Reminiscence of a fool... Part 2 (maybe it's just an age thing)

Maybe its just an age thing…

August 2, 2008

I opened the car door and got out. What’s this? No wind trying to force the door shut? Blimey. A quick walk along the beach confirmed that the conditions were just about perfect. The sea had a nice colour, with a slight chop running along the shore line and things were looking good. I set up my rod and cut a large fillet from a side of a frozen mackerel. Strangely, I found myself admiring the clean-cut and thought to myself I really should have sharpened the knife ages ago! A 1.5oz lead was attached to a simple running ledger, and a size 4/0 hook completed the outfit. A gentle lob out, and I was fishing.

There are occasions lately that I’m finding I just need to go fishing, it doesn’t matter whether I catch, and recently I’m not even that bothered about the weather. Maybe it's just an age thing. The sun, still low in the sky, turned the grey clouds to fantastic shades of red giving us a great parting with may be a promise of a better day tomorrow. The last of the geese noisily flew past showing their appreciation of a rare glimpse of summer.

Time was passing and it was now starting to turn blustery, however tonight I didn’t mind. In the gathering darkness I was glad I bought along with me an extra top and was soon enjoying its warmth against the steadily strengthening wind. Now I was alone in the dark, standing on the beach just listening to the rhythmic pounding of the waves. It wasn’t that long ago I was stood here listening to the fizz of the mackerel shoals hitting the whitebait and wishing I had my rod with me. The sun was hot that day, too hot…

Was that weed on my line? The rod felt heavy and out of sync with the waves. Suddenly I was alert and waiting, but after a few anxious moments I started to think that maybe I was just getting tired and imagined it. No, there it was again. My heart started to race and I was willing the bite to develop further, the rod nodded again, and instinctively I struck and stepped back at the same time… fish on!

In the dark I could see white water being created as it tried to make its break for freedom, and just for a split moment I thought I had hooked into a bass that I have been waiting for, for a very long time. However, the initial power of the fish was soon subdued and I was using the next wave to help me beach it onto the shore.

The size by most people’s standards was probably small, but this was the 2nd biggest bass I have landed in over 30 years. Sure, I have hooked and lost larger, but at that moment I couldn’t care less. A quick photo and weigh before I carefully carried the bass to the water’s edge. Unusually, I had to hold it upright for a while before it suddenly seemed to realise that I was going to return it and dashed forward into the waves, just in case I changed my mind!

I considered a recast, but the wind was still strengthening, and the thought of a warm home became very appealing.