needs an EA licence. Any fish caught accidentally must be returned unharmed with minimum delay.

Not just sea trout

I had brought a selection of lures – various plugs, weighted and unweighted soft plastics, to try. One of these was a Fish Arrow Flash J Shad in a bright greeny – yellow colour, which I’m pleased to say produced the goods, in the shape of a 40cm bass. This was looking good – not just sea trout, but bass as well.

My daydreaming about catching my first sea trout was interrupted when the lure I was retrieving felt like it had taken off in a different direction. I had switched to a DoLive Stick (white), as it seemed rude to neglect my all-time favourite soft plastic. “This is interesting” I thought, especially when the fish, which by now had realised its fate, started banging.

“Could be a nice one” I thought , as I brought her through the waves. “You beauty!” I called out, as a 65cm beauty of a bass slid ashore.

This is turning into quite a session I thought. Sticking with the DoLive for a few more casts, just before closing time another bass, this time of 44cm, decided to join the party.  Time to head for the hills.

A Cornish Fish-in

The weekend of 10th – 12th June saw me attending the BASS Cornwall Fish-in, based at Maker Heights campsite on the Rame Peninsula. The fishing wasn’t the best, but the ‘craic’ was awesome.  It’s always good to fish new ground, and if you throw in some friendly banter, the odd tipple and a decent curry and barbecue, what’s not to like? It can be a dilemma, deciding whether to fish or socialise, especially when the company is so good, but you find the balance that suits you best (and you can always join the lads when you get back!).

Fish-ins are a key benefit of BASS membership. Meeting people and fishing with them gives so much more than can be gained by simply interacting online.

Something’s afoot

A couple of weeks back I was out fishing with Archie (can you believe the size of him at nearly 15 months!). I looked round to see blood all over the rocks! Somehow he had punctured one of his paws – between the pads. By applying pressure with an assortment of tissues and rags, eventually the bleeding stopped. But he needed this looking at, and antibiotics as a minimum. So there was nothing for it but to cut the session short, and head back while there was still time to catch the vet.

He’s fully recovered now, but it took a week or so to fully heal.

Juvenile bass surveys

We’ve reached the halfway point in our juvenile bass survey programme. As always I extremely grateful for all the help we get from our amazing volunteers – especially Jon Williams for helping out with his boat. If you’d like to help with the surveys, even on an occasional basis, do get in touch. If you have a boat and are prepared to use it on the Fal, even better.

During May and June, we are looking for last year’s bass (so-called ‘1’ groups), as a check on our findings on the previous year, when these fish were first spawned, and to see if many have been lost over their first winter due to prolonged very cold spells.

Our results this year have been poor, apart from one good result on the Helford. Taking these results, and our findings from last year, into account, it seems likely that the 2021 class can only be described as fair. There is some uncertainty over this, given the pattern of results observed, so it will be interesting to see if our conclusions are confirmed in other surveys and future catches.

That’s all for this month; thanks for reading.

You can say that again! Having never caught a sea trout in all the years (nearly 40) I’ve been sea fishing in Cornwall, that was the last thing I expected to see as I landed my first fish of the session. As I got closer to the water’s edge I thought “that’s a funny-looking bass!”, and then recognised the fish from photos I’ve seen as a sea trout.

I was lure fishing at night on a beach, when the SF125 (courtesy of Danny Watson at High Street Tackle and the UKBLF raffle) I was using was hit hard  – not far out. This was its first outing after receiving it and  changing the treble hooks for size 1 VMC barbless singles. I’ve caught lots of bass on this plug fitted with singles. I love that ‘Joker’ colour, which previous experience suggested would catch fish in the dark.

I did a Facebook post, to see if anybody else had caught a sea trout on the Cornish coast. Apart from the responses to my question – it turns out quite a few people have – one responder mentioned that sea trout are not as robust as bass. After measuring (53cm) and photographing my fish, it seemed to go back just fine – maybe this had something to do with the fact that I had switched to single hooks, causing less damage to the fish?

If anybody has caught a sea trout on the coast (past or present), it would be useful to report this to Cornwall IFCA (as I did) as further evidence in support of the need to protect salmonids from netting.

One of the responders to my Facebook post suggested I also report the catch to the SAMARCH project, which I duly did. I find the science aspects of fish, especially their movements and spawning,  fascinating and salmonids are a good example of this. Dylan Roberts contacted me and explained:

“Sea trout are like salmon they spawn in rivers, the juveniles spend 2-3 years in the river then migrate to sea to feed and grow. They go to sea in March – May and then spend a year or two at sea before migrating back into the river between May and September to spawn in Nov & Dec. Your fish was probably feeding near shore with the view of finding its natal river to return and spawn this year as I say probably in Nov.”

Dylan adds:

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust are looking for scale samples from any sea trout caught at sea to help with a study to investigate the movements of sea trout at sea from their natal river. If you catch sea trout at sea and want to help, please contact Dylan Roberts, Head of Fisheries at droberts@gwct.org.uk and he will send you a scale collection kit and what details need recording.

Not just sea trout

I had brought a selection of lures – various plugs, weighted and unweighted soft plastics, to try. One of these was a Fish Arrow Flash J Shad in a bright greeny – yellow colour, which I’m pleased to say produced the goods, in the shape of a 40cm bass. This was looking good – not just sea trout, but bass as well.

My daydreaming about catching my first sea trout was interrupted when the lure I was retrieving felt like it had taken off in a different direction. I had switched to a DoLive Stick (white), as it seemed rude to neglect my all-time favourite soft plastic. “This is interesting” I thought, especially when the fish, which by now had realised its fate, started banging.

“Could be a nice one” I thought , as I brought her through the waves. “You beauty!” I called out, as a 65cm beauty of a bass slid ashore.

This is turning into quite a session I thought. Sticking with the DoLive for a few more casts, just before closing time another bass, this time of 44cm, decided to join the party.  Time to head for the hills.

