Andy Phillips

Back in the saddle

It’s been a while but pleased to report have managed to get a few sessions in of late with a fair few fish taken but none of any particular size. All the fish have been in really great condition though which is good to see.

Venues have been varied from rock marks, estuary and shingle beach and a lot have come to tried and tested lures like the good old IMA Komomo SF-125’s and the Patchinko’s. Have found myself fishing more hard lures and less with softs like the Fiiish Black Minnows in these sessions but I’m sure that balance will be redressed as we head into the Autumn….. for me there’s nothing like fishing surface lures on a early summer morning or late evening! Don’t get me wrong the softs are proven catchers but I find when you get a hit on a hard lure, and particularly with a surface lure, it’s just that bit more exhilarating!

Next three months I’m planning to get a lot more fishing done including a trip back to Ireland in October…. don’t like to wish my time away but simply cannot wait for it!

Anyhow below are a few pictures from recent sorties…

One on the IMA Komomo SF-125 Lemon back at dawn…

And another…

Posing for the camera…

Off the top on the Patchinko II…

Tiddler on the Patchinko 100…

Even more of a tiddler on the bigger Patchinko II…

Estuary as sun sets…

Until next time…

Ireland Trip To Remember… Part Three

We were now in the final furlong of our trip to Ireland having taken in The Copper Coast and now Kerry. Here’s how the final few days mapped out…

Day 7…. It’s not all about the fishing

Conditions today were probably as benign as they had been all week so it wasn’t looking good for bass fishing in many respects. Still, we tried and started back at the successful mark from the previous morning but this time not one of us had a sniff at all – what a difference a day makes! Time to move on and we headed closer to base before breakfast where I did manage two takes but dropped them both… with it went my chance of bass for the day which was frustrating.

After another hearty breakfast the only realistic option for the day was pollack fishing so John had us heading off to a new location… and what a location it was – breathtakingly beautiful. First mark in this area both Nobby and I blanked but Paul and Joran picked up pollack and wrasse between them. Moving round the mark we were then all into pollack before lunch. The setting for our lunch really wasn’t bad at all…

Post lunch we headed back out to some different points and outcrops on the mark and again all hit into the pollack with Nobby unfortunately dropping the biggest pollack of the week right under his rod tip. Joran had hit a purple patch and was outfishing the English contingent at this point! The tide turned and the fishing dropped off so it was deemed appropriate to ‘refresh’ ourselves with a couple of pints at an idyllic inn before we set off back to Thatched Cottage! It had been a tough day on the fishing front but what a place to fish – just awesome…

Back at base it was apron on for John as he and Lynne refuelled us for the evening. Tough day fishing but sometimes just being out there is enough to make you feel alive.

Day 8…. The Last Knockings

Final full day in Kerry with the normal early start but a new mark to fish in the dark. Nice surf and when Nobby and Joran had bass pretty much first casts we thought we were in for a good session but the fish passed through and that was that for the bass but strangely I picked up a small mullet on a IMA Sasuke (think it must have been trying to kiss it rather than eat it!) – most bizarre, and Nobby nailed mackerel off of a point around from the bay. That was all we managed in the dark before brekkie.

With flat gin clear seas still upon us we were off for our final bash at the pollack and again we fished some stunning spots with some healthy pollack coming to all of us largely on paddletails of all shapes and sizes. Nobby had one of the better fish…

There was some interesting rock pools as we headed off this mark which were absolutely teeming with starfish and anemone life…

John and Henry had us believe we were going to pick up lunch on the way back through to the next mark but instead surprised us with an impromptu lunchtime BBQ back at Thatched Cottage – terrific – just what the doctor ordered!

The afternoon had us all back on the pollack and then a quick fish for a bass on the return to Thatched Cottage but it wasn’t to be and that was the end of our Kerry fishing on this trip. A few beers watching the All Blacks annihilate France in the rugby after dinner and we were all well and truly done!

Whilst the fishing hadn’t been explosive in Kerry it really didn’t need to be…. just being in those truly stunning locations with both John and Henry’s excellent guidance and the company of the whole group was something that will stay with me for a very long time. Underpinning all this fishing there was a huge amount of laughter, childish at times but my God was it funny. I have to say to Joran that I hope you didn’t go home wondering what the hell you had just been part of!!??!!

