Fish of the day if only for the novelty factor...

One problem with working 0400 to midnight in high summer during an unprecedented calm and hot spell, is that it is easy to lose touch with friends. Something I cannot do as it is really from the support of these friends that I am everything that I am today. To take the smooth, and forget the journey getting to it, isn't really me. Which is how come 1st sailing was a friends trip. And what a trip!!!

John and Katerina...

With me were old friends, John, the lovely Sarah, and her beau Jason. And a new friend. My new protege Katerina. Its a fair exchange. Katerina gets to learn to fish, something she genuinely enjoys with gusto and determination. And I get to speak my bad Czech, with someone who instantly recognises my terrible grammar, compensates in her head and keeps the conversation moving, almost as if I know the language well. My ego enjoys that...

The lovely Sarah

We began close to the marina, but the fish were small, and I wanted to check out some other spots while the light was not bright, and the water still shallow. We began to accumulate fish. All of us for a change. Indeed, there was rarely a drift without a couple of takes and a fish either landed or lost. And what fish. Few smalls. Majority between 2 and 4lbs. We accumulated a score of perhaps 20 fish before breakfast, and clients, beckoned. A fantastic mornings fishing, and I am so happy to have shared it with some of my special people.

Jason

Next sailing, I was out with Ian, Ted and Mark, and they were staying for the following sailing as well, so we ran back to back. What a struggle...!!! Bright sun and everybody with a vessel, a canoe, or an inner tube out there enjoying it. Sadly, many of my very inshore marks they are standing on, I really do get in that shallow. As any of you enjoying local beaches over this weekend might have noticed. It really impacts the fishing. I ran many spots heading West, but struggled to get anything other than the odd follow. Plenty of bait fish. Plenty of bass marks. Not opening their mouths. The problem when the bait is mostly tiny.

We went out to do some plaice fishing, but that wasn't really happening despite very good drift speeds. A single fish amongst mackerel and gurnards. One very interesting thing, although not a first for BIF certainly the biggest, a smoothhound around 5lb on a HTO Mighty minnow for trip organiser Ian. Although, in fairness, it was hooked in the left testicle, and in no way can be considered going for the bait. It did battle very well though. I think I would given the hooking arrangement. A move back inshore, bought better success. Finally, Ian caught a decent bass, which did help change the mood on the boat, and schoolies all round.

J n me Final session was with regular Mo, who had bought his brother-in-law Hassan along, and his kid Ali, to keep Mo's lad Faisal company. A happy crew went out. Interupted 30 minutes later by Hassan being overwhelmed with sea sickness. I got him back in within miutes and we headed out again. With the low water, Bass was the name of the game, and bass we caught. Not huge, but plenty of action. But not the kids. Unable to cast, vertical jigging is rarely successful in shallow water. To make up for it, we went mackereling for the last 30 minutes. With the sun setting, it was easy to locate and load up. With one problem. I finally took a bad hook. I have had loads in me already, but have learned to pull them out before pain happens. This hook though, was the dreaded Frolic. Well in, I couldnt budge it. A 3 hour visit to A & E sorted it out... sleep...? Who needs it...

Ian with best bass from 2 sessions

Smiler Faisal. Such a happy lad.

Ali's first bass