Bass Bonanza

Bass Bonanza By Allan Shephard

The current high temperatures and cloudless skies can conspire to make river and lake fishing tough going during our short and unpredictable summer. There is, however, one kind of fishing that has grown hugely in popularity in recent years and really comes into its own at this time of year. Generally its free, no rod licence is required and even better the quarry are delicious to eat!
We are, of course, talking about fishing for bass, mullet, mackerel, garfish and pollock from the shore. All of the species will take flies and lures freely – with the possible exception of mullet that can drive you insane as you try every fly in your box! Having said that they will take carefully presented flies and represent one of fly fishing’s biggest challenges.

Tackle
A 9’ 8 weight fly rod (Orvis frequent flyer 9’ #8) is perfect for most situations with a matching flyline (Mastery Saltwater) – designated saltwater flylines are best with a tougher coating and stiffer core to aid long distance casting and the harsher conditions encountered in saltwater. A line designed for use in temperate conditions is ideal. A floating line is a must but intermediate and slow sinkers give you a greater range of tactics. Fast sinkers may be needed in deeper water for pollock and bass (Teeny Saltwater). Reels need to be tough with a quality drag system and capable of holding plenty of backing as quarry species punch well above their weight in the fighting stakes (Sage 1680). All the gear needs rinsing off with freshwater after every trip to keep the corrosive properties of saltwater at bay. We recommend a stripping tray as well – the tray keeps the lines out of the waves and weed that can frustrate you (Orvis Stripping Basket). Bonefish tapered leaders turn the flies over well and help with presentation (Rio Bonefish Leaders). Fulling Mill supply a great range of bass specific flies that are adaptable for most species (FM saltwater flies). Mullet can be caught on trout flies and flies constructed to imitate bread flake.
Lure fishing from the shore also should not be ignored – this is a great way to cover a lot of water and find out where the fish are. The tackle requirements are simple – a reliable fixed spool reel (Shimano Exage RB Reel) – we prefer the smaller sizes. This needs to be loaded with a braid line. Braid is stretch free (you feel every twitch if the lure) and unbelievably thin for its breaking strain. 20 – 30lb breaking strain is perfect for most applications (Power Pro Braid). Light spinning rods in the 8-10’ range are ideal and should be capable if casting lures up to 35g in weight (Shimano Exage BX Spin Rods). Heavy, overly powerful rods take all the fun out of this fishing. The braid is connected to a small swivel and a 2’ trace of fluorocarbon – normally between 15 – 20lb breaking strain (Seaguar Floro). The trace is tied directly to the lure by a loop knot to allow maximum movement from the lure (click here to see) www.animatedknots.com The choice of lures is wide and our current favourites include the amazing Smiths lures – expensive but boy do they catch fish (Smiths Lures) – and the new Rapala Max Rap (Rapala Max Rap). Walking the shoreline on a summers evening chucking plugs is a great way to fish and we see the most dyed in the wool fly fishers seduced but its charms.

Time and Tide
Local knowledge is all – if you have never fished a venue before, start by fishing low water up on the flood tide. Spring tides are generally most productive as the fish will feed harder in the stronger water flow. Be very careful not to let the oncoming tide cut you off or catch you out if you wade. Being cautious is always best and we strongly recommend you wear a lifejacket (Englands Survivor Lifejackets). Never ignore shallow water as it is common to see bass and mullet crossing sand bars with their back out of the water. Bass are always attracted to structure that may hold food. They are opportunistic predators and your lure or fly will catch if you present it correctly. Structure can include rocks, weed or sand or best of all a mix of all three.

Look after our fish stocks
Whilst we all enjoy the occasional fish to eat, fly and light tackle shore fishers are currently spearheading an admirable movement to only take a small percentage of their total catch for the table. This is particularly important with bass as the species is very slow growing and does not have the protection it needs to ensure a bright, sustainable future. There is a minimum size limit of 36cms for bass in the UK, but please remember that a fish of this size has not spawned and should be returned. Bass live for up to 30 years and the size limit fish is probably only 5/6 years old. The Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society campaign tirelessly for the size limit to be increased and for the species to receive the protection they could be afforded as a non commercial species. Please find out more from their website at www.ukbass.com