Southwest Sea Fishing Blog

No, not a Session Report at all, but an insight into my mind-set (perhaps), why I became an Angler in the first place and the tremendous potential around Cornwall.

I was born and raised in the Midlands and my first experience of Cornwall was in the late-60's when I was about 10 years old. It was a family holiday and we were stayng on a holiday site just outside Polperro. Time has eroded much of my actual memory of that long-ago holiday and I am left with only an impression. It seemed to be a glorious summer with hazy mornings and calm sunny days...

BUT three memories do still stand out with absolute clarity...

... me on the beach of a small cove watching a man standing up to his 'dangly bits' in the water, bending and scooping with his hands and now-and-again throwing live mackerel onto the beach...

... laying flat on warm, wet rocks peering into the water looking for crabs when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere , a huge silver fish appeared just two feet below me...

... crawling to the edge of a steep, high cliff (while my parents were inside a tourist-attraction) and seeing sharks, yes sharks - maybe five of 'em - way below me, scooting over the bottom sand like underwater jet aircraft while only a few hundred yards away, around the point, holiday-makers splashed and paddled totally unaware!

The silver fish was identified as a Bass and I later came to believe that the shark were in fact Tope and what huge Tope they were!

It was these experiences that ignited the spark in me that was to become a life-long passion for angling but it was to be many years before I returned to Cornwall even for a holiday.

Then, in the summer of 2004, I and my own family moved to Cornwall to live.

Since then I have crawled (somewhat more cautiously) to the edge of steep cliffs, I have dangled over harbour walls at considerable risk to my polaroids, I have spent more time half-submerged in rockpools than is sane and spent more time in tackleshops than is healthy - I have listened and I have looked and I can tell you that Cornwall still has tremendous sea fishing potential!

In 2008 I hope to prove it to you!

Paul.