Thursday 23 October 2014

Q. When is a fish not a fish? A. When its a shellfish


Lucky me. I get to take you fishing for fin fish and when I'm not doing that I'm either fishing for them myself or hauling my Lobster pots in the hunt for something wonderfully tasty! Under current legislation anyone can 'fish' five Lobster pots on a hobby basis (i.e. you do not sell your catch). The rules are that you must have a 'hobby' licence from the Sea Fisheries people and you should not land more than two legal size Lobsters a day. Your buoy's should be clearly marked with your issued hobby licence number and as a courtesy to other boat users leaded buoy lines are necessary. After that its up to you to chuck 'em in somewhere good and hope!


This summer I fished four lobster pots for fun and for food. I would have fished five but my stock had diminished and I felt too tight to spend £60 on new ones. A problem I have now solved by salvaging four perfect storm blown pots off a local beach recently. Five pots next year! The game is so simple I find it endlessly surprising that more people don't do it. Add its simplicity (bait, drop, leave, pick up again) to the fact that its great fun and I'm even more amazed. Maybe its the fear of eating something that needs some preparation. Lets face it buying a pre boiled frozen thing from a discount supermarket that was caught in Canada probably a year ago seems so much easier. It comes in a nice clean package probably complete with instructions!


But then I'm a hunter gatherer and like all of my ilk, I enjoy both the hunt and then I enjoy the proceeds. Cooking is a part of the process. A spicy fragrant salad of lime, garlic, palm sugar and fish sauce and salad leave tossed into still warm lobster takes some beating. Here as well as on a south Asian beach! By the way the stunning Spiny Lobster that I found on a beach yesterday was under size and returned to the sea. If the miracle happens and I catch it again in a few years time it will still be returned. Too beautiful even for this hunter gatherer.

Thursday 9 October 2014

What did it for me? The definitive Shallow Runner list


If there is one question I get asked more than any other it is; 'where can I catch bass?'. And it is a question that I'll politely avoid answering. It is after all a significant part of my trade - the where to find fish thing. If you are a client then there are no secrets, I'll happily point you at shore marks but catch up with me on the harbour wall with a 'eer mate, eard you no were to catch bass local like' and I'll tell you little.

So marks are off limits (unless you like to geek my photography - yes some do - for the occasional background clue). However I am happy to talk lures. This is a big mind set change for me and one that didn't come easy. I've had to learn that keeping lure secrets is pointless. After all one man's dream catcher will be another man's dead loss. Added to that fact is I believe 'the be all and end all' is in the instant in time that a lure swims past a fish. No one can replicate that as the variables are too endless. Think about it in this way; you will never fish the same spot for the same fish in the same conditions ever. So mimicking my lure choices will do little to enhance chance.

The important issue is one of confidence. Buy a lure online 'blind' and you will have no faith in it and if it has not caught in 20 mins of fishing, it will rust in the bottom of the box. By a lure online that you know others have caught with then your faith and therefore confidence will grow. So my advice is clear don't listen to those that say 'try this'. Listen only to those that say...'I have caught plenty with this'.

So here it is season 2014 Shallow Runner 'plenty of fish' catchers. In no particular order of preference but all caught well. Remember please that this is not a list of every lure that caught fish this year, just the ones that caught consistently.

1. Rapala's subtle but oh so effective Max Rap. Casts poorly by today's standard, swims slowly and they love it.
2. Luckycraft's Flash Minnow 110. Welcome to lure heaven. Fake and burn it or simply wobble it home either way its deadly in any ones hands.
3. Rapture's Momoko 120. The surprise of the season. Fish it slow'ish'. Fed up with £25 lures then this is the baby. Get 5 for the price of 1!
4. Rapala's xrap. No good in a head wind but want depth (c.2.5m) and this little lure is unbeatable. Yes unbeatable.
5. IMA Sasuke - the Ferrari of the shallow runner world. All glitz, all poise, all expense.. But hell it catches.

Next time = top water and here, as a tease, is one of the sexy ones!