Alderney 2025

[Graham Nash]

sounds like a great weekend.

[great white]

Hi All

 

Dave and Adam both asked if I fancied another go at an Alderney trip, so we looked at dates

Decided that the best was going on 20th June. Back Mon 23rd

 

My crew is not really available, and Dave has lost one.

So I have grabbed a ride on Reel Magic with Dave and Mark.

 

Adam has a crew, so we have at least one buddy boat.

 

Anyone else fancy that weekend?

 

Charlie

[Steve S]

Weather permitting Tigerfish will make the trip on the 20th or 21st. It's looking possible ATM

 

[great white]

Well the weather scuppered another try for most of us.

 

Dave and Adam took the decision mid week, that the wind and wave forecasts were a bit too high and unsettled. Steve's boat rides the waves better so he decided to go.

 

What to do??

Go fishing of course. Sat was the best day so Dave organised a good crew to meet up at 7.

 

Dave Chris Kev and I were all keen to get out and set off early to see what the sea state was like. " Its fine" says captain Dave so we settle in for 20 miles to the first shipwreck.

Thankfully the weather was not as hot as the past few days.

 

Then we started a pattern of several drifts, a few nice fish, then move on. With a target of drifting a big wreck at slack with bait.

 

We shared several pollack to 14.5 lb. 4 bass and even a small cod for Kevin to take home to Bath.

 

All to soon it was 5pm and time to head home.

 

It had been a great day, with three good mates.

What a crack, lots of fun banter and some fishes to clean and share

 

 

Thanks Dave, Chris and Kev

I really enjoyed the whole day.

 

[Kingfisher 126]

Thanks Dave for the invite, and thanks guys for a great day of banter and p taking, forgot how much there was on a days wrecking. 😂

Also forgot how much you get beaten up on a 12 hr wrecking trip on a choppy day, had aches and pains in places I had forgotten you could get them 🫣. Must man up! 
Great day out, cheers all. 👍👏

 

[Ark]

Great report Charlie 

yes a fantastic day out, how true you are about the aches Chris 😩

the jibbing was full on but great laughs by all 🫣

 

Dave managed to get us over the wreckage well seeing the fresh breeze 👏

plenty of quality fish caught🎣🎣

First wrecking trip since Alderney last year

thanks chaps for a great day out and Dave for the invite 👍👍

Kev 

 

[Wight Magic]

Thanks for the write up really enjoyed the day with you all great laughs and good company and we managed to catch fish aswell 😁

[Kingfisher 126]

I thought Kev’s cod was embarrassing for you to have on the boat Dave, he may have got a fish finger each for him and Kim from it!!! 😂😂😂

[Ark]

Ooooowwwww 

I feel a bit of bitterness there 🤣🤣

The elusive COD are very hard to snare but the top anglers can manage that 👏😜

the fish supper was beautiful cod chippies and fresh peas from garden 😋

we must do it again 🤞

[Steve S]

Tigerfish made it to Alderney, turns out fishing conditions were fine. Full report in the works

[Steve S]

The various weather models I use required careful study, before telling the crew (Alun, Ian and Graham) the trip was on giving just 24 hours notice. There was an easterly on the trip out so we would have a following sea, fairly calm the following day then a south westerly for the return so a following sea for the return as well! All things considered I thought the trip was on. I did take note however both Dave and Adam decided not to go. Alun confirmed the accommodation, I was sleeping on board as usual.

 

It was a very late start on the Friday, mainly because I got home at 01:00 in the morning from a Malta holiday. Once we were underway and leaving the Needles behind us we made 23 knots the whole trip over, skipping trying the wrecks mainly due to the late start.

 

Once on the banks they were perfectly fishable, getting bait was no problem. What was a problem was a complete lack of turbot, we had a few doggies and lots of weaver but that was it. So it was off to Alderney for a bevy or two and dinner at Le Pesked. Alderney hasn’t changed since I was last here 2 years ago. The First and Last is still being refitted, how many years has that been now…

 

I’m really loving my electric outboard for getting ashore, plenty of power to push the dinghy along, long battery life and completely quiet, I highly recommend.

 

Day 2 we were off to a bank again with hopes high in flat seas, nice to see a puffin in the Swinge. The turbot had other ideas, we couldn’t buy a bite; the conversation turned as to why, trawled to death, off spawning, the east wind; bottom line come lunchtime there were no flatties on board. We switched banks. Getting bait was no problem, this time getting mackerel as well as launce, a few sand eel with weavers. A pod of what I think were bottlenose dolphins showed up close to the boat, always nice to see.

 

It was just after 3 when hopes of getting a flatty, any flatty were fading that Ian took a turn at making drinks, I was looking after his rods. Naturally that’s when he had a bite and I found myself connected to an obvious flatty after playing (winding) for a while I let Ian know so he could complete the landing. It had taken a live launce and came in a 4lb. About 20 minutes later I had a smaller one myself, still a keeper and that was it for turbot, very disappointing results wise. Graham and Alun fishing from the bow had nothing to show for their efforts except a regular stream of weavers, one of which ‘got’ Graham.

 

 

Dinner and drinks were had at the Georgian House, usually good, this time they served up the best tasting food we had ever had there with enormous portions which only yours truly managed to finish.

 

The forecast for Sunday, the return leg had worsened, it was now steadily increasing to F5 gusting F6 in the afternoon with winds from the SW. No problem getting back, it was a case of whether we could get any wreck fishing in. As we left Alderney the sea was pretty flat and we made good speed running around 24 knots, the sea gradually building.

 

On arrival at the first wreck we agreed it was worth a go. The tide was ebbing so the boat was held back by the wind which working out very well, all be it the lure arrived at the wreck before the boat.

 

We fished 3 wrecks and caught of all of them, many pollock with the best around 8-8, 2 COD best 5-9, a surprise bass of around 4-0, a red gurnard of 1-0 and loads of flubbers. Fishing wise the wreck fishing made the trip as we all took back fish for the pot. The skipper called a halt to the fishing when the deck dancing became a bit much and the live well was pretty much full.  One tip on returning flubbers, throw them about 10 to 12ft into the air, sounds odd but most of them on hitting the water are spurred into swimming hard and are able to make the dive to the bottom. When they are gently dropped back in they get stuck on the surface to become gull food in most cases.

 

With 40 NM or so to go we manged to maintain 20 knots till entering the Solent. The forecast was spot on, the seas built the whole time, it would have been a right old slog if heading west but in a following seas 20 knots was fine. We did pass a floating dead small dolphin, a sad sight.

 

Back at the dock we gave the boat a bit of washdown and sorted out the catch. The photos of men with fish are some of what was caught but not necessarily who caught them!

 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the trip even if the turbot fishing was pants, of course it’s the company and banter that makes the whole thing.

[great white]

Thanks for report Steve

 

Glad that you had a safe trip and everyone caught some fish, to take home.

 

Biggest cod of year so far

[Graham Nash]

Great report thanks Steve .... that's very interesting about getting the blown fish back into the water. It always saddens me to see them struggling on the top.