Banana skin safely negotiated!

It had been a busy week at work and i struggled to find a slot for fishing but Phil convinced me to fish on Saturday and I am pleased he did as we managed to catch a few and hopefully resolve him loosing too many fish.

It started off first with a visit to Pete Dobbs give my condolences. Unfortunately his wife Pam had died earlier in the week and it was her funeral on Saturday. Pam was a terrific lady, well like, hard working and just fun to be around. For a good period of time she served up Bangor's and mash at our winter programmes and made an impact on our members. Pete was holding up well and doing things his way, our thoughts are with you.

I joined Phil on the point of the North Shore and Stone barn bay after he had already tried the gravels. The wind got up slightly and became a little uncomfortable but still felt fishy. I saw a couple of fish landed from stone barn bay so fancied a move.

Phil had what he thought was a take and landed a... "banana skin"! Let's hope we weren't going to trip up! can you please be careful where you dispose of such a lethal weapon?

After the move the guy next to me was catching and returning fish like mad, thirteen i think he had returned before I left. I was adamant that it was location not anything else and I think it was confidence that caught me the first fish.

Phil meanwhile had lost a couple being snapped and as I watched hi tying up a new leader it became obvious that he was loosing turns in his knots. This was quickly corrected and hopefully he can now convert all those lost fish. After a chat to the other guy he changed his buzzers to claret and started catching. He had 1 before I left, hopefully more.

I managed 3 on black buzzers one of which fought as though it was twice it's size. The trick for me a couple of weeks ago was to use a melanistic pheasant tail buzzer and they were picking this out. I had another fish on this but it was not as fast and furious this time. At least the banana skin was safely negotiated.

Tying silk: Black

Rib: Holographic gold or silver

Body: Melanistic (Black) Pheasant tail fibres

Thorax: dubbed hares ear

Cheeks: Orange reel backing

Thorax cover: Melanistic pheasant tail fibres

It was then on to my lunch time slot at the beginners course. a new instructor Malcolm was there but the half a dozen beginners were as enthusiastic as ever and I tied up the catching buzzer and a hopper.