bass on the Fly

[maharg]

About to book this years "bucket and spade" holiday for the family.Was thinking of one of the traditional English west/south west coast seaside towns. Where is the bass fishing good in say mid July? thanks in advance, Graham

[MJB]

By mid July schoolie size Bass should be showing in numbers anywhere in the southwest. Scad, Mackerel and garfish should be about too. Whilst Somersets coast is lovely it probably isn't the best suited for swff. Devons estuaries should be worth a go and anywhere in Dorset will turn up a fish or two. I'm not that familiar with Cornwall but there's bound to be all the species I have mentioned as well as Pollock off the rocks ( Perhaps Nigel Haywood will drop in on this thread)

[Rupe]

Padstow / Polzeath will off a wide variety of marks from deep water rocks, estuaries and flats to wade - realistic chance of a couple of fish on the fly.

Nice beaches too.

[nigelhaywood]

Thanks for digging me out, Martin. Just back from a day's salmon fishing, mostly spent getting ice out of the rod rings. So I'm happy to think of Cornwall in the summer, just before I head off for the sauna.

Cornwall isn't the most obvious place to go for bass. Sorry, but there it is. You can catch them, and there are quite a few up the estuaries. But if I had to catch a bass, I'd head for the Jurassic Coast.

If I just wanted to catch fish, I'd get a tide table and pick a time when high tides were in the evening. I'd then head for the headlands and fish for pollack. Obviously, I'd base myself in Falmouth. I'd then focus on the coast between Falmouth and the Helford River, and catch pollack, mackerel, the odd scad, probably no garfish, and one or two bass.

I'd also send a PM to me or to Robin, who is infinitely more talented but has serious inertia issues.

N

[nigelhaywood]

I should add that the advantage of evening high tides is you get to spend a day on a sunny, sandy, un-water-covered beach, and then get to go fishing when someone else is getting the kids ready for bed, and, as a bonus, the fish are biting.

Return home beaming, head for the hotel's cocktail bar, and whoah-ho-ho nine months later you've put your retirement off another 18 years.

N

[barramundi]

Hi Nigel

Your alive then!

Salmon ifishing in the UK today?

I agree with you about the jurasic coast. No Fish down here, not a sniff of them

[nigelhaywood]

No Austen, the Rio Selja in exotic Lääne Virumaa. Brilliant looking bit of water, mind.

N

[MJB]

That's much what I had had thought re: Cornwall Nigel. Did you catch any Salmon?


Maharg, I would second Nigel's suggestion of the Jurassic coast. A beautiful part of the world. I have enjoyed some good family breaks in and around West Bay.

[Gonzo]

nigelhaywood said:

you've put your retirement off another 18 years.

Only 18 years... Whats your secret? ;D

[nigelhaywood]

Ah yes. Looking at the effect of my 21-year-old on my bank balance, I have to admit you have a point.

N

[barramundi]

Did you catch any Salmon Nigel?

[3lbgrayling]

ok guys. wheres the jurasic coast.
spent a few holidays at rock-polzeath.remember gray shadows running in on the incomming tide,could have been mullet but at the time i thought bass.never fished for them.to interested in more esoteric things at that time

jim

[Sewinbasher]

I've caught many a bass on the flooding tide at Polzeath on sand eel but never tried SWFFing for them.

[barramundi]

3lbgrayling said:

ok guys. wheres the jurasic coast.


jim

You need a private airoplane and a billionaire eccentric uncle with a white beard to find it!

Its a theme park with bass !

[3lbgrayling]

well i've got the white beard, will that do.

jim