Going Back......

 

Return to Hurst shingle bank....

Tues 30^th July 2013.

So today for the first time in nearly twenty years I returned to the coastal town of Keyhaven ,,hat is home to the Hurst shingle bank, a place I spent time with my father and fishing buddy Mark. I returned this time with Claire and my 3 boys. I was full of apprehension going back, not knowing what to expect the landscape to be like and, how much it had changed, not knowing how I would feel being there without dad....

When we arrived we parked in an all too familiar lay by and everything was exactly as I remembered it, which was good. The boys proceeded to climb over the rocks that act as a break water for the waves to prevent flooding, as we sat on the rocks I closed my eyes and once more I could remember so vividly my last trip there. My mate Mark catching bass from the breakers, the smell of bait, my dear old Dad trying to make the most of the holes in the rocks and use them as a toilet whilst I was tying yet another rig after cracking off trying to reach the isle of Wight!! (which I never did by the way!)
 

It Was then that the sound of one of my boys laughing got my attention and as I looked round I realised that although the memories there were priceless ones I will never forget, I realised that I was now the parent and I was doing the same with my kids and Claire and they are all that matters now.
 

Its time to make memories for my kids now,life is far too short and my mums health continues to dwindle on a weekly basis. So in short, enjoy life, live life like every day is your last, you only get one chance at it, dont ever take life for granted, so many friends and family have fallen along lifes journey and I want to be around for my boys as long as I can...

Stevex



My whole world x







Return to The Farm

The 18th of november was the first trip back to a small club water that I have fished on and off for the last few years and I picked a good day for it too!

Claire and I thought that being a monday it would be quiet and it was, we set up in the willow which has been a very productive swim during the warmer months and from experience I knew the fish dont move far as the temps lower as the water is quite sheltered there. I set up both rods with a 14mm Activ8 dumbell tipped with fake corn on a basic hair/bolt rig. Once both rods out we proceeded to get breakfast sorted out, and the bacon was soon sizzling away!

Quiet would be an understatement so I decided to recast both rods, one to the far margin which went in perfectly (dont know how, I was frozen!!), and the second rod just in front of the tree. After around an hour in which we were counting the kingfisher flybys, I had a single bleep on the rh rod and a savage pluck which came to nothing so I left it alone knowing the corn would still be there.

I was just starting to make a brew when the rh rod hooped round and line poured off the spool of my trusty gte! Panic ensued as it was totally out of the blue, a massive struggle took place which saw the fish running at every opportunity and I was convinced it was one of the 'A Team' commons. When she finally felt the mesh my arms were aching like mad but claire is very handy with the net, luckily!

Once on the mat the trusty deception wide gape was bang in the scissors and she went 14lb 1oz on the scales, it was good to get one on the mat after waiting all day for one to come along.

Unfortunately they werent like buses and there were no more We packed up around 4pm and went home to defrost and sort kit out for next trip, perch fishing with livebaits.