31st December - Last fish of the year...? Couldn't face the possibility of winning by just one so as a final trip for the year tried the River Dean for a Grayling. Got far more than expected with minnows galore, a nice chub and my first ever Grayling...

25th December - Lets hope... that Father Christmas has brought lots of shiny new fishing tackle to several anglers because, seeing how badly they fared this year, they'll probably need it in 2007.

10th December - Bosley... Prince Alberts premier Pike water it says in the guide book and true to form, "...it does exactly as it says on the tin." Was Pike all round even if it did take wet feet to get mine in and a last cast of desperation for our John to eventually get one. So then, the top four positions don't change - just that everyone who didn't go is now one further behind - you listening Neil...?

In December at last and the acts of desperation and stupidity are soon starting to appear again... 4 biteless hours on the River Ribble and a night catching doggies on Nefyn beach in a howling gale... ain't good.

1st December - Nowt doing...for all you fishermen that have left it too late this year. Four rods fishing for 4 hours each doesn't look good for any more species from the River Ribble this year. Here's hoping that next weekends pike fishing trip to Bosley is a bit more productive. Hands up if you aren't going home till you've caught one...

22nd November - Mullet galore... Although the rules might preclude them catching mullet in Spain is childs play compared to over here. So far the going over here hasn't been too good with just five fish between little Dan and myself these last three years. Over there it's ten fish in an hour...!!!

Not massive, but a mullet all the same...

Childs play this mullet fishing...

22nd November - Nightmare... The phpbb servers that were hosting the reports forum crashed whilst we were away and lost everything, all the posts and registrations. Sign up again if you will. Heres how we got on in Spain.

5th November - Bonfire Night... Hey Neil - don't get broken by those monsters of the deep again... throw all that rubbish tackle of yours onto the bonfire.

31st October - Halloween... Nightmares for loads of reasons... you've still not caught what you said you'd catch by April, you've left it far too late to catch what you planned to catch or you failed to use those fishing oportunities wisely. Er, I think either one of them applies to all of us...!

22nd October - One each...this weekend. Launce for me, Pollock for John, Cod for Dad. None for Neil and Mark - that just makes them one further behind than they already were though. Anyway holidaymakers, you've got the rest of the week till I'll be down to Nefyn again on Thursday - use the time wisely...!

19th October - Nefyn...You'll probably need the whole week to catch something new. Go on do your worst. Coalfish, Pouting, Red Mullet... mutter, mutter. More flippin' fish I hate...

18th October - Stupid...me for even thinking, albeit for just one microsecond, that Neil would really "...go sea fishing."

8th October - Scary...that Neil Higson is just 5 behind Mark and making threats of, "...going sea fishing next weekend." Could the tortoise and the hare analogy really come true. We all know somebody, no names mentioned, who hopes not.

7th October - New Species...!!!Well not really as to be truthfull they're just a boring old brown trout thats been livened up a little and gone all shiny by spending a short spell in the sea but nice because it was different, nicer still because it was un-expected but even nicer than that as the leadership has now changed.

28th September - Unsporting...I wait weeks to catch up and take joint lead. What then does fellow leader do... catch a damn Grayling. I hate Grayling...New rule for next year... no fishing during works time. That'll stop him.

24th September - Isle & River Severn...A good day had by all. Big Carp, little Carp and several new species of fish on the Severn. And the new definition of desperation is, "...I'm not leaving this river till I've caught a flipping Dace."

The Isle, home of tiny carp...

River Severn, source of monster Gudgeon...

17th September - Not long left now...Went to Shell again this weekend and weather was superb, just like a summers day but there was one thing visibly missing - there were very few signs of Mullet on top of the water - it could be that they are migrating South already.

9th September - Last chances... Mackerel, wrasse and pollock on the boat at Shell and yet another mullet. Methods & tactics...sorted!

30th August - Change arrives... It's late August now and we're just about 2/3rds of the way through so we'll soon see the demise of the summer species and the closing in of the weather. So far we've seen the most species caught between us in a year and the highest individual scores ever. Also heard the most stupid statements, seen the silliest schoolboy errors, multitudes of excuses, the launch of The Pearl and even a blank at the Isle. Honest. Some reminders of summer...

28th August - Damn...!!! Just as you catch up and take joint lead why does the fellow leader always have to go and do one better...? Just glad it's not our Mark at his mega rate of capture earlier this year - there wouldn't be a fish in the Western Atlantic safe.

