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Epic because it was so lovely out on the water that day. The sun shone, the skies were blue all day, it was almost flat calm, the murky water had been replaced with crystal clear water, the drift speeds were perfect, the fish obliged and I saw a pair of Minke whales heading north and a huge pod of white beak dolphins heading south. Best day of the year!
It wasn't an auspicious start though. Out of nowhere a brisk northwesterly breeze sprang up, just as I was leaving Amble marina, and created an uncomfortable chop. I was beginning to think this was going to be a repeat of Saturday's incorrect forecast. I ended up tucking into the lee at Seaton Point where there were loads of small codling to 4lb.
After a while, the breeze died and I started to explore a few marks that I had not been to, or had rarely visited, such as the kelp beds off Boulmer, and then it was on to Craster. The reefs were giving small codling still, so I ventured a bit deeper and got a small ling off the rough ground in about 80 feet of water. Then it was to some marks closer inshore by Craster, and there were some nice pollack around, and some coalies, with the biggest being a good pound and a half. Great fun in 15-20 feet of water. I could see the fog starting to form, so I bagged up on some really large mackerel for the table and high-tailed it back to the marina, getting in around 7pm.
The whales and dolphins were all spotted off Craster, and very visible to people onshore. Reading Alan Skinners page (JFK 2) , he too had seen this pod last Saturday on a10 hour long pelagic watching trip.
It wasn't an auspicious start though. Out of nowhere a brisk northwesterly breeze sprang up, just as I was leaving Amble marina, and created an uncomfortable chop. I was beginning to think this was going to be a repeat of Saturday's incorrect forecast. I ended up tucking into the lee at Seaton Point where there were loads of small codling to 4lb.
After a while, the breeze died and I started to explore a few marks that I had not been to, or had rarely visited, such as the kelp beds off Boulmer, and then it was on to Craster. The reefs were giving small codling still, so I ventured a bit deeper and got a small ling off the rough ground in about 80 feet of water. Then it was to some marks closer inshore by Craster, and there were some nice pollack around, and some coalies, with the biggest being a good pound and a half. Great fun in 15-20 feet of water. I could see the fog starting to form, so I bagged up on some really large mackerel for the table and high-tailed it back to the marina, getting in around 7pm.
The whales and dolphins were all spotted off Craster, and very visible to people onshore. Reading Alan Skinners page (JFK 2) , he too had seen this pod last Saturday on a10 hour long pelagic watching trip.
I saw some Minke whales many years ago at first all I heard was one of them exhaling, sounded like a massive tyre leaking 
got quite a shock.
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