The Adventure Starvation Is Over

The adventure starvation is over - we’re heading off to do some bass fishing in Brighton, the van is back in business! After a couple of months without it, I was itching for a proper fishing escape.

A black van with a roof rack is parked beside other vehicles and ornate metal arches under a blue sky in this image for The Adventure Starvation Is Over. — A sunny start beside the arches.

It had died somewhere on the M5 while I was heading to Cornwall. We’ve rebuilt its guts, and thankfully that wasn’t the end of our adventures!

Inside a grey-lined van, fishing rods and reels are mounted along the wall beside a bed with colourful striped bedding, with caps hanging on the rear door. — My kind of adventure setup: rods and a cosy bed.

The repair was finished on Tuesday. By Wednesday I was off to the south coast. No hanging about this time; I’d done quite enough waiting at home.

A low sun casts golden light across a pebble beach, with waves breaking along the shore, seafront buildings to the left and a breakwater in the distance. — Just the sort of coastal view I've been missing.

Brighton bass fishing and a very rough plan

The plan, if you could call it that, was to start in Brighton and head west. Why Brighton? Because I absolutely love the place!

A close-up of an open hand holding two rigged soft-plastic fishing lures, one glittery white and the other brown with a pale pink belly. — A closer look at my two soft-plastic lures.

There were probably coastal spots further west producing more bass, but this wasn’t just about chasing fish. Brighton’s culture was a big part of the appeal.

A smiling man wearing glasses, a dark cap and a padded jacket holds a large silver fish close to the camera with the sea behind him. — A silver fish and a smile on the shore.

Between short sessions, I was in cafés and pubs, living my best life. A bit of fishing, a bit of wandering: exactly what I’d been missing.

Small waves wash onto a sunlit pebble beach, with a long human shadow in the foreground, a pier to the left and seafront buildings beneath a clear blue sky. — My kind of escape: sunshine, shingle and the sea.

That’s the joy of holiday fishing for me. There’s room to enjoy wherever you’ve ended up, rather than making every hour revolve around the next cast.

A smiling man wearing glasses, a dark cap and a padded jacket takes a selfie on a shingle beach, with the sea and low golden sun behind him. — A seaside smile with the sun on my face.

Two days, two very different forecasts

Day one was lovely and sunny. Day two brought incredibly strong winds, making coastal fishing impossible and forcing me into the harbour instead. Quite the contrast!

Two people stand on a blue and pink seaside basketball court, one holding a basketball, with bins, sailing boats and the sea behind them. — A spot of seaside basketball catches my eye.

Keeping the plan loose certainly helped. There wasn’t much point clinging to the original idea when the weather had other intentions. The harbour became the alternative.

A colourful Brighton mural surrounds a zip wire structure on a shingle beach, with the sea and a pier behind it beneath a clear blue sky. — A splash of Brighton colour on our seaside adventure.

And I did catch my bass! I was really pleased, having worried that summer slipping away meant I’d missed my chance to get out and target them.

A tilted view across a pub bar shows shiny beer taps, people at the counter, shelves of bottles, hanging lamps and strings of fairy lights. — A welcoming bar on our return to adventure.

The Scent Shads that caught bass

The successful lures were Fox Rage Scent Shads in white and wakasagi. I used the 13cm version, with a little alteration before mounting them.

A yellow Seacider Hardcore pump badge features a colourful decorative skull with green apples in its eye sockets, with bottles and glasses blurred behind it. — This colourful Seacider skull caught my eye.

I cut their heads off and put them onto Eel Jigheads. I also caught a few on straight-up 9cm Scent Shads, without that same modification.

The bright yellow-orange frontage of The Breakfast Club has large white lettering, a grey awning, an open entrance and outdoor tables. — The Breakfast Club’s bright frontage catches my eye.

For another coastal read, there’s my bass fishing in Dorset adventure. This Brighton escape was another welcome chance to get back into saltwater fishing.

Close-up of a silver fish held beside a hand, with a glitter-flecked soft plastic lure in its open mouth and blurred water behind. — A little silver to brighten my adventure.

Holiday fishing at its finest

The trip even took me 450ft above Brighton on the i360, enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the coastline and this wonderful city. What a little escape!

A landing net and fishing bag rest on a wet harbour ledge beside a shell-covered wall, with weathered railings and grey water beyond. — My harbour-side kit, ready for the next adventure.

Good times, bass on lures and the freedom to get away again. After the breakdown, simply having the van back made this trip feel especially welcome.

A wet, seaweed-strewn harbour walkway runs between weathered railings and a tall concrete wall, with the sea and a breakwater beneath grey clouds. — A seaweed-strewn view of the harbour beneath grey skies.

Now I’m heading home and turning my attention to the rivers. Barbel and chub are calling, with plenty to look forward to beyond the coast.

A reddish, speckled squid lies on rough rock with a fishing lure attached among its tentacles. — I love the rich colours on this squid.

Then there’s perch and pike on lures. The van’s alive, the adventure drought is finished, and I can’t wait to get going again!

A smiling man in a black hoodie and cap stands beside the railing inside a glass observation pod, high above a coastal city, beach and blue sea. — I could get used to a coastal view like this!