Day 9…. Homeward Bound

A relative lie in but we were still up around 6:30 as we needed to get Paul back to Cork for an 11 o’clock flight. With a heavy heart we said our farewells to Henry, John, Lynne and Joran and were on our way. What a top top time we had in Kerry…. can’t thank John and Henry enough for their guidance, the knowledge they imparted, and with Lynne’s magnificent help the hospitality…. all of it way, way surpassed my expectations….. very much appreciated guys – we will be back!

After dropping Paul at the airport Nobby and myself had time to kill so made our way back to the Copper Coast and as tired as we were, we vouched to fish for a few hours. We found a likely spot that we fished on the ebb and wouldn’t you know it Nobby hooked into a decent fish, indeed had it beat but it took off on one last run and shot behind a rock and cut the braid….. not a happy chappy, I had a knock too but that was it and to be honest we were done in by now. The trip back to Rosslare, the ferry and the trip home from Fishguard were all a bit of a blur but after ten fantastic days away I wasn’t going to complain.

So many memories and highlights – will definitely be back – there’s something about Ireland that’s for sure. Finally, once again my thanks to Nobby, Paul, John, Henry, Lynne, Joran, Cian and James for making my first fishing trip to Ireland just terrific…. I hope you all enjoyed as much as I did. Cheers all!

Until next time….

Ireland Trip To Remember… Part Two

Having fished The Copper Coast for the last few days the next part of the journey was about to get under way with the trip down to Thatched Cottage, Ballinskelligs in Kerry under the capable wings of John and Henry. Here’s how it panned out….

Day 5…. First fish in Kerry

Today was mainly our travel day from Dungarvan down to the far reaches of Kerry but we did manage a fruitless hour on a local spot…. Again bright blue skies, flat calm water and a light prevailing easterly wasn’t the best but we did find some nice ground with current which could definitely do with being investigated further next time!

We packed up, checked out and drove the hour and a half down to Cork airport to pick up fishing buddy Paul for the onward trip to Kerry hoping we’d get there in time to have a quick fish before the day was done. After making good time through some awe inspiring countryside and plenty of banter we rocked up at Thatched Cottage to be greeted by John, Lynne and Henry. A quick unload of gear, into our kit, rods rigged and we were off for a swift fish before dinner…. and for a limited session it proved successful! No big fish from a local mark but we all bagged bass…

Back at the cottage we settled in for the evening with Lynne’s lovely cooking and meeting up with the lone Dutchman Joran who would be fishing with us over the next few days…. smashing chap who enjoys his fishing for sure! Plan was set over dinner for early the next morning and then it was off to bed in anticipation…

Day 6…. Bass before breakfast then it’s all pollacks!

Alarms went early and after a quick brew it was fishing in the dark first off for the four us under John and Henry’s guidance. We were well spread along the shore and it wasn’t long before we were all into bass – most around the 3lb mark – with the exception of Joran who nailed a healthier 5lb fish. Dawn was now upon us and a mighty fine one it was too…

Once the light was up fully the fishing dropped off and that was the cue to get back to base for Lynne’s hearty breakfast. Once we had refuelled ourselves we were soon off again to a surf mark but there was only a small swell coming in and a distinct lack of bait fish which John explained was unusual.

The winds still had a lot of easterly in them so it was tough going and after about an hour we were on the move again with none of us having picked up fish.

A pit stop for lunch followed with the afternoon spent going after the pollack at a truly awesome, unspoilt location. A bit of a yomp to get there but well worth it…

No monsters with biggest fish around 4lb but boy do they smash you up on the light gear….we lost our fair share of them too! The anticipation before the take was hold on tight to your seat stuff….. ‘pluck’ ‘pluck’ ‘pluck’ before ‘wallop’ as the fish would engulf the lure! Nobby had the biggest fish I think and probably had the smallest too so obviously he had to pose for a picture with that one!!

By the time we’d trekked back cleverly avoiding the electric fencing and negotiating various other obstacles we were pretty much done for the day. Stunning location and good sport on the pollack! Back to base pretty knackered but plenty more banter over dinner saw us through until bedtime ready to do it all over again the next day.

Day 7… Keep on moving!

