June 2nd

[Mike Fox]

Popped out to a mark or three in the vicinity of the Spoil Grounds off Old Harry, to see if something interesting was out there, and saw a few other club boats too with similar ideas.

 

Arrived at the last of the flood, and drifted the first mark at about 0.3 knots...in a blue sky, and flat sea with no wind. Idyllic conditions, apart from this scummy brown water that made a bait (or string of feathers) disappear quickly. May Water, methinks?

 

A couple of doggies showed on mackerel chunk, intended for something bigger, but that was it. Squid remained untouched, as did launce. The feathers did nothing.

 

There wasn't enought tide to anchor safely, and wanted the ebb to start properly before lobbing it down, so moved to another lump (actually a bit of an underwater cliff) and managed to anchor it spot on, so you could feel your baits trundle back, then drop....but again just doggies. Carol had a fat doggie of 2lb 4oz, but that was the best of a slim bunch. One mackerel eventually showed...and was slipped onto a livebait rig, and slipped back into the depths, but to no use, other than it seemed to have a personal mission to tangle all of the other lines

 

We moved again, then went inshore off Ballard for ray, but again, it was dead, with just one doggie here.

 

We eventually decided Carol had won the day, but the best part was some decent weather for a change, and seeing a few friendly club boats out.

 

Chatted with a few on Channel 6, and there seemed general agreement that the mackerel (and proper fish) were hard work. Even the commercial boats were struggling to find them.

 

Mike

[great white]

Well done Mike

 

It has been so long since we went out, that we may have forgotten how its done soon.

 

Charlie