Search For Whiting...

[alun j.]

When I woke at 5.30 to see the stars in a clear sky, as I made a cuppa, I guessed there'd be a frost on the car and gloves and wooly hat might be needed for a daybreak launch.

 

-1 C at Mudeford but loads of 'warm' river water pouring down put the harbour at 7 C so generating a thin misty fog wafting out to sea on a gentle Land breeze.

 

The Yamaha 30 suffers none of the quirks of the 15 and jumped into life unaffected by the cold; super smooth whizz out through the Run [ full of water]. No probs with the new Garmin unit, clear display and easy to use......but it didn't tell me where the whiting might be.

 

Weather forecast was not good, so decided against trip to 'cod park' near the Needles; at best this was going to be a short trip, and didn't fancy a long , bumpy ride back. First stop......... Dolphin Sands, near the 'Table Top' ; not a touch, from anything. The tide was non-existent and the wind was already picking up from the SW. After an hour of this, time for a change.......... a short hop over to the 'Clan........'. With no marks on new plotter, I circled around but didn't find much sticking up; a few buried lumps showed on the sounder, so I practiced anchoring up tide/wind and let out warp to get on the spot. Still no tide [ a long stand of water] but pout soon evident; then something much more substantial [definitely not whiting !]...... could it be cod, bass or ray?? ....NO..... up comes a smallish conger about 10 - 15 lbs.; then another two.....each managing to tangle up the other rods into lovely braid nests !!

 

Now the tide started running east into that further freshening wind ...... too uncomfortable !! An hour on X-ray to finish the morning.....I've found it fishes well on the ebb in the past. Found a small bank and used the the bucket technique to pull the stern round with the tide, bumpy but more fishable . Inevitable doggies but the bonus was a very spikey thornback.........who'd been taking lessons from congers; it kited across the tide, used its thorns to pick up the other braid lines, found a big lump of passing weed and knotted the whole lot together.....AGAIN !

 

By the time I got sorted it was time to get back before the Run emptied; impressive breakers over the Ledge required some careful boat handling to get an appropriate speed. Quite twitchy but Orkney always feel a safe boat.

 

So........ no sign of any whiting for me. A friend was further out towards the Needles and found two sizeable ones in an even shorter session. If / when the weather relents........ I'll be looking forward to trying over that way.

 

Looks like squid for dinner,

 

Alun.

[Paul J]

Thanks for the scouting report Alun

 

PJ

[Bob F]

Was going to nip out today, but decided the weather window was too iffy to make the effort worthwhile.

 

Took little Rob to Todber Lakes instead. Wish I hadn't bothered. He hammered me!!

I couldn't hook a thing. Thought you only had to shake your keys at these lake fish and you'd catch something.

 

Rob managed 3 nice Carp.

 

BF

[Mike Fox]

Sounds a great session Alun, and wished I'd seen your invite yesterday, cos I would have offered to crew.

 

Shame no whiting, but you were able to snatch a few hours in the weather window, and avoid a blank trip.

 

I popped down to Frisky, did a few jobs, and lamented the cold keeping the normall enthusiastic crew indoors. Am afraid the boat is a bit slow to squeeze in a decent session between bridge lifts at this time of year, so apart from next weekend (prior engagement), would love to join you for a bash soon.

 

Mike

Edited November 19, 2006 by Mike Fox

[Coddy]

Just to cheer you all up

 

Up at 5.30am Sunday morning and got a taxi to the harbour to join a charter trip from Sydney.

 

The boat is an old wooden plodder about 60ft long and in total there was about 20 of us. Only a couple of fellows had brought their own gear, looked fairly heavy about 30lb class, I there is me thinking this might be a bit of fun!

 

Most of the guys also brought their girlfriend/partner/wife along too which made the senery even better as most were in the 20 - 30yr old group! (I am allowed to window shop before anyone says anything! Just must not try the goods however!)

 

Nice run up the harbour under Sydney bridge and past the Opera house and about 3/4hr later we went out of the harbour entrance and was met with a 2mtr swell.

 

We plodded on and started to drift over a bank and soon we were into yellow Leather Jackets or something like that. These small yellow fish have some nasty teeth!

 

I managed to catch some mackeral which were quickly snatched up for bait.

 

Drifting continued for most of the day catching some large Bream, Gurnards, parrot type fish but nothing of super size.

 

About 1pm we started to head back home having had the BBQ going most of the time.

Many of the "young" people started drinking early and were soon making "burley" for the rest of us.

 

Nice day out in the sun at about 28C shame about the swell.

 

If only it was summer time in the UK now

 

Coddy

 

 

 

[Bob F]

Did you see bearded burbler out there? "Tell yer mother about the rabbit"

[Nipper]

we have a few of them in the club bob

[Swainiac]

Steady on shag.........Ive shaved!!!!