Same morning routine – cup of tea and out the door soon after 5 a.m. to get the best chance of bass given the benign conditions. One thing that really struck me today was how well John knows his area. The conditions made it mighty tough all week but he put us on fish every day. Giving today as an example we headed out with him wanting to move us around quickly to find the fish. First spot we fished for no more than 30 minutes at most – no fish so move on. Next mark was shallow enough to easily wade out over an offshore reef but before we set off John implicitly said do not be tempted to wade “the fish will be under your feet”. My third cast, as I was about to lift the lure out of the water ‘bang’ I was hit right under my rod tip and a nice 3lb fish came ashore. A few minutes later and it was deja vu as a similar size fish hit me, again no more than a rod length out. As the tide ebbed we were allowed to wade out slowly and again I picked up a fish at no distance and in no more than 2 foot of water at that. Paul, Nobby and Yoran all faired similarly. Good guidance eh?

After breakfast we were on the road again with John scouring the coast with his trusty binoculars looking for signs of fish! The tide was still dropping, seas were flat but we fished a mark for about an hour which John said we’d be back to fish on the flood. We drove on, had an early lunch and tried our luck in a beautiful estuary mark that for all the world smacked of fish – sandbars, decent current, plenty of broken ground mixed in but not a damn sniff! On it’s day it would be awesome… I’m convinced of it.

The tide had started to turn now and we were on the move again returning to the previous mark where both Nobby and Yoran picked up bass on the flooding tide as John had suggested. Again not big fish but bass all the same in what were proving tough conditions. Finally, after more yomping across rocks we headed back closer to base to fish at a more local mark where in the fading light Nobby picked up a bass and I managed the smallest of sea trout in the minimal surf.

A tiring day to say the very least but with those nagging light easterly winds, flat calm seas and not a hint of bait fish anywhere to be seen John had still put us on fish. More frivolity and banter over dinner and a couple of drinks followed before we all crashed out knowing we’d be doing it all again tomorrow!

Days 7, 8 and 9 to follow soon!

Until next time…

Ireland Trip To Remember… Part One

Well, well ,well – what an epic of a trip to Ireland’s Copper Coast and County Kerry that was…. conditions were far from ideal for bass by any stretch of the imagination but we managed fish and a whole lot of laughs along the way. First off I have to say a huge thanks to Cian and James at Absolute Fishing for their advice during our time on The Copper Coast and also without doubt to John and Henry for exactly the same during our time in Kerry…. what a brilliant time at Thatched Cottage where I’d extend my thanks to John’s wife Lynne not only for her splendid hospitality but for generally putting up with us for four long days! Thank you, thank you, thank you one and all!

Anyway, about the trip….. the general gist was Nobby and myself would get the ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare, spend three full days fishing on the Copper Coast, then drive down to Kerry scooping up fellow fishing comrade Paul from Cork airport en-route. Here’s how events unfolded:

Day 1…. Getting there

Two overly excited grown men set off in the rocking red VW Transporter at 8 o’clock in the morning for the Fishguard ferry with far far too much kit as always! Honestly, there was more kit in there than you’d find in most fishing shops – ridiculous but we had everything ‘just in case’. A fairly uneventful drive (apart from the odd bout of road rage) which was done in no time as we contemplated the fishing that lay ahead of us. Even at this stage the conditions were not looking favourable but we lived in hope that the run of easterlies might change. The ferry was dead easy as well, hardly a soul on there and aside from Nobby getting his head down and farting loudly at a fellow passenger in his sleep whilst I chuckled from behind Sea Angler magazine that too was uneventful. We were staying in Dungarvan so from the ferry we made our way there in the fading light, got our kit sorted out and headed off to the local bar for our first pint or two of the black stuff.

Day 2…. First fish

Nobby needed to pick up a rod from Cian which could handle the pollack when we got to Kerry later in the week so first stop that morning was Absolute Fishing….. just what we needed more shiny lures to tempt us!! It was worthwhile as after a few steers from Cian and his colleague James we were on our way to our first spot. Conditions were pretty benign and Nobby bagged the only fish of the session but still we were off the mark with our first fish of the week…

With the tide now on the flood we moved on to our second mark. There was some nice rocks and a decent churn hitting the beach which looked encouraging and just as James joined us for a cast or two I managed to land my first of the week on the IMA Komomo SF-125…. a nice fish of around 5-6lb… please excuse the dodgy looking glasses and head gear!

