Two attempts to try and track down a few bass for the camera had failed miserably! Despite visiting some of my friend's favourite bass marks from different parts of the country, the silver fellahs just didn't want to oblige. I was getting desperate, and decided to take it upon myself to get a Scottish bass feature put to sleep for the mag, although it took hours of head scratching before I had devised a plan.

I felt so stupid; the most obvious answer to hitting my very own bass quest on the head was staring at me, quite literally! The screen saver on my computer was a picture of my personal best bass of 4lbs, caught several years ago from a mark not 30 minutes drive from my home, perfect!

OK, East Lothian fish are on average 'schoolies', and very rarely attain the size of bass caught over on the west, but they can still supply plenty sport providing you don't go overkill on the tackle, there is also that slim chance of a bonus big fish.

For me, tracking down a bass on home ground is great fun; especially since very few local anglers see them as a species plentiful enough to detract from the good cod fishing we have close at hand. If the bass didn't put in a show, well the place I had in mind is a good bet for other species anyway.

Thorntonloch is a beach situated 5 miles east of the coastal fishing town of Dunbar, in southeast Scotland. A popular caravan site is sheltered behind a series of sand dunes, overlooking the wide sandy bay.

The surf beach is skirted by long rocky outcrops, which are surrounded by deep channels and gullies. This mixed sea bed makes it the ideal environment for a variety of species, which move close to shore when a good onshore blow disturbs food items.

Overshadowing Thorntonloch, is Torness nuclear power station, which provides much of the east with power, including the Scottish Capital. Not such a pleasant sight for tourists, excellent for fishing!

As if the plant designers had angler's best interest at heart, the hot water outlet is situated just to the left of the beach, right amongst the aforementioned rocky outcrops. This warm water seems to attract all sorts of marine life, including bass!

The beach yields best results when there are good breakers pounding the shoreline, as for the rocks, not 2 minutes walk away, well I've had fish there in every possible weather condition/tide state, so hopefully this time would be third time lucky no matter what I faced.

A good easterly wind had been blowing for several days; this was bound to make the beach just perfect for catching bass. The low-lying rocks are never an option during a large sea; they are frequently swamped by the swell!

With this, I packed two light beach rods, multipliers and secured fresh bait in the form of 50-blow lug and 40-rag worm. I packed the spinning gear too, just so I had the option, although as soon as I got view of the sea, I new this would never need leave the car.

I quickly made way to the left hand corner of the beach, right in close to where the rocks start. A few of the reefs lay dead in front of me amongst the clean ground; this area of varied seabed is usually a hotspot.

I had timed the tide to perfection too, fishing half way into the flood with the aim of packing up around high water. This brief spell is usually the time to fish the beach, although I've had freaky days when the place has fished right through the ebb also.

One rod was equipped with a two-hooked clip down rig. This was to be hit at medium range, with the aim of tucking it just behind the reef, which I could see was being hammered by a fair sized swell about 50 yards directly ahead. This was no easy feat; the wind had changed to a rather stiff northerly, which was blasting right across my face.

The other rod was an altogether lighter set-up. This was to be lobbed out between 10 and 30 yards, right in the gutter where the bass usually work there way along in search of food.

My rod hit out at medium range was first into action. A rattling, tip-tapping bite had me almost dead certain that I'd found the target species, although it wasn't to be. For the first two hours bite after bite resulted in several tiddly coalfish.

This kept me lightly amused, although it wasn't what I was after, just before high tide I moved to right in front of the caravan park to where a small burn enters the sea. Despite my best efforts, it just didn't happen. My close in rod did save a disaster; a plump 1lb flounder came along to give me some consolation.

I was beginning to feel jinxed, three near blanks, with no bass to show for it. I had travelled to three marks that I had either been promised some action or had been proven bankers to myself in the past.

I'm not one for giving up that easily though. The extremely blustery side-wind had highlighted a few things too; the sand blasting effect totally destroys multipliers, and judging by my flounder photograph, my wig needed trimming!

The weather began to turn in my favour, if I wanted to return to Thorntonloch and hit the place from another angle that is, lures! An offshore wind flattened the sea, before fading away to nothing. I called for backup this time.

Ron Smith who taught me how to fly fish over a decade ago admits to knowing nothing about sea angling. I had an idea that could get us both out fishing, and perhaps he could save my backside.

