The bass crisis

I have just learnt that scientific advice in 2013 asked for a 36% cut in bass catches, which was not acted upon and now the latest advice from the International Council for the Exploitation of the Seas (ICES) released June 2014, advises that an 80% cut in catches of bass across the EU is required in 2015! 

I am becoming more and more afraid that increasing commercial bass fishing is pressurising the bass stock rapidly to the point of no return. The estimated six thousand commercial fishermen remaining land £160 million worth of fish 80% of which are of little direct interest to us anglers. Of the remaining 20%, £32 million is made up of those same fishery resources upon which the £1.23 billion sea angling industry is dependent and include £5 million worth of commercially landed sea bass. 

A £1.23 billion recreational angling sector and a £32 million commercial sector? It is immediately clear where the benefit to the UK lies and yet over fishing continues. It is a deeply worrying trend and one that can only be addressed through politics. I'm going to write to my MP and my AM. You should too.

What gave the hardest pull this year?

 Whether the day is just breaking and we are on passage from the harbour,

or whether we are on the way home just coming onto the pier, thoughts naturally turn to the best fish of the day.

The hopes and aspirations at the start of the trip are matched equally by the pleasure of memories of fish caught during it. So what did give the hardest pull this year? To be honest I'm not really sure. A big ray kiting across the tide can be a beast to deal with and there has been some muscle straining action as a wise old Thornback is pumped up. Tope, now when they are in the mood they seriously pull. Funny fish tope though because at times they will come to the boat like dogs on a lead, whilst at other times the first adrenalin filled run is like hooking a steam train, In fact my best analogy is its like tying the reel line to the collar of a Labrador, throwing a ball and yelling fetch. Unstoppable.

Then there is the mighty bass, a good one on light tackle is a different prospect to anything else we fish for here in the UK saltwater. They pull hard. The surprise of the early season were the bountiful spurdogs that use guile and muscle to put a cracking scrap into any effort to boat them. The seasons best went to 20lb and my word did it fight. Similar in so many ways are the smooth hounds but they pull harder still. If the Labrador analogy works for tope then smooth hounds are grey hounds. Keep up with them if you can. But perhaps the thing that pulled the most was this boat. Broken down and in need of a helping tow, 3 Fishes knew she had a scrap on!

So here is the list.... enjoy.

Bass - 9.5 lb

Tope - 51 lb

Spurdog - 20 lb

Ray - 10 lb

Smooth Hound - 7lb

Huss - 15 lb

Cod - 3.5 lb

Pollack - 4.5 lb

Gurnard - 2.5 lb

Whiting - 2.5 lb

After this the list gets almost endless and includes, flounder, plaice and dabs, coalfish, mackerel, herring, 3 species of gurnard, 2 species of weaver, launce, garfish, 2 species of wrasse, scad, pouting, 2 species of eels, dogs, dragonet, etc etc.