Battered on boxing day -over and out for 2017

Hail, rain and more wind than was forecast. The swell was also very tricky and saw me turn back when I got to where I was heading, it was just too awkward and potentially dangerous. The fishing wasn't anywhere near as good as my last trip but I  still managed about ten fish. A quick check on Windguru  before writing this post tells me it's probably over for me  for 2017. Still, great to be out today working off the turkey and port!

Cool day and hot fishing!

A text led to a few beers late on Saturday afternoon, never a good idea before a day afloat. That said, it was great to catch up with a few friends and I was back home for 10 pm. Of course, the compulsory dull head followed  on Sunday morning. I should know better to check, and double check in these situations and I soon realised I had left my kayak seat in the garage- bellend!

As I set off again it had warmed up nicely from -6 to -3.5 but I'm not going to lie, when I went through my front door to get my seat, I nearly stayed there. I'm glad that I didn't though.

To be fair I was pretty rough, also fishing rough as it happens, I had a couple of tangles, the GoPro remote wasn't working ( nothing new there) and I dropped a lure over the side before I could attach it. I'm thinking here we go for one of those days. Unusually for today, I made a decent decision and set off for a spot I had marked on my Navionics app on my phone.

The rest of the day passed quickly  as I found the fish on three marks, two of which were new to me.

I've not had a Wrasse this year which is hard to believe. I picked one up on a lure with snow on the hills in December, a first for me.

I had a 

I had three proper lumps, kept two fish for the table, this one and a 3 pounder. I expected it to be a double but it went 9.2 The SG XLNT was bent to cork and the hook almost opened up fully on this fish.

I trashed a bunch of lures, got kelped a few times and broken once. A superb days fishing and a real motivator to get out there in the winter months.

Winter warmers

Being in the middle of a cold snap I thought I would blog three items that I would recommend  to anyone fishing through the winter. These items make my cold days on the water a little more comfortable. It might also provide a few ideas for Christmas presents!

Years ago, when I packed a flask it was the old school type, usually tartan, it would last a few trips. The first slip on the rocks and it turned into a maraca, much to the amusement of anyone in the vicinity, guess we've all been there. Moving on to a stainless steel flask these were certainly more robust but in my experience, these just leached heat, the hot contents being lukewarm just when you needed it most. Not having bothered with a flask for years I had a look around to see what was on offer these days and I came upon the Thermos Ultimate Flask.

In this case, the 900ml version.

It simply has incredible heat retention and will keep your drinks piping hot for any day trip you might undertake. I even left it in the garage by mistake before one trip, remembering it the next day, 24 hours later it was still more than drinkable. It is very robust and breaks down into various parts making it easy to clean.

It has a two part twist and pour stopper which also helps retain heat whilst in use. The base of the cup is a good design making it hard to spill. What I would say however, is if you were using this with young kids, I would be mindful of the little rubber grommet on the above right. This has came off the odd time and I've found it in the flask. It has the potential to end up in the cup which wouldn't be good. That said, maybe I hadn't pushed it on properly after cleaning.

The flask neck with the twist and pour removed

Broken down further it can be opened up and used with larger food items, or in my case, during the summer, ice cubes with a smoothie. This was brilliant, wearing a drysuit on a 23c day back in summer I can still remember how refreshing it was.

Patagonia Homepool Fingerless gloves

I've tried lots of gloves over the years, mitts. fold back fingers, you name it. Initially being kind of odd looking I didn't fancy them. Patagonia do however make gear that works. I decided to  take a chance on them anyway after yet another bitterly cold day which saw me struggling to tie knots, cutting a session short because of this. Made of neoprene material they are long and come way up over your wrist, they have an open palm and two holes, one for the thumb and the other for the pinkie.

These come right over the top on my drysuit wrist providing a nice tight fit/seal and added insulation whilst keeping the back of my  hands well protected from the biting wind. Equally, on the beach I have my wading jacket wrists fastened down tight over the top, superb as you lose a lot of heat in that area.

The palm, as I said is open, so are the fingers, so you don't  lose any grip or feel. These are the only gloves I've been able to keep on my hands without feeling frustrated wearing them. A word of warning though when it comes to sizing. These are a large and they are very tight fitting and I wouldn't say I have large hands. I don't see the small fitting an adult and I guess for a lot of guys XL would be the way to go.

Life's too short for crap coffee so I start my day with a decent one, and also one for the road, fishing or working. It has certainly seen better days but my Contigo mug ( I think it's the Westloop) goes everywhere with me. It seals between sips, really useful for avoiding ruining a shirt or tie at 6.30 am on a Monday morning. It keeps a drink hot for a good few hours normally. This one, less so as it has been battered badly, you never know ,Santa might bring me a new one.

Denmark here we come!

April 2019 is a long way off but if the time passes like it has this year the trip to the island of Fyn will be here before I know it. New faces, new places but the same fish that the guys I've hooked up with for the trip love to fish for.

As you might know, the Danes know a wee bit about saltwater Sea  Trout fishing so it will be an interesting trip. I'm under no illusion that it could be tough, my mate Jim thinks I might need my Sea Trout magnet turned up to 11( is it not always Jim?)

Rock Hard Perch

A decent day with some fish, each one hard earned at a time of year when the water temp was totally bottomed out up here. Not easy on lures.