The Team
On such an undertaking, you need a tight crew, a group who can tolerate each other, ignore the small things and give as much banter as they can take. In way of introduction...Jon Pratt and I have fished together for years - In Uk Rivers and salt, the seas of Africa, America and the Pacific. It was Jon who introduced me to Tomo 3 years ago, the night that I first raised the idea of Bassas!
Recently Jon had taken a job in Oz and I’d really missed our usual fishing antics. It was great he could make it back to his mates, not that Jon usually turns down an adventure. Jon has been there since the begining of my journey in saltwater flyfishing. While he is truely a Jonah when it comes to packing the weather, having him with us on a trip, rained or blown out is better than any weather perfect trip without him. I can't comment on any trip with perfect weather and with him as this is simply a contradiction.
Jonathan Tomlinson or Tomo for short, like him, also managed to convince me to go to Belize that year. We had an awesome trip, both sharing an unreasonable infatuation with permit, we landed our first on the fly on the same day sharing a boat. That bonds never been broken and as best mates, living down the road from each other, it’s had a very positive effect on the local pubs and butchers bottom line. The run up to this trip and our recent boat building experience has lead to Thursdays being renamed Tomo Thursdays and my spare room, Tomos cottage. It does worry me slightly that his shower gel seems to have taken permanant resedency in our bathroom but it isnt a toothbrush so my fiancée Emma has no need to worry.
Brian Lavery, while a self confessed Blue Water Virgin, is no Jessie when it comes to a fly rod. He’s a passionate angler for all things wild and the four of us together have spent many a night chasing Sea Trout, many a day chasing salmon, brownies and bass. I'll add a few hours on the river banks enjoying a single malt, or "Happy Henry Juice" as he calls it. If it’s wild and swims he’s after it. He’s also annoyingly one of those anglers that if it’s in a puddle he’ll catch it. Brian has a lovely family and doesn’t spend much time away from them. He’d always threatened to come on one of our trips but never been unable to make it because of the time commitment. I nearly chocked when the phone rang and Brian eloquently told me he wanted in and couldn’t take listening to us babble on about the experiences. I think he was after some tame flats stuff but we had a very different plan! I couldn’t wait to finally justify the nights of enthusiastic tales about spooled reels and screaming drags.
I first met Steve Pengelly “Pengas” in Belize. He’s a real character who I affectionately refer to as the old man of the sea. I've thoroughly enjoyed boat time with him in Mexico, Africa and Belize as well as the recollection of a multitude of rum establishments that have nicked valuable pieces of memory. He has a lot of traditional fishing experience in wild places like Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Tanzania to name a few. He’ always up for a craic and is simply one of the boys, often showing us a thing or two! He and my Father could cover the Jigging Popping and trolling angle in and out. I fondly remember Pengas insisting in being involved in a Belizian cocktail called the Lizzard Juice wearing a pink bowtie and being the only one up for repeating the experience the next day. A true asset to the crew.
Those that know me, generally know my father, Terry Henry. He introduced me to fishing when I was born and we now share the passion. I learnt everything I knew about fishing from my dad and it’s taken us around the world together making my best memories, those of our adventures. We’re best friends and I just can’t imagine having this experience without him.
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