A Cornish Fish-in

The weekend of 10th – 12th June saw me attending the BASS Cornwall Fish-in, based at Maker Heights campsite on the Rame Peninsula. The fishing wasn’t the best, but the ‘craic’ was awesome.  It’s always good to fish new ground, and if you throw in some friendly banter, the odd tipple and a decent curry and barbecue, what’s not to like? It can be a dilemma, deciding whether to fish or socialise, especially when the company is so good, but you find the balance that suits you best (and you can always join the lads when you get back!).

Fish-ins are a key benefit of BASS membership. Meeting people and fishing with them gives so much more than can be gained by simply interacting online.

Something’s afoot

A couple of weeks back I was out fishing with Archie (can you believe the size of him at nearly 15 months!). I looked round to see blood all over the rocks! Somehow he had punctured one of his paws – between the pads. By applying pressure with an assortment of tissues and rags, eventually the bleeding stopped. But he needed this looking at, and antibiotics as a minimum. So there was nothing for it but to cut the session short, and head back while there was still time to catch the vet.

He’s fully recovered now, but it took a week or so to fully heal.

Juvenile bass surveys

We’ve reached the halfway point in our juvenile bass survey programme. As always I extremely grateful for all the help we get from our amazing volunteers – especially Jon Williams for helping out with his boat. If you’d like to help with the surveys, even on an occasional basis, do get in touch. If you have a boat and are prepared to use it on the Fal, even better.

During May and June, we are looking for last year’s bass (so-called ‘1’ groups), as a check on our findings on the previous year, when these fish were first spawned, and to see if many have been lost over their first winter due to prolonged very cold spells.

Our results this year have been poor, apart from one good result on the Helford. Taking these results, and our findings from last year, into account, it seems likely that the 2021 class can only be described as fair. There is some uncertainty over this, given the pattern of results observed, so it will be interesting to see if our conclusions are confirmed in other surveys and future catches.

That’s all for this month; thanks for reading.

In some years it’s not until mid-summer that I see a decent bass (if I’m lucky), so how’s that for a season opener!

I wasn’t expecting that

With various family and other commitments, fishing time has been at a premium of late – just when I planned to start ramping up my efforts. So when an unexpected opportunity arose, it was a last-minute check of the tide and weather before setting out for a short afternoon session. I really wasn’t expecting much – perhaps an odd schoolie, given the time of year (and the sunny weather).

But fishing is never a waste of time, and always enjoyable, so I had nothing to lose. As part of my estuary-fishing learning curve, I was keen to see if there were any bigger bass in estuaries yet, or whether this only happened in the autumn. So imagine my surprise, and not a little satisfaction, at catching this 64cm beauty (estimated at around 6lb).

Everybody has their own ideas about when to expect to see bass fishing starting to become worthwhile. For me it’s traditionally been when the foxgloves show in force, or the second set of springs in May. Having said that, in the last few years the fishing (for me) hasn’t become consistent until July. I can recall catching fish of around 5lb on the coast at the end of May in years gone by, but it’s not usually until August that I see something of this size.

The question is, was this fish just moving through, or does it mark the return of adult fish from their spawning activities? But this was a solid, fit-looking fish – not thin and spawned out. So maybe it missed a spawning year for some reason, and had stayed in the estuary all winter? I guess we’ll never understand all the ins and outs of bass biology, even with the increasing amount of research that’s going on in this field.

An interesting session

Despite an apparent lack of fish, the session was interesting. As I bent down to measure the water temperature (14.6C – 3 degrees warmer than the coast at the time), I could see small ragworm swimming in the water. I have seen this before in estuaries. They leave their burrows at this time to spawn. I only saw a few, but there must have been thousands out there – perhaps this, and the warmer water temperature, brings the bass into estuaries earlier than on the coast?

My fishing was interrupted when a young seal appeared. It was a little way out, so I couldn’t see clearly what it was doing, but it appeared to have something in its mouth. It kept dipping its head underwater, then popping up again with what I assumed was a fish, and taking a bite. I couldn’t make out what fish it was, but it looked long and creamy, so not a bass I thought – possibly a dogfish (lesser spotted)? I know that some local anglers have concerns about the number of seals we’re seeing in estuaries, and the effect this might be having on bass – including the very young ones.

Matching the hatch

Towards the end of the session I started getting the odd knock as I retrieved the lure. I was using a 5″ Shad, and wondered if this was down to small bass nipping at the paddle tail on the end.

I had bought some 4″ Fish Arrow Flash J Shads as a result of discussions with fellow BASS member Ian Sefton, who finds them a good fry imitation. They also (particularly in the browny colour) vaguely resemble (at least to my eyes) the ragworm that were about. Late Spring /early summer usually sees large numbers of the fry of various species, a fact ably demonstrated in a recent juvenile bass survey, where we found literally thousands of 6-7cm mullet. These, along with the spawning ragworm,  must be tempting morsels to a hungry bass

I was eager to satisfy my curiosity, and see if I could catch one of these ‘small’ bass bumping the lure, so now seemed a good time to try one of the smaller shads. I was coming to the end of the session, and more or less just going through the motions. I’d also given up trying to keep Archie from splashing about in the shallows! Fortunately he’d found a stick to occupy himself a bit further up the shoreline because the bass I caught must have been mooching around among the weed only yards out.

A nice bass in the sunshine

As I stood in the late-afternoon sunshine the little lure (it looks tiny in the fish’s mouth) was snatched. Battle had hardly commenced before it was over – that’s how close in the take was.

Landing it was no problem – but getting the hook out was! I had fitted the lure with a 3/0 Owner Twistlock Light unweighted hook, and this was stuck fast in a solid part of the fish’s mouth. It took some shifting, and I rested the fish in the water before having another go at getting it out. Eventually I did get the hook out (not without spilling a little of my own blood!). She went back OK, after allowing the tide to gently wash over her gills to let her recover a bit. Lesson learned though – don’t forget to crush the barb next time.

I could hardly believe what had just happened. A beautiful bass, early in the season, in beautiful surroundings that I was fully able to appreciate in daylight. It occurred to me how much angling adds to our appreciation of nature. I’ve always enjoyed walking, but when you fish you not only see places – you feel them.

