Quite a few people ask me, how I manage to knock out a blog after a full day at sea. Truth is, it is being written at sea, in my head. Notable moments, etc. Sometimes they don't make it, because even as a young man my memory was not one of my stronger points. But other bits stick, and thats why I am writing this intro. The reason it stuck, was that Mitch, Max, Duncan and his son Joel, were heading towards a totally pants experience up to the beginning of the final hour, and in my head was, a tale of woe, despite best efforts by all.
You see, the thing is, the sea is in a constant state of change. Some changes, affect the behaviour of bass directly, usually food driven changes. And other changes, to their behaviour, I still haven't fathomed. I thought we were going to rip it. Perfect flat seas, and last drop of ebb tide, had been the catalyst for some great surface and sub surface action. But that was ten days ago. Ten days, where sea temperatures have finally fallen significantly, despite my gauge claiming 34.5 degrees still. Ten days, where guillemots and razorbills arrived. Ten days, when local netters are getting longer and longer sets in close before they fill with ever decreasing numbers of spider crabs. Lots of changes.
Happily, I felt we were embarking down the wrong route and took a punt at a spot that hasnt actually produced anything since the whiting left back in May. It was a good punt. For the rest of the session, each drift produced a few fish. From just a cod and a few mackerel, we finished on a cod, a few mackerel, a couple of gurnard and eighteen bass. Only four for the table, and sadly, I only have pictures of two of those, as I sadly didnt spot the NO MEMORY CARD warning on my main camera that I had been happily snapping away on. But all that is just vanity and marketing. Dunc and Joel were a long way from home, after a day way across on the French side yesterday aboard "Proteus" (Brigand Charters) and for comparison a session scraping the very closest of edges, on the light lines that shallow water allows for. Quite a contrast, and I think they enjoyed every second of both experiences.
Coming back in on still mirror calm seas, I was wondering if XCWEATHER had not messed me again. But it only took a Cafe Zio breakfast, for all that to change. As I looked in the rear view mirror driving back to my home a little way up the hill, I noticed the white horses already as the wind literally had erupted. Amazing.