Snorkeling with Bass (dancing with wolves)

If you are saltwater fly fishing a mark from dawn up until the fishing dies off don’t jump in the car jump in the water. They are no doubt out there just chilling out!

If you really want to understand the marks you fish then get a look at those fish in their own environment, buy a pair of goggles and fins and jump in! You will soon become hooked as it's a magical extension of our sport, or at least it is when you have reasonable visibility. This afternoon I have drifted with the tide along the shoreline over about 5 marks that have provided me with plenty of bass in the past. Within seconds I had seen a good sized wrasse and what I think was a mullet and within a further 10 minutes or so 3 good size bass had swam past me before vanishing out of site. The sighting immediately reminded me of David Miller’s artwork from that moment on I was a happy man, like an angler that had just caught 3 bass within the first ten minutes. The bass had been sighted in just the spot I expected to see them and to be honest I have fished this area and never hooked a fish.

The experiences of my bass fishing/snorkeling buddy and I have taught us that there is a particular type of weed that the bass seem to prefer to hide in during the daytime when they are not feeding, we call it or at least my mate has named it ‘’stringy weed’’. This weed will be visible at low tide and looks very much like spaghetti floating on the surface. It is brown in colour and will break up easily after a storm and can hamper fishing although I am often confident of catching fish when I am getting hassled by broken weed. When you drift over this weed and watch it undulate in the current you will be transfixed.

Chill out zones Vs feeding zones

These stringy weed areas that the fish love to hide in rarely seem to produce feeding fish. I think of them as chill out zones. They tend to be quite deep ,say 10 foot deep at low water. There’s a spot Just outside my front door that the fish chill out at . It gets heaps of holiday makers fishing it day and night but with the exception of maybe one or two bass a year its pretty useless (the guys in the local tackle shop wont tell you that!) So on the strength of my experiences I would say look for good bass ground relatively close to chill out zones. The good ground may well be dry at low tide and the deep holes with stringy weed close to these areas.

Brainy fish?

Bass seem to be quite inquisitive about middle aged men with flippers and goggles! They will sometimes follow you around and circle you all day. A friend of mine has snorkeled with large shoals and tells me that the younger fish will get really close and the bigger fish tend to keep their distance. That reminds me of the young and over friendly elephants in the African bush and the big cows that just kept back . A friend who occasionally spear fishes for bass has told me that he has taken a shot and missed the fish and had the fish follow the spear back as it has been pulled back to reload! This guy is a bass conservationist unlike some of the local surfers who will take a shot at undersized fish. That’s another issue that needs to be addressed.

Tackle requirements

Wet suits
I prefer to use a wet suit and I would recommend a 5 mm winter surfing wetsuit , this will keep you comfortable throughout the snorkeling/fishing season. You could get one for about £80 upwards. If that’s too much then a 3mm summer suit will suffice. Every surfing shop has a few of last years models hidden away at the back of the shop.

Goggles and snorkel
A decent pair of goggles with a snorkel will cost about £50 and fins will cost £30 upwards. There’s no shortage of dive shops about. I would recommend you don’t buy online and try the gear on in a shop.

Safety/ buddy system
Obviously safety is an issue and I would recommend caution at all times, be aware of groundswell and currents. Some spots will get boat traffic so perhaps at those locations you should use one of those dive flags. If possible dive with a friend. It will increase your enjoyment if you know you are not alone .Its also great to share those moments when a big bass swims past you. Your first dive through the kelp and over the deep holes can be a little spooky and it’s a great to know you’ve got back up.

Currents and drifts
Try to plan your journey , if you intend to cover any distance then perhaps look at what direction the tidal current goes in and drift accordingly. That way you can relax and go with the flow. Think about your entry into the water and your exit. If the tide is on the way in , the swell can increase with it and start to dump waves over the rocks. Its happened to me and I have been lucky to come away with nothing more than mild cuts and bruises. The safest tides to snorkel are neap-tides.

Presenting the fly
You will no doubt see shoals of sand eels around and when you do it will make you wonder why a fish ever takes a fly in clear water. The sand eels swim with their tails lower than their heads as if they have heavy tails that they can not lift up to head level .They also tend to zig zag through the water so perhaps we should be throwing in more mends while we retrieve the fly to emulate this movement

There is no doubt that snorkeling your marks will give you plenty to think about and increase your understanding of the environment we catch these fish in.

Give it a try and if you want advise, call for a chat.

Austen Goldsmith
August 2005