Adam F Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 What can I say! - a trip I'll remember for a long time! Just come back from a most memorable 3 days in Alderney, with good fishing, great company, superb weather, stunning food and just a generally spiffing trip! I had to go to work today (on holiday all week) at 5am which kind of bought me to earth with a bump - but forgive my detail here as I'm keen to remember it again. BTW - PJ was chief cameraman and videographer so I have no photos to add - but the video he put together is superb! JV Alderney Video So! An silly early start on Friday The plan was to miss the wrecks on the way over and hit the banks south of Alderney to make the most of the trip given it was to be 3 days not 4. So at 3am the Alarm went and we all dragged out of bed - dreary, but full of boyish enthusiasm for a big fishing trip. 4.30am and PJ, Alun and I are loading 5 - yes 5 trolleys into JV - it was like the tardis - after 10 mins she still looked empty, but all lockers, holds and storage areas were stuffed full and with 200 ltrs of fuel and 40 ltrs of water onboard she really was stuffed to the brim - throttling forward at the chain ferry with Wight Magic alongside she felt sluggish - but on the oily flat sea she easily sat at 18 knots and 2800 rpm as we plotted our course - the famous Shoale Bank - 8 miles south of Alderney and some 60 miles from the chain ferry! A short stop some 30 miles off for coffee, bacon rolls, toilet breaks and oh - of course a sneaky 2 drifts resulted in full bellies, empty bladders and a full fish box as the pollock lined up! The sea stayed flat and with the excited chat we were soon throttling off to start the fisrt dridt across the Shoale......which produced a cracking bite and fish for me - which turned into a doggy on the way up!! Anyway - the first day went well on JV and through the tiredness we managed 6 flatties between us with a 4lb 12oz brill the best fish to me. We crawled into Braye at 4pm and struggled to find a mooring - and then onto the infamous haunt which has become traditional for the 1st night in Alderney - the Maris Hall - for yet again the traditional staple for the 1st night - fishermans soup - peppered steak - and mountains of beer - al good apart from the last.... which didnt feel quite so great at 4am!! Day 2 to follow..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 Exciting start!!!! Can't wait for the second half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted June 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 Day 2 The plan for Sat was to hammer the banks and hunt a specimen flatty, so with enough water in the inner harbour to fuel, at 8.30am Wight Magic and JV fuelled to the brim with lovely cheap Alderney Dieselm and once again headed South on oily seas and a rapidly heating sun for a day on the Shoale Bank. It was hard work today and drift after dridt came back blank - we plugged on though but managed just one turbot to PJ and a Brill to me bringing the total to 9 fish for the trip with one returnhed to fight another day. We called it a day at 3pm and left the bank for another year to head north for a go at some toothy speedsters at a mark where you tuck out of the raging tides either side and target tope which are doing the same..... unfortuantly we missed the tide slight so had to think a little and re-positioned to a area of slack water. The action was fast and frantic - but the tope were a little finky and were dropping baits, evenm small ones easily - anyway we eneded up with everyone landing a fish to just shy of 40lb - all on 12lb gear or lighter and just 5oz leads. Finally we went for a cheaky last plan c and decided to fish on late as the comp was in full flow and stopped inshore for some pollock on lures flung into the snaggy, kelpy rocks - which turned out to be great fun with a hatful of nice pollock to 6 odd lb on uber light spinning gear whilst the roaring Swinge roared away at 6 knots just 100ydds away! We shot back at top speed to the mooring, but had been cheaky and were ruuning late for the quirky food hours of the island and it was circa 9pm before we were ready to eat. Pub after pub had either stopped searving food or were fully booked - but Phill pulled a rabbit out and sweat talked the Harbour Lights into an extra table and order at 9.30pm. What can I say!!! The food was stunning! The highlight being a whole lobster served with Carribean sauce, prawns, crab, mussels and other shellfish - oh and chips - all for 14.99!! A bottle or two of chilled white for Al and I and mussels to start was just a dreamy end for the last night and sleep came all to easily for day 3 and the last day of our great trip...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted June 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) Day 3 I woke at 3pm for the usual middle of the night duties as I was the only one staying onboard (as well as Craig and Duncan on Phaeton) I stood doing the task as a steady F4 blew from the N and the harbour wall wasnt in sight due to a dense, cold and wet fog, it all looked a bit grim for the morning, so I beat a hasty retreat to my bed and fell fast asleep..... ...only to awake at 5am to deep blue skies, blazing sunshine and an oily sea Funny how easily you wake when things are like this and as I sat on the wheelhouse roof at 5.30am with a steaming coffee I notice the skipper and crew on the South Cat - Patient Pursuit fishing from the stern. 'What a great idea' I thought so rigged a freelined launce on my 8oz spinning rod and tossed it out into the tap water like water - yes it was so clear than in the 40' we were moored in you could see the bottom! Anyway as I sat in the glorious conditions I had forgettern about fishing.... until the rod made an exacpe for freedom and I grabbed the butt before it shot overboard Craig was now awake, and looked on keenly with the waiting net as what was clearly a cracking bass flought deep, long and hard - as it neared the net beaten it was clearly a double.... only for the hook to spring free in a final head shaking moment........ I'm surprised the boys in the B&B didnt hear my expleatives!! I recast and made breaky and Duncan was now up as I recalled the fight step by step! 15 mins later repeat action and once again I'm attached to an angrey bass who is now 100 yds off the stern at great speed. Within seconds it is under JV and heading towards the mooring bouy as I feel the sickennig feeling on braid against rope.... time for some nifty manourvering!! Under the tender, up to JV's bow - under the bow line, onto Wight Magic, under the bow line, twice around the mooring bouy and the fish is free, but heading under Phaeton - finally she is beatan and a cracking 9ln 12oz bass lies in the morning sun!! What a start to the day!! Phew!! Anyway - crew onboard, fuelled up and we head off into flat seas and warm sun only to be confronted by a text from a club member informing us that the Ripps hadnt really fished over the weekend, and also by a dense fog bank - que the rader (thank god!) and a change of plans to fish the wrecks to the West. With Wight Magic and Phaeton close behind and all in regular VHF contact on Ch6 the benefits of the club where massively evident - good friends yes, but aside the channel in fog 60 miles from home can be a lonely and scarey place - but in this case I felt at ease. Wreck 1 fished moderately, but not great. Wreck 2 was a HUGE lump but didnt really work. Wreck 3 ditto and wreck 4...... so the plan to be home at 4pm was out of thw window as the cod and pollock clearly wearnt awareof the plan! Finally the final wreck came good as the tide died and a steady stream of fish came aboard with the triumph being a few welcome cod and a stunning 22lb Ling aboard Wight Magic to Dave - this was weighed but as we though the cliub record was cira 27lb he took a quick weight at 22lb with it bouncing up to 23lb....only to find out that the record was 22lb 2oz!! Anyway - a treuly cracking fish. We pulled stumps at 4pm and headed home at 20 knots with tide and wind behind us. A cold stella summed up the trip only to be topped by bow riding dolphins as we rounded the Old Harry Race at 20 knots...... just doesnt get any better! Thanks to Al and PJ - a pleasure to have you onboard. Sorry to Bob that you couldnt make it this time. Thanks to Dave on Wight Magic and also to Terry and Phil - same to Duncan and Pheaton and Craig who crewed. Phew!!! What a trip - just glad after an uplanned 13 hour day at work tha Ive got the rest of the week of!! 210 Miles Covered 275 Ltrs Fuel Used Edited June 15, 2009 by Adam F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) Great report Adam Lovely to hear about the early morning Bass. The usual Cod marks are still fishing fine, but it's getting tougher with the fish being patchy and coming on and off the feed. We fished for about an hour and managed ten or so yesterday. Corking Ling!!!! I think much of it is technique and also re covering previously successful gound. We just spied the Dolphins in the distance as we came in. Not treated to a display like the one you had. Well done to you and White Magic for the geat fishing. Tom Edited June 15, 2009 by TomBettle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wight Magic Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 Cracking report adam Brilliant footage PJ Thanks again to Duncan Craig Adam PJ Alun Terry & Phil for unforgatable weekend Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Sea Dean Posted June 15, 2009 Report Share Posted June 15, 2009 Nice one boys! Love the video, sounds like a superb trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaicemat Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 I think Adam has summed up the weekend very well, apart from the fact that I missed out on the turbot; bugger! Well, I'll make up for it next time if and when it happens. Dave tried really hard to make it happen for me but I let him down. Sorry. Also, apologies for the skip diving episode at the end of the trip. I would like to thank Dave and Phil for being so considerate to my incapacity, I was really suffering with my knee and am beginning to despair of it improving; I hope I'm proved wrong. Dave proved to be a first class and knowledgeable skipper who didn't put a foot wrong the whole 3 days. Very impressed. If anyone is looking for company on a return trip, put me down without even checking, I'll be there. Terry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oli Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Well done chaps, excellent report, I'm green with envy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Sounds like another great trip Well done on the Bass Adam, superb fish Sam tried that tactic on the last trip without success. Great report and video as well Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass man Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 HI Guys just reading the report and watched the vid looks like you had a great time you lucky people would luv to join on next outing if you can handle a grren horn Regards Adam Aka (bass man) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gas Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 The fish of the weekend for me was Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMBOB Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 You lucky B*@!*rs well done looks like you had a great weekend, Nice work on the bass Adam James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob F Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Why oh why did I not go???? It brought a tear to my eye watching that video. Very proud of our boat. BF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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