TALKING POINT: THE FUTURE IS FISHING
Negative news seems to be the norm these days. With fishing it's declining fish stocks due to commercial over fishing, theories on warmer seas pushing cold water species further north, little if any research in to the possible effects on fish from offshore wind farms, and I could go on and fill this column with much more. All these are factors we need to be concerned with, but let's take a look at the positive side for a change.

There can't be a point where commercial over fishing will empty the sea, but there must come a time when commercial boats reach a point of unviable catch returns. Limiting their days at sea won't make much difference, they'll just fish harder, but we should see a decline in the numbers of boats over the next few years and this will hopefully help stabilise fish stocks. In the short term, that stabilisation of fish stocks will see smaller fish, especially codling, start to reappear around or shores and, at least for sea anglers, fishing prospects may gradually improve.

What I already see happening is more recognition for sea angling, and angling as a whole, as a financial contributor to local economies. Charter boats bring anglers in to a region every day buying food, fuel, bait, tackle, drinks at the end of the day, accommodation, plus keep the skipper and his crew in jobs. Tackle shops do the same, plus employ a few people. Then there are the bait diggers and bait catchers, and the tackle and clothing manufacturers. Indications are that angling employs far more people than commercial fishing does.

Sea angling has little if any impact on overall fish stocks, especially nowadays with most fish being returned, so we are a continuous self supporting resource, and that's why I'm optimistic future governments will have to start taking us very seriously for our voting power, financial contribution and our creation of employment. Surveys have already been undertaken to gauge this (I contributed to one myself) and other surveys are already commissioned for the near future that look at the contribution angling makes to the UK economy. This proves the government is now aware we exist, and that is an important turning point.

With that recognition we'll see more governmental and conservational bodies seeking sea angler's opinion. This is already happening. National conservational bodies have started to realise that sea angler's are excellent monitors of the overall marine environment and now openly seek our opinions on fish stocks, coastal geographical changes, unusual sightings and fish migration patterns. In the long term we will start to have a say on how our seas are managed.

I'm also seeing more youngsters taking up fishing. The Internet is now starting to work in our favour. I'm getting increased e-mail to my website from kids asking fishing questions. The one thing the Internet does is give both sides of the story. Sure they can read the anti's view, but they also get to read the anglers side of it too. Don't let anyone tell you the youth of today in the UK are easily led. The majority are clear headed and well capable of making up their own mind. There is a new generation of anglers coming through to swell our ranks with fresh blood and new ideas.

We tend to dwell on the negatives, but there are a lot of positives out there. It won't just happen overnight, we need to make it happen, but I firmly believe circumstance is now turning in our favour.

TIPS AND TRICKS
The sea offshore is clearing quickly now after the winter storms and the clarity, even at depth, gets ever better. With this added clarity it's an advantage to add colour and movement to fish fillets like mackerel and herring to increase their effectiveness.

One method that enjoys great success is to slide a large plastic muppet on to the hook trace above the hook, then add a large 8mm bead and tie on the hook. Bait with a half fillet of mackerel by nicking it twice through the wide end, then slide the muppet down over the bait. When on the drift, as the baited trace is pulled over the seabed, the legs of the muppet give movement to compliment the scent of the bait.

Choose colours like pink and red in shallow water, but in deeper water luminous or white muppets are more easily seen and therefore more effective. Rays, cod, ling, even big flatfish like turbot all respond to this method. Putting a muppet over a bait is also widely practiced in America and Australia for big game fish, including mako sharks when trolling.

FLOAT FISHING FOR BREAKWATER WRASSE TACTICS

Man made breakwaters, the type made from big boulders, are good for holding numbers of ballan wrasse once May arrives. They live in the holes between the boulders.

Ideal tackle is a 21/2lb test curve carp rod matched to a fixed spool and 15lb line. Set up with a sliding float stopped by a drilled bullet, bead and small swivel to a short 12-inch hook trace. The best hook is a size 1 or 1/0 Mustad Viking 79515. Floats with a black top rather than a brightly coloured one are easier to see in bright conditions when light is bouncing back off the surface of the sea.

Wrasse will take lugworm and ragworm, but these tend to be the smaller fish. The best bait is a chunk of peeler crab with just a few wraps of elastic thread around it to hold it secure.

Most anglers head for the very end of the breakwater, but these get heavily fished and the bigger fish are more likely to be positioned down the inner length of the breakwater. To start set the float at about half the water depth. Drop the float in keeping in tight to the edge and use any passing tidal current to let the float work along the breakwater, but as tight to the rocks as possible. Occasionally stop the float to lift the bait in the water, then let it drop back. This added movement can often induce a bite when the fishing is difficult. If no bites are forthcoming, set the float deeper each time by 2-feet until the fish are found.

Bites are usually a sudden dip out of sight and are unmistakeable. Occasionally though a wrasse will double dip the float. This is a sign it's a small fish using its teeth to nip bits of the crab off, but without taking the hook in to its mouth. Leave these bites until the float disappears.

When a wrasse takes, immediately hustle it upwards in the water. If you give it slack line, or let it run off yards of line, they will get back between the boulders and break you.