Having completed a train the trainer course in December of 2009 I recently received my certification. My Saltwater Fly and Lure fishing workshops have been re-constructed and I will shortly submit them To FETAC for benchmarking.
This is part of the process I am working towards making my workshops a FETAC certified qualification.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Guest writer - March /April
Steve vonBrandt - Delaware USA - writes about his quest for a big fish and how he passes the fishing onto his son in this short Guest Post - many thanks for the words Steve.
"I was 10 years old when my father took me fishing for the first time after returning from Europe. I remember everything in detail that day, especially the adrenaline rush I felt when setting the hook for the first time!
In Delaware, most lakes and ponds are small, most being around 50 acres, with 100 acres or more being large. A largemouth bass over 5 pounds is considered a true trophy, and the state record is just a shade over 10 pounds.
This particular day we were going to be fishing a pond in Maryland, near the Delaware border, that was about 80 acres. It was early May, the mist was rising from the water, and the only thing that broke the morning silence was the loud croaking of bullfrogs.
We had our "NEW ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR" on the 12 foot Johnboat and we were the envy of all the bass fisherman, as nobody else had one. It had a whopping 8 pounds of thrust and we ran it from a car battery as there were no marine batteries available at the time in our area.
We had our new tackle with us as well, that was the latest technology! ORVIS spinning reels with the "new" high speed retrieves of 3:8:1. (much slower than any of today's slow cranking reels).
We were using the newest bait available that just hit the market.
A rubber worm with a hook rigged through it Texas Style, which we had read about in a magazine.
I caught about 15 bass that day all over 3 pounds, but the trophy that I was looking for eluded me.
For the next 5 years I spent all my free time chasing this trophy bass over 5 pounds, every chance I had after school and on weekends. My father even scheduled his days off and vacation time to help me achieve my goal, but while I caught many 4 and 4 3/4 pound bass, I just couldn't get that magic 5 pounder!
On August 13th,1968, at 10:45 A.M. , the pursuit came to an end!
I was fishing all day in 90 degree heat with little to show for it. As we approached the ramp at Becks Ponds, in Newark, Delaware, I saw a raft of thick slop mixed up at the ramp where we were going to take the boat out and leave. I said to my father, "Let me cast your frog just one time there".
I picked up his Fenwick rod, with the "Harrisons Bass Frog" attached, and made a cast. It sat for about a minute, I gave it a twitch, and "Wham!". a bass blew up on it like someone dropped a cinder block in the water!
After a short fight I brought in my first trophy bass of 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and couldn't have been more excited.
The sense of achievement rivaled that of any sport I had participated in before and I was "hooked forever!"
I have passed the sport along to my son in turn and he his, and I have caught bass all over the country since then that make the first one look like bait, (including one in Delaware that was 10.16 pounds, from Noxontown lake, just ounces shy of the state record), but the excitement of that first trophy bass and the memory of that day will live forever.
Steve vonBrandt, owner, World Record Trophy Bass Fishing - you can visit Steve's website HERE
"I was 10 years old when my father took me fishing for the first time after returning from Europe. I remember everything in detail that day, especially the adrenaline rush I felt when setting the hook for the first time!
In Delaware, most lakes and ponds are small, most being around 50 acres, with 100 acres or more being large. A largemouth bass over 5 pounds is considered a true trophy, and the state record is just a shade over 10 pounds.
This particular day we were going to be fishing a pond in Maryland, near the Delaware border, that was about 80 acres. It was early May, the mist was rising from the water, and the only thing that broke the morning silence was the loud croaking of bullfrogs.
We had our "NEW ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR" on the 12 foot Johnboat and we were the envy of all the bass fisherman, as nobody else had one. It had a whopping 8 pounds of thrust and we ran it from a car battery as there were no marine batteries available at the time in our area.
We had our new tackle with us as well, that was the latest technology! ORVIS spinning reels with the "new" high speed retrieves of 3:8:1. (much slower than any of today's slow cranking reels).
We were using the newest bait available that just hit the market.
A rubber worm with a hook rigged through it Texas Style, which we had read about in a magazine.
I caught about 15 bass that day all over 3 pounds, but the trophy that I was looking for eluded me.
For the next 5 years I spent all my free time chasing this trophy bass over 5 pounds, every chance I had after school and on weekends. My father even scheduled his days off and vacation time to help me achieve my goal, but while I caught many 4 and 4 3/4 pound bass, I just couldn't get that magic 5 pounder!
On August 13th,1968, at 10:45 A.M. , the pursuit came to an end!