The rocks to the left of the beach are very popular with lure anglers, with the rubber sand eel under a float method very successful. I didn't really want to go down the line of using the fly-gear, I was feeling quite secured by the fact the spinning gear very rarely lets me down on the venue, and I after-all I was just wanting to connect with a fish. I was somehow persuaded to dust down the fly rod and bring it along.

Ron speculated that if the bass quite willingly hammer into small pieces of rubber, they should in theory snaffle up other forms of imitations, such as the trout lures he has often tried to teach me the names of. A trip to the local tackle shop to pick up a few tried and tested salt-water flies couldn't hurt.

Ron had put together his fly rod and was casting away whilst I was still faffing about trying to piece everything together; it had been a long time since I had touched my fly-gear. Thankfully, there was no wind, with only a slight chop on the sea. Not minutes had passed before Ron had alerted that he had hooked a fish, and I was every bit as delighted as him that it was indeed a bass.

Within moments, something savagely plucked my line as I let it swing around in the tide, and I hooked into a small bass. There must have been loads of them out there! I became rather excitable, giggling away like a young child with every fish that came my way. The fight from these small fish on the fly gear was unbelievable! Most of them where undersized, but all put up spirited battles and even forcefully striped line on a few occasions.

Ron had notched up to about 8 bass, with me on half a dozen, I even managed one at around 2lb. Other anglers had arrived with fairly heavy spinning out-fits and where dragging out fish cast after cast. Thankfully these guys where of a different mould to the 'kill everything' mob that are usually fishing the area; fisheries officers take note!

The tide began to rise rapidly and small waves started lapping onto our stance. Ron being happy with his catch bowed out gracefully and decided to become a spectator, whilst I carried on, getting my feet wet in the process.

I thought I had hooked a much better fish, as line was peeling from my hands. This fight felt odd, all became clear when I had finally subdued my catch. A double shot of small bass, one on the top fly, which had foam in it to tease the fish to the surface, and the other on the bottom.

Getting wet didn't bother me too much; I had a spare set of clothes in the car. The problem was the water was tangling the line around my feet, not only tripping me but also making releasing line during the cast very difficult. With this I decided to pack up the fly gear and head over to Ron who had been keeping himself amused with the hundreds of fat shrimps that where swimming in a pool, a very likely food source attracting the bass to the area possibly...

I could have put together my spinning outfit and carried on catching those bass, with more and more anglers turning up I decided on calling the day to an end. Desperation had forced me to a venue that I knew wasn't likely to throw out any big fish, but in using the fly gear I had just about as much fun as I could have had elsewhere in the country. This was certainly appetite whetting; what had started in a bass quest, had ended in me finally trying, and loving the method I had been eying up for use in the salt for years.

After research and experimenting, it turns out saltwater fly-fishing is growing rapidly in popularity with anglers in the UK. Proper salt resistant tackle is advised, although if you make sure to wash everything down with Luke-warm fresh water as soon as you get home, there should be no problems. On this occasion, my trout rod was more than adequate. 10 feet, 8 weight, bog standard trout gear. With the bass feeding just sub surface, I was having no problems getting fish using a floating line.

Things could be different if you are targeting hard fighting Pollack, which feed in slightly deeper water, with strong tides and places where they can dive into snaggy ground. This is where stiffer, heavier 10 weights might come into play. For best results with Pollack HI-D fast sinking lines are usually most productive.

If you've never tried fly-fishing of any kind, it need not break the bank to get you started. My lot would have been under 100 quid! A few extra odds and ends may come in handy, such as I found out, chest waders to keep dry and a line tray to prevent tangling around your feet!

Want to get the maximum pleasure from the fish you have in front of you? Garfish, mackerel, scad, mullet, coalfish, Pollack, bass, flounders and believe it or not, wrasse (!!!) all provide tremendous sport on fly-gear, I urge you to give it a shot.

Coming from Edinburgh head for the A1, which skirts Dunbar. A few miles past Dunbar you will notice the un-miss able Torness cement works, then in turn immediately after, the nuclear power plant. Turn left and head into the visitor centre car park, which will put you to within a short stroll to the beach. Do not attempt to park in Thorntonloch Caravan Park itself.