We talked and talked and talked! A complete stranger was rapidly becoming a new fishy friend. We are cut from the same cloth. We have an appreciation for what I suppose many would now consider, “old fashioned” etiquette and we both recognise that being quiet is just about your number one asset when on the bank.
Joss’ rod in particular had a lovely tip action that bent into a beautiful curve as he landed a string of great fish. Nothing massive but we’d found a weather window and we were in the fresh air catching more roach in January. That’ll do for me.
On balance it was a pretty good year. Every month there was some interesting variety and a bit of success. The boys joined me several times throughout the year and catching anything with them is fun. It’s a useful reminder to keep it fun and simple.
When you’ve been catching fish of around three ounces for a couple of hours, something approaching two pounds looks and feels like a monster!
I never gave up and pushed the limits of my time out there but eventually had to turn my back with my tail firmly between my legs and with my belly full of humble pie. Turns out the giant eating machines aren’t always easy to catch and I have got a lot to learn!
It doesn’t matter what species of fish it is, I just love catching fish when you can see them feeding and taking the bait. For me it just makes the whole experience more exciting.
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.