The Amputee Angler

01/01/2026

2025 is DONE ✅

Very much a year of two halves for me, and I think for many in my area as well.

The first half of the year started off really well, with lots of nice pollack, including plenty of doubles to our boat for myself and those I fished with. We also found bass on most wrecks at times alongside these.

I got to fish Kingmere Reef again for old times’ sake and bagged up on plenty of bream, but the bigger fish of old, the 4–5lb fish, didn’t show. With only one session on it, that was always a big ask. Next year 🤞🏻

Float fishing for bass was something I said I would do more of, and we did just that along with more live baiting. We had some great fun and introduced John and others to the enjoyment that can be had doing this. In between those sessions, we did a bit of the freshwater stuff too, though not as much as I had hoped. Then of course it was another great year for the squid 🦑, and we also caught a few turbot. Nothing special, but caught nonetheless.

Sadly though, the weather has been some of the worst I have known here in Sussex, and it stopped play for weeks, even months on end, in the second half of the year. Then of course we sold EZ Living to make way for our new one 🛥️

2026 is full of promise though, and will hopefully see lots being achieved, as long as that weather turns a corner.

A huge thanks to everyone who has supported me, both those who follow my journey here and on YouTube, and to our sponsors for their support along the way too.

I genuinely appreciate you all, and I’m really looking forward to taking you along for the ride in the coming weeks and months 🙌🏻

Happy New Year 🥳

Ben

31/12/2025

The Amputee Angler Report 🖊️ 📔

Back in the game BABY 🙌🏻

Today was going to be a solo maiden run out for the boat and go and see what’s occurring after months out the boat game but I bumped into Phil from the Antsey sea anglers who was also going solo and said jump on - So off we went 🎣

Always a funny old game January I find and even more so after so long out but after snatching a few small Pollack I went to one wreck that’s always been good to me in the past and it did OK again today 👌🏻

Ended up on a Dozen Pollack for the Two of us, no monsters biggest about 7lb ish and all smaller male fish with no bigger females but a great day on the water and of course on the new boat that performed lovely!

Cheers to Phil for the great company.

Ben

28/12/2025

A common sight further West but these days here in Sussex these are extremely rare all though once common place. Ironically over fished in the same way the spurs were here through the 80s/90s

This caught locally by Steve Eason close into the piers at Brighton in shallow water and to my eyes looks incredibly emaciated and hungry!

With the exception of one at Rye last year I haven’t seen any caught here that I know of for many a year.

Though they do still linger as I have seen them on recent dive videos on some of our wrecks but way out in the channel.

(It’s a Ling)

26/12/2025

A nice but chilly Boxing Day walk down my local beach this morning with the little lady.

The fisheries patrol vessel “Traffalgar Sentinel” is currently lurking in tight, and judging by the wavy looking horizon in the distance, it doesn’t fancy getting thrown about all day out back. It looks lumpy offshore, with these strong NE winds providing shelter in tight but making it a no-go zone further out.

Worth noting that nearly all of the work done on the “beach restoration” has already been undone, and it’s pretty much flat the entire way down now, as always seems to be the case after they spend endless hours and a million pounds banking it all up.

Hope you all had a great day yesterday 🙌🏻 Strong NE winds again next week, but I might try and run out in tight for some herrings if I can 👌🏻

24/12/2025

From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas 🎅🎄

Some of you will be with family, some alone, and some will even be fishing, I’m sure. But I hope it’s a good one for you all, whatever you choose to do, and that this festive break is a great one 🙌🏻

Ben

22/12/2025

The chances of a sink hole opening up on a canal and draining it completely dumping your canal boat on the dry bottom are SLIM.

But never zero 😅

Edit - They now say it was bank collapse not a sink hole 🕳️

20/12/2025

The day has arrived 🥳

Huge thank you to all of you have shown an interest in this, genuinely i have been stopped and asked about what I was getting at least a dozen times including in the post office line last week 😂

I cover it in the video but big thanks to Terry for going above and beyond with this and to John for as always being a priceless friend and making these days at sea fun and for all the help getting her here.

We are going into new year with an absolute weapon of a boat and I can’t wait to take you along for the ride folks through the filming at sea.

Sea Mistress 2 is here 🙌🏻

Welcome aboard Sea Mistress 2, my new Quicksilver 675 Pilothouse.She’s an absolute beauty of a boat, and I can’t wait to get back out there fishing those off...

19/12/2025

Today 19 December we remember the valiant crew of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne, courageous men who freely gave their lives in a bid to save others in hurricane force 12 winds on 19 December 1981.

Coxswain William Trevelyan Richards, Second Coxswain/Mechanic Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Blewett, Crew member Charles Greenhaugh, Crew member Kevin Smith, Crew member Barrie Torrie, Crew member Gary Wallis.

Lieutenant Commander Russell Smith, the pilot of the Sea King helicopter, who watched the rescue attempt from above, recounted:

‘The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee crew. They were truly the bravest eight men I've ever seen, who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.

Our thoughts today lie with the families and friends of the 16 who perished that dreadful night aboard the Solomon Browne and the Union Star.

(Extract taken from the penlee lifeboat page)

18/12/2025

One from last winter I think this was Solo out the back and beyond working some wrecks that don’t see a line to often and having some great fun on the Pollack.

Again though playing nice and slowly to get as much of that gas out as possible and ensuring a healthy fish reaches the surface ready to go back with minimal fuss.

“Play them slow and back they will go”

Ben

17/12/2025

A small window of a few hours was there this morning before some heavy wind was due to start after 9am so we managed to nip the new boat round to Eastbourne first thing just in time to catch a glorious sunrise and hit the last of the flat sea for a while again!

By sheer coincidence we passed my friend Tom the commercial fisherman who was steaming his new boat back from Hastings to Newhaven.

A lovely 4 aside scallop dredger, so expect some different commercial content in the new year once he’s all settled in with her.

I shall film the new boat Friday and have it out at some point in the next week 🙌🏻

Ben

16/12/2025

This weeks round up is now live 🙌🏻

Another weekly round-up here, with some bass and pollack regulations chat, along with a boat update for you all, and a quick chat about Matt at Saltwater Ang...