Introducing Tidework! What you can expect from us!
Thankyou for checking out the first ever Tidework blog. No words of appreciation could ever say enough!
This first blog describes Tideworks origins & why I, (Lyle Swan) the founder became obsessed with sea which led me to create the Tidework brand.
If you’re dedicated to the sea, fishing & protecting our fisheries then stick around. There is plenty more to come. I hope to inspire you to get outside, go fishing, go surfing or to enjoy the sea in some way and experience all the amazing benefits it has to offer.
I was given the gift of enjoying the water from my Dad and I am passing that on to you. If you’re looking for a sign to get out there in the salt, this is it!
Whats behind the name?
Tidework is a collective noun that describes the dedication, obsession, passion, time and sacrifice that all anglers go through to catch a fish.
Tidework is founded on the hard & grueling work it takes to find, catch & return a fish. But to a fisherman, that is what it takes - a lot of work around the tides.
Are you an angler? If so, how much of your time do you actually spend hooked up to a fish? I would hazard a guess that 98% of your time fishing is not spent fighting a fish. This is a weird concept to get around for a non-angler, and hard to describe as an angler, but all that time spent doesn’t matter when you finally catch that fish and release it. That is the essence of Tidework. The work people don’t see behind your grip and grin selfies.
Tidework; noun Work that an angler puts in to catch a fish on a lure. Typically involving, exploration, discovery, research, action, failure and finally execution (catching a fish)
If you resonate with any of the above, you are fully aware of what it takes to bring a fish onto the shore, take a photo and return it and I respect you and your efforts massively. This blog, website, brand, is for you. Tidework is here to recognise the collective efforts all anglers put in to catch their prize fish.
The origin story
First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Lyle, and I would describe myself as a driven and adventurous person. I've been Bass fishing on lures for 4 years now and love getting up close and personal with nature. Fishing and surfing are the reason I'm doing what I am, living in Cornwall, working remote, and writing this blog! On with the story.
My brother (left), Dad (Middle) and me holding Bass that dad had caught. A core memory!
All through my life, the sea has been a massive influence. During my childhood, Dad, (a single father) took my brother and I down to the sea whenever he could, after school, weekends, sometimes even in the morning before school or work. I learnt to love it and the sea formed the bedrock of our family.
Dad had the bug for the sea and spent his formative years fishing and surfing the Brighton and Shoreham beaches. Growing up, we lived near Brighton and as a result, I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy all the wonders of the sea nearly everyday.
Dad taught me how to fish, how to surf and how to skateboard. All of this was so crucial to who I have now become and I am endlessly grateful for it.
During my teenage years, I never wanted to be part of the football team or school sports or whatever, I just wanted to surf, fish and skate! So, through my teenage years I was focussed on those three things.
University came around, and naturally I chose Falmouth University to study at. It had it all, the U.K’s best surf nearby, some of the U.K’s best bass fishing and just a way of life to die for.. or I should be saying.. It had the best campus facilities.. or whatever! lol
Through uni, I spent all the spare time and money I had going surfing and fishing. I didn't have much of either, as I was working two jobs to pay the bills. I needed to make the most of the time I had so I ended up making endless plans, strategies and theories about how to improve my fishing results. This has had a big effect on my fishing as I now tend to analyse the hell out of every session, before and after in the pursuit of more & bigger fish!
The surfing and study went great. I fell further in love with surfing and got really involved in product design and sustainability (what I was studying) which I am very passionate about still now.
The fishing did struggle. I was using crap gear, had crap technique and was losing tackle left right and center. But I had a dream, and that was to catch a Bass on a lure. It never happened within the 3-4 years I was there, much to my friends' constant amusement. I kept at it though and slowly but surely improved my craft, knowledge and skill.
Post uni, covid hit, I moved back to Brighton and started to fish the Sussex coast again. This time, with better tackle and a better understanding of what I was up against in terms of Bass lure fishing.
The first Bass
A lovely Sussex Bass that fell to a Savage gear panic prey worked across a flowing section of current
Here is how my first Bass capture went down.