27th August - Hat trick...!!! 3 mullet in 3 years. Sea was too rough to get mackerel and resume tactics from last week so resorted to using breadflake and fished just out from the rocks in the harbour where the boats moor. Took just one bite where the float bobbed once and soon had this torpedo ashore...

22nd August - Success at The Isle ...biggest freshwater fish caught so far this year - 22lb Carp, one of 7, (that's seven Neil), to Dad. Congratulations.

22nd August - Blanking at The Isle ...either Neil Higson is the worlds greatest fisherman who managed to hook the 3 biggest carp ever to swim in The Isle, all of which smashed his tackle, (which seems to be a far to familiar an excuse now - see June 14th below), or he's the most accomplished maker of schoolboy errors ever, using rubbish line and not being able to work the clutch on his fixed spool reel properly. As Big Brother says... You Decide.

20th August - Ultimate Nightmare ...half given up on mullet so fished for some more smelt off the back of the boat with 2mm mackrel cubes on 18s hook to 2lb line. On the first cast I struck as the float bobbed then got an extreme shock as a mullet of 4-5lb came to the surface which then casually waved bye-bye as it plunged under Skylarks mooring rope smashing my line with ease. Undeterred, half an hour saw another manic run as I hooked an absloute monster but this time on stepped up tackle, 14's hook straight through on 6lb line. MULLET...!!!! at last methinks madly running around the boat after it. Anyway after several runs under both us and Skylark it surfaced. A Bass about 4lb. I hate Bass, I really do...

10th August - New Species...!!! ...We all know about the Red Mullet last year - heres a new one - the mystery fish from Shell Island harbour below... a Sand Smelt. Look it all up here then form an orderly queue for info on how to catch em...!

9th August - Rossmere ...A great night with 5 species for me - the place was absolutely alive with fish jumping and moving everywhere and you really couldn't fail to catch. Unless your names Neil and you're trying for Perch that is.

6th August - Summer Holidays ...A great time again. Some pictures...

Draggin' them MONSTERS up from the deep 5 at a time - Spongebob, Pattrick, Squidward, Planckton & Mr.Crabs...	12 miles out, flat calm, looking back at the mountains... not that there were more fish on the mountains that is...
So is it a mullet or something else...???? 4" long, swimming with mullet in the harbour. Caught with 18's hook and mackerel flesh. Everyone at Shell says, "small mullet." I ain't sure...	The end result...Smiles on faces & fish on barbecues...

His ship... It seems "The Executioner" now captains the most dangerous boat in the world, "The Black Pearl" as he just took his latest victim and sent him plummeting into the depths of the Shell Island harbour, feeding him to the creatures, and shrimps and crabs, below. ........Go on then Mr.Higson, do your worst, send me the pictures...

Oh but lest we forget..., "The Executioner" also likes full English Breakfasts - preferably not regurgitated over the side of the boat though...!!!!!

7th July - Full House...!!! ...All 8 species from Rossmere for one lucky angler. Well done Neil.

6th July - Stupid Names ...Sometimes people and things live up to their names, take George Best for example because in the football world he was, some reckon, the best. And Greenflys too because, er, they're green. Sometimes though the opposite applies like with Crocodile Dundeee - he wasn't a crocodile nor did he come from Dundee. I think.

So which catagory does Ryan Fisher come in eh..? It's certainly got to be the latter because a "fisher" he ain't. You might have not caught much yet but don't get too worried Ryan because there's always our Kate(6), Hazel(8) & their friend Bryony(13) to show you how it's done.

28th June - 20lb Carp ...Allegedly. Meanwhile "The Executioner" awaits his pictures.

28th June - The Executioner ...Big Brother might well be introducing new housemates to the house but who cares. Make welcome in the fishing race to our very own new housemate, "The Executioner". Try to make friends with "The Executioner" as he is a rather nasty piece of work; you see if he doesn't beleive that you've caught a certain species of fish ie. no pics, no reliable witnesses then he just might "remove" from doubt "the belief" you caught them. And remember too, "The Executioners" decision is final. Don't be silly - send in them pics.

24th June - Shell Island ...although more of a trip to see if the tent was still standing, (yes it was), we had a quick try at the reef but did't get anything big - just mackerel, dabs, pollock and a solitary little gurnard for me. Give it a month and they'll be there in plague proportions though.