I was fishing all day in 90 degree heat with little to show for it. As we approached the ramp at Becks Ponds, in Newark, Delaware, I saw a raft of thick slop mixed up at the ramp where we were going to take the boat out and leave. I said to my father, "Let me cast your frog just one time there".
I picked up his Fenwick rod, with the "Harrisons Bass Frog" attached, and made a cast. It sat for about a minute, I gave it a twitch, and "Wham!". a bass blew up on it like someone dropped a cinder block in the water!
After a short fight I brought in my first trophy bass of 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and couldn't have been more excited.
The sense of achievement rivaled that of any sport I had participated in before and I was "hooked forever!"
I have passed the sport along to my son in turn and he his, and I have caught bass all over the country since then that make the first one look like bait, (including one in Delaware that was 10.16 pounds, from Noxontown lake, just ounces shy of the state record), but the excitement of that first trophy bass and the memory of that day will live forever.
Steve vonBrandt, owner, World Record Trophy Bass Fishing - you can visit Steve's website HERE
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
How does a bass hunt? - Introduction.
Vision, smell, lateral line, taste and hearing.
"Evidence from nature and the experience of many anglers suggest that eyes on baitfish imitations increase their effectiveness. The oversized eyes on many patterns underscore Dan Blantons assertions that predacious fishes are 'head hunters' or 'head hitters'."
But what other factors influence and affect a bass when hunting in visual mode. Bass dont see detail the way you or I do so why do we bother with realistically finished lures and flies. In the photograph below clients and I have caught hundreds of bass on each of the flies or lures - yet each is very different - but they also share some similar characteristics - More on vision coming soon!
Green ragworm anyone? II
Physical Description
Ragworms have long, flattened bodies, consisting of many segments each with a pair of parapods, or swimming legs. These parapods are covered with bristles called chaete and are used for crawling and swimming. At the head end, they have a toothed proboscis, four eyes, and two pairs of antennae.
They are variable in colour, typically appearing reddish brown but turning quite green during the spawning season.
Habitat
Abundant in estuaries and sandy or muddy beaches. They inhabit U- or J-shaped burrows in the sand that may stretch for around 20cm (8 inches) depth.
Diet
The ragworm is both an omnivorous scavenger and efficient predator. When scavenging, it feeds on mud, detritus, phytoplankton and plankton. It is also a active predator, rapidly shooting out its powerful jaws to catch other soft-bodied invertebrates. This species also feeds on phytoplankton by spinning a net at the top of the burrow. By undulating it's body within its burrow it causes a water current which carries phytoplankton into the sticky net. After a while it consumes the net and the particles, then spins another.
Behaviour
The feeding behaviour of the ragworm depends on phytoplankton densities. When densities are high, it uses its net to catch prey. When densities are low, it scavenges or actively hunts prey.
Ragworms are tuned to the lunar phase, reproducing in synchrony at distinct times in the moon phase (e.g. new or full moon, depending on the locality).
Reproduction
Spawning is triggered by a rise in temperature during spring. Females brood eggs within their bodies. As the eggs develop, the female's body becomes brittle and ultimately ruptures, releasing the eggs into the burrow. Males are drawn to the burrow by pheromones and discharge their sperm around the burrow entrance. The female draws this sperm down into the burrow using water currents where they fertilise the eggs. After spawning, both males and female ragworms die.
Source - BBC Science & Nature
Ragworms have long, flattened bodies, consisting of many segments each with a pair of parapods, or swimming legs. These parapods are covered with bristles called chaete and are used for crawling and swimming. At the head end, they have a toothed proboscis, four eyes, and two pairs of antennae.
They are variable in colour, typically appearing reddish brown but turning quite green during the spawning season.
Habitat
Abundant in estuaries and sandy or muddy beaches. They inhabit U- or J-shaped burrows in the sand that may stretch for around 20cm (8 inches) depth.
Diet
The ragworm is both an omnivorous scavenger and efficient predator. When scavenging, it feeds on mud, detritus, phytoplankton and plankton. It is also a active predator, rapidly shooting out its powerful jaws to catch other soft-bodied invertebrates. This species also feeds on phytoplankton by spinning a net at the top of the burrow. By undulating it's body within its burrow it causes a water current which carries phytoplankton into the sticky net. After a while it consumes the net and the particles, then spins another.
Behaviour
The feeding behaviour of the ragworm depends on phytoplankton densities. When densities are high, it uses its net to catch prey. When densities are low, it scavenges or actively hunts prey.
