The beginning...

While in theory I'd like this blog to be about my work and what I'm currently up to with updates in my websites and design, realistically I fully expect it to be more about what I get up to when I'm NOT working!

This first post is an example of that...... Fishing! I love it!

I'd love this year to keep a fully diary of every single fishing trip I make. Living very near to the sea on the north coast of Cornwall, I have some really easy access to some great little fishing spots, all within walking distance.

Last year I fully got in to the lure fishing side of things, targeting Bass in particular. This way of fishing is really starting to take off with anglers, like me I guess, who like to be able to fish without taking masses of tackle or buckets of smelly baits with them. I love the fact that I can just chuck a bag over my shoulder, pick my rod up (always set up by the door) and start walking. Within 10 minutes I can be fishing. Knowing that I'm incredibly lucky to be living in such a perfect location for this, I intend to take full advantage. New Years Resolution for 2009 was simple..... Fish more! Really, this isn't going to be difficult!

My first outing this year was actually a few days ago now (Friday, 27th February 2009). I didn't expect to catch much but have been waiting to get out now for more than a couple of months. Having worked hard all morning, I could resist the urge no longer and at around 4pm wandered off down to the reef to see how things were looking. High tide was at around 5ish so I wasn't feeling super confident as I always prefer to fish around low tide in this area. The water was quite milky - which I didn't like either, but at least there was just the right amount of movement in the water. With any luck, I was really just hoping for a pollack or two at best, just to put a bend in my new rod - the 8'6 Sakura Shukan (I'll write a review on that when I've used it a few more times). I also wanted to test out a few Slug-go's and other soft plastics that I'd mounted on jig-heads over the previous week or so. However, with the colour in the water, I wasn't really expecting to catch on them. I reckoned that something giving off a little more vibration would be necessary today. Saying that, my stock of suitable lures was also at pretty much zero, so the only proper lure I expected to use was the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow. Old faithful! I really just wanted to get out to wet a line and cast some of these plastics about. Catching fish was bottom of my to-do list.

Things turned out pretty much as I expected. Nothing at all in the way of fish..... Even good old 'Pollack Rock' failed to produce. There's only really one spot around here that is properly fishable at high tide so I spent most of my time there.

As a total newbie to fishing soft plastic lures, I was impressed with the way they looked in the water. It was interesting getting used to feeling them bump in to rocks on the jerky retrieve. Had the water had a little more clarity then I would have been extremely confident of catching. Even if in reality (it being February 'n' all) chances were slim. My plan this year is to fish with these types of baits a lot to really get to know them. Being able to chuck them in to the rockiest or weediest of spots without the thought of losing a £20 plug is a very attractive quality!

I fished until dusk and walked on back up to the house. In total I'd fished 5 spots along about a mile of coastline. I actually laughed at my lameness when I got home. My left arm was aching following 3 months of practically zero reel winding action, and my legs were killing me! Obviously haven't had enough 'exercise' staggering back from the pub this winter!

I'm keen to get out again as soon as I can. Possibly tomorrow if the weather behaves. Think I'll head for some proper deeper water though and target the Pollack more exclusively on the jelly worms.

Ciao for now.