Fishing Report: 24th August 07 - River Colne, Essex

The weather had been really nice all day and by mid-afternoon I could resist no longer and skipped work early to head upriver to have a go at the Bass that I hoped would be there. It may sound a strange comment but as it turned out, I think the weather was actually too good for bottom fishing. The flat calm weather leads to gin-clear water in the river at this time of the year and the fish move up in the water after the fry, well away from bottom fished baits.

I arrived at my mark early in the tide, as the water was just pushing over the top of the various sandbanks, and set up my rods; one to fish whole squid and the other (with a two-hook rig) to fish Ragworm and Sand Eel. By the time the baits went out, some thirty minutes later, I could see that there were Gulls working across the other side of the river and there was the odd "skittering" of fry on the surface about ten feet out from the shoreline which left me optimistic of the possibility of one or two Bass.

This was the first time I'd stopped for breath since leaving work. As I waited for the first bite I looked around me as the sun set over the saltmarsh I was reminded of how calming this place can be on a high summer evening. The low light reflects on the mass of different marsh plants that are at their best at this time of the year and the Sea Lavender bloom gives the ground a kind of violet haze in the half light; a photograph just doesn't do it justice. I've been coming here to this exact spot for nearly thirty summers now and I don't think I'll ever get bored with the view.

By the time darkness came I was still awaiting my first bite but I carried on throwing bait at the water in the hope of a Bass even though the baits were coming in hardly touched. It seemed even the crabs were not interested in my baits. On the turn of the tide I finally got a decent knock to a Ragworm bait and landed an Eel of about 8oz, closely followed by what seemed to be it's twin and having given up all hope of a Bass I decided to call it quits on two Eels and a sunset.

Fishing Report: 25th July 07 - Bateman's Tower, Brightlingsea

I met Stuart at the Promenade Car Park at about 6 pm to fish over a mid-week 9.20 pm tide. The previous night had been a glorious summer evening but the weather had turned for the worse and although for the most part the rain held off, with the stiff breeze and very choppy water, it actually felt more like we were fishing in October rather than late July.

The wind had obviously stirred things up a bit, there was plenty of colour in the water and although the fishing wasn't exciting it was steady with a relaxed trickle of fish coming out throughout the tide, although nothing worth taking home. By the end of the session I had managed five Eels between 8 and 12 oz; Two of them to Peeler crab and the rest to Ragworm. While I seemed to have the franchise on the Eel fishing, Stuart seemed to have the better luck and accounted for three or four small Schoolies including one which has to rate as the smallest I've ever seen take a hook. Not content with hogging all the Bass of the night, late on in the tide he also managed a small Sole. The Sole was nice to see as not many seem to come out of the river and although it looked sizable Stuart decided to put it back.

Biggest downer of the night was for Stuart; as he dropped me off at home at about 11:30 pm he realised the Kebab shop had shut and his favourite supper was off the menu which then meant he had to do a desperate dash to Colchester to find one that was open.