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Returning them alive gives either someone else the chance of a fantastic meal or for an extra few breeding specimens.

Keith Arthur
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This is a superb time of year for all of us with the coldness of winter - and some of spring - behind us.

Those fish that have kept us happy for the past few months have slipped away and the summer species and methods are now coming to the fore. There is no style of fishing where this is more noticeable than in the sea.

As the cod and whiting disappear for another few months, hopefully to return with the autumn leaves, they are replaced with mackerel and garfish and, following them for food, bass and smoothhound.

The initial crab moult has now passed but various species of crab will be moulting in sporadic numbers generating more food for shore species. In other words, the larder is full and the kids are bashing the door down.

I had some superb days bass fishing last summer, afloat from Dover with Mike and Tara Williams on Firefox and from Weymouth with Dave Gibson on Lady Godiva.

I hope I can find time to have some more this year. The trips with Dave provided some wonderful mixed fishing too, with pollack, conger, tope and, especially, black bream.

Dave is an exponent of light tackle and we used mostly 6lb-lineclass rods with braid main line and multiplier reels. Occasionally we'd go to 12-class but for the conger and tope it was proper, 30lb class gear. We fished mostly rough ground and I was amazed at the amount of fish available. We had conger to nearly 40lb and tope to 25lb, plus a couple of bull huss and every one was returned unharmed.

As the tide turned we moved to a wreck and caught some bigger eels, to 50lb, before moving inshore under the cliffs of The Isle of Portland and catching some lovely black bream. Most of them were returned but we saved a few of the larger fish for eating.

Filleted and lightly fried in seasoned breadcrumbs (I use lemon pepper) there is little swimming in UK waters that tastes better.

There is a tendency in these times of plenty to take more than is required and stick fish in the freezer. Trust me, they don't taste half as good and returning them alive gives either someone else the chance of a fantastic meal or for an extra few breeding specimens.

Fate

Bass can suffer a similar fate too and with some of the recreational angling groups reporting a decline of 50% in immature bass numbers we should do all we can to preserve them.

That doesn't mean it's wrong to take a fish you are going to eat yourself but please don't take some 'just in case' someone you know might want one.

There have been reports of recreational anglers selling their catches and that is completely out of order: we moan and groan about our seas being 'raped and pillaged' by trawlers and then some of 'us' make our own contribution to the emptying of the ocean!

I also get extremely unhappy when I see dead congers because they are way down my 'must eat' list, slightly behind marrow and aubergine!

OK, rant over, let's look at how you can catch some fish from the shore.

Probably the most important feature of shore fishing is tides: your local beach is sure to have a 'best' state of tide, either flood or ebb and when that coincides with dusk, sport can be pretty much guaranteed.

It's movement of water that makes fish feed and when the tide starts to move everything moves with it. Although the ability to cast a long way is a tremendous advantage, in summer the fish are often close in and sometimes VERY close in, especially at first and last light.

Bass will regularly be right on the surf line, in the backwash, and although fishing for them there isn't easy, it is highly likely you will cast over more fish than you cast to.

One of the most exciting forms of bass fishing from the shore is with lures. Rapala jointed minnows, in 11 or 13mm sizes, or the new 'Sliver' lures from the same company are very good fish catches and for distance casting, the Trace Ace Bass Bandit and Bass Assassin with a variety of rubber tails catch a whole load of fish.

I doubt that UK sea anglers will ever have a more exciting sight than a bass, fins erect, chasing a lure through the surf before slashing into it literally feet from the beach.

Do you know, I can feel a surf session coming on and I don't mean the Beach Boys or Jan and Dean.

Do you want some tips or advice from Keith Arthur? To send him a question, please click here: skysportsclub@bskyb.com

Keith answers your questions

Hi Keith, I am going to fish the Mull of Galloway in mid July. Can you give me any advice regarding bait and tactics. Roger Syks

KEITH REPLIES: Roger, the Mull of Galloway is a superb place to be, never mind fish! The shore fishing can be excellent at the time of year you are visiting, with copious mackerel, small pollack and a decent chance of a bass or two. Lure fishing is first class and I'd go for the mackerel one at a time, rather than feathering. Plugs or spinners work or you can try some of the superb casting lures now available, such as the Bass Assassin and Bass Bandit from Trace Ace Tackle. Click here for details.

I've used them myself with some success and they cast a LONG way! Take spare tails with you as they tend to get munched. With more conventional shore casting there are several species of flatfish.

If you are going afloat, then rays, spurdog and tope, plus conger, can be expected and, although you may be slightly early, even porbeagle shark.

This site may give you some more clues.

This site may give you some more clues

Enjoy your trip and tight lines

Hi Keith.Some 2 or 3 months ago you previewed a method from America I think that was taking waters apart in America and Europe. I was told about it by a friend of mine but he couldn't remember what it was. Could you please tell me about "the method" how it works and where can I get it from. Best regards, Tony

Hi Tony. You must be thinking of 'pack baits', brought to the programme by Frank Warwick. They involve the use of all sorts of ingredients and if you scroll through the site - in fact to save you the trouble, I had a dig in the archive and found this article.

In a forthcoming programme we have a film with Frank pitting the method against Steve Ringer, using 'THE method." It will be well worth watching.

Keith

Do you want some tips or advice from Keith Arthur? To send him a question, please click here: skysportsclub@bskyb.com

Keith answers your questions