19th June - Celebrity Anglers ...so now you've made the acquaintance of a celebrity angler does this mean you'll somehow catch more fish....? I don't think so. Anyway, I don't see his name on the left hand side of this page so just how famous can he be, this Bob Rudd.

19th June - Rossmere ...Tench for John at Rossmere tonight and miraculously even more fish for Neil - trouble is they're the same one's he's caught already. "...21 by April" - don't all laugh at once...!!!

18th June - Course fishing season opening first trip, ...Mark and Dad fished on the River Ribble today and got some chub but also the fish of the devil - eels. Aarrrgggghhhhh.

17th June - More monsters, ...fished on the boat at Shell Island again this weekend and the sea was absolutely alive with Mackerel. Lousie, Hazel and Kate were bringing in 3-4 at a time so fast that I couldn't unhook them quickly enough. Saturday morning I spoke with "Red Boat Man" Ian who hooked and lost 6 fish the previous day, a dubious honour surpassing even dads and Johns previous acheivements, thankfully though I managed 1 fish from 1 run and brought this one on board.

14th June - Miracles do happen. ...so it's not quite the "...21 by April" that he originally predicted but this is certainly a date to remember as remarkably Neil has now caught his first fish of the year but also captured, in his terms, an absolute multitude of species at Rossmere today - Bream, Roach & Rudd. Wow. It would have been more but for the fact the monsters of the deep smashed his tackle and "...got off in the weeds." Just. Again. At this rate I might start to get worried as "...21 by April" is now looking like "...6 by December." Or am I being too optimistic...?

4th June - Backwards. ...us humans aren't designed to do things backwards, a long list of which includes things as diverse as driving cars at high speed, flying rockets into outer space and putting on your underpants. We should know that. We should also know that when fishing for tope nothing comes more stupider than putting your reel on backwards. And then only realising it when you've hooked one.

Schoolboy errors come no stupider. Thank the gods then that on day 2 you landed one and avoided the dubious title of, "loser of the most tope ever", currently held by Mr.Neil Harrison. Trouble is you couldn't avoid the even more dubious honour of "worst ever moment on the dodgy tender." And no, this time Rocking Roy wasn't on hand to rescue you.

30th April - Where are they....? ...the Bass that is, the ones's that normally live in the creek at Shell Island. And while we're at it all the fish not caught by anyone call Neil. Tune into LOST, 9.00pm Channel 4 on Tuesdays to find out. Unless your name's John that is. Bah.

17th April - Kids "...should be seen and not heard." A familiar saying eh..? Hears another fishing related saying, "...beginners luck." Stinks when they go together though don't it. See, how come I can fish 2 yard away from Bryony and catch 1 doggie whilst she catches 1 doggie and 6 dabs...? And especially when I ain't caught a dab. Oh and to top it all what do I find Jack has caught amongst other things...? Yeah, a flippin' dab. It could be worse I suppose - it could've been our Hazel catching them. Would I ever hear the last of it...? Kids... aarrrgggghhhhhh...!!!!

16th April - Two Big Girls - Hands up if you're over the age of 45. OK, yes, that's 2 of you. Hands up if you also haven't caught any fish so far this year. OK, same two. Hands up if your first name is Neil. Yup, same two again. Hands up if several school children have caught more fish than you this year. Would you beleive it - same two again. Not two good is it...?

12th April - Not fair - that in the space of just 7 days somebody manages to catch 9 species of fish. Can he maintain this rate of capture and finish the year with 352 different species...? Yeah, you do the maths. Or maybe the real question we should be asking is how does he get so much fishing time in whilst he's "supposedly" working away...?

5th April - No surprises - that predictions of, "...21 by April", by a certain angler never came true. Further surprises do exist though because Bryony is showing several anglers that expensive tackle and membership of exclusive angling clubs is simply no substitute for ability.

13th Feb - The Tortoise & the Hare - The tortoise really thinks it's a race and rushes off to catch as many fish as quickly as he can. Meanwhile, the hare sits at home thinking, "...I've got all year to catch them fish." But will he leave it too late and will he have to make desperate attempts to catch cod in the cold winter snow...? Who knows how the story will unfold.

5th February - 1st fish caught...!!! - not everyone is leaving the fishing till late this year. Despite near freezing temperatures on Morfa Nefyn beach a Sunday afternoon trip proved worthwhile for Cod, Whiting and, for one lucky angler, a dab. Those of you that made bold statements such as, "...21 by April", take note and remember - you catch nothing sat at home or wallowing in the pub.