Quality of bass catches

The Government are developing Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs). In the first tranche of these will be a FMP for bass. This will be vital for the maintenance of healthy bass stocks with a natural age/size profile. The Angling Trust has more about this here. 

As part of this, on behalf of the Cornish Federation of Sea Anglers (for which I am Conservation Officer) I’m collating evidence (hard or anecdotal) about the quality of anglers’ catches of bass (numbers and size) in Cornwall, and how this has changed over the years. So if you have any information or personal comments that I can use and attribute to you, or know of anyone else who might (they don’t have to be CFSA members), please let me know.

 

As the blackthorn flowers come out, and the heady coconut smell of gorse is in the air, it’s nearly time to start bassing again. My head is filled with thoughts of what might unfold in the coming season. What will the fishing be like? What will be the highlights? What new things will I learn? What new friendships will be forged?

Last year was memorable for me in that I finally got to grips with estuary fishing for bass. To begin my 2022 campaign, while I establish at what point the fish come into estuaries, I’ll be using the same tactics (soft plastic paddle tails – mostly unweighted), at the same marks as last year.

During my ‘close season’ I usually try to explore potential new marks. This year my focus has been on estuary marks. There’s a certain peace and tranquility about these places, and with their wealth of wildlife they are very pleasant places to fish. Knowing what to look for certainly helps – areas where there is lots of crab-containing weed cover, and I’ve got several new spots to try once the fish are in.

I needed that break

Although I haven’t been fishing much over the last couple of months, I have been busy with other things. It’s amazing how much time fishing takes up when the season is in full swing, so the downtime not only refreshes my fishing appetite, but gives me time to catch up with a growing list of other activities, both fishing-related and domestic.

Juvenile bass surveys

Before we can start the juvenile bass survey programme for the year there is quite a bit of preparatory work to get through. This includes applying for a permit to net in the Fal, Helford and Camel estuaries for scientific purposes, updating risk assessments and arranging insurance. This year I’ve even attended a First Aid course. Hopefully everything will come together in time for our May 1st start.

Cornwall IFCA

I’m gradually getting to grips with being a general member of Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. I have to say it’s been a positive experience so far, and I would recommend anglers to apply should a vacancy arise.  Anybody interested in applying, or just finding out a bit more about how IFCAs work, should find the recordings of the Angling Trust webinars with IFCA Chief Officers informative.

CIFCA are working through the objections to the proposed Salmonids byelaw. They hope to liaise with the main objectors, to see if concerns can be resolved, and report back to the June meeting (17.6.22). Although this byelaw is primarily aimed at salmonids (salmon and sea trout), it should also afford some protection to bass and other seafish. Note that all CIFCA meetings can be attended by the public or watched via webcast. Details of meetings can be found here.

I’m pleased to say that CIFCA have agreed to hold at least one public meeting with anglers over the next twelve months. I think these are a good opportunity for IFCAs to engage with anglers, and understand their concerns; likewise it allows anglers to appreciate the limitations under which IFCAs operate, and the needs of other stakeholders. In this way it is possible to build trust and support between both parties while taking the sea angling agenda forward.

Joint Fisheries Statement

Defra are consulting on the Joint Fisheries Statement (JSF), a key part of the new Fisheries Act. While I think it sets out some excellent policies for managing fisheries, I feel it fails to reflect the importance of Recreational Sea Fishing/Angling. Not only does this generate considerable economic and social benefit for coastal (and inland) communities, its environmental foot print is low. The JSF document is a lot to get through (80+) pages, and the deadline (12th April) is nearly up, so if you haven’t got time to respond yourself have a look at the Angling Trust’s response.

Bass netting research

Devon & Severn IFCA are undertaking research looking at the discard survivability of bass caught in short 100mm gill nets set for gilthead bream and mullet in the Salcombe estuary for limited short soak times (up to 1 hour). The results of this research will be published in due course, and are awaited with interest.

Cornish Federation of Sea Anglers

I’ve been impressed with the way that the CFSA are moving with the times. One example of this is their approach to the competitions they run. It is now possible, in most situations, to register fish using video’d footage of the fish being weighed, enabling the fish to be released alive.

Another example is their excellent Recorder’s report. Included in this are the issues of climate change and offshore commercial fishing. I include notes from the report below:

Climate change has brought novel species like gilthead bream to our shores, moving up from the Bay of Biscay.  Recent years have seen an explosion of spider crabs, and this has made rock fishing virtually impossible until they shed their shells and return to deeper water in late July. Bluefin tuna are now a common sight in Cornish waters. Their presence seems to be affecting other species too, particularly baitfish, which in turn may be having an impact on the species we like to catch. 2021 was very unusual for the absence of mackerel around Cornwall throughout the summer months. Sandeel populations have also declined substantially, which may be reducing food availability for some species. These changes may have been partially offset by the increasing number of pilchards and anchovies which are being seen and caught.

High levels of offshore commercial fishing effort are being directed at the waters around Cornwall, particularly by EU vessels to within 6 miles of the shore. It’s hard to see how this can be sustainable, either for recreational sea angling or our local inshore commercial fleet. The sheer scale of these fisheries is turning the inshore waters around Cornwall into an underwater desert. This is particularly apparent with flatfish, with very few turbot, plaice or dabs being caught by anglers in areas where they were once common.

There are particular concerns around the ‘Trevose Box’ where large numbers of trawlers target this spawning ground for flatfish (and other species) as soon as it reopens after the Feb 1st – March 31st closed period, potentially undoing all the good that has accrued during this time.

Organisations like the CFSA need our support. I have recently volunteered to be its Conservation Officer, and have been coopted onto the Committee.

BASS Catch Recording Scheme

The BASS Science group has been developing a Catch Recording Scheme. Some of the findings from the first year of running this on a trial basis have already been shared at this year’s virtual AGM, and an article will appear in the next BASS magazine.

The scheme aims to give members information about fishing quality in various parts of the Country, and information about bass biology such as year class abundance and growth. It is hoped that in time this data will also be of use to our campaigning team. Results are anonymised and locations are only recorded to County level.

