Having just returned from Connecticut I thought I'd pen just a quick Autumn email to recap some thoughts over the last month as 2012 has been a year of records, Olympics excluded. First of all let's look at the UK:

• Sea Bass between 40-45cms have been plentiful - in fact in the decade I've been guiding I've never witnessed such dense shoals over many of the structures we cover
• Sea Bass above 65cms have been lacking in the inshore fishery from nearly every mark
• Sea Bass below 36cms have been few and far between and this has affected the wading potential around the coast where we expect the younger Bass to shoal in the warmer waters

This in the short term has offered great sport on the fly but the question is maybe with a lack of female stock, the younger classes are just not there, is a hole appearing which will impact the fishery over the next few seasons?.. maybe so, especially if the mid gauge Bass get targeted over the coming winters.

• Numbers of clients visiting the fishery are on a record
• Average wind speed is the highest I?ve known (15knts plus)
• Average rainfall creating record runoff on the south coast is up too

The last observation has probably caused the acidity in the harbour to increase as the distinct lack of weed in the harbour could be the result of weeks of surface and field runoff. Either way, the consequence of this has pushed Sea Bass out of the harbour as the rainwater will have increased acidity levels enough to irritate the fish stocks to search for a more alkaline environment.

In Connecticut too, the water temperatures for the Autumn period are very high, mid 70's in the last week of September. This has halted the net migration of Striped Bass to the point where they were very few and far between, basically the migration hasn't started yet - False Albacore on the other hand were plentiful as were big Blue fish in the mid double figured gauge - this goes to prove where one species falters another species flourishes, nature at its most expedient - congratulations to the team this year who had good sport on the little Tunny and Bluefish.

We are recruiting interested parties for Connecticut 2013 now for a Mid-September trip and a Mid-June trip for the larger female fish so if interested please email me soon as places are limited and deposits need to be in by December.

I will send out an e/o season newsletter to wrap up the 2012 season and other items which are occurring over the next few months such as new Switch rods, reels and lines (see www.bass-fishing.co.uk/en/shop ) and podcasts (see www.bass-fishing.co.uk/en/articles_info.php), but for now keep hauling as the fish are still within range.