Happy New Year

End of the Year

/Boat Caught Conger PB Its a baby!!

Firstly I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas, and all the best and tighter lines in 2018!!!!.2017 has been a fascinating and unusual year, on the bad side, I haven't blogged as much as I should of, maybe due to me not catching any real specimen fish this year and the Cod never showed for a 2nd year in a row which unfortunately ends the year on bad note as it should be in theory the big crescendo to the year with the biggest and best fish caught and taken home to for the pot. And especially now since the new laws limiting the keeping of Bass to 1 per 24 hours from July to Dec, but don't get me going here as I would probably get arrested with what I could say about that!. But on the good side, 2017 has thrown some severe curve balls at me that I did not expect with a few new species along the way, and the biggest fish I've ever landed!!!

Blew the length/weight conversion out the water!!!!

The facts, 40 sessions, 381 hours fished (includes 7 full days fishing in France for carp), 29 species and 453 fish caught. 3 new species, Conger, Smelt and Squid and a new PB Mirror Carp at 45lb 8oz and biggest fish I've ever caught. Its been a fairly successful year with lots of fish, another note is I have not blanked once this year, even managing a solitary Rockling or Bass on the hardest of sessions. And if I had a claim to fame this year?.......well, I think it would be catching 2 x small Congers from the beach, although not unusual in the past, but in recent years I've never heard of, or seen any caught, and suspect I'm one of a handful who have in Kent and Sussex, and other areas in the UK have seem vast improvements in Conger fishing, so watch this space next year!

New PB and Biggest fish ever caught.

Another Joy this year was catching my first ever Squid, Having been tormented by them last year, I purposely went out my way to find them, and can honestly say these are true monsters of the deep and such beautiful and visually stunning creatures, and very good eating also! something I'll be looking to increase my PB kracken next year for sure! This year I also fished a lot of new local venues, Medway City Estate, Bartons Point, Dymchurch, Gravesend, and a fair few new stretches of beach on well know venues. and even visited very old haunts from my childhood like Admiralty Pier in Dover and The Jetty at Sheerness. All my fishing this year was fairly local, with no holiday trips (except France Carp fishing) and I didn't get to build up my species tally by travelling around the country, but at least it will show a true reflection of sea fishing in the South East of England this year.

The final sunset of the year spoiled by novovirus!

A few things come to note about 2017, hardly any Rockling, Caught more Bass and Eels than ever, lots of tiny Hounds pups about, still masses of Whiting about,and the Cod never returned for a second year in a row. I ended 2017 fishing a beautiful sunset on a cold calm day, but was short lived and Novovirus took hold, and sent me packing after 5 casts. But onto 2018!, I'm going to target flatfish this year, get some decent Pb's on Sole, Place and Flounders. I'm also going to smash my biggest fish ever with a boat caught Conger, and I got a few far away sessions planned targeting species that I wouldn't normally catch, plus lots more of the same!! and please fishing Gods!!! please return our Cod, thank you in advance. Wishing you all a Happy New New Year and tight lines for 2018, may you all catch that fish of a lifetime!!!