If you would like more information about the scheme please get in touch via my Contact page. The more anglers who participate, and the more areas we cover, the better and more detailed data we can provide. You’ll have to be a member though, so if you aren’t one already, why not sign up for the modest sum of £25.

Marine Strandings Network

The Marine Strandings Network in Cornwall is run by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Their data, collected by dedicated and local people, is recognized by governing bodies and used by scientists to better understand our coastal marine megafauna and the pressures they face. Their research has put real and significant pressure on government to tackle significant threats like bycatch (accidental entanglement in fishing gear) which we have proven to be one of the top causes of death in dolphins and porpoises. The science has uncovered some fascinating discoveries like the threat of bottlenose dolphins on porpoises through their fatal attacks. All of this has been led ultimately by citizen scientists. With thanks to Ruth Williams, CWT.

If you see dead dolphins, seals, sharks, seabirds, jellyfish and other marine wildlife on the shoreline of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, please contact the Marine Strandings Hotline Emergency Number on 0345 201 2626. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer recorder, email the organisers on strandings@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk  

I recently attended the stranding of a Risso’s dolphin. This was quite a challenging assignment, given the vagueness of location reported, and the positioning of the stranding. Fortunately I know the stretch of coastline well, and was able to locate the stranding fairly easily. It looked like the poor animal had stranded during recent gales, and was stuck fast in some rocks near the high water mark.

We normally like to get photos and measurements from all angles, but its position and weight prevented me from moving it. But with a bit of crawling under rocks, I managed to get sufficient photos for the animal to be identified and recorded.

Recent catches

As often seems to happen in March, some nice bass have been caught. Well done to the canny and hardy souls who brave the cold weather at this time of year.

Cornwall anglers Rob Taylor and Dave Noble got among the fish. Rob had a great fish of 8-9 in mid-March on lures, in bright sunny weather and east winds. Dave had a 7-15 beauty, a new PB,  at the end of March. He caught the fish on whole joey mackerel (with tail and half the head removed) just as the sun was going down. The bait was supplied by Camborne Sea Baits.

Bill Morris had several nice bass while fishing a Bristol Channel shore mark. Bill commented that the fish were spawning, and could see eggs running from the fish. Research suggests that bass spawn in the Celtic Sea. Bill adds that by mid April – May all the fish he catches are spawned out.

Terry Blampied from Jersey got a surprise when the bass he landed had a lamprey stuck to its side! Goodness knows how long the fish would have survived if Terry hadn’t caught it, and removed the lamprey. These things are pretty gruesome, attaching their mouth by suction to their prey which allows their tongue to tear at the flesh of their prey and drink its blood!

Great service

I don’t have any links with, or promote tackle suppliers, but I do like good service when I see it.

Some recent examples include Bass Lures UK who went out of their way to provide a tailored product to suit my individual needs, supplying a pack of very bassy-looking soft plastic paddle tails. These Flash J style shads look like they will be very effective for estuary bassing. The complimentary smaller versions they also sent should prove particularly attractive early in the season when bass are likely to be feeding on summer fry.

Rooney’s Fishing Supplies know how to turn a negative customer experience into a positive one. An order for some Owner Twistlock hooks ( the light Gary Yamamoto style ones I like so much) hadn’t arrived, so I contacted the proprietor.  He was eager to put things right, and within a few days the hooks were delivered, with an extra pack of 5/0’s thrown in. He was very apologetic, but It wasn’t his fault that the hooks had gone missing in the post.

That’s all for this month folks. Thanks for reading.

Not having much to write about during this period of bass fishing downtime for many, I thought I would share some pre-season musings with you. These are more outtakes which didn’t make the final cut of my book A Bass Angler’s Life.

The quest for new fishing spots

Every year, usually at the start of the season before I get into my comfort zone of familiar places, I look at new marks. There can’t be many places around the Cornish coast I haven’t looked at, and the search for new spots increasingly involves going further and further from home. And while bass marks tend to be fairly predictable, coastal erosion, and storms shifting sand about can completely change a mark, meaning you have to learn about it all over again.

Once you’ve decided that somewhere has the potential to produce bass, the anticipation begins. Is it going to be a waste of time, or will it produce that lunker? To me, the learning and experimenting is almost as enjoyable as the fishing itself, but you have to keep yourself in check; you don’t mind a few blanks if it leads to a new hotspot, but you still want to catch fish. The trick is to find the right balance between experimenting, and proper fishing at your known marks.

Being spontaneous

Thinking anglers try to get all their ‘ducks in a row’ before they go fishing. And yet, it’s important to be open to the unexpected, and not to get too regimented in your fishing habits – once you’ve caught fish at a mark, it’s tempting to keep going back and fishing the same area, at the same stage of tide. I’ve sometimes surprised myself when I’ve been a bit more spontaneous.

An unexpected bonus occurred one evening when I was fishing with Mick Larkin. The mark we were at usually produces in specific spots, but I had never before caught fish at the right-hand end. After a couple of hours on the lures, we decided to chuck out some bait. We chose to fish between the more productive ground and the right-hand end, despite the fact that I had never caught a fish there. Perhaps it was that we were fishing on the ebb, with bait, and this ground looked marginally less snaggy than the other areas we usually fish with surface plugs.

To cut a long story short, we landed three fish between us, all around 3lb, before the tide ebbed away too much and weed became a problem. Mind you, I haven’t caught a fish there since; maybe it was using bait rather than lures as I normally do there. But it’s not a place you want to hang around for too long, with those huge rocks just waiting to fall on your head!

Too much information?

Sometimes a little information about a place can be worse than none. One such mark resembles one of my favourite spots but, try as I might, it just wouldn’t produce for me. One reason may have been the fact that other people fished it, and my efforts were inevitably influenced by the tide and conditions when they were there. It was almost too easy; I had to give it a proper go, as if it was a new mark to me.

Putting any preconceived ideas to one side, I ventured forth one May evening at a stage of the tide that I thought would produce, rather than when people had told me it would. I was prepared to waste a few hours, if needed, in order to finally crack this place, and it was a lovely evening to be out anyway.

