Driving over to Ireland today for some guiding work, hoping the ferry sails!

The StenaLine ferry from Fishguard to Rosslare was quite understandably cancelled yesterday afternoon, but I am hoping that the gradual easing of the strong winds means that it’s going to sail today. We have got our first group of anglers arriving tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon and then we start fishing most likely early on Wednesday morning. I am working with John Quinlan for three groups of anglers back to back before I come back and get stuck into what I am hoping will be an improved autumn and early winter’s bass fishing here at home………….

Anybody else finding 2024 really strange on the bass fishing front? Of course these fine fish are sadly under a lot of commercial pressure, and most likely always will be, but it’s been a weird one almost from the off this year for most of the areas I might fish. I hear from John over in Kerry that they are finding bass, but it’s not as it should be and there seems to be a lack of sandeels around this year which is a major food source for the bass around there. What I love about where we fish and guide in Kerry is that there are so many different options though, and we also have some fantastic lure fishing for pollack and wrasse to do when the bass are not behaving properly or when we are waiting for a specific state of tide on a specific mark.

My youngest 17 year old daughter was signed up for the Torbay half-marathon which was meant to have happened yesterday, but the event was cancelled because of the forecast. She’s done a hell of a lot of training and was naturally gutted, so we came up with a plan to head for the Camel Trail on Saturday afternoon where she could do her run, while my wife and I headed out towards the coast on a rather stunning dog walk. We left our daughter to it and met up with her as she finished her half-marathon, and she was so pleased to have knocked another few minutes off her fastest time. Being a “runner” myself now I know how much effort it takes to actually go running, but she’s supremely fit, she loves it, and she pushes herself hard. Her old dad - me - has been waylaid recently by a hamstring injury and I am having to slowly ease myself back into my own running. First thing on Tuesday morning over in Kerry I will head out for an easy run and I genuinely can’t wait. As always when I am in Ireland I will do my best to keep this blog updated, catch up with you soon……………