Whoa.. some truly memorable days, good angling and great company. There is a surprising number of musicians who are into their fishing. It makes sense to pick up a fishing rod when unwinding after a hectic touring schedule and as light relief form the somewhat hand to mouth lifestyle creatives seem to have to endure ... So mid week I went out with Jimi from the amazing band Tiger Cub , guitar player Tom and their mate Rob ( a right character) for some rock n roll fishing.
They were a bit late of course, and I tried to play it cool , but I was dying inside as I'd timed it to catch the last of the ebb confident we'd find fish straight away, and as it turned out we'd be going out straight onto slack water and because this was a pre- work three hour session, the window for success was small., I need not have worried, there was a stack of bait on the screen and we were into small fish straight away.
With an endless stream of shcoolie bass to a couple of pounds. Top water was alive with splashing fish and gulls were periodically active on small scale bust ups. Once everyone had had a few fish, for a change of scene we nipped out to have a look at a reef a mile out or so. It's really noticeable that the fish are inshore right now, but its always worth a drift or two out there as pollock are showing and the odd larger bass. We got cuttle fish ..
After a few drifts catching mackerel, small bass etc, we nipped back to the ground east of the marina and found bigger fish on an unfavourable stage of the tide:
It was so hard to leave those slightly larger fish, who were definitely up for it, but we all had stuff to do and had to get back to shore. I later learned that three ten pounders were caught that day later in the tide to other Brighton boats....
Friday I went out on a flat sea with London lads Clinton and Owen . We followed a similar routine, filing our boots on obliging schoolies for a couple of hours, breaking out the top waters and catching plenty on patchinkos and Hendon one knockers, then trying our hand on the reefs, getting more cuttles (loss of lures came back with tell tale cuttle bites out of their necks too) and moving onto the less prolific areas to the east in search of bigger fish. Once again we turned up those slightly chunkier bass that pull back a little bit and make the reel sing. We lost count but must have had 25 fish and unrelenting follows and splashes at the top water lures. with a break for lunch back at the marina in the middle of the day it was a very civilised affair.
I had another decent 2lb well conditioned plaice attack a lure well off the bottom. He followed it up and hammered it ten feet off the bottom.this proved to be his undoing as he was fat and tasty looking. 'Fillet and release' was the order of the day for that one.
I must get better at actually charging people. I always forget to ask for the price of the lost lures, which can add up with up to three people of varying experience hanging fiiish minnows on the bottom with regularity. And for the record its 15 quid per person per hour (not 15 quid for the whole boat !!). Sigh.... I am getting better at the actual fishing though, everyone is catching and we're having such good times, making great friends and I'm having the time of my life. I have to relax on the big fish quest. I feel I'm getting closer to them and with daily improvements to my fishing and I have a quiet confidence that they will come ....you can't rush these things. If you feel that terrible craving for a big fish creeping in, it kills the vibe, and I think the fish can sense your desperation down the line, I'm sure of it.
Everything comes to him that waits.
Peace ...
Bruce
PS fishing all next week call me if you want to come out. £15 per hour. rock n roll.