8th August - East Sussex beaches

Barry and his PB Bass - 5lb 2oz

Back out with Barry, and after a quest for a spikey on the float and prawn in the spring had failed to find him his desired fish, the pressure was on to sort it out with a trip on the rough stuff. Travelled a bit further East for this session, as some low water reccying had revealed some very promising grounds that screamed maurauding bait. A couple of hours poking around in crevices in the evening secured some excellent Velvet crabs, peelers and jellies, as well as one or two shore crabs. Hard work, but the good thing about rough ground bassing is that you dont need the volume of bait you would require for a hound session, for example!! With mackerel and squid as well, we headed off for the spot. Usual very simple rough ground tactics, the only action on the flood was from eels, and I was starting to be nervous I had read the ground wrong. But on the high, a flurry of action. First, Barry's rod banged down, with no hook up. Then I missed a dream of a take. Kicking myself as I went to the baiting up area to rebait (no lights by the water's edge when bassing with me) I heard Barry cry out. "I'm in". The fish did a classic. It virtualy let Barry lead it to the waters edge, where on seeing us it woke up to its predicament and powered off at a rate of knots. At least three big searing runs, leaving Barry no option but to hold the rod and watch it go, this fish made, a battle worthy of a fish twice its size. But Barry kept his head, and the fish was beaten. I slid it up the beach, and watched Barry's face change like a chameleon, not colours, but different shades of joy. I love my job!!!