Just the one sailing due to the strong Northerly wind first thing. Forecast to drop, even as we sailed out, it actually did. Not straight away, which kept us close in looking for the bass initially. But It did show signs of dying once we had been afloat for an hour. On board, I had frequent flyer Garry, newish convert Dean, and my very good friend (and possible future brother in law... Who choked on their coffee?) John.
The usual spots did show fish, but I could tell just by glancing at the fishfinder, looking for the never ending anchovy shoal, that is wasnt there. It had moved. And where that shoal moves, the bass tend to move. So, off on the hunt.
Heading further and further west, with all the time the clock ticking, I was getting a little hot under the collar. Recently, my ego has been flying. The fishing has been so, well, easy!! Each time I turn up to a spot on a hunch, the hunch gets fulfilled, and smiley happy anglers are the result. Today, it wasnt happening.
Maybe Neptune sensed my sadness. Maybe. Or maybe Neptune isnt real, and my reading of the birds was purely innate, from tens of thousands of hours hunting fish. But, en route to perhaps the sixth spot to try, I couldnt actually ignore the signs. It wasnt hundreds of birds, more perhaps fifty. The thing that caught my eye, was that they were spread over perhaps half a mile of water, and all were feeding furiously. Half a mile of small fish...? Had to be the never ending anchovy shoal. That actually was only about half a mile long. Well... come on... of course it cant REALLY be a never ending anchovy shoal. If it was never ending, it would go all around the world, and then how would we work out where the bass were? But half a mile of bait fish, had to be attractive to predators, right?
Damned right as it turned out. For the next hour we enjoyed excellent sport. Nothing under 40cm, and perhaps the biggest only 50cm, but table fish galore (we did take our full four fish) and endless rod bending, fast and furious action. Until I suggested... "so, who wants a go for a coddie for the last fifty minutes of the session?". Everybody said yes. Except the coddies... Wind was pretty good, allowing us great drifts. But, it simply didnt happen. I thought I touched one... It seemed to me that Garry touched one, but none hooked up. Even so, a very enjoyable. session. Plus, a wrasse for Dean, which I now realise, was the only picture I took on the day.
On the way back in, Dean was seated next to me at the helm. "I really like this fishing Robin. It feels like we go hunting fish"... OMG... I love that he gets it. I love that, because that is exactly what we do. I only have 3 hours to impress my guys, and keep them coming back. Its not enough time to attrition fish, and await a shoal to turn up. We have to keep moving till we find them. And this session highlighted that perhaps more than most.