-
Posted 09:04, 30 September 2009
D49133.jpg)
- I went out to Plymouth Breakwater on Monday night to photograph a bit of conger fishing from the shore - they had a big competition out there the day before, and Rob Yorke won it with a 34lb eel that he essentially sight fished to in the daytime !! He and Mark saw the fish, Rob put a bait out, and they watched the conger literally inhale the offering right beneath their feet - the fish was weighed and released. Nice one guys. So hopes were pretty high for Monday night......
D7272.jpg)
- Whatever way you look at it, just being out on the breakwater at night is a pretty awesome experience - looking back at Plymouth across the Sound is a hell of a sight, and the weather was very kind to us. But for some reason the eels were not really playing ball in any big way - Mark Bryce landed this one you can see above, some more straps were also taken, yet the really big eels that have to live out there were keeping their heads down. Keep your eyes and ears open down here, for there are plans coming together to hold plenty more days and nights out on the breakwater - on Sunday they also had mullet and wrasse to nearly 6lbs, plus a nice plaice, so it's a place seriously worth fishing. When I hear more, you will see the news here on this blog.
- Congering from the shore is proper stuff, indeed they are one of the few species we have around our coasts that can get really big and hit back seriously hard. There were at least a couple of much better fish lost on Monday night, indeed that is always the case when going for them in a serious way, but I can't wait to get back out there and see the guys try again. When time was not an issue, I used to spend a scary amount of time chasing eels from the shore, and living in Plymouth gives us access to arguably the best big eel locations in the UK - namely Devil's Point and Mutton Cove within the River Tamar system. Hard fishing, lots of blank trips, but proven big fish marks time and time again. You need a huge amount of everything to come together just at the right time kind of luck to land big eels off the shore, and I know a few very good anglers who have done so consistently over the years. They have my utmost respect.
D49161.jpg)
- Young (ok, not really), single (not really either), wildly attractive (girls ?), a mighty fine angler and one of the nicest guys you could hope to know (true) ,with the ability to stay alert all night long. Available to you at a special price. A top bloke, always good for "don't worry Henry, I know how to get home", and then starts snoring in the back of the van five minutes later. I know Yorkie won't mind me posting this stunning photo of him resting his eyelids for a couple of minutes on Monday night. I got his best side !!
-
Posted 09:20, 28 September 2009
D48741.jpg)
- As the interest in what I would term "modern-style" bass fishing seems to keep on exploding, I am constantly being asked about the kinds of rods I might advise somebody to invest in for fishing all these different kinds of lures we are getting our hands on these days. Fishing rods are a very personal thing, and I am never sure whether I am actually qualified to dish out advice on these matters when there are guys out there who know more than I will ever know, but here's a few Monday morning thoughts....
- As yet, most of the more specialist kind of plugging rods that are being used are still coming to us via France or Japan - and if you do your homework these days, you can pick up some real bargains. And I mean the kind of plugging rods that really work well and will deal with all manner of hard and soft lures (plus land the fish of course). I would love to be able to say "go out and buy plugging rods from UK tackle companies", but so far I am unaware of any UK fishing tackle company who has grabbed the bull by the horns and delved into the rapidly growing sector of the market. Perhaps one day this might change ?
D48756.jpg)
- Above is a photo of North Devon bass fisherman Nigel Gullon being guided by Patrick Gallagher (see here) over in south east Ireland, and Nigel was using a plugging rod that I first really became aware of over at the Nantes bass show earlier this year. Nigel knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to bass fishing - he did not want to spend what is a hell of a lot of money on a red Tenyru rod, so he did his research and bought the Sakura Shukan 8'6'', a rod that is not that expensive, and for the money is just insanely good for this type of bass fishing. We simply do not have a history of making spinning/plugging rods like this here in the UK, yet for sensible money, this Sakura Shukan is one hell of a rod. Fast action, light, powerful, very well built, and something to fish both hard and soft lures with ease. I know how much Patrick rates these Sakura rods because he now stocks them and is selling loads to his anglers. Talk to him about them right here. Mick also sells them over in Jersey, contact the guys here. Personally, if I had got one of these Sakura rods early last year and knew no different, then I would be more than happy to use them for my own bass fishing. A lot of rod for the money - apparently they are now selling for around £130, or the equivalent in Euros. I know of no other plugging rod out there that is such good value for money.