That was all we managed there so James took us to a final spot for the day where we spent a final half hour or so without success. Given it was our first fish in Ireland we went back to our digs content to have caught, hatch a plan for the next day and headed for a couple more pints of the black stuff.

Day 3…. Surf’s Up Dude!

New venue and different type of lure fishing to start with as we made a bit of a hike and then bumped soft plastics in a steady estuary flow. Resulted in a single fish for me on the Fiiish Black Minnow with a wallop of a take… great fun in the current!

As the tide dropped the surf looked decent at the end of the estuary where it met the sea and with a bit of southerly now showing in the wind the water churned up nicely. We headed out into the surf and it wasn’t long before Nobby had picked up a couple of real fighters in the highly oxygenated water on the Savage Gear sandeel – what a reliable lure this is, seems to consistently produce fish in the surf…. speaking of being in the surf it was as Nobby was trying to get his third of the day in I managed to take a dunk in the drink as lost footing and subsequent balance issues gave me a soaking… there was bed wetting laughter from my mate as you can well imagine! A few further fish followed all around the 4lb mark and then they were gone. A smashing session despite the soaking! Yet more black stuff followed that evening!

Day 4…. It’s not over until it’s over!

Our last full day on The Copper Coast and we were greeted with blue sky, bright sunshine and a light easterly breeze as we surfaced…. it didn’t look ideal at all and we were a little stumped where to fish so we took a chance and settled on the same venue as the day before in the hope of picking up the odd fish. Unfortunately, the estuary failed to produce and the surf was flattening out by the minute – not a sniff….. what a difference a day makes.

We went for some food following this blank session and after much deliberation decided to head back along the coast road in the general direction of Dungarvan contemplating whether in fact to bin the fishing for the day. However, we called in at a couple of spots on our way back and luckily found a mark we thought looked a bit more ‘fishy’ and decided to give it a go for half an hour or so. There was certainly a bit more colour in the water here which was encouraging and the presence of a couple of seals suggested there might be fish around which encouraged us further. Like the rest of the day it turned out to be slow going but just as we were thinking of turning back I had an almighty thump on the line and the rod bent over… I was in and it felt decent! With seals precariously close all I could think about was getting the bass in before one of the seals snaffled it but that was easier said than done as the fish put in a couple of runs before Nobby could lift it out of the water for me close in….. it was a beauty going 74cm on the tape so about the 9lb mark. At this point Nobby was practically doing cartwheels while I was more in shock I’d landed it with the seals in such close proximity! The IMA Komomo SF-125 had done the business again!

It turned out to be the only fish of the day but what a beautifully conditioned fish it was…. and to think we nearly didn’t fish that final session was a lesson for the future for sure. All done we headed back to our digs, packed up for our onward trip to Kerry the next day and celebrated with a few more of those lovely silky black drinks they have in Ireland!

Day five onwards to follow so….

Until next time…

I ‘Cod’ Not Believe It!

Long-time no blog and to be honest there has not been a lot for me to blog about. Yes, I’ve managed the odd foray to the coast with mixed results but fishing has very much had to play second fiddle to house renovation work over the past 12 months. That said I just had to write about what was a first for me yesterday…. no your eyes do not deceive you that is an August, south coast, Megabass Zonk caught codling in the photo above!

I’d started fishing just as the light was coming up, pretty flat seas, second or third cast and “thump, thump” – couldn’t work out what I’d hooked to start with – it didn’t feel like a bass but I certainly was not expecting a prime codling to surface! If I looked weirdly pleased but perplexed then that was nothing compared to the head scratching from a couple of the bait lads who witnessed it! They were fishing lug and hadn’t had a sniff! It made much more sense though when I left them and walked on along the shore and saw literally thousands of sprats washed up where they’d been herded in by the plague of small mackerel that were working the beach…. the codling that were there, fairly obviously, were also gorging themselves on the sprats and the Zonk obviously looked the part for one to take it.

As soon as the light came up it was mackies all the way, lost count the amount but they were having a go at pretty much every lure I was throwing out there. Certainly couldn’t get past them to get to the bass. At least with the codling there was a fish supper to be had… filleting it showed just how many sprats it had gorged itself on – it was completely rammed full of them!

