The factor that most affects how an ocean fish feeds is environmental; saltwater angling success depends on a knowledge of the water and of how various gamefish react in that water.

Lou Tabory – Inshore Fly Fishing

Oil was laid on the water with the considerable help of David Byrne from IFI (an old stalwart). William my brother who is becoming a great bass fisherman found all the pieces of the jigsaw with straight edges. Philipe and Philipe worked non stop, but none, absolutely none of this would have made any sense if it wasn’t for the person so often on the ground at base camp. I guess there’s a lot I could say about that help, the phone calls, the preparation of food, the changing of arrangements, the listening, and the incessant fishing talk, the bloody boredom!

I simply couldn’t do what I do without Eileen Powell. Happy Birthday!

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The post I made below is not so much about the articles as it is about another person on the ground. Patrick Browne works tirelessly at Irish Angler to make the articles and the magazine come alive. There are times no doubt, which are also shared by people who have had similar experiences; when there is a special feeling of seeing your work in print. Patrick brings another dimension to that, a certain empathy for what you are doing that is difficult to explain.

At times I look at Irish Angler and then inevitably draw comparisons to other angling publications. Is any one magazine ‘better’ than any other? I guess it depends what you want from your publication and anyway I always like working as much as possible with Irish business. 

For me I hope to work with Irish Angler and Patrick Browne for a considrable while yet!

The journey continues today and after the past five days it will seem a bit more like normal, another customer arrives in an hour for a week. David Gaudochon is here next weekend with IFI for five days promotion it’s pretty much nonstop on the ground really…..

Four years ago I wrote these 12 articles from an idea by David Dinsmore editor of Irish Angler – what words would I use now if I had to re-write them I wonder? Some I wouldn’t change at all…

‘…..The portrayal of the fishing and the fishing environment must reflect the ‘performance risk’ accurately and fairly to visiting anglers. We all know yes, that at different times bass can be caught with different methods. All anglers have their preferences and the more sporting the method employed the more the weather can impact negatively upon that method.

It will force you into circumstances where you need to ‘angle’ much more creatively and efficiently. By combining the environmental impact and the challenges that the weather creates for lure and especially fly fishing, this fusion of influences must somehow manage to enhance the experience. In other words, it’s not always easy to come to Wexford to catch bass at the drop of a hat. It can take time and effort, patience and depending on circumstances this could be days, weeks or even years. When it’s difficult it’s the smaller decisions, the glimpses of fish in a wave, the perfect cast into a gale, the surface strike in pouring rain –moments of genuine satisfaction that make bass fishing what it is.’

The Diaries