My Fishing Guide #29

The end my friends, the end.

Of the season (almost) and as the clocks go back, the temperature drops and the darkness draws tight its hideous smock, so too drops the final newsletter for 2023.

7 months, 29 issues, 17 mid-week updates later - which, if considered as a body of work, forms a fairly comprehensive collection of assorted fishing twaddle.

Hoping that most of it has been largely more enjoyable than a wasp in plaster cast and, if nothing else, you’ve felt not quite so alone in your fishing-bewitched hysteria.

This season has been unpredictable and entirely frustrating but littered with fantastic highlights and some mighty bag-ups.

To everyone who’s come out with me this year - thank you - it’s been an absolute pleasure, and for each and everyone who has resisted clicking the unsubscribe button, congratulations - you made it to the end!😍

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In typical 2023 fashion, the sea is doing exactly as it wants and not at all what it should with a rotten swell still on it that must be originating from way offshore and holding up the colour and the weed for some Godawful fishless ransom.

Don’t know what it means but quite like the colours.

Hopeful that the southerlies forecast for the next week should finally push it flat allowing the colour to mend and our friends to move in.

Huge tides again over the weekend should see the falling tides on the other side fishing well if the murk retreats and a window of clarity appears.🤞

Colour is much better on the shingle and guessing that Cley up to the point could be busy this weekend with lure-fishing folk desperately shuffling up and down chasing a few last thrills.

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Best of the rest (MFGear of the year part 2).

The irresistable Lure.

How quickly they get forgotten and left behind.

I mean what did the Tackle House Feed Shalow ever do other than catch fish? But after all the joy it brought, still it languishes in the box of doom probably never to be inhaled again.

But we are fickle and move on, and each season a new colour or design comes to market that we catch on, confidence is inspired and a few of those shiny precious’s become lauded above all others.

This year and for the first time ever, there is no Japanese postmark anywhere to be found.

I clip this on time and time again because:

1. I don’t care if I lose it because it cost sub £10

2. Apart from one failing completely during the 179 fish bag-up (fair enough), I’ve never had a single issue with the trebles or split rings failing.

3. It casts further than just about any other SSR I own.

4. Over shallow ground, it outfishes just about everything.

   

The 110 SSR from BassluresUK. 2023’s trophy-winning bite master.

How time Flies.

We’ve had little opportunity to fly fish this season with the wind and conditions so temperamental but if you’re planning on tying this winter, tie some of these:

Tied by John Day and absolutely my favourite pattern of the year and probably of all time.

Check out his comprehensive guide to tying them in issue #15 and see those dark winter evenings dissolve in the gentle and absorbing art of obsession.

Wet water wadering.

One season in, 2 repairs down and my well-used Vision Koski waders are leaking again through a hole for the life of me I can’t find. Beyond rubbish as for around the £250 mark, you/I’d expect way better. There are options, but I don’t like any of them so it’s off to Diver Dave for a repair for yet another repair to high-end breathable waders that really shouldn’t need fixing.

Dud of the year? Reckon so.

Simmply outstanding.

I’ve never seen the need to splash out on the ever-so-expensive Simms stuff, mostly because the reviews I’ve read haven’t always been that kind. But having destroyed another pair of the cheap, brilliant and hard-to-come-by Snowbee flats boots, when a lightly used pair of these came up on Ebay for well under half price, well, there wasn’t much to do other than bid.

Light, comfy and with loads of ankle support and just enough grip to tackle the worst of the flint and chalk I spend so much time traversing, I wholeheartedly adore them.

Just need to see how they last but so far so chuffed.

Lead me anywhere

Never gets a mention and never fails. Just sits there patiently, in the hope that one day another length may be required but seldom is.

This or the 25lb and I can’t think of a single occasion in all the years of using it that I’ve ever had cause to doubt or dislike it:

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So, without any pictures or reports of any fish actually being caught over the past week, that, as they say, is that.

Godspeed through the winter months and hope to see you all on the other side with most if not all of our faculties intact.

Keep warm and mostly sane and if you do succumb to the dark arts of course or bait fishing may it never get so bad that carp are involved.

See you in the spring.

Mark.