Its starting soon for me, another season of bass guiding on the Irish coast, in 15 days time in fact. Its an early start for me April 02 with Myles, but we’re chasing some trout on the fly in the sea and possibly light lure if we need to.
There’s something about trout fishing in the sea that really does it for me, in ways similar but often very different than bass on the fly. More later.
I’m looking forward to getting started and its not very
long after April begins, that I’m down to the Dungarvan area to guide Daniel from the UK and his two pals for three days. This is a combination workshop/guiding trip for me and I really like these kind of days,this is rapidly followed with another six day series in Kerry in Mid month and then some fly fishing workshops.
That brings me almost to the end of April and the 3-Day Saltwater Fly Fishing Primer kicks into place. This is a big adventure for us, with 7 of 9 places filled its slowly but nicely falling into place. I guess having a world champion fly caster / instructor, an incredible fly tier and a very experienced bass fishing guide in the one place at the one time at The Bella Vista Hotel provides a good solution and opportunity to fish, learn and have a bit of fun too. I’m really looking forward to these few fishing days.
That’s my April fishing days for 2014, and its really after the 09th when I will have finished my degree that I will feel true relief and freedom from the shackles of study, its been a quick and at times tough three and a half years but I have no doubt it has already helped me make valuable decisions about the business and the way I will move forward and develop with it. I have met and worked closely in teams of some amazing people over these years, people I can trust and network with on a genuine basis.
Accommodation providers on the west coast, salmon fishers on the great river Blackwater, angling providers in the North West, photographers and travel writers and many more, and now I have access to all of their unique strengths, knowledge, facilities and friendships too. I intend to fully utilise all these services and new found opportunities over the next few years.
The strength of any future successful bass fishing development will always be greater than one person or organisation, it is of course largely a creation and action question of ‘networked’ openess and trust', a shared belief facilitating a range of sustainable partnerships whilst recognising other peoples skills, resource inputs and concerns too.
After ten years of bass guiding in Ireland I know what the job comprises of, ALL the aspects of the job and I know too the keen financial pressure it can place on a guide and his or her family. I have always believed that to make it work you needed to be a ‘Velcro’ type of person in as much that for winter you can attach yourself to a means of income that you could un-attach from again in spring – not an easy task at all! Because without some financial momentum the whole thing stalls and slows to a treacle. All of this of course is relevant to personal circumstances and what it is you want from life.
What I want and what I want to do is to continue to saltwater fly fish for bass and seatrout when ever I can for the rest of my life, simple.
I have grown beyond the delights of the Wexford coast and now having worked along the further coast I can travel confidently to many regions to not only guide but to also do what I have been missing – personal fishing and adventure.
I have through hard work made my own luck, secure in a contract that’s both flexible and demanding. I look forward to a busy and different 2014, my reduced days are booked with interesting people from France, UK, Italy, Denmark and Holland. My gear is almost ready, when is it ever? And the changed and different coastline lies like a new challenge before me.
With time to think and grow who knows what may happen!
