A New Website, A New Beginning

A new website the end of another season but a new beginning!

So the end of the season for me has come. Its a funny time for me, the last few days have given me time to reflect on the season just passed.

Its always a reflective time for me when my season ends.

New things have been learned. New fungi patches have been discovered.

Above - Hedgehog fungi - Hydnum repandum.

Good sized bass have been caught in new areas. The most fish caught in one day was seventeen.

Theres still a long way to go, although the prospects are just astounding. Experiences are taken on board and I learn from them and quickly move on.

Next year will see www.fishingandforagingwales.co.uk and www.welshbassguide.co.uk reaching its fifth year.

I will be here for years to come and I will continue to hit the peaks and I will continue go from strength to strength. At the end of the day I am a man of the outdoors, the knowledge I have is wonderful and it is not taken for granted.

I don't think I will ever get tired of getting people onto the fish especially when they are good sized ones.

I also don't think I will ever stop questioning and wondering what is actually going on out there, the quest for answers will forever continue.

Smaller parts of the puzzle come together with some more attention to detail. The wild Pembrokeshire coast is far from a simple place to fish. Some marks are so large they have to be sectioned into smaller bite sized pieces.

The foreshore and the storm beaches here are forever changing. Each season can be very different. You have to adapt and you to have a plan B, C and D.

Seeing people hooking up with their first bass is always great for me too.

Rowland above joined me for a five day session as did Chris below, with the weather conditions and seals turning up at marks we only really had three days out of the five for actual fishing. Such is the gamble on this coastline at this time of year.

You get your chances and you have to try and make the most with what you have to choose from in front of you.

Chris and Colin below have joined me on a few occasions this year, back in late June we had a wonderful time. Top banter and fun was had on each and every day. Thanks lads and see you next year.

People that come on these days out have similar interests, everyone has been massively supportive this year and everyone is returning for more adventures next year.

The places we go are alive with life, its not always about the fishing sometimes.

Seeing otters playing on the shoreline and following their footprints in the sand.

Watching the wading birds like the egrets and the red shanks, the murmurations of the starlings on a cloudy autumn day.

The calling of the curlews is one of the best sounds that you will ever experience.

The rod that I have worked so hard on has delivered there are only three of the Tulala 240's in the country and two belong to me the other one has now been sold. More will be on their way soon and next year I will be working on the 275 (9ft) version.

These rods will be available exclusively through me here on this website in my shop.

A rod that has been worked on for three years now, a rod built by me. Someone who is on the coast fishing for bass on almost a day to day basis. Rods purposely built for the conditions we face on U.K waters.

My working friends at the Tulala website can be found here.

I also got some time to fish for myself at certain points. I have personally landed fish up to the eight pound mark. No double for me this year though which is a normal occurrence for me when I get time to fish hard. Alas the day to day running of the business has taken over.

I am really hoping to get out fishing for myself next year so I can continue to land more fish like these below on lures from the shore.

Foraging and food

The feedback on the food from guests has been as I would expect for all the work I put into it.

I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for joining me and I will see you all again next year.

The words of encouragement have been duly taken and I will continue to strive to get better and better.

There is nobody cooking this style of food in the U.K at the moment where in that everything I use comes from extremely local sources.

Most of my dish creations have a meaning and a story, an interpretation of my take on the environment I work in.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy.

Dedication, commitment, sacrifice and determination have been the key recipe for me and anyone striving to do something truly unique.

Family and friends have been very supportive when things have been tough.

For those on the end of the phone I cannot thank you enough. I turned my back on the status quo five or six years ago now and it is the best thing I have ever done. I only wish I had made the decision ten years ago.

Above - Egg in the woodland - Slow cooked duck egg yolk, chanterelles and wood sorrel.

Above - Charred Pembrokeshire potato, sea buckthorn, sea radish, goosefoot (plant family) and marsh samphire.

Above - Onion and butter broth.

Above - Slow cooked beetroot, beetroot pickled in seaweed vinegar and beetroot sauce.

Above - Lobster and the shoreline.

Above - Fresh cheese, elderberry and sorrel.

Above - Stack rocks - Gorse flower custard and ash meringue.

Above - A gift from the woodland - Acorn ice cream, chocolate truffle buried in malted grain soil.

Christmas is soon coming. Why not join me next year for a very very special experience?

matt@fishingandforagingwales.co.uk

Telephone - 07515380169

https://www.welshbassguide.co.uk/contact-booking-enquiries

Stay posted!