My passion for angling comes across in the following genuine reviews
Laura’s review. I have found in some of my previous experiences fishing on trips to be intimidating and I’m not really taken seriously in being able to fish. My time spent fishing with paul has been really exciting , the kind of excitement you have as a child when it’s Christmas or your birthday , the feelings of the butterfly’s when your waiting for something good to happen , and every time we’ve been fishing they have!
I caught a magnificent Ballan wrasse weighing 5lb 4oz the second time we went out on the coast this time, paul knew exactly where the big fish where hiding and the fishing method was ultra light using Texas rigged prawn which was irresistible to the Wrasse! Both of us were really shaking after getting that fish in and that’s Paul’s genuine reaction working with his clients feeling their excitement and adrenaline this passion really comes across and I firmly believe that’s what makes him such a good guide!
Our latest adventure this time time on the conger eels, we’ll I was very nervous about doing this and was stressing about pretty much everything related to the challenge but as soon as we met up Paul did a safety talk about the dangers of writhing eels and handling them which put me at ease before we started.It was a very busy session with lots of small Eels which kept our guide very busy servicing mine and my partners rods.
Eventually the magic happened paul noticed a good slow bite on my rod and I struck into my first proper Eel! The power was next level and I was again shaking. Paul landed the Eel and did all the handling. We had a nervous but fun time trying to get a good picture, again our guide took the lead and showed me how to lift the Eel, it had us both wrestling with it trying to get the shot but I plucked up courage and nailed it!
Every time I’ve fished with Paul I’ve caught a memorable fish and learnt something new each time , paul installs a confidence in you but also corrects you where you go wrong and safety is always his first call . Also worth noting that the best fishing guides do not fish and Paul Bassman Gordon is no exception all of his time is spent coaching, looking after the rigs and baits, constantly keeping you in the game physically and mentally, searching for fish and handling them with care.
To finish my review I would like to add if you are a female novice or experienced angler and fancy a guided session in the beautiful south west of Devon this multi species shore guide ticks all the boxes!
Laura
Wrassetastic Birthday trip
I booked up with Paul not because I wanted to catch my first Wrasse but because I wanted to learn a lot more about this most handsome of shore species. The Ballan Wrasse is as powerful as it is stunningly marked and learning how to locate, target and land these bigger Ballan’s was what I hoped for on a session with Paul. My first target was to get a wrasse by design on a lure, a method I had not tried for Ballans, next target a PB Shore Wrasse. I met up with Paul on a glorious morning and as we walked down to the mark we both stopped to admire the stunning vista laid out before us, the sea looked tropical and beckoned us to the deep holes that punctuated the clear sea bed. We were obviously socially distancing and using hand gel etc as per guidelines, Paul also took time to explain the hazards and how we would deal with them. These rugged rock marks can be extremely dangerous if you don’t respect them and that is why the use of an experienced guide can not only put you on the fish but ensure you are safe doing it, a couple of dead sheep at the foot of the cliff highlighted the danger. So first method was to get a Wrasse on a lure, Paul showed me the technique and pointed out the spots where wrasse would be lying, he also took the time to run through a couple of his most productive wrasse lures. It wasn’t long before the first hit and I had my first wrasse on a lure, throughout the session Paul showed me different holes and how to fish each. Sometimes I won and sometimes the Wrasse won but by the end of the session I had landed 6 nice Ballans with 2 over 3lb including a new PB of 3lb 8oz more importantly I had learned hundreds of session hours advice in one session. I cannot recommend Paul Bassman Gordon enough, felt like I was fishing with a mate but he would still tell when you needed to modify your approach. Paul without doubt gets just as excited when you land a fish as if it was his own, his fish care is exemplary and its made me think to carry an unhooking mat while wrassing. The tackle, rigs and baits Paul supplies is top notch and no corners are cut with knots and hook points being checked regularly. It was a great way to spend my birthday and if your thinking of booking up with fishingguidesdevon just do it, I have a couple more sessions I want to do with Paul and I know they will improve my shore angling.