Anyhow, should be a bit more from me over the autumn including an Ireland trip in October….. really can’t wait!

Until next time….

Bass at last…

I don’t mind admitting I’ve found it frustrating on the fishing front this year with commitments in other areas and what have you. Even when I have been able to get out conditions have not been right with weed a particular issue at some of the places I’d usually like to fish. All in all a bit frustrating.

So, it was refreshing on Sunday to get out with my mate Nobby and actually catch…. we only had one bass each, of no particular size, and both within a couple of minutes of each other as a shoal must have passed through. It was nice to get the hits as we did – Nobby’s was on his trusty Tacklehouse Feedshallow and mine took a Fiiish Black Minnow. Strangely, conditions seemed to improve with a nice bit of white water developing after our brief flirtations at bass catching but we couldn’t tempt anything for toffee whether that be off the top, mid water or softs bounced along the bottom.

Still, hopefully this heralds the start of better things this summer and autumn as from the shore reports I’ve seen I don’t think many have fared that well with lures to date in my neck off the woods.

One foot note, if you’ll excuse the pun, my new wading boots arrived from the US recently – took the plunge and went for some Korkers Devil’s Canyon boots after a good steer on them….. first impressions from yesterday are they are light and extremely comfy. I should have worn the felt studded sole yesterday given the terrain but nonetheless the cling-on studded were grippy enough. Will have to remember to post thoughts after several wears to see how they are holding up.

Until next time…

It’s been a while…

For one reason or another yesterday was the first chance this year I’ve had to blow the fishing cobwebs away and chuck a lure in the water so I headed down to Dorset for a late afternoon/early evening session. Conditions were forecast to be pretty benign for any decent chance of a bass, and so it turned out, but it’s been a fair few months since I’ve been…. I was just looking forward to shaking off my fishing ‘rustiness’, being out there again and checking my kit out after a few months stored up.

Walking round to a favoured area and bumped into a familiar face on this bit of coast – Bill with his dog Poppy – had a chin wag for a few minutes… Bill’s had a decent early season on the bass which was encouraging though he’d had no success today. Anyhow, we went our separate ways and I headed on round to where I wanted to start. Noticeable that the coast has changed a bit following the winter storms with some hefty landslides with rocks and boulders where they previously weren’t. Also, there was still patchy sediment in the water where it was running off the land so in places it was too coloured up but that said there were still some nice patches to fish. The picture below shows some of the land slippage…

As for the fishing I couldn’t tempt a bass out despite my hard and soft lure offerings – all it turn out to be was a wrasse-fest with them hitting both hard and soft lures with equal gusto. If nothing else they’re colourful and put a bend in the rod to get me used to feeling a fish on the line after the winter break. Here’s the close up of the little critter caught in the green flavour…

Finished fishing around 8pm and started to head back along the coast when I had bizarre encounter of the day…..met a family coming towards me – obviously not been here before who asked me politely “is there a way back up to the coastal path if we head the direction you’ve come from?”.

“100% not, I know this area well, that’s why I’m heading this way!” I respond.

“Are you sure?” the father comes back with.

“Totally”, I confirm.

“Thanks, we’ll try anyway”, he replies.

…. I left them to it – there’s only so much you can help people with…. is it me????

Arrived back at the car to discover the sole coming off of one of my wading boots so it looks like not all my kit did so well over the winter months…. the age old problem of which wading boots to buy is before me again! Must say, I’m tempted to try the 5:10 Canyoneer SAR water boots that Henry Gilbey has been testing out (see his very informative article here), not a traditional fishing wading boot but must admit when I had the kayak I was tempted to get these so maybe they could be a good option? Food for thought for sure.

Anyhow, I’ll finish up with a couple more scenic pictures from the day for you to enjoy…

Until next time…

After the storms…

Long time no blogging and to be honest there has been little to say since well before the end of last year. I don’t need to remind anyone just how bad the weather has been of late but I do think it will be interesting to see how it has reshaped the coastline and whether it has had any lasting effect on our inshore waters. I’ve seen, heard and read stories of beaches being washed away, rock marks being obliterated, etc. and I suspect a lot of previously accessible places may now be out of bounds… but maybe some new marks will have been born? Who knows what it has done to the inshore ecosystems and how that will in turn affect the fishing? We can only speculate at the moment I think.

