Inspired by Colin MacLeod's 'Off the Coast' series in FF&FT, a recent visit to my family, who were staying on the coast of Suffolk, meant that I had to take a fly rod with me 'just in case'.

My hopes weren't that high, as here the water always seems too turbid to fish a fly, but I managed to pick up an old OS map of the area at a car boot sale the week before I departed and it showed a sizeable, wide river mouth sweeping in, around and behind a long, pebble breakwater. Maybe there would be mullet in the estuary?

I emailed Colin and told him about my concern over the water turbidity, and he advised fishing on the flood tide, starting as soon as it began to turn, as that would mean the water would be at its clearest.

Of course, later that week, I just happened to be there, standing on the stones of the river's mouth as the tide crept in. We couldn't wade – it was too muddy and we only had walking shoes on, but perhaps that wouldn't matter.

It wasn't long before I saw a boil at the surface. Just eight yards out, close to the weed. Using a cast of Colin's favoured red-headed Diawl Bach and a Shrimp pattern, I figure-eighted the flies across the line of the fish, assuming it was heading up into the estuary. Nothing. Dave, my brother-in-law was fishing a white fry-style pattern 40 yards farther up river. Another fish swirled at the near edge of the weeds, four yards out. I cast again and coiled the line back. If these had been buzzer-feeding trout, I'm certain I'd have hooked up, but they weren't ... and I didn't. We saw a number of fish swirl around the marginal weeds, but couldn't get a response, apart from a swirl as Dave's fry pattern. As the tide began to sweep in, the water became ever more coloured and we saw no more fish. Hmmm. Time to get back for an ice cream, and a bit of detective work.

My first clue came on the hike back. I met a friendly local who was beach-casting from the breakwater, he was targetting big bass, but told me both smaller bass and mullet could be found in the estuary, and, on very high tides, when the low flats between the breakwater and the sea wall flooded.

Later that day, a trip into into Saxmundham meant we could seek out the tackle shop. Here we found a mine of information. The guy running the shop had actually fished the stretch before, but with ragworm, on a very light float set-up "the fish you are seeing a very probably bass", he confirmed, as we departed with a quarter of lively ragworm.

"Don't make the mistake most make", he advised. "You don't need to cast any distance at all".

So, early the next morning we are back on the breakwater. My fly rod is fitted with a small fixed spool, a bubble-float, a size 8 hook, and a piece of ragworm. Bait? Never forget your roots, dear reader, as I see the colour drain from your face.

I'm not getting any bites. Despite the bait. It's raining hard. And we continue to fish our way along the river wall. My feet and legs are soaking wet and now becoming coated in mud. Where are the fish? I can see Dave thinking: whose idea was this? Uh oh! The tide's is now rising fast and I'm on the verge of giving up, when I come across a hole in the sea wall. The sea is rushing through the gap and spilling into the marshland behind. Tides past have scoured a large, deep pool just inside the wall, flooding the marsh. I remember what the friendly beachcaster had told me. I shout down to Dave, "This is where they'll be!" First cast, and my bubble float shoots away and I'm into a fish, a bass of about 1lb. The next cast, another bite. A second bass follows, and then, a third. I give Dave the baited rod and start fishing the fly rod – a sink-tip and put on a Clouser Deep Minnow in Brown & White. The tide has just started to turn and flow out of the marsh, pouring back through the hole in the wall. Whilst counting the Clouser down, the line tightens. I miss the take 'on the drop'. I cast up into the 'pool' and let the fly sink deep on a tight line as the current draws it back towards me. Meanwhile, Dave catches a couple of bass on the ragworm. They are definitely here, in numbers. Despite the muddy water, surely one will encounter the fly?

Eventually, one does. It hits the Clouser hard 'on the drop'. This is a better fish. It cavorts around the pool and fights deep and on landing we see it's a bass of 2lb. Brilliant! I never thought I'd get a fish off the east coast on fly. It's my most satisfying fish of the season.