I was using the old favourite Yozuri Arms Pencil and was twitching it across the calm surface when a boil appeared behind it. Pulse racing now, I carried on winding. Suddenly the plug was seized violently, and the water was thrashed to foam. A lively fight signalled a good fish was on, and I felt more than a little pleased to see 5lb beauty come in. But it wasn’t just the elation of catching that nice fish that had me buzzing – I hadn’t been able to reproduce the catches of other anglers, but I had proved the mark to myself by catching a good bass here at a stage of tide which they dismissed.

That’s all for this month folks. Thanks for reading.

Being a quiet time on the fishing front, and not having much to write about, I thought I would share some outtakes from my book to help you pass a few minutes.  These are passages of the book which I left out in the interests of not boring the pants off everyone. Not that I was unhappy with them, but you actually can get too much of a good thing!

Fishing with prawn at night

Fishing with live prawn under a float is such a simple and natural way to catch bass. Doing this at night adds extra appeal, and can be deadly as this short tale illustrates.

After a long walk, I made my way down to a tiny, deserted cove, well off the beaten track. The path down is not for the faint-hearted, especially when carrying a bucket of prawns. As I picked my way down in the dark my pulse quickened when I heard a moaning sound coming from below. As I got nearer, I realised that a large seal was responsible for this. ‘Oh flip’ I cursed (or words to that effect!), ‘I hope he’s not staying’. He must have got the message because he left!

Half an hour with a small (10cm) ‘Sammy’ surface lure didn’t produce, so it was out with the prawn gear. I was using a 15g ‘Buldo’ weighted clear plastic float sliding on 20lb braid mainline with a 2/0 Limerick Match hook on the end.  I had pushed a small tip light into the plastic sleeve it came with, which was glued to the top of the float.

I was glad I had made the effort to fish this mark. Over the next hour, the little light on the float shot under three times, zipping along just below the surface as bass up to 3lb made off with the prawn. And a move to a couple of other spots within the cove produced more fish to round off the night.

Tales of epic catches

We’ve all heard tales of epic catches. Word gets out and the grapevine is buzzing with rumour and excitement. These tales were usually started off in the tackle shop, or fishing club, but nowadays social media plays a big part.

Each report fired me up, and I’d be down there hoping to share in the spoils.  After a while I came to realise that these reports were often out of date, and misleading with regard to the mark – people may want to tell the world about their success but, perhaps wisely, not where they caught the fish.

I learned not to take too much notice of these reports, except perhaps to note the fact that fish are around in my diary and spreadsheet. With bass being so predictable there’s a good chance they will show at the same time next year, and it could be worth redoubling your efforts at these times. On the other hand, if these reports are from a trusted source, and very current, they can be worth following up – but even then there’s no guarantee the fish will still be there.

I know anglers who follow social media, avidly soaking up the catch reports, and then feeling depressed because their own results don’t match these, or letting these reports influence them on where and when to fish. Better to decide when and where to go for yourself, based on personal knowledge and past experience. Some may feel this is a blinkered approach, but it works for me; it also has the advantage that I can fish away in blissful ignorance of all those big catches I’m missing (or not)!

Changing my fishing style

By the early noughties my fishing style had broadened. I was actively seeking out rough, rather than clean, sandy ground. The session that really convinced me that this type of ground produces bass, even in calm conditions, still sticks in my mind…..

I made my way down to a small rocky cove for a spot of late afternoon plugging. It was a sunny and calm July day, and I was returning to a mark I had first looked at in 1989. At that time I had my beach eyes on – I was only interested in finding sandy bits in all this nasty rocky stuff! This meant fishing it on a low water spring, when the tide had gone out beyond the reef. How wrong I was!

Suffice to say I blanked on that occasion and basically never fished it again – until now. This time I had my rough ground eyes on, and my inbuilt ‘bassometer’ was going off the scale!

After a couple of hours working along the reef, by climbing onto some adjacent  rocks I was able to cast my plug, a Yozuri Arms Pencil, out near a large rock, and work it over some very bassy-looking rocky gullies which were just starting to fill up; no beach angler would dream of putting their bait there.

A couple of turns and there was a violent splash as a fish missed the plug. I paused momentarily, and when I started to wind again a 4lber hit the plug. This one scrapped well in the calm, clear water. I can still recall the pleasure of the moment; a warm summer evening, a beautiful cove, fabulous bass ground, and a good fish caught on a surface lure – magic! To crown the session, I caught a couple more fish, smaller than the first, before I had to pack up.

I walked back to the car with that feeling of satisfaction which comes with your first success at a mark, but which was tinged with a sense of irony, having missed all those years of potentially good fishing. That session convinced me of the value of rough ground bass fishing and I never looked back.

That’s it for this month folks. Thanks for reading.

Here I am again, reflecting on another year in a bass angler’s life, and looking forward to another one to come, with my usual mix of excitement and optimism (will I never learn!).

Exploring

One of the more enjoyable parts of the ‘quiet’ period over the late winter and spring is looking for new marks. We tend to gravitate towards our favoured, reliable spots, but at this time of resetting things, and with no ‘pressure’ to get out there and catch, a few non-productive afternoons are time well spent, and could turn up a potential silver mine. We did find a couple of ‘humdingers’ but have yet to give them serious rod time. Better not leave it too long as I don’t know how much longer two old codgers will be able to get down the cliff!

Fishing abroad

After numerous trips to Ireland, my fishing abroad has now switched to the Channel Islands. I don’t get the same opportunities to fish there as when my son was living on Guernsey, but love to go whenever I can. The island, and its near neighbours such as Herm, are so beautiful, and with the great company of the local anglers, who wouldn’t want to visit as often as possible. I wrote about my most recent trip in my October blog.

A new canine companion

A year or so after losing our last golden retriever, a six-month old Archie joined me in October for his first fishing trip.

It has to be said that taking a (very) boisterous young dog fishing is not without its challenges! Hopefully he’ll get there in the end, and so far he has (mostly) brought me luck, despite his antics.

Fishing patterns

Apart from a couple of fish in the mid-fifties on crab in May, from an old favourite mark revisited, my season didn’t really get going until mid-July, with a 60cm fish. This was my first decent bass from an estuary, and was taken on a Dark Sleeper lure.

