It is a a mind-blowing experience. A day tuna fishing typically involves close rides with dolphins. With keen eyes you’re likely to see Minke whales. With patient eyes you’ll spot a Fin Whale and if you’ve got anything left there will be Sun Fish, Sharks, thousands of birds and if you’re lucky, a tuna or two.

Instantly we were taken back 30 years. We were running up and down the wall excitedly spotting the shoals and casting our lures. The shoals were dominated by very small mackerel so our modern, soft plastic lures with hooks mounted on the back weren’t so good for the job. What we needed was good old toby lures

You only ever get one first fish.  It’s an absolute privilege for me every time I see people experience it. Like so many others, Graham’s first fish was a spikey little perch. I hope it’s the start of yet another boyhood adventure!

Here he was passing on his goby snatching skills and becoming totally lost in that mini monster world where the fish they caught were a fraction of the size the lures they use in tuna season but the smiles were every bit as big.  Fishing is the biggest leveller I have ever experienced in my life.  Give two people a rod and they are equal no matter what their background. 

First up was the expected Dog Fish.  For a seasoned angler, these are not an exciting catch but for six year olds that have never seen one before it’s the most exciting thing in the world! 

In the clear water we spotted a very large fish rise off the bottom and start twisting.  When you’re used to catching fish of a few ounces from the water, spotting something that would be weighed in pounds and not ounces, that’s exciting!  But as quickly as the excitement rose, it was dashed again.  The hooked pulled and we were left with unhealthy heart beats and knocking knees. 

I love float fishing in all forms and it’s how I like to fish for pike. A bait drifted around a couple of feet off the bait the comes to rest against a marginal shelf is very effective. It covers lots of water quickly, and if there’s a pike there that’s hungry, they will often take quickly.

With a braided line and a light rod, a modest whitting can give an exciting bite!  Give them another minute and instead of one, you’ll be winding in a fish on both hooks, a double shot!

The next time the Perch appeared, the worm was taken confidently and a gentle strike set the hook.  It was a great scrap in the clear water and as it went in the net it was clear it was a great fish.

All of this catching up with friends wasn’t an accident.  Yes, I wanted to get out and have some fun on the bank but sometimes things happen in life that make you stop and remember how damn lucky we are to have such great friends.  Never take that for granted.