D48610.jpg)
- ......but the problem is that I stumbled on these red Tenryu rods early last year, via Mick at Mr. Fish over in Jersey - and therefore I lay the blame for my red love affair firmly at his door. There are a huge number of rods in the Tenryu range, and arguably you could do no wrong with using at least five or six different models for our shore fishing over here, and perhaps a few more off the boat. I own two of them, and in a perfect world I would like to own a load more. If somebody comes to me now and says "what is the best bass rod I can get my hands on, cost be damned ?", then now I reckon the answer is a very easy one.
- The Tenryu Super Mix 240. There it is. In my mind, unquestionably the best all round modern-style bass plugging rod for fishing with hard and soft lures, from shore and boat. Of course, as I said earlier, rods are a very personal thing, but with the Super Mix 240, I seriously can't think of any kind of angler who won't get on with it, and so far I have yet to come across a bass fishing situation that this rod does not cope with. As a "do everything with hard and soft lures really well" kind of rod, it's the best out there - but only in my opinion. The Red Dragon Express copes a little better with the bigger and much heavier lures (as it is meant to), but it simply does not have the feel of the Super Mix - the new Tenryu Injection is obviously better suited to a higher degree of finesse fishing with smaller hard and soft lures especially (as it is meant to), but it is not designed to go much heavier. It's a bit of a case of how specialist do you want to get ?
- I need to carry one rod with me when I go bass fishing, and this one rod has to give me the confidence to chop and change between methods at will, from rocks, tide rips, estuaries, beaches, rough seas, calm seas, distance and close range work, surface and sub-surface lures etc. I am not into carrying say three different rods, especially since I have always got various amounts of camera gear on my back as well, and increasingly the only rod I carry is this Tenryu Super Mix 240 (see some more thoughts on this rod here).
- I am not paid to say this, and I do not work for Ultimate Fishing. I bought this rod because I reckon it's the best one I can get my hands on (my thanks still goes to Bruno at Nantes for his invaluable advice on this rod, see you in October), and I can't be more honest than that. It is not cheap, and I even reckon that there are rods for less money out there that are finished off better, but the actual rod part is just plain and simply outstanding. I am not an angler who is into the really technical side of fishing, and the ins and outs of rods and reels don't do a huge amount for me, but there are various bits and pieces I am sure we all own that just fit the bill. This Tenryu Super Mix 240 is that bit of kit for me. You can now get Tenryu rods from Mick here, and also from Patrick over in Ireland here. Your money, your choice. Just don't blame me if you get into these rod rods and can't kick the habit.............
-
Posted 09:54, 25 September 2009
- ...when you keep on hearing reports of big bass literally jumping on the end of various lures. I am meant to be eyes down this end at the moment pushing out magazine articles and processing photographs, but my mind keeps wandering, and a big part of me simply wants to chuck my computers out of the window and take myself off to Ireland. If bass fishing is your thing, then drool all you like over the fish right here. Patrick is nailing them big time for his clients. You can't get better feedback than from a guy who is out there all the time. When Ireland fires, it fires properly.
D53248.jpg)
- I am usually pretty good at keeping up to date with processing photos from the various shoots I do, but I had to put my August Irish trip material on the backburner and concentrate on going to Bolivia and Mongolia, and then sorting out all the images from those trips for a couple of deadlines. But I have caught up now, and here a couple of little bass detail shots from August, on a fish that my mate Andy nailed on an Xorus Patchinko - one of the great surface lures. Whack it out, get the rod tip up, and "walk" it back - a high rod tip makes it far less tiring on your forearms, and the lure works just as well like this. Then drop the rod tip as the lures comes closer to you. Andy loves his Patchinko so much he even went after one when it cracked off - those with a sensitive disposition should avert their eyes, but here's the proof. A braver man than me.....
D53273.jpg)
- And talking of Ireland, I am heading back out there in mid-October for a week or so - much as I love the place, I do actually need as much bass related material as I can get my hands on. I know of no better place to do this. Still trying to persuade my wife that we need to move over there for good.............
- Anyway, these two items are going to help you concentrate properly - a couple of new metal videos that are a load of fun. Kinda cheesy in places, but the songs are good. The mighty Dutch death metal group God Dethroned's new video is here, and Norway's Susperia has a new one here. Bang your head and be proud !! But none of these videos can come close to stirring the soul quite as much as one of my all time favourite death metal tracks - each time I blast it out of my speakers, I feel like becoming a Viking. Even my two girls love this song. The mighty, awesome, emotional and insanely good "Cry of the Blackbirds" by the one and only Amon Amarth. Watch the video here and let's all become Vikings together. Oh, and then I might take myself off somewhere and try growing up.
