Happy New Year, nearly back home after an amazing trip, seriously itching to go fishing!

A very Happy New Year to you all and I hope you had a lovely Christmas - here’s to 2026! We got back to a very cold Heathrow airport yesterday evening after an incredible two weeks in Kenya where I don’t reckon the temperature dropped below about 25℃ the whole time we were there (I know your hearts bleed for me!). When my dad was alive he had so wanted us to go to Kenya as a family, so when he died my mum was determined to make it happen. The last two weeks in Kenya have reminded me why I used to actively look for as much fishing related work as possible throughout Africa.

We made some wonderful family memories and we were so, so lucky to experience such a trip. I obviously took my camera gear because I couldn’t not, so I will put a few photos up which I hope you might enjoy. I am miles away from being a wildlife photographer, but it was a blast to point some lenses at such glorious wildlife and see what I could do. This was a family holiday the likes of which we have never done before and will most likely never do again. I have been lucky enough to see many amazing places through the course of my working in fishing, but there is quite simply nowhere like Africa. The people, the wildlife, the land, literally the way the continent smells, it’s intoxicating.

I found this quote in a book I saw when we were in one of the safari camps the other day: “Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it? How can you explain the fascination of this vast, dusty continent, whose oldest roads are elephant paths?” (Brian Jackman, writer).

Anyway, back to the UK and fishing of course! While we were away I kept in touch with a few mates and various social media fishing stuff when possible, but I didn’t think with the time of year plus high pressure and cold weather that you guys have been experiencing that I’d be seeing and hearing reports of so much good bass fishing. I think it’s absolutely incredible, but maybe that’s because I am an older git these days. I might not have been bass fishing all my life, but I do remember those more “traditional” seasons that were kinda bandied around back in the day.

I find it so interesting how the world of lure fishing for bass is changing. For sure the conservation of these fine fish must always remain a principle focus, but I do feel so excited and invigorated at how the “rules” are being so forcefully shown the door as new anglers come into lure fishing for bass and mix with the anglers who have been at it for longer. For sure the tackle companies need to sell fishing tackle - it’s called business - but I choose to ignore any cynicism and celebrate how this one amazing species of fish which so many of us obsess about is still offering us so much to learn about them if we are willing to open our minds and see what is possible.

I am at my mum’s house as I am typing this rather early in the morning because I haven’t got back on UK time yet. Later on this morning we will drop our eldest girl at Stansted airport for her flight back to SW France, then my wife and I will most likely head back to Cornwall tomorrow morning on our own. Our youngest daughter stays with my mum who will then kindly drop her off at Heathrow on Thursday morning to fly to San Francisco for a couple of days before connecting on to New Zealand for a month, then Australia and onto south east Asia. We won’t see both our girls most likely until May so it’s going to be a quieter house back home in Cornwall. You raise your kids up the best you can, then you watch them go and get on with their lives. My dad loved his grandchildren so much and I know how much he’d have loved to see my two getting on with their lives. Happy New Year to you all………………..