Dilbertd
Well-known member
Well went over to Whitehaven to stay at my Mothers house for a few days at the weekend and I got a pass-out from the missus for a few hours. I had planned to fish St Bees Beach just south of Whitehaven looking for my first Bass but the cross wind was too bad so I decided on the west pier instead. First time I had fished the west coast since I was a kid so I was not expecting too much. Well I got to the pier to find it completely empty and blowing an offshore (SE) gale keeping the sea flat but a bit lumpy. Absolutely pi$%ing down as well so I hid behind the lighthouse. Had the pier totally to myself. Anyway I set up one rod with a 2 hook flapper and Moonfleet blow lug I brought over and gave it a go. ... and what a session !
Ended up with 7 Dogfish, 5 small 4 inch whiting, 1 see-though Dab and a 3 inch Codling, all in 2.5 hours. Now the Whiting, Dab and Codling are nowt to shout home about, but the Dogfish ... well considering that until now I had never caught a Dogfish before, then to catch 7 in one session I was well chuffed. 14 fish in total on 1 rod in 2.5 hours.
I have heard that some people seem to take the mick out of Dogfish over there and get sick of them, but they put up one hell of a fight and were better sport than I had had for a while. Most were around 40 to 50 cm without measuring but I did meaure the biggest one and it was 60 cm and must have been getting on for 2 pound.
The Dogfish seemed to have a different kind of bite to most other fish, They did not rattle or knock they seemed to give a couple of big pull downs then a slack line as they writhed about. All of the Dogfish were conveniently lip hooked as well so didn't have to wrestle with them too much.
Some of the Dogfish were double shots too with Dogfish and Dab or Dogfish and Whiting. You could see the little knocks develop from the small fish then you could see when the Dogfish grabbed the other hook !
Weird thing is that when I used to fish Whitehaven all the time (back in the late 70's early 80's) Dogfish were never caught, now the place seems to overrun with them
Whitehaven is definitely recommended if like me you have never caught a Doggy before
(But not too good for other fish though 
).
The piers are generally quite on a Saturday as well, but can get busy on Sunday when the weekly White Horse Sea Angling Club comps usually run.
Pics of a couple of the Doggies are attached but I forgot to get a pic of the biggest one
Could not manage a Coddy until the very last cast with the one very last Lug on one of the hooks then I got the little 3 inch Codling just to prove that they were there
Need to get back there again
Ended up with 7 Dogfish, 5 small 4 inch whiting, 1 see-though Dab and a 3 inch Codling, all in 2.5 hours. Now the Whiting, Dab and Codling are nowt to shout home about, but the Dogfish ... well considering that until now I had never caught a Dogfish before, then to catch 7 in one session I was well chuffed. 14 fish in total on 1 rod in 2.5 hours.
I have heard that some people seem to take the mick out of Dogfish over there and get sick of them, but they put up one hell of a fight and were better sport than I had had for a while. Most were around 40 to 50 cm without measuring but I did meaure the biggest one and it was 60 cm and must have been getting on for 2 pound.
The Dogfish seemed to have a different kind of bite to most other fish, They did not rattle or knock they seemed to give a couple of big pull downs then a slack line as they writhed about. All of the Dogfish were conveniently lip hooked as well so didn't have to wrestle with them too much.
Some of the Dogfish were double shots too with Dogfish and Dab or Dogfish and Whiting. You could see the little knocks develop from the small fish then you could see when the Dogfish grabbed the other hook !
Weird thing is that when I used to fish Whitehaven all the time (back in the late 70's early 80's) Dogfish were never caught, now the place seems to overrun with them
Whitehaven is definitely recommended if like me you have never caught a Doggy before
(But not too good for other fish though ).The piers are generally quite on a Saturday as well, but can get busy on Sunday when the weekly White Horse Sea Angling Club comps usually run.
Pics of a couple of the Doggies are attached but I forgot to get a pic of the biggest one
Could not manage a Coddy until the very last cast with the one very last Lug on one of the hooks then I got the little 3 inch Codling just to prove that they were there
Need to get back there again
