The boys Irish trip and other stuff..

Pedro and the boys got back from Ireland this week, I'd had lots of texts whilst they were away saying how slow the fishing was when they only had 18 rays in 4 hours, some to double figures! Hard to swallow between the pouts and barely sizeable codling. Pedro has sent me some pictures, and there really are some super fish, I'll wait until he gives me some spiel to go with them before I post them.

I went shooting with Nobby today and had a good day, the Aitch's will be enjoying pigeon pie this week. After our little shoot we popped in to see Genocide. He'd been fishing with Dave, one of his work mates, I think more for a social than in expectation. Cutting a short story to bits, he'd had a lovely bass as we got there, a cracking specimen at 7lb 7oz. If you're going to get a good bass, this next week is the time I reckon, tides building to the autumn equinox and the migratory fish will be heading back to the Bay of Biscay or the Mediterranean or wherever they go for the winter. We catch plenty of schoolies through the winter but the big fish seem to migrate still, may all change in a year or two as the seas warm up.

Wouldn't you think a majestic fish like that could raise a smile?

I would dearly loved to have had a fish today, but you can't do everything. I'm on days tomorrow until Wednesday. I have a plan in the offing for a session next Thursday, Geno and Nobby are up for it and I'll try and persuade Johnny out. I think Smudge is back from Belgium so he may well be available too. I sent a text to PK to see if he was coming, the conversation went like this:

Me: "Keep your diary free for next Thursday mate, big tide, high water at 8pm after a forecast couple of days of north."

Him: "Just because you never get let out in daylight doesn't mean the rest of us have to suffer fishing in the bloody dark"

Me: "Actually I was thinking of fishing the flood somewhere and moving off to fish the ebb somewhere else - smart arse"

Him: "Steady son. It's a long season. Don't go burning yourself out in the 1st month. Remember young bull, don't run down the hill and shag a few cows, amble down and shag 'em all!"

He's got an answer for everything and sometimes his youthful enthusiasm and exuberance make me forget he's 115 next birthday, god love him.

I hope we can get a good session with most if not all of the boys out, been ages since we all fished together, in fact it was June on the Isle of Wight trip. Pete sent me a text on his way back from Eire, I'm amazed he still has enthusiasm to fish round here after being spoiled over there for nearly a fortnight. He was buzzing me for information on the sea state, colour, wind etc. Maybe Karl's bass will wet his appetite and he'll have a go. It was nice to watch a couple of porpoises feeding around 400 yards off today too, perhaps with the sea clearing there'll be a few late mackerel off the shingle too.

Breaking News.... Due to Pedro's heavy workload (that'll teach you to feck off to Ireland!), he's had to relinquish the captaincy of Norfolk for this years ICCM. Mark Alsop would be the regular captain but for obvious reasons he can't make it this year. The upshot is that the organising committee have scraped their barrel and asked Geno to do it! Seriously he'll do a good job and I'll help him as vice capt. assuming I can get my shifts off work. If anybody reading this doesn't visit the leader lines web site a link for the sign up page is below.

http://www.leader-lines.com/

Just follow the links to the ICCM pages. It's a very friendly and well attended match with the added spice of being able to fish for your county, anglers of all ages and abilities fish it the more the merrier, lets raise a bundle for East Anglia's Children Hospice. Even if you don't come from the East Anglia region you can fish the match, just register as a floater and you'll be adopted by one of the competing counties! Mark has done a lot of spade work including arranging a pre match breakfast venue and pub (with free food!) for the prize giving afterwards. It's well worth the effort to fish and like I said the link above will give give you lots more details.

Sod it I can't resist. Here's one of my favourite photos sent by Pedro following his recent trip, its Trev with a flattie, a feck off great big, proper, stonking flattie!

A Turbot of 5lb 3oz, this fish rates among the best I've seen this year, along with Russ's undulate ray and Pete's double figure bass. Nice one Trev.

I think the British shore caught record comes from Dunwich, something daft like 28lb! I've only had them as big as my hand, pretty fish they are. Right, early night so I'm all refreshed for the non stop graft over the next four days, I wonder if I'll have time to tie some rigs, tidy my box and service my reels...