A new one for Tony today ... but we'll get to that later
Been watching the weather with interest all week, whilst everyones been overheated with almost record breaking temparatures the "general " weather forecasts had predicted a decidingly awful weekend with wind, rain and storms. Saturday ("Our Day") was singled out as the one most likely to be hit ... devastating news ...... unless, you also follow (and hold true) to our good old favourite XCWeather which in contrast to other local and national forecasts continued to show an improving Day for Saturday ........
With this we kept an open mind and, hand on heart decided to keep the options open right up until first light Saturday which would then become the deciding moment. Not an easy thing to do keeping your options open ..... with a view to 4.00am start this means no or little alchohol and merrymaking friday night and ever the thought that it may still be canceled anyway. (wasting a perfectly good friday night )
Anyhow, 3.00am came and the alarm went off with me waking to find a dry and almost still day ... well, at home anyway the final test would by 4.00am Tynemouth looking out on the sea.
Low and behold the sea looked flat the wind was Northerly about 5mph (as predicted by XCW) and the temperature was not hot , but not chilled.
So, after a quick text to crew it was a 4.15am meet-up at marina with fuel up and trip out in double fast time.
It was quiet out there today but then again at 4.15 am on a day the forecasts all said it would be stormy, I suppose it does make sense
Off to the usual 3 mile marks to check out the mackerel and "bang" Tony was into our first of the season, all four hooks .....
Off a little further to a favourite wreck of the season and great stuff, still a fair amount of fish around all about the 4-5 lb mark.
Not wanting to be greedy on the same wreck we decided to push further out in search of maybe larger fish ....... great choice we now were in the 7lb bracket (maybe 8lb if there were time to weigh them )
Great Wreck this one which I think we should have remamed today as "Snaggle Rock" as it was a greedy thing for lead .......
Then what appeared to be another Snag for Tone turned out to be a fish as it slowley gave up the cover of the wreck ..... one moment he claimed it as "a Big one", then "no its not fighting it's a rock", then "no it is a fish and very weighty ........."
Up came a new species for Tony a delightful Wolfish ........
We decided fairly quickly that alough they are classed as good eating neither of us was going to eat this one so it had to go back ........
This of course meant getting the hook back out of its mouth with as little damage as possible (Damage to Slinky Crew that is )
Goodness when you got the pliers in its mouth to get the hook it just bit on them .... what a bite, fingers wouldnt last long in there
After a struggle we managed to return it unharmed to the deep ...... wonderful fish ... well done Tone.
The fishing was extreme today with fairly high tackle losses (Snaggle Rock Wreck) but the catch was also extreme, so much so that by 10.30am we were exhausted with a full box of Cod/Codling Coley and Mackerel and decided to return (for a rest )
Great day out against all the prevailing bad Forecasts (except XCWeather)
thanks for reading, and remember check XC before that last decision
Just a few pics of the day ......
Marina all Quiet ... and Charter boats empty but at the ready .............
Of course it was silly O'clock as per the marina Clock Tower
The first Slinky Mackerel of the season ..... all four hooks for Tony ...
A Nice Brace of Cod pulled in together on Slinky Shads ...
Tony and his First Wolfish .....
What a pair of Jaws this Fish Has And Look at the teeth ! (the fish has big ones as well)
And Finally Safely Back to go hunt again .....
Decent Fish All round today, just a couple of pics .....
And for Tone ...
Good result after a concerned weather watch all week
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed ..... and well done to Tone on the Wolfish
Mark, Lynn, get yerselves ready for the Tyne ... it's coming alive .....
norm
Been watching the weather with interest all week, whilst everyones been overheated with almost record breaking temparatures the "general " weather forecasts had predicted a decidingly awful weekend with wind, rain and storms. Saturday ("Our Day") was singled out as the one most likely to be hit ... devastating news ...... unless, you also follow (and hold true) to our good old favourite XCWeather which in contrast to other local and national forecasts continued to show an improving Day for Saturday ........
With this we kept an open mind and, hand on heart decided to keep the options open right up until first light Saturday which would then become the deciding moment. Not an easy thing to do keeping your options open ..... with a view to 4.00am start this means no or little alchohol and merrymaking friday night and ever the thought that it may still be canceled anyway. (wasting a perfectly good friday night )
Anyhow, 3.00am came and the alarm went off with me waking to find a dry and almost still day ... well, at home anyway the final test would by 4.00am Tynemouth looking out on the sea.
Low and behold the sea looked flat the wind was Northerly about 5mph (as predicted by XCW) and the temperature was not hot , but not chilled.
So, after a quick text to crew it was a 4.15am meet-up at marina with fuel up and trip out in double fast time.
It was quiet out there today but then again at 4.15 am on a day the forecasts all said it would be stormy, I suppose it does make sense
Off to the usual 3 mile marks to check out the mackerel and "bang" Tony was into our first of the season, all four hooks .....
Off a little further to a favourite wreck of the season and great stuff, still a fair amount of fish around all about the 4-5 lb mark.
Not wanting to be greedy on the same wreck we decided to push further out in search of maybe larger fish ....... great choice we now were in the 7lb bracket (maybe 8lb if there were time to weigh them )
Great Wreck this one which I think we should have remamed today as "Snaggle Rock" as it was a greedy thing for lead .......
Then what appeared to be another Snag for Tone turned out to be a fish as it slowley gave up the cover of the wreck ..... one moment he claimed it as "a Big one", then "no its not fighting it's a rock", then "no it is a fish and very weighty ........."
Up came a new species for Tony a delightful Wolfish ........
We decided fairly quickly that alough they are classed as good eating neither of us was going to eat this one so it had to go back ........
This of course meant getting the hook back out of its mouth with as little damage as possible (Damage to Slinky Crew that is )
Goodness when you got the pliers in its mouth to get the hook it just bit on them .... what a bite, fingers wouldnt last long in there
After a struggle we managed to return it unharmed to the deep ...... wonderful fish ... well done Tone.
The fishing was extreme today with fairly high tackle losses (Snaggle Rock Wreck) but the catch was also extreme, so much so that by 10.30am we were exhausted with a full box of Cod/Codling Coley and Mackerel and decided to return (for a rest )
Great day out against all the prevailing bad Forecasts (except XCWeather)
thanks for reading, and remember check XC before that last decision
Just a few pics of the day ......
Marina all Quiet ... and Charter boats empty but at the ready .............
Of course it was silly O'clock as per the marina Clock Tower
The first Slinky Mackerel of the season ..... all four hooks for Tony ...
A Nice Brace of Cod pulled in together on Slinky Shads ...
Tony and his First Wolfish .....
What a pair of Jaws this Fish Has And Look at the teeth ! (the fish has big ones as well)
And Finally Safely Back to go hunt again .....
Decent Fish All round today, just a couple of pics .....
And for Tone ...
Good result after a concerned weather watch all week
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed ..... and well done to Tone on the Wolfish
Mark, Lynn, get yerselves ready for the Tyne ... it's coming alive .....
norm
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