Dover Sole - Seaham Pier Friday 27th Sept

[Hadji Kareem]

Well I hit the pier this morning with Blackrat and a mate around 8am armed with rag squid, muscle, macky and sprat. Walked to about half way and settled in to watch the sea and put the worlds to right between us. After a quick coffee decided to change my bait for fresh and realised something was on the line. Reeling in I thought it was seaweed as it was a dead weight with no fight. Just as it hit the surface Blackrat said it was a fish although I couldn't see it. What we thought was a lemon sole turned out to be a Dover Sole. Gutted, cleaned and ready for the pan it weighed in at 1lb 8oz. Mate canny day out! Roll on dinner time. (Pic to follow when I've worked out how to post it)

 

[Hadji Kareem]

 

[codseeker]

nice surprise enjoy ya meal

 

[fishingmark]

Nice one mate, that's the third one in a couple of weeks that I've seen around these parts. The sea fishing bit on Tight Lines on Sky last weekend said that there were loads of them up the East coast lately. Enjoy.

 

[toonboymc]

lovely fish m8 welldone i caught 1 2 weeks ago on shields pier leave it in fridge for a couple of days then skin it beatiful m8 a good size that 1 aswell

 

[blackrat]

Well done Kev, even though you tried your best to lose it, shaken it off thinking it was weed. Your face was a picture when I said watch out for its teeth and poisonous spines. Oh how you soon dropped it lol.

 

[Hadji Kareem]

Black Rat. Is that a comment from El blanko??
Skinned. Washed now where's my cook books. Fanny Craddock step aside.

 

[pop39]

try and leave it till tomorow mate it will taste better . Cracking fish by the way mate

 

[cod magnet]

black rat. Is that a comment from el blanko??
Skinned. Washed now where's my cook books. Fanny craddock step aside.

hope ya not making doughnuts , well done on the sole

 

[Stewart 1971]

Belter of a Sole, well done. Used to catch loads of them when I lived on the south coast, as has been said leave it in the fridge for a day or two; fresh they are a bit meh but after ageing for a bit they have a load more taste to them

 

[Hadji Kareem]

Tomorrow it is. No where's that takeaway menu

 

[Joe-m]

that's a belter well done

 

[mick dunn]

well done Kev that's a rare fish to catch.

Mick.

 

[gary1965]

nice fish mate wonder if sole could be caught more often if targeted on our coast

 

[Joe-m]

nice fish mate wonder if sole could be caught more often if targeted on our coast

Used to get a lot in the nets so they are there

 

[Stewart 1971]

nice fish mate wonder if sole could be caught more often if targeted on our coast

You tend to need to use quite specific rigs and tactics for Sole: short casts in darkness, small (size 4 or size 6) hooks on very short snoods nailed to the bottom. Ragworm or lugworm for bait. Doesn't lend itself to general fishing up here in the NE.

That said I've caught a few by accident when fishing for other species, including one off Pagham beach in a raging sea in daylight at long range using a 4/0 pennel rig stuffed with ragworm targetting cod and Bass