This pattern of fishing seems to have become established for me in recent years, and I find the period from mid-July until the end of September the most productive and enjoyable of the year.  It’s possible to catch right up to early new year, but the latter part of the year can be  inconsistent, and a struggle against the weather at times.

A Christmas bass

One late season success was this 61cm bass, caught just before Christmas on squid.

Despite the disappointing results of late, when you get perfect conditions you have to make the effort, and the prospect of tapping into the December migration adds motivation.

An hour passed without event, but a short move along the beach produced a bite on the first cast with razor – a 40cm junior bass with attitude! The next cast was a re-run of the first, except that the bite didn’t result in a fish.

I had brought along some (refrozen) squid for variety, so on it went. Five minutes later, the rod was thumping in my hands, as my would-be captive signalled its intention to regain freedom. No such luck – the top 1/0 Chinu hook had done its job well, despite the ensuing struggle, while the seemingly redundant 5/0 ‘Ultimate Bass’ bottom hook dangled freely outside the fish’s cheek. It’s interesting how larger fish often seem to do this, almost as if they’re going for the pointy end of the squid, and avoiding the beak at the head end, something which younger bass may not have learned to do yet. Catching this fish on squid reaffirmed for me what an excellent bait it is. Likewise mackerel, which also produced a 60cm bass for me in the summer.

“What a beautiful fish” I thought,  whilst at the same time being struck by how thin this fish was. A fish of this size would normally be fattening up for winter and full of eggs, but I’m not sure it would have even made the   5lb+ estimated by the BASS tape.

So why so slim? Had she come from an area devoid of her natural prey? I almost felt guilty about depriving her of a squid meal, but I think she’d probably swallowed most of it anyway. Why weren’t her ovaries filling with eggs in readiness for an encounter with a young buck from further along the coast? I hope she finds a few nice juicy Cornish sardines (pilchards) as she makes her way along our shores, and avoids the monofilament walls of death set to prevent her reaching the spawning grounds.

Meeting a new challenge

Estuary fishing for bass was the last big challenge I wanted to meet. I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea , some preferring the rugged coast and wave-pounded beaches to the quiet backwaters of tidal rivers.

Perhaps I’ve reached the time of life when I can enjoy this type of fishing, but I needed to see results before committing to it. Last year saw that happen.

I had always thought that estuaries were places which produced mainly school bass, and it is certainly true that they are very important nursery areas. Yet in recent years, reports of anglers catching big bass while fishing for other species, like bream, and while targeting bass with lures has changed that mindset.

My estuary catches weren’t prolific, but were regular enough to give me the confidence to stick at it. The average size of fish I caught was the same on the coast and in estuaries at 43cm. Of the 9 x 60cm and above bass I caught last year, 3 came from the coast (2 on bait, 1 on lures), while 6 came from estuaries (all on lures), including my biggest fish of the year at 68cm.

Safe to say that I will be fishing estuaries more in the year ahead. It’ll be interesting to see if this affects my pattern of catches over the year.

A seal encounter

I recently had an encounter which adds a new dimension to the concept of fishing with friends. This young chap/chapess joined me on the beach for a couple of hours while I was catching my final bass of 2021.

He made me jump when the ‘rock’ next to me moved as I turned to refresh my bait! He didn’t seem too bothered by my presence, just shuffling up the beach whenever the waves got too close. I kept as far away from him as I could though, so as not to disturb him too much, and kept the use of my light to a minimum (always good practice when bass fishing).

I reported this sighting to Sue Sayer from the Cornwall Seal Group who was very appreciative of the information. Sue commented that the seal looked like a very skinny pup.

Joining Cornwall IFCA

November saw me joining the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. I’ve long had an interest in fisheries management, and this four year voluntary appointment allows me to bring the sea angling perspective to meeting the undoubted challenges which Cornwall faces in this respect. My particular focus will be on the sustainable management of the bass fishery, but if there are any other issues relating to recreational sea angling you’d like me to raise, do let me know via email robin.bradley@btinternet.com.

Like all IFCAs, underpinning CIFCA’s work is an important scientific programme. Marine biology is a passion of mine, and I hope to be able to help with this in some way.

Juvenile bass surveys

During 2021 I took on the organisation of the programme of juvenile bass surveys in Cornwall. Although familiar with the surveys, having been involved since 2013, running them is a different matter altogether. With a lot of help from Derek Goodwin, who has run the surveys since the 1990’s, and our fantastic team of volunteers, I think I managed to negotiate the various administrative, practical and reporting aspects of the work, and look forward to starting this year’s programme in May. I gave a brief outline of our findings in my November blog.

If you’d like to get involved with the surveys, or just find out a bit more about them, please feel free to get in touch via the ‘Contact’ tab on my website.

BASS Science

BASS has always been interested in the science aspects of bass, and has its own Science group drawing together information about the biology of bass from a variety of sources.

This is one of the unique aspects of what BASS offers its members, and I’m pleased to lead this group as we move into a period of increasing research on bass, hoping to understand more about its reproduction, movements and lifecycle.

Ghost story

Finally, I never could resist a ghost story, especially ones which involve fishing. I’m grateful to the Piscatorial Raconteurs and Friends for this tale from Jeremy Croxall ‘Thatchers Beat’ which featured in their Christmas edition. Enjoy………..

That’s all for this month folks, thanks for reading.

“If only it was a bass” (or words to that effect!), said Richard, as he landed a dirty great huss. We’d been fishing a mark which has produced some of my best bass over the years and when he felt the bite, and with the ensuing struggle to get the fish in, Richard was hopeful of a lunker. I could hear his voice going up a notch, as he brought it in; “this feels like a good fish”, and then “this feels like a very good fish”, only for his hopes to be dashed as this evil-looking black thing came ashore.

I don’t wish to be disparaging of those who actually target huss, and no doubt would enjoy catching one the size of Richard’s (10lb+??), but if you’re after bass they’re about as welcome as a dose of venereal disease.