Ragworms are tuned to the lunar phase, reproducing in synchrony at distinct times in the moon phase (e.g. new or full moon, depending on the locality).
Reproduction
Spawning is triggered by a rise in temperature during spring. Females brood eggs within their bodies. As the eggs develop, the female's body becomes brittle and ultimately ruptures, releasing the eggs into the burrow. Males are drawn to the burrow by pheromones and discharge their sperm around the burrow entrance. The female draws this sperm down into the burrow using water currents where they fertilise the eggs. After spawning, both males and female ragworms die.
Source - BBC Science & Nature
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Green ragworm anyone?
To everybody who spoke to me on Saturday or Sunday I just wanted to say thanks a million for all of the positive and kind words. I was suprised at how much the articles in Irish Angler, the blog, the workshops and all the other stuff meant to a lot of people. I was left dumbfounded at times.
I left the show on Sunday having had a great experience - meeting everybody and chatting was fantastic - it left me feeling re-charged and full of energy for fishing again!
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Breaking the rules
I think its probably easy to interpret what some people say or write in fishing and then apply it as a rule, even if it is a generalisation or something that applies to particular circumstances. When this is done of course it is often perceived as an ‘issue’ for anglers to go out and ‘break’. This attempt to ‘break’ the ‘rules’ is often done on the basis of nothing like what the original words might have meant. Unless of course it’s a blatantly obvious statement.I saw one of these blatantly obvious statements on another forum recently – ‘- if bass will take a shallow feed then they will also take a surface lure’. Its simply not true. Sometimes they wont.
The big fly big fish is another one of these debates that will continue to rage, and yes of course we have all done the contrary – and if we are clever anglers we will fish after the circumstances.
I like to use Andy Elliotts flies in certain places here in Wexford at certain times. Most of the flies are in the six to eight inch in length category and I fish with either a #8 or #9. In this type of fishing where I intend purposefully to catch (I hope) a big fish – I very seldom make regular casts. I sit and watch and make maybe five casts in one hour, maybe I choose to move a little………..I take my time and wait for situations to develop.
Have I taken bigger fish on smaller flies? Yes, many times in many places, do I feel more confident fishing slightly bigger flies in the circumstances above? Yes. Why? Under the few circumstances/locations above I have caught bigger fish with bigger flies – simple. But it doesn’t apply to the whole of the Wexford coastline all of the time!
The only rules that need to be broken are the ones you have interpreted as such.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
An Irish Saltwater Sportfish
Im off to hooked.ie on Thursday evening where I will have a stand at the two day show. I hope to be able to capture peoples imagination and interest at the show in order to demonstrate that saltwater fly & lure fishing for bass is as good, challenging, interesting and as rewarding as that done for our freshwater sporting species.
Irish bass fishing remains as one of the great potential sport fishing resources of Europe.
Hope to see you there - Jim.
drawing courtesy of Ruth Hendrick - aged 7
Irish bass fishing remains as one of the great potential sport fishing resources of Europe.
Hope to see you there - Jim.
drawing courtesy of Ruth Hendrick - aged 7
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Forecasting the weather - February
I came across a little book recently - Signpost to the weather by D&K Barlett. First published in 1949, I have extracted their forecasts for each month of the year. I hope you will enjoy their weather theories over the next few months –The Month of February according to D&K Barlett.
This usually the coldest month of the year , particularly during the middle weeks, and especially in the eastern or north eastern counties. The cold easterly and north easterly winds flow across from Europe and the north sea.
Snowfall can be as severe and as frequent as January, the cold weather and light levels are at the opposites of June and Julys. The coolest conditions are now firmly settled into the land and sea water temperatures at the coast will fall a little more to perhaps eight degrees or a little less. As much as two degrees less than on the south and west coast temps.
1st to 7Th This week is usually unsettled with wind gales and rain
8th to 15th Usually there is a cold spell, and often the chilliest part of the month
16th to 23rd The cold spell will slowly break up and a thaw will set in.
24th to 28th The weather gradually becomes milder often ending the month in stormy unsettled weather.
Bass Fishing - The most difficult month for the bassfisherman. Having undergone some serious physiological changes over the past few weeks, bass are less likely to feed regularly they have their minds fixed on something more serious - depending on conditions, and as they dictate, spawning will take place only when they know best - then be ready.............
Friday, 19 February 2010
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Workshops, Guiding, Equipment, Hosting - 2010 from SEAi
For more details of these services plus a unique range of saltwater fly rods, reels, flies and much more-why not visit my stand at www.hooked.ie next weekend. or www.swffs.com
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