A very last minute sailing. Xc forecast the evening before saw me clear the decks of sailings. XC forecast on waking, and actual wind, much improved. I actually headed out solo to enjoy it all myself, when a last minute shout on Facebook saw fellow BIF1 addict Jon on board. The delights of being a self employed web designer... A very lovely client to share the boat with. And none too tragic. We did an hour on the cod, for a nice five pound fish to yours truly, and then went skipping on the inshore reefs to find bass for food.
Bass for food we found, with a double hook up of 45's. Perfect table fish. And plenty after. I am very happy the right to take a bass for the table has returned, as it deeply saddened me that the EU had effectively privatised bass. I was so incensed I had earlier in the year dragged Brighton East and Peacehaven MP Russel Lloyd Moles down to see what he could do earlier in the year. I felt quite proud of myself for accessing the political system, and really believed that my red headed MP would truly raise a question in the house querying the ethics of what was clearly a ruling that was anti magna carter. Sadly, there is no evidence to say that anything other than perhaps a "thank god that's out of the way" to his "assistant" on the drive back to Labour HQ, actually happened.
Politics really isnt in the grasp of real people with real issues it would seem. Happily, the future of bass fishing had not rested solely on my shoulders. The Angling Trust, and the S. O S. campaigns had pushed hard to suggest the I.C.E.S. statistics on bass mortality by recreational angling were flawed. Thanks to some great research done in Ireland, I.C.E.S. accepted this was not the case, and the one fish per angler per day, has been restored. Is it a co-incidence I have seen an upsurge in bookings? I think not. When "no win, no fee" lawyers get round to the cost of EU membership to businesses, Im in...
Also, a nice gurnard for Jon... I'm still a bit fuming at Russel. I hope that doesn't come through... But from the experience, I would say it is quite true that the labour party really isn't interested in the little man, with the little business. The only good experience I have had was correspondence with the lovely Caroline, about Brighton parking charges. No chance at all of me voting green ever though, after witnessing the effects of a green government on sports fishing in Germany. So, I guess I am going the political version of atheist...