Wrassetastic part 2
Well it was time for my second session out with Paul and this time I was joined by long time fishing mate Chris Hodgson. We met up with Paul in the car park and after a short bit of lure shopping from the mobile tackle bag it was time to go chase some Wrasse. We got to the rugged shoreline as the tide began to flood, straight on with the lures and I was quickly hit by a big mackerel, not the target but proof the stick baits were looking good. Then a missed wrasse and with the tide rising it was off to another mark, this time jigged prawn. I was hit hard straight away but the fish took the bait and just made me look bad, this happened for a second time before Paul advised that I fish my bait on the other side of the gully. This time when this angry fish grabbed the bait the advantage was mine and the 3lb fish was soon netted. Chris was now into Wrasse and with Paul pointing out the fish holding spots we were soon getting plenty of action. The tide had reason enough to move again and it was back on with the lures, Paul pointed out the fish zones and sure enough both Chris and I were getting nailed pretty much where he indicated. About this time a huge baitball had formed from fry and a shoal of mackerel roared into the channel smashing into the fry like a jacuzzi, awesome to watch! Next move to a big fish honey hole and soon my bounced prawn was grabbed and a good fish thumbed below, 3lb 9oz made me grin like a Cheshire cat. With the fish on the mat while setting up the camera Chris was bent into a real monster, Paul noticed the crazy bend in the rod and grabbed the net to land another good wrasse. Incredibly this monster weighed 4lb 4oz a beautiful PB for Chris and just right for a double picture. The tide spoiled the party on that spot as we would become cut off if Paul hasn’t advised us it was time to move. The next and final mark was the real icing on the cake and From the off we were getting double hook up as the Wrasse queued up to crunch up our wrasse candy. With our 4hr time up Paul was still encouraging us to keep at it and we decided to stay in for a bit, suitably advised in safety by Paul. Just before he climbed off my rod arched into a real chunky fish that stripped line on a number of occassions. Paul told me to stop milking it and get on with it but as it rolled in the surface we new it was another 4lber and a new PB, yes at 4lb 1oz I was ecstatic and great fish for Paul to depart on in a ” my work is done here” sort of exit. We continued catching fantastic wrasse with a couple more 3lbers using what we had learned from the Wrasseman! The session had yielded 40 wrasse between us and was without a doubt one of our red letter days. This is the second time I have been guided by Paul both times I have felt safe, learned loads and caught fantastic fish. My only concern is he wll get so booked up we won’t get a slot for the next trip, but with gilt head bream and conger trips on the horizon I am sure more fish will Grace our rods. Chris and I cannot thank Paul enough we both have a lifetime of angling under our belts but everyday is a school day with the Bassman and we learned a ton of info on catching these wonderful fish but also on caring for them during capture and release. I have also learned that sporting tackle is far better for enjoying the expereince.
Thanks again mate A**
Steve & Chris
Had a great morning with Paul Bassman Gordon near Kingsbridge. Was on holiday in the area and fancied a go at bass fishing. If anyone would like a bass fishing guide I would highly recommend his services. Friendly and informative we had 10 out in all, 8 on the lure rod. All before 8am!. Have never fished with a lure before and found it exhilerating. Will defo be coming back again thanks Paul for your guidance.
Thanks Paul Bassman Gordon on the guided session last weekend. 10/10 service from start to finish with Paul covering every aspect of the day and doing everything he can to put me on the fish and that’s exactly what he done with well over 20 fish landed and few pigs in there
Wether your a complete novice and new to sea angling or a seasoned angler looking to experience something different from your usual fishing Paul caters for it all! Thoroughly enjoyed the day and learnt a lot in the one session he’s a fountain of knowledge and 100% going to be booking up again!
Esther Dallaway Noah’s Mums review
Can’t recommend Paul highly enough if you want a guided fishing trip. He knows exactly where to go and Noah has loved getting the benefit of his experience. We’ll be coming out with you very soon Paul
A fantastic day out Wrasse Wrestling with Paul, (and my lifelong fishing buddy Steve Dawe). I can honestly say that that if you want to learn a heck of a lot and catch a few fish to boot then Paul is definitely your go to man.
Paul looks after you from the off. He is more enthusiastic about fishing than just about anyone I have ever met and he not only puts you on the fish, he really does what he sets out to do and teaches you how to catch them. Paul feeds you information about the fish, their environment and the best methods for hooking and extracting them.
To be honest, I thought I had set my expectation fairly high. I wanted to catch wrasse on the lure as I had never done any real lure fishing plus I wanted to catch a 3lb wrasse. if you have read Steve’s report above then you will know that our session was a proper red letter day with several 3lb fish and 2 over the 4lb barrier.
The trip also featured in Sea Angler and was rewarded with two “missioned accomplished” badges. All in all a great day with great fishing and big smiles. Definitely mission accomplished by Paul Bassman Gordon.
Can’t recommend Paul Bassman Gordon enough, a really enthusiastic and knowledgable guide. Looking forward to booking up with you again in the not too distant future. Thanks again Paul Bassman Gordon
