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A couple of mornings ago, before the N wind returned, I went fishing. A rare and beautiful event as I hardly ever go fishing just for myself. Corrine, the dog, 3 Fishes and me. Of course we chose the best day of the season (don't worry guys that's best day of the season so far). The sea was glass calm as the picture proves better than words.
We left the harbour at first light and headed straight to a great HW hotspot. I had slept listlessly the night before as I practised how I would position 3 Fishes on the mark so that Corrine could fish it to its maximum. My wife is a surface lure aficionado. Truth be told its hard to get her to fish anything else and this particular spot is a surface lure dream. As the light came up I crept 3 Fishes up to the mark and C fished it beautifully without moving a single fish! Sammy let us down. There was only one conclusion - the bass were not there. And as bassing is all about location, location, location (without Kirsty Allsop) we moved on.
There is a special spot where a shallow reef extends out of the coast. Its not known locally and one that I cherish and keep under wraps. No one has seen me fish it (other than customers) as if there is a boat around I'll not go near. As we cruised into the ground we saw fish move, and then a boil and then another. A dense area of fairly gentle fish movement was just outside of us and I used all of my field craft and 30 odd years of sea fishing experience to identify as mullet. Good news as open water mullet equals bass. We watched this large raft of fish drift slowly away from us and made no attempt to follow them absorbed in our own ground.
And then for no apparent reason the drifting and gently boiling raft of fish came alive. Suddenly sandeels were scattering like mini air born missiles and the boils became wallops and splashes. Shit they're bass you plonker!
I dived into the wheel house fired one of 3 Fishes wonderful engines up and gave her a quick shunt towards the fish. Engine off again and 9m sprint to the bow and my rod. C casts and hooks up on the sammy instantly on lure splash down, I cast and hook up on a flash minnow. Double hook up!
C boated 5 and I boated 2, one of which went to 6lb on the boga. And then they were gone.
Bass heaven, seen, experienced and banked in the memory for all time. Forget fizzing Henry, I love it when its glass calm!
