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Sunday was a day that didn’t quite go to plan. So far this season with the new boat we’ve only been up to 7 or 8 miles out - learning as we go. All week the weather forecasts for Sunday had looked promising, time to explore further afield. It was a simple enough plan; start early, head off-shore to some of the deeper wrecks, catch fish then come back in to the rough ground for hour or two
The early start went ahead, we knew we were early because we arrived at the same time as Norman who had come down to the marina shortly before 09:00 to give Slinky a clean-up. Thanks for the advice Norman.
Out of the marina, the offshore wind was stronger than Saturday, when it had whipped up a choppy sea. Wary of the conditions we stopped after only three or four miles with two other boats to drift a cluster of wrecks. The drift was too fast and the chop was throwing the boat around bouncing us off things inside it. Time to plod slowly back inshore, seeking shelter from the wind and waves that threw heavy walls of spray over the boat. On the way back the coastguard issued a gale warning; not what the forecasts had shown this morning but it added to the ride.
First drop half a mile from St Mary’s resulted in a 4 pounder within 30 seconds, this looks promising but turned out to be the only keeper for the full drift. Plenty of smaller fish kept the interest up and by the afternoon the wind had eased so we head out to some wrecks off Blyth. A smaller one of these proved productive, giving cod and ling to about 8lbs when you could get down to it through the mackerel. Worm and mackerel bait scored but the shads were untroubled by fish.
One of the coddling landed had a yard of gill net round its neck, some of net had cut into the fish and healed over the net like giant stitches. We cut the fish free and sent it back to the wreck, pleased that the fish had benefitted from being caught.
With the sea a lot calmer, we had a few last drifts over the wrecks we visited earlier. The weather and the fishing were quiet with only a few small coddling and ling around.
It wasn’t the day out that had been planned all week but still a good one. As a final bonus, I’d dropped a pot the night before and brought it in on the way back. Jelly fish stingers covered the pot rope, no pain no gain. Three lovely lobsters were waiting, one undersize, one with a claw missing but the third is chilling out in my freezer.
The early start went ahead, we knew we were early because we arrived at the same time as Norman who had come down to the marina shortly before 09:00 to give Slinky a clean-up. Thanks for the advice Norman.
Out of the marina, the offshore wind was stronger than Saturday, when it had whipped up a choppy sea. Wary of the conditions we stopped after only three or four miles with two other boats to drift a cluster of wrecks. The drift was too fast and the chop was throwing the boat around bouncing us off things inside it. Time to plod slowly back inshore, seeking shelter from the wind and waves that threw heavy walls of spray over the boat. On the way back the coastguard issued a gale warning; not what the forecasts had shown this morning but it added to the ride.
First drop half a mile from St Mary’s resulted in a 4 pounder within 30 seconds, this looks promising but turned out to be the only keeper for the full drift. Plenty of smaller fish kept the interest up and by the afternoon the wind had eased so we head out to some wrecks off Blyth. A smaller one of these proved productive, giving cod and ling to about 8lbs when you could get down to it through the mackerel. Worm and mackerel bait scored but the shads were untroubled by fish.
One of the coddling landed had a yard of gill net round its neck, some of net had cut into the fish and healed over the net like giant stitches. We cut the fish free and sent it back to the wreck, pleased that the fish had benefitted from being caught.
With the sea a lot calmer, we had a few last drifts over the wrecks we visited earlier. The weather and the fishing were quiet with only a few small coddling and ling around.
It wasn’t the day out that had been planned all week but still a good one. As a final bonus, I’d dropped a pot the night before and brought it in on the way back. Jelly fish stingers covered the pot rope, no pain no gain. Three lovely lobsters were waiting, one undersize, one with a claw missing but the third is chilling out in my freezer.
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