The first swifts of summer have arrived and can be heard screeching around the twin church spires in town. This to me, is my annual indication that I can truly be confident of attempting bass on the fly in Wexford coastal waters. A living indicator.You may ask what has a bird that spends its time in our towns and cities got to do with Bass fishing!
During approaching cooler and windy weather parent swifts can spend long periods sitting on nests close together, or on top of each other with bodies hunched and feathers ruffled for warmth. In abnormally cooler and damp weather swifts may throw out complete clutches of eggs before themselves congregating in clusters on walls. Swifts will take shelter in their nests in heavy rain, even staying in for much of the day. Last summer they seemed to be totally absent.
If you cant hear them screeching or see them whirling above you house in town then consider the weather before going bass fishing!.
