2007 Fishing updates
Good fish on home ground
On a good day you really don't need to go anywhere for spectacular fishing. It is no secret that bass is my favorite fish, not just because they are fantastic tasting fish. Although that definitely is a bonus!
May 17-20 2007, a couple of days in Normandy
The last few years I have visited Denmark for a fishing trip around this time of year. And I wanted a change of venue for once. I remembered that a bass-fishing friend who had bought a farm near Cherbourg had mentioned the fishing there so the idea was born to give it a try. I had never been to Normandy so it was going to be interesting from that perspective anyway. And certainly for bikers it is a great area. The narrow winding roads with dips and bends and grit make it more suited for an allroad bike like my Vstrom than for the circuit born supersports. But my kind of terrain. And lots of B&B's. Or Chambre d'hote as they say.
Jan's farm turned out to be a huge place form around 1800 with a couple of smaller buildings on the very large terrain. He'll have his work cut out because the place had been neglected for decades. But it has the makings of paradise and a place where you can grow old happily.
Obviously Normandy is famous for its decisive role in 1945 and the relics are there for all to see. But that is not what I came for. I came to stalk the fish from the beaches, and the beaches certainly are interesting. There is a massive 6-7 meters of tidal change and you really need to check the area at low tide to have an idea what you are doing when the tide is coming in. To cut a long story short, I came for bass and only found one. Apparantly the season really starts in September. That surprised me as we 'northerners' in Holland also get a run of bass as early as May and sometimes April. But there were a few pollack to be caught and wrasse in abbundance, up to about 3 lbs. Not a fish you get in our waters with the sandy beaches. They truly are coloured like gems so I was pleased with those, a very pretty fish. And as I came without BBQ I sent them all swimming. I reckon I'll give it another go in the autumn, this or next year.
May 11-13 2007, a rough trip on the MS Dageraad
Despite being a little worried if I would stomach a boat fishing trip I put my name down for a 3-day event. Sailing on a friday night from a northern harbour, starting the fishing early Saturday morning about 120 landmiles north and returning in the harbour Sunday night. The fishing is in the 50 meters deep waters halfway up Denmark. Drifting over wrecks and jigging twisters or pilkers. Typically you would expect sizable cod there. And that is exactly what we caught. Not very many of them but nice big fish. The biggest catch of the trip was hooked by the only girl on deck. Who needed a little help from her boyfriend to force the fish from the bottom but lifting a 110cm cod (app 28lbs) is not for the faintharted.
No such big fish for me but an 86cm specimen was my biggest cod so far. So I am not complaining. However it was a very rough trip that was nearly cancelled because of the high seas on Friday and Saturday. And I had almost forgotten what it ws like to be seasick, but now I remember ;-) Maybe I'll stick to the 1-day trips because it is a bit of an ordeal when you are seasick on the Friday and there are still 2 nights and days to come..
