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Just a little update as we prepare to get into the spring season. The weather since mid December has simply been terrible. I guess I dont need to say this, although landlocked folk might not realise that on the coast, winds tend to be significantly stronger. Especially in big weather systems that began life as hurricanes in the USA. As such, opportunity for sailing has been virtually non-existent. I think we sailed just twice in January, and with so much floodwater pouring into our local inshore from our three estuaries, very little to fish for anyhow.

Things are looking up however. Capt Bruce took his lad Leo onto Brighton shingle in a very unusual period of calm NE winds (typically as BIF1 was out of the water for her engine service) and found the first of the seasons plaice. Although these early fish are quite inedible, wafer thin from spending the festive season reproducing in deep waters, they have returned with only food on their mind. As soon as the seas drop clear enough, these fighting flatties will be the target perhaps until the first bass towards the end of March.

However, very aware that things change quickly, we are still out fishing when the weather allows. We need to know as soon as there are fish worth catching, that we can then begin to put on sailings for our clients. Unlike last year, still not so much out there at the moment. Todays sailing provided just the single codling amongs a stack of jumbo pout, to the HTO Mighty minnow. Quite unexpected. The sea temperature rose a full degree even as I was out there, from 6.5 to 7.5 degrees. With a week of sunshine forecast, and winds predominantly from the North and the East, I think it is quite likely the first spotties will be coming over BIF1's freeboard by the middle of the week.

One thing for sure, when something starts happening, this blog and our facebook page BRIGHTON INSHORE FISHING is where you will see it first. Fingers crossed we have now seen the end of the winter storms, and can look forward to the first summer fish returning inshore very soon indeed. We are back to the 3 hour sailings at the moment, as enduring six hours in an open boat can still be a very cold experience, but we WILL be sailing through February, and March until the 14th. Then we will be closed for 2 weeks, resuming sailings on the 30th March.