Is this really March? Sun and overhead surf in North Devon.

Unbelievably warm day for a surf trip to North Devon. Webcam suggested a small clean swell. When we got down there by midday it was booming with strong offshores. Croyde was low tide and looked heavy with a powerful shorebreak. Rich was keen but Paul and myself liked the look of Saunton. Majority vote saw us heading back to our roots at Saunton. Having mainly surfed Cornwall over the past 20 years Id' forgotten just how tough the paddle was here. Half a mile out and on this swell it just seemed such a massive take off spot. Fitness and acute awareness that I was going to get caught inside for an hour left me frustrated. Rich seemed to be in tune with the conditions catching some lovely long overhead rights. Plenty of folk on the beach and in the sea - some in shorties no less in March!

Croyde showing some size

Oyster Falls breaking way off Downend Point

First Carp of 2012

Lovely spring day left inspired me to leave work at 15.30 and get a couple of hours in. Fished for Carp on fly today as very few trout were moving or showing any signs of interest. Unfortunately I didn't have any bread so just had to use an opportunist cast of my bread fly to a surface feeding fish. This is no easy task as few fish come to the surface without a food source and when they do pop up they are incredibly fussy. I must have had 10 or so takes with only one conversion - a nice little 2lb fish which was good sport on my little XFlite. The lake was cloudier than ever as the larger fish were spawning in the shallows. Wonderful evening with Primroses covering some of the banks and plenty of birdsong.