I was stationed at the mark 2hrs before low tide, targeting fish that would be traveling past as the water drained away.
There I was, walking the dog, (a retrieval method for topwater lures) tap tap tap.. BANG!!! FISH ON!!! Adrenaline pumping, I set the hook, I couldn’t believe it, I had a Bass on.
The take was incredible, it’s still one of the best topwater takes I have ever had. A huge, wide open mouth erupted from the water's surface and took the lure. I could see right down its wide open mouth as it engulfed it near whole.
The fish tore off with the lure, peeling drag, with the tell tail bass head shakes pulsing through the rod. I landed the bass but I was trembling with adrenaline that was now dripping from my ears.
After removing the hooks, I held the fish in the shallow water and admired my catch.
I was very emotional, considering the years that went into catching that fish, I couldn’t quite believe it had finally happened.
I returned the fish to the water and it swam off strong. At that moment I realised this is what it’s all about, I was now ready to dedicate my life to catching fish.
Needless to say I was even more hooked on lure fishing. After all that time with very limited results, I finally felt like I had begun to crack nature's secret code. This feeling I’m sure has been felt by all of you experienced fishermen reading this. I was entering into a new world of understanding and connection to the sea, it was really really empowering actually and did wonders for my sense of purpose, all those years of fishing had finally been worth it.
After that session, I then had a framework to build on. I knew at that mark that fish might be present at that tide state and condition. But of course this was just the tip of the iceberg. So many other factors were contributing to my session's success rate that I wasn’t aware of: rainfall, moon phase, tide size, bait movement and so much more.
Bass fishing in Cornwall
I moved back to Cornwall, following my lifelong ambition to do so. I knew this would give me the perfect opportunity to accelerate my bass fishing knowledge and really refine my watercraft.
Cornwall has some amazing fishing and I was dead keen to apply what I had learnt back in Sussex to the marks I had spent years exploring and pinning on Apple maps while I was studying.
It didn't take long to catch a fish, just a matter of days after moving down I was into a fish. This time, I adopted the approach of ‘crossing off’ sets of conditions at a small range of marks. For example, 3hrs down to low and late in the evening. If I found fish, great, if not, even better, all I had to do was visit on a different set of conditions until I found fish. Of course, there are other factors at play as many of you know but this gave me a quick method to establish where fish were or weren't in general.
The first Cornish Bass, falling to the same SG Panic Prey!
The first Cornish bass I caught fell again to the trusty Savage gear prey 135, over a small estuary beach, near high tide. I had been fishing for about 3 hours and I was on my last cast when BOOM, the fish took the lure! It was a nice fish which gave a really strong account for itself.
Using the Cluedo style of crossing off conditions, I now have a range of marks which I’m confident in and that span a range of conditions. So given a certain wind or other conditions such as morning or night, I can head to where there is fish!
Since then, I have met some really good mates through fishing, Including @Cornwallangler who I have had the pleasure of sharing many many sessions with. Having a close friend has really helped both of us to improve quicker. Sharing thoughts and ideas and implementing them together has been one of the key ingredients to catching more fish for me.
Over the last four years In Cornwall have built up my knowledge and gained experience fishing for bass on lures that has resulted in annual numbers of fish into the 300’s, counting the decent fish. I feel confident enough now to provide information and advice that others could benefit from, hence the birth of Tidework and this blog.
What can you expect from Tidework in the future?
In upcoming blogs, I'm excited to share with you a range of tips, how-to guides, and innovative products designed to enhance your fishing experience and help you catch more fish than ever before. As an avid fisherman and skilled product designer, I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge and expertise to help you get the most out of your time on the water. Whether you're an experienced angler or just starting out, my goal is to provide you with the tools and resources you need to truly enjoy the sea and all it has to offer.
Thanks for reading this intro blog, I massively appreciate your time and attention and hope that you're keen to stick around for more!
Dont forget to check out our other blogs too!
Thanks for reading,