Two possible good things spring to mind about the weather being as bad as it has been…. one, it has been generally mild and nowhere near as cold as it was last winter so hopefully the water temperature will recover quicker and the bass will be around, in numbers, earlier than they were last year. Secondly, the conditions in the English Channel and approaches can hardly have been good for the commercial boats to get out in so just maybe the bass stocks have been spared a little for future years. Time will tell on that front too.

In other news, I have recently arrived back from a work trip to the US and whilst there managed to pick up a Patagonia River Salt jacket which I had been eyeing up for a while. It’s a little better price-wise in the US than it is available in the UK which made the cost a bit more palatable so to speak.

Granted, it’s still not cheap but I’ve never been completely satisfied with jackets I’ve used in the past for fishing so hopefully this one will prove to be a sounder investment. First impressions look encouraging as clearly it has been very well constructed with some nice features throughout… of course I will reserve my final judgement until I have been able to give it a proper test. Looks good for throwing on for wet dog walks too so hopefully I will get my money’s worth!

Other than this I haven’t had the chance to get myself back in full fishing mode for the season ahead but no doubt that will slowly kick in over the next few weeks when I’ll start thinking about what bits, if any, I might need/desire this year. Hopefully, Winter won’t have a sting in it’s tail and Spring will soon be in full swing!

Until next time…

All in the dark!

Last minute decision yesterday evening to go for a quick session in Dorset this morning….. it had to be an early start so I could get back for my son’s football – probably a 3 hour fishing window at best! So with the alarm set for some un-Godly hour and kit by the door I was set and thankfully I managed to drag myself out of my pit as planned.

Arrived and was fishing by 5:30am – a good hour and a half before the sun was up and it proved to be a good move as all the fish I had today were taken in the dark. I find it best to use a familiar lure in the dark so I have confidence in it’s action…. this meant it was on with the Feed Shallow. As if to prove a point first cast I connected with a small pollack.

Two casts later and another hit – this time from a small bass that cleverly unhooked itself when landed and flipped itself back in the water! Damn – no photo!! Not to worry as ten minutes later an ever so slightly bigger fish was landed and snapped!

Followed by another small pollack all within the first hour and under the cover of darkness…

There was not a lot of movement in the water and as the light came up with the rising tide it became very apparent the lack of movement there actually was – next to none….. and with clear water it didn’t look promising for the rest of this short session.

I was joined by another lure angler – Bill and his dog – for a few minutes and I was thankful of Bill’s presence as I had one of those ‘Doh!’ moments when I managed to crack off my lure when casting…. my complete brain failure! I had just changed to a Seaspin Pro-Q 90 surface lure too but luckily, Bill, with great skill, managed to cast to it and pulled it back in for me – cheers Bill if you ever read this!! It was nearly doubly lucky for me as minutes later there was a swirl behind that very lure from a fish that narrowly missed!

That was the last action I had though on the near bite front and with all the fish caught in the dark it has certainly given me food for thought for future sessions especially where conditions are fairly benign.

So, I headed back home for a bacon sandwich before taking my son to his football match… he lost 2-1! Doh!

Before I finish here are a few other pictures from my early morning Dorset jaunt…

Until next time…

Tough going but pleasant afternoon

Spent a few hours on the water yesterday afternoon with my mate Nobby but it was tough going with just the three fish between us – the biggest of which went to 4.5lbs. Whilst the water and light conditions were OK the easterly airflow was not and it was testing at times.

Tides weren’t big and we started fishing as they were on their way up. For the first hour or so we didn’t get a look in but then out of nowhere Nobby had a decent take almost under his rod tip which resulted in the beautifully conditioned 4.5lber….. the good old Zonk doing the trick

Shortly after he picked up his second fish which was 2.5lb again on the Zonk. As quickly as things looked like getting started they switched off again and with tide and the strengthening easterly pushing in it became quite challenging throwing lures into the head wind.

We started to fish our way back and with yours truly starting to contemplate a blank I was pleased when a silver flash hurtled up from the depths and nailed my Feed Shallow again at very close quarters.

Not a big fish by any stretch of the imagination but it saved the walk back with a blank against my name!

That was pretty much it for the session and despite the tough conditions it was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon, with good company as always, and a few more lessons learnt.

Until next time…