Only the night before, I had the same experience at another mark. Unlike Richard who had squid on, I was using peeler shore crab for bait. I had recently landed a bass of 46cm, so when the rod went in my hands again I was hopeful of another. It was a funny sort of bite though, and when it didn’t develop I assumed the fishy enquirer had moved on to other things. As I began the retrieve, it was as if the line was stuck. There was just enough give to make me think I had caught weed on the bottom. Another yank, and the line seemed to come free. “At least I’ve got my gear back” I thought.

It was at that point that I began to feel movement. “This feels like a fish” I thought, and as I slowly brought my line in I was aware of a heavy weight. “Christ”, “if this is a bass, it’s a good one – maybe a double?” You can imagine my feelings of unbridled joy then, when a huss at least the size of Richard’s appeared; I really shouldn’t use such language in front of  an innocent creature!

Downside

I guess that’s the downside of using bait in the shallow rocky areas that these ‘catsharks’ like to inhabit. Not all areas are blessed in this way – this doesn’t seem to be a problem in Dorset for example. And maybe their presence reflects an absence of bass, since these superb predators leave huss standing when it comes to getting food.

Of course one way to avoid such ‘bycatch’ is to use lures –  I’ve yet to see a huss taken on a lure! Mind you, lures have their own ‘bycatch’ when targeting bass – mackerel, pollack, garfish and wrasse for example, can all be taken on lures. Some would consider this an advantage, and there are times when a mackerel or two are nice for tea, or come in handy for bait. I can’t recall catching anything other than bass on lures at night, so maybe this is the way to go if you want to totally exclude catching anything other than bass.

Crab problems

I’m not talking about your bait being ripped to shreds by crabs before your intended target can get to it, but about getting hold of them in the first place. I have laid traps for shore crabs in a local estuary.

I used to be able to collect enough for several fishing trips in one go, but now I seem to struggle to get even single figures on many occasions. Each time I look in the bucket, wondering if it’s worth the effort, I just assume this is due to the vagaries of the weather, or the season (or unwanted attention from other bait collectors!).

But it seems I’m not the only one who’s struggling to collect shore crabs in estuaries. One commercial crab collector I know, who keeps very comprehensive records, has noticed a definite reduction in numbers too.

It’s unclear why this should be. Could it be something to do with the availability of the crabs’ food caused by global warming, or perhaps some change in water quality?

It seems that the numbers of the  furrowed crab are on the increase on the coast, and that they may be pushing shore crabs out (with thanks to Cornwall Wildlife Trust), but whether this is having an impact in estuaries is unclear – I can’t recall seeing a furrowed crab in an estuary.

Whether this change will affect bass in any way remains to be seen. They seem to switch onto feeding on whatever’s about in numbers at the time, and presumably they will devour a furrowed crab just as eagerly as a shore crab!

Tuna everywhere!

Hardly a day goes by without reading about large numbers of tuna being seen around Cornwall. These are an impressive sight, but I can’t help wondering if they are having an effect on bass, and other species; whenever the ecological balance is changed  there is usually some sort of knock-on effect.

A recent article in The Independent looks at the possible reasons for the reappearance of bluefin tuna in big numbers after over 60 years. It suggests this may be due to the influence of ‘Atlantic Mulitidecadal Oscillation’, a 60 – 120 year cycle which brings warmer waters further north.

Recent catches

Reports of bass catches seem to be slowing down now. My own catches have been somewhat disappointing. But I’ve enjoyed being able to go off fishing with my canine companion Archie during the autumn afternoons – one of the perks of retirement; catching fish seems almost incidental in such situations.

I’ve been continuing my estuary-fishing journey, with a modicum of success. This 60cm bass fell to a 5″ Fish Arrow Flash J Shad.

I’d like to thank fellow BASS member Ian Sefton for sharing his extensive experience and knowledge of estuary fishing for bass.

That’s all for this month folks. Many thanks for reading the blog this year. If you are looking for something to read during the long fishingless winter nights and weekends, why not ask Santa for a copy of my book? You can see an electronic preview of it here.

Hope you’ve had some good fishing this year, and next will be even better for you. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

What is it about bass fishing, or any sort of fishing for that matter,  that gives us the feel good factor? For some it’s the capture of a big fish. This is certainly true in my case, although thankfully it’s not the only thing, given the number I catch!

Catching fish of any size is of course enjoyable, but there is so much more to it than that – the pleasure of catching at a new mark, or in a new setting, by a new method, bait or lure; the satisfaction of knowing that you got the conditions right and made the right call. Feeling inspired by beautiful surroundings, and knowing that your body is being physically and emotionally enriched by the experience.  I’ve written about some of the things which have enhanced my feel good factor of late in this month’s blog.

Fishing with Archie

Readers of my July blog will know that I’ve been looking forward to taking our recently-acquired retriever Archie fishing. Now that he’s seven months old, I’ve decided it’s time to start.

It’s been an interesting experience! At times he hasn’t done my blood pressure any good – he doesn’t get that paddling about in the margins spooks fish, which are often quite close in. Why would he, when we encourage him to do this on beach walks!

His reactions can be quite comical – like the first time he saw me land a bass. He was quivering with excitement, leaping several feet off the ground and snapping at it! A good thing it wasn’t a large fish, or I might have snapped the end of the rod, trying to keep it away from him.

On his first trip in the dark, a big old seal popped its head up, snorting and puffing, about ten yards out. Lookout, I thought, this is going to be interesting. Sure enough Archie proceeded to bark his head off, having been seriously spooked by this monster from the deep!

So far he’s bringing me luck – I haven’t blanked when I’ve taken him on a ‘proper’ session yet. So I’ll just have to put up with his antics until he learns how to be a better bass angler.

Estuary fishing

This leads me nicely into estuary fishing, which is what I’ve done most of with Archie. Estuaries are the bass fishing final frontier for me – the one shore-fishing setting I needed to crack.

Having now completely cast off (no pun intended) the mindset which says you can’t catch big bass in estuaries, I’ve been spending more and more time exploring them. I’m pleased to say that my efforts have begun to bear fruit, and I’m beginning to get to grips with how to fish them.

