"That Was The Year That Was"

The dark days down to Christmas creep
As wolves around a pen of sheep
When people turn their collars up and sigh
A convalescent crescent moon
Comes drifting out mid-afternoon
To bid an old arthritic year goodbye

Martin Newell  "The Dark Days Down To Christmas

A few photos from 2012.

February - A freezing afternoon at Brightlingsea

February - Wreck at Alresford Creek

April - Wood Anemones in Stour Wood, Wrabness

April/May - Beach fishing for roker

After several blank trips throughout April, the roker fishing in May suddenly took off. For perhaps six or seven weeks the fishing was excellent, with short sessions resulting in catches of up to five fish in three hours.

Nice simple fishing.Pick a small-medium evening or early morning tide, ideally not too rough. Chuck out a chunk of herring or whole squid 50-100 yards. Sit on your hands and wait until the rod is just about to be pulled out the rod rest and then tighten up.

May - Old gun emplacements at Walton On The Naze

June - Yellow horned poppies at Salthouse, North Norfolk. .

.

Thorrington Creek

June - Thistles at Alresford Grange

  

August - On holiday at Prawle Point, Devon. A fantastic place.

August - Summer storm, Prawle Point.

July/August - Hound fishing on the south coast

Had a couple of smoothound sessions in July / August on the South Coast with Fishy Rob. First trip at Hayling Island, a windy, cool evening at Rob's "secret spot". Had four hounds to just over 10lb, missed several others. It was a strange spot, with massive, snag encrusted gravel bars that ruined even 80lb shock leaders and cost us several fish.

A few weeks later Rob called. "You must get down here this Sunday. The tides are building, forecast is good and more and more hounds are showing on every tide. I'm sure we'll have a big hit". Trouble was I was booked up to go to a barby.

Sunday came and by early afternoon it was pouring with rain. Barby called off. On the phone to Rob and half hour later I'm in the car heading towards West Sussex.

Met Rob and three friends at another sneaky spot. He was right, fishing was manic from the off. The first two hours it was a bite a cast, despite us fishing in daylight in three or four feet of water.

It then went completely dead for a couple of hours and I thought, that's it, we've had our lot.

By this time it was totally dark and just as suddenly as they'd disappeared they came on the feed again. This time it was truly ridiculous, with Rob unable to keep up with landing the fish for everyone. For the next three hours it was mayhem, until we packed up at 4 a.m, having caught 52 hounds between four of us.

I had fourteen, mostly doubles, with the biggest two, 16lb and 16lb 8oz. A fantastic night's fishing.

September - Fishing In Canada - 

Off to Canada to see Shane. Highlight was the fly-in by boat plane to a remote lake in Ontario. Nobody else on the entire lake. Bloody beautiful and the fishing for small mouth bass and muskie was good too.

 

September/October - Autumn bassing on the river.

Great fishing for some reasonable sized (2-3lb) fish on very light gear. Floatfished ragworm resulted in 2-4 fish in a couple of hours throughout September and October. Some of the most enjoyable fishing of the year in beautiful surroundings. I love it.