Haddocknuff of Haddock Hunting

[TomBettle]

Just after nine my ride trundled in to Wick car park.

 

Stingray, Terry's faithful Warrior 165 was prepared and smoothly launched from the slip and before half past we were heading out through the run.

 

Once over the shallow bits we eased the speed up to 20 knots and buzzed to a "secret" bream and trigger mark Terry knew.

 

The secret was out, because within about an hour of our arrival we had about 5 or 6 private boats and at least three charters within about a quarter of a mile.

Not to worry, Terry's rod heaved over and the ratchet of his reel squeeled as a determined Bream of about a pound and a half headed back to his shoal.

Moments later, after a little gentle persuasion and last rights from our onboard vicar (the priest) he was slipped into the cool box to chill out for a while.

 

On the other side of the boat, I was making myself useful by catching, one after the other, 5 inch long Pout which seemed as happy as goldfish in an aquarium as they started to become aquainted with their new home, the livewell.

As a nice fat Trigger fish joined the Bream to cool off I started to wonder if the precision anchoring that Terry had carried out was to put "us" over his secret mark or whether our roles for the morning were intentionally differing.

Another, then another and then another fingerling Pout was cruising round the nice new blue home. "G'd Mornin, g'd mornin, g'd mornin," they all seemed to be mouthing at each other. I wonder what they would be mouthing at the big Bass they would be introduced to later?

 

As the tide slackened it became very clear that I was never going to get into the Bream or the Triggers so Terry drove the anchor out and we headed purposefully for his Haddock mark.

Half an hour and about half a dozen Tuna sized mackerel later and thoughts of Haddock were getting shadier and shadier... I am almost positive the Terry's Haddock are about as mythical as Dave Lewis' Aberthaw Tarpon... oh well, the tide was turning and it was time for a go at the Silver Bar.

 

Over to the shallows and Terry professionally set up our drift to just miss all the pot buoys and out went the freelined baits.

On my 6/12 Penn Waveblaster went one of the big Mackerel. He was almost putting the rod into it's test curve as he headed from one side of the drift to the other and then back again with such vigor he was almost towing the boat. A perfect Pout (never thought I'd use those two words in the same sentence) was flicked out and then barely twitched the tip of my other rod, a very light Penn Captiva spinning rod and fixed spool.

 

Our drift was set up to start some three hundred yards from a rip which was very apparent in the wind over flooding tide. Needless to say, the three hundred yards prior to the white water was spent unknitting lines and passing rods over and under the others. Then, as if on cue, my spinning rod heeled over and line started zipping off the reel as I skillfully set the hook (yeah right, I just about rescued the rod from going over) on a very cheesed off Bass which tried to tangle me up in the prop of the outboard. A few ducks and dives later and I swung a nice 3lb Bass over the side of the boat and after saying, "Hi", to the vicar he went to meet his mates, Trigger and Bream.

Next drift and it was Terry who got a resounding smack on his rod. Then nothing.

Then smack again and nothing until.... We noticed all the lines were streaming out in the tide except for Terry's which was heading under the boat. He tightened up and the familiar thump thump thump of a good fish could be seen doubling up his light rod. Try as he might, he couldn't make any progress on it so he attempted to pass the rod around the bow of the boat. "Ping", went his line as it touched the keel band and Terry muttered something under his breath.

I don't think it helped that moments after this happened I was into another fish. This one was just a schoolie. Easily sizeable, but I had one in the box already. I think I was probably rubbing salt into the wounds when I offered him the fish, but the gentleman that he is, he passed up the offer and I slipped the Basslet back to get as big as the one Terry had just lost.

Three drifts in and my Mackerel, now doing an impression of Duncan Goodhew, was still going strong when something put a rapid stop to it's latest 400m freestyle record attempt. The boat rod snap hard and line poured off the reel. I tried to act as calmly as possible and show that I am ever the professional and panicked, madly striking at whatever it was. A quick thud thud of weight and then nothing apart from my Mackerel was finally out of breath and was sent the way of the other, "Keepers". Then Terry's second rod did exactly the same and the drag sang out, but only for enough time for Terry to reach the rod before all going slack.

Terry muttered something under his breath.

One last drift and I put my boat rod away so that I could devote my attentions to the spinning rod. We approached the tide race and for the first time nothing happened as we rolled our way through the first couple of hundred yards. Terry muttered something under his breath and then commented it was about time that I got another bite and as he kicked his tea over my rod was also kicked violently over and the spinning reel spun like it had never done before.

"Skillfully done", Terry muttered under his breath, as I thumbled with the rod and tried to tighten the drag a little. This fish was no monster, but fought much harder than the others which had all gone uptide. This one was using the tide to it's advantage and whilst I quickly had it on the surface, the light rod was struggling as I tried to bring it over the waiting net. After about the fourth attempt, under his breath, Terry muttered something about making a show of it and Robson Green and so with one last big heave I dragged the now tired fish over the net and it too said, "Hi", to the Vicar and joined his mates in their special insulated room.

 

That was the biggest fish of the session at about 6lb. It was also our last as Terry had clearly Haddocknuff of things by now (get it, Haddocknuff... oh forget it) and so we turned the boat in the direction of Christchurch and in only half an hour or so were back at the slipway.

 

Thanks Terry for a really lovely day afloat. I may not have caught any Triggers or Bream, but I managed to save face on the Bass.

And as for the Haddock....

Well I guess they will have to wait for another day.

 

Tom

 

Edited October 20, 2008 by TomBettle

[plaicemat]

Thanks for your company, Tom, I enjoyed the day immensley; well, the morning anyway. Do you know, he even had the bl@@dy cheek at one stage to say, "wouldn't it be nice if one or all the rods bent over now" before hauling in another bass. Oh well, he did have the decency to give me one of them!

 

You're welcome back on board anytime you like, Tom and, by the way, I owe you a fiver. I'm not sure what happened in the car park (long day for me) but I ended up with more than I deserved.

 

I think that's possibly my lot until the whiting and cod come in so, roll on the arrival of the chinese fish, Mr. Y Ting.

 

Terry.

 

p.s. Thanks to Alun for my 'secret' trigger mark.

[Rob]

 

Great write up Tom - entertaining reading!

 

Rob

[Simon]

Yes, I loved the write up Tom, great read.

 

Simon

[wrigler]

Well done Tom, Robson couldn't have given a more entertaining fishing adventure report? You are a very good example of fishing companion. I recently came in to the Park Bay Pontoons and you offered help to take the ropes to tow me in to the fork lift. I embarked onto the pontoon and noticed you had one leg of your jeans rolled up . This could mean an open invitation to join the masons(AT LAST) |Then I saw the rolled up leg was dripping water. ( incontinance??)All joking aside thanks for helping then and in the past. Terry

[TomBettle]

Hi Terry

 

Yes the rolled up trouser leg incident?

errr, Masons... no..., King Buffalo Club... no..., Supreme Cock of the order of the Chicken... (Stop it!) no...

 

Walking backwards pulling a boat whilst not looking where one is going.... Yes

SPLASH!

 

As for Robson Green?

I did refrain from whooping and yeah maning or mentioning that I was an actor (not surprising as I am not).

 

Tom