Several basic factors seem to be important (I’m sure there are others). Fish will follow the tide, moving up creeks with the flood, dropping back with the ebb and concentrating around low water while they wait for the push to start again.   They move in the channels, where they can be ambushed from a suitable vantage point, before the tide spills out over the mudflats, and the fish disperse .

Bass seem to hug the weed line, and many takes have come by casting my lure to the left or right, and bringing the lure along the edge of the weed, only yards out, or as the lure reaches the weed if casting straight out.

This calls for a stealthy approach, at times even kneeling as you cast and retrieve (plays hell with my knees!). One one occasion, a large bow wave appeared behind my lure just a yard out in very shallow water. Somehow managing to maintain my composure, I held my breath. As the lure almost touched dry land there was a great splash, as a 46cm bass smashed into it. Seeing this at close quarters, only just above the water in my kneeling position, was like nothing I have experienced before.

I always used to wonder what lures to use (or even whether to bait fish) in estuaries, but am now convinced that weedless paddletail soft plastics are the most effective lures of all in this setting. Not only are they deadly fish catchers, they can be brought right through weed, without fear of snagging.

I’ve had good results on the 5″ Keitech Easy Shiner, and the 5″ Fish Arrow Flash J Shad so far. Bass really hit them hard. I’ve not had any big fish on these yet, but most are of reasonable size (between 40 and 50 cm), and are of a similar stamp to those I’m catching on the coast. What the chances of catching a big bass in an estuary are, and whether this is the same as for the coast, only time will tell.

Even if you’re not catching fish, the beauty and tranquility of the surroundings more than makes up for it. If you let your mind wander, you could be fishing for salmon in a Scottish river; quite a change for a coast angler like me.

Most of the fish I have caught have come in daylight – a treat in itself. Fishing at night in estuaries, especially where there’s no moon, and there’s not a breath of wind is another experience altogether.  The water’s like glass, and you can hear your lure land somewhere out there. As you stand there, a huge splash along the shoreline, only yards out, gets your pulse racing. The answering cast is met with indifference. But then, unknown to you, a fish follows your lure in and  lunges at it at your feet. The resulting commotion, like someone had thrown a great rock in the water, makes you nearly jump out of your skin!

Recent catches

The fishing around the equinox (22nd September) was phenomenal, with some very good bass being caught at that time – one to note for next year.  I had one or two notable sessions leading up to this, but  was caught up in various family visits and trips around that time and the period just after.

One such session involved fishing a new mark with Keith Towsey and Mike Bryant at the ‘magic beach’.  We each headed off in different directions to check out the ground.  It wasn’t long before I was getting some action on surface lures. I’d had two definite slashes at the Yozuri Arms Pencil (YAP – now sold as the Duel Silver Dog 90 – if you can get them), but no hook-ups. Was this small fish missing the size 1 VMC barbless singles I had fitted, or were the fish feeling lethargic on the neap tide? A switch to a more exaggerated ‘walk-the-dog’ style retrieve seemed to gee the fish up, and a solid hit from a nice 61cm fish soon followed.

As darkness fell, the fish seemed to disappear, so it was time for a move along the rocks, and a change to soft plastics. I’ve found that paddletails work better with my retrieve style on neap tides, so on went the Swimsenko – bass of  43 and 44cm seemed to justify this.

A few days later I was keen to try the mark again. This time we were fishing in calm conditions on a bright moonlit night. To cut a long story short, we managed a few between us to 51cm (Keith) on white or cream coloured SP’s (DoLive/Senko/Swimsenko/Gravity Stick), but the interesting thing happened when I switched to an Arms Pencil.

I rarely use surface lures at night these days, but my recent success on the YAP, and a Facebook post from Marcin Kantor about this, plus a lack of action on SP’s, prompted me to try. First cast the lure was hit, virtually as soon as I started retrieving. It was a good fish too. I had to perform some acrobatics, clambering over rocks while trying to maintain contact with the fish, and I thought I had her beaten……..you probably know how that one ended!

It’s tempting to think the fish was on/near the surface, and saw the lure silhouetted against the moonlit sky, but who knows.I’ll certainly be taking a surface lure when I fish in these conditions again.

Angling buddy Paul Wallace had a bass of 5lb 13oz on squid recently.  As Paul said in his text message, bass have something magical which makes us keep coming back for more, through the blanks to catch a beautiful fish like that. Well done Paul.

CIFCA membership

I’ve been interested in the management of the bass fishery and campaigning for better stocks for as long as I can remember. As part of this I have regularly attended Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority’s  quarterly meetings, observing from the public gallery and submitting the occasional written question.

When I saw an advert for new general members, including people with a background in recreational sea angling, to join IFCAs, I did a bit of soul searching. Could I do the role justice? Could I spare the time? Was I ready for the, no doubt, significant challenges involves? After a good deal of thought, I decided to go for it; time to roll up the sleeves and do my bit, I thought.

Well I’m pleased to say that my application was successful, and my first meeting will be on December 17th. I’m looking forward to working with the committee, and doing what I can to help. I hope that my knowledge and experience of recreational sea angling can help CIFCA meet its commitment to the sustainable use of marine resources and balancing the needs of all who use them.

Bass investigations in Cornwall

Our programme of juvenile bass surveys has now ended for this year. It’s been a steep learning curve for me, taking over from Derek Goodwin. Thanks to our brilliant volunteers, we’ve had quite a successful year. We carried out 16 surveys, including trialling several new sites (on the Fal and the Camel).

Based on the number of last year’s fish we found in our  surveys in May and June, we conclude that the 2020 class is a reasonable one, and has survived its first winter well.

The picture for 2021 is harder to assess. A series of disappointing catches of this year’s fish was turned on its head by one very good result on the Fal.  It’s probably better to reserve any judgements about the 2021 class until we have conducted our surveys next year, when these fish have reached 1 year old.

I can’t close without mentioning Derek’s MBE investiture. I was honoured to be invited to attend the ceremony at County Hall in Truro, with Colonel Edward Bolitho, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, doing the presentation. Very well done to  Derek. This is a much-deserved honour and validation of the importance of this work on juvenile bass populations over many years.

Thanks for reading.