With the wind veering to North Easterly properly overnight, but increasing in strenght considerably, I decided to go see if there was any fishing worth selling. I was only interested in the early flood really, so resolved to go twice. I also had a firm plan in my mind, should the wind be pushing BIF1 around too much. I dont like being pushed around... So, solo I went out. With a strong flood underway, there was quite a big rolling swell, but nothing compated to the previous evening. I began drifting, fishing the fly. Tough going, but I nailed perhaps half a dozen in the first half an hour. Then I played around for the next two hours. The wind was pushing BIF1 back up the tide at a fair pace, so drifting for plaice was predictably, no good at all. Zero. Mackerel were keen though. But the best of it all was the bassing. Once I put my plan into action...

My plan, was a cunning plan... I was going to, for the first time ever, use one of BIF1's two ANCHORS!!! Imagine. A tethered me... I dont like doing it for so many reasons. But this time, it resolved the wind problem rather well. I crept back to the windward side of the reef I have been working out, and as I saw sand appear on the sounder, I stopped the boat and deployed the little light grapnell anchor. With only 13' of water, I didnt need too much rope out and she was tethered. But would the fish allow for it...

Happily the answer was a big yes. By casting from the edge of the reef into it, using everything from Frolics to fly, fish were falling. Biggest one hit a HTO Boogie almost as soon as it touched down on the water from the cast. No monsters, but perhaps 25 fish.

The evening session was less productive. It took a long time before the bass showed. But when they did, it was suddenly quite fast and furious. All smalls though sadly. Biggest maybe 1.5lb. Some chunky mackerel mind...

Bouyed by this, I called Friday mornings whole boat charter on. Identical forecast. Time will tell... But it is a small time period. Maybe just 3 hours before the fish move off. Mackerel still play, but the bass seem to dissipate. Weekend sailings are still hanging in the balance as I write this, perhaps no decision being made until we see what Friday mornings session brings. But I would say, when the wind drops back to light, we now have consistent quality fishing to play with. Finally!! And deffo, if you are a fly rodder and have been holding off till results are good, I would say, its finally good!!