I happen to really enjoy trying to put people I know, like, and trust onto a few fish. I am obviously no miracle worker, but I live around here, and I like to think I know enough about my local waters to at least come up with a fairly logical fishing option most of the time. I can’t make the bass oblige of course, and this is nothing to do with guiding work which I do over in Ireland anyway, but a couple of friends came down to stay and fish for a few days in the part of the world where I reside - and because I can and it’s a nice thing to do, I tried my best to put them on a few fish……………
So we headed out together first thing on Thursday morning, and because I wasn’t guiding I obviously fished myself. I felt a little embarrassed when a bass around 3-4lbs jumped on the end of my lure not long after starting fishing because I’d have far rather one of the lads caught first, but at least there were fish around (my first bass on the Savage Gear 11.5cm/16g Gobster Shad, rigged on one of their 4/0, 20g J-hook jig heads, damn that thing swims!). Both lads did end up catching bass, including a really good looking 5lb+ fish for one of them on the khaki coloured Sandeel V2 Weedless 13cm/33g. I didn’t photograph any of the fish for various reasons, but the lads were on the board and beaming away, and I could not have been happier. I don’t feel remotely competitive with my fishing and it makes me smile so much when people I like catch fish when I am fishing with them. I will leave the dick-measuring, jealous macho stuff for social media heroes because I don’t think any of it does fishing any good at all.
After that first session I had to get back home to do some work to hit a deadline, but I used the precision of the amazing What3Words app to detail for the lads precisely where they needed to park and walk to and fish for their second session of their first day. I advised them to be fishing for a very specific state of tide, and that on the way and with only a minor detour they could also pick up a couple of mighty fine pasties from the Cornish Pod (if you know, you know). My day was made for the second time when messages started coming through that they were absolutely smashing bass on the Patchinko in between some very heavy showers, and from their first cast as well. As happy as I was, I would rather have been fishing with them than sitting at my desk writing about fishing though!
I won’t bore you with every single session from the last few days, but we fished together plenty and the lads caught bass nearly every place they fished. They finished up with an epic bit of bass fishing literally as they were driving away and spotted a load of birds feeding on bait. My local waters are feeling far more alive but wow did I come back down to earth with a bump when I made what turned out to be the wrong call yesterday and ended up with a couple of tiny pollack for my efforts. There was me feeling really good about some of the calls I had made, but the moment the lads left, nature decided to show me how easily I can also get it completely wrong…………..
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