When

‘Keep warm old man’, the boy said. ‘Remember we are in September.’

‘The month when the great fish come,’ the old man said. ‘Anyone can be a fisherman in May.’

Ernest Hemingway – The old man and the sea.

Ocean flipping, (a pattern of sevens or greater)

The key to the slowdown in global warming in recent years could lie in the depths of the Atlantic and Southern Oceans where excess heat is being stored – not the Pacific Ocean as has previously been suggested, according to new research.

But the finding suggests that a naturally occurring ocean cycle burying the heat will flip in around 15 years’ time, causing global temperature rises to accelerate again.

Go HERE

And then go HERE

And then go fishing…!

Bass angling and The UK Angling Trust–Dublin Meeting?

From the UK Angling Trust website

The Angling Trust has written to UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice calling on him to introduce a series of conservation measures to protect UK Bass stocks in the face of the latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), which has recommended a staggering 80 per cent cut in catches in order to protect the future of the species.

Failure to take immediate action to protect dwindling Bass stocks would deal a “fatal blow'” to the credibility of both the UK government and the EU in managing commonly-owned sea fisheries resources, claim the Angling Trust.

In addition to calling on the UK to take action to protect bass, the Angling Trust is part of a delegation of representatives from the European Anglers’ Alliance contributing to a workshop in Dublin next month where members of the Common Fishery Policy's Advisory Councils, including commercial fishing representatives, NGOs and the recreational angling sector, will be discussing joint recommendations for managing bass at an EU level which will then be put the EU Commission.

The measures set out by the Trust include:

Publishing the findings of the review, commissioned in 2012, into the evidence supporting an increase in the minimum landing size (MLS) for Bass.

Implementing an emergency increase in MLS to 45cm in order to protect the year classes upon which a stock recovery will have to be built.

Strengthen and enforce the UK's network of Bass nursery areas.

Incentivise the line caught fishery to reduce unwanted mortality and improve selectivity.

Re-profile the current exploitation pattern away from fishing methods that have biggest negative impacts on stocks towards methods that are most environmentally friendly, selective, and generate the best return from the fishery.

Support the UK-wide voluntary Give Fish A Chance code of conduct for recreational angling.

Ensure that policy is formed on the basis of science and evidence.

See More Here http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?it ... Trust+News
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The Science, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) was recently asked to consider management measures for Bass. The final report from the meeting can be found Here https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/plen1402

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Where to find

Bass fishing workshop

I met Sean Kelly two days before we went to France and we completed the ‘theory’ section of my bass fishing workshop over a bright Sunday morning.

I met Sean at lunchtime today and we finished the workshop with a practical ‘on the water’ session.

Carrying the theory to the field we both did a little work on both surface and soft lure fishing techniques, reading the water, and location development. Sean was then set free and combined it all expertly when he managed this wonderful fish on a Megabass Hazdong Magnum.

Rod: Illex S210M

Reel: Shimano Rarenium 2500

Line: Famell 6kgs by Yamamoto

The fish was taken in less than a foot of water, confirming once again that bass will feed close to shore in locations that still surprise many people.

As a result Sean's confidence is now high, he has a natural instinct and understanding of the fish and he has the skills that he can open out and develop into his own fishing over the next few autumn months.

Often the best time for bass fishing.

Although the business may be temporarily closed for guiding services, fly and lure fishing workshops are available on request from time to time – and who knows with temperatures falling more fish might be tempted closer to our shores over the next few weeks!

National Bass Policy

Any person with a modicum of common sense looks forward to the launch of the policy documents this morning at IFI. In this instance any person interested in the current and future state of Bass fishing should be, to some degree, celebrating the launch of the National Bass Policy.

The team members of the policy group have worked hard to achieve, what is in my opinion on the basis of the draft, a strong document. We could discuss many aspects of it over many hours no doubt!

Using the same common sense when applied to the ‘implementation’ of the policy and you quickly arrive at the conclusion that IFI is probably and more than likely under resourced in achieving all of the objectives, and this is only when you consider the Bass policy.

During the initial meetings and early formation of the first Irish Bass group, the scope of what was required to cover the wider aspects of the Bass fishery and its development coupled to protection was quickly realised. The group decided its focus was to be based on illegal fishing as a singular objective.

However it was my particular interest to develop the wider aspects of what may have been required. As is the case with many scenarios like this it ran into quicksand and stalled. Life gets in the way sometimes, its normal! This blog was a vehicle I used to get some of that bass information out there.

It is my belief today that no one single person can be ‘responsible’ for all of the aspects of Bass angling in this country no matter what they may be – this is not a criticism but rather a practical observation.

There has been much discussion here on the subject which has evolved from one anglers initial concerns about the lack of Bass in Wexford to finally arriving somewhere close to the possible meeting of people to assist the Irish Bass organisation.

Recognising the under resourcing at IFI, most companies would probably ‘outsource’ requirements, leaves the possibility of the recognition that some of the aspects of the implementation of the Bass policy could in fact be accomplished and achieved by a wider and capable group of people coupled to a proper division and allocation of diverse responsibilities and interests based on genuine trust transparency and openness.

This is how things get done.

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The Policy can be found in the Bass documents library here on this website as can the original draft policy which has been available here since publication.

Bass fishing Brittany

I’m off to France tomorrow with my family for ten days. We will be based in Brittany and its no coincidence that this happens to fall on an optimal tidal week! We are taking the car so there’s a lot of space for some fly fishing gear.

I’m looking forward to these few days with high anticipation and an eye for future potential too. Its kind of ironic that an Irish bass fishing guide with a high percentage of French customers is considering working in France from time to time! Such is the nature of the changing landscape of bass angling.

Its also funny that my own fishing returns have soared in comparison to the last few years, simply because I am actually fishing. Its great really and I am enjoying it, even if at times its very tough.

Lots of relaxed days in new challenging environments and plenty to explore…

Pending…

It is with a large degree of sadness that I have reached a decision to close the guiding services section of my business for 2014. This decision was based entirely on a deteriorating population of fish. Without this part of the service I am not prepared to accept people in – I can market all I like, but not without the general population of fish.

I have a last remaining group of people from France to guide in September, and unless things improve dramatically this wont be done on the Wexford coast.

I’m lucky in that my customers have over the years through the guiding service developed a large degree of flexibility in terms of their allocation of time and, we have, based on experiences always managed  ‘minimum impact’ plans. These plans have always been based around the opportunities to fish or not as the case may be.

I could guide customers to ‘hotspots’ to maintain momentum but would rather close than put the fish at those locations at further risk of exploitation. These may be the very population we need to hang onto. I could guide people to other parts of Ireland but this breaks the ‘business model’ and the experience is not valid unless its pre-planned.

I have a high degree of concern for the population of bass that did exist along the Wexford coast and is now no longer present. This concern has been expressed to the Irish Bass Policy group, The IFI, and the MI on Sunday the 20th of August via mail.

I have no concrete evidence as to where or why the fish have gone, be it behavioural, environmental or something more sinister, I do not wish to speculate at this time.

All other services remain available on request for Saltwater fly fishing workshops, Lure fishing workshops and three day destination projects.

All existing parts of the service remain in place, the gear, the unique flies, the knowledge, the house, the experiences – I need the fish back, we need the fish back!