Wednesday 27 January 2010

A Year in the life of a Bass Guide - Irish Angler 2009

This summary link post forms part of my submission to the Minister Conor Lenihan at the Dept of the Marine in relation to the proposed re-opening of the commercial bass fishery, sorry for the repeat of links that are available on the sidebar.

I am making a second submission to Mr Tony Kileeen TD Fianna Fail and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for Forestry, Fisheries and the Marine.

A Guides Diary January
Jim Hendrick takes over the reins as he tells us about his life as a bass guide in Wexford. Guide’s diary Blues a day for sitting and watching, rather than fishing! There’s a lot of work involved to ensure that Jim Hendricks’ business runs smoothly. It’s January and it’s cold, dark and……..
A Guides Diary February
Looking to keep the wolf from the door, Jim Hendrick takes up winter pike guiding, but can he handle the cold after all those summers on the beaches? “That’s not what I was looking for. There’s ice in the bottom of the boat that’s an inch or more thick. I can see around 20 feet, at most, in front of me………………….
A Guides Diary March
Explaining that he is a bass guide is always something of a conversation stopper at parties for Jim Hendrick, but he’s glad that his job is a little unusual…in fact, So when I’m asked “And what do you do……….
A Guides Diary April
Going the Extra Mile. A group of three Dutch fly fishers have recently booked a week’s fishing here at South East Angling Ireland (SEAi). They expect five days of good bass fishing within a seven-night, six-day stay in Ireland. Arriving late on Saturday, we will begin fishing on the Monday. This plan has already been……..
A Guides Diary May
Blind Eye For Bass? Something is rotten in the state of Irish bass fishing. Jim Hendrick laments our inability to protect one of Ireland’s finest angling resources. A properly managed Irish bass fishery would be the envy of the world and could draw visiting anglers in their thousands. From May 15th to……………..
A Guides Diary June
After an inauspicious start, Jim Hendrick finds a chance customer becomes an established client. “Hello Jim, this is Eric calling from Belgium. We are coming to fish with you on Monday afternoon in Wexford, myself and Michele, can you tell me how far it is from Dublin airport?” This took me by surprise…………..
A Guides Diary July
A testament of the ability of fishing to transcend all walks of life are the fishing and angling references embedded in both of James Joyce’s masterpieces. For me, June 16th is the opening of the bass season after a month of anticipation. It is also the week in which the first international clients of the…………….
A Guides Diary August
...to recognise the promises people make to themselves – “I must do this more often.” “I should make more effort.” “I will stay at the practice.” These things are said and too often simply don’t apply. On a more personal level, I feel that I have found fly-fishing far too late in life. I often wonder where I would be today if I had found it…………..
A Guides Diary September
He may be a guide, but sometimes Jim Hendrick just likes to get off on his own to relax and unwind. It’s not all about the fishing. Driving slowly down the hill, I catch glimpses of the estuary through the trees. Like some magical gold and silver fleece it reveals itself only to those who know where and when………….
A Guides Diary October
There’s a fine line between selling the fishing and giving your clients realistic expectations, says Jim Hendrick. A good guide will try to strike that balance. hilst creating articles for magazines I try to portray Ireland in a very positive light. I do this by making the most interesting photographs that I can, not
A Guides Diary November
Jim Hendricks client Pat Boyle from Donegal guest writes the diary this month as he muses on what really matters in fishing. Another August, another eagerly anticipated trip to Wexford finally comes to pass. It seems like no time really since we were there last. Expectations were tempered by the fact………………..
A Guides Diary December
As he pens his last diary, Jim Hendrick reflects on his career as a guide and says thanks to those who have helped him. Irish Angler December 2009 have come to the last of the series of Guide’s diary. I have also come to the end of year seven for my bass guiding business in Wexford. There is no………………………

New Website

The beginning AND the end…

Forwarded to - The Irish Bass Policy Group (David McInerny, John Quinlan, Shane O Reilly, Mike Hennessy, Dr William Roche, Dr Nial O'Ma...