Leaderboard

These trips are a real bonus and help warrant having a boat in a short season harbour like Christchurch, this is only the second or third I have managed this year 😔. Knowing the wind was likely to rise later I decided it would be a following sea for the trip in. So with thoughts of fresh mackerel and frozen offerings I set out in calm seas and choose to anchor off the end of the ledge, I managed a couple of full strings of Mackerel but very little else, so a move was in order for the flood. Anchored on the Western side this time with some confidence it was a decent area. After the fresh scent trail was established, I had a conger of 20lb, followed by a few smaller ones. For some reason I was still upbeat something else would turn up and It did. A plump 6lb Bass who gave a good scrap, It was returned. Then a rare Thorney turned up which was welcome, shortly followed by a Bull Huss of a similar weight. Another 2 full strings of mackerel, then the wind was building and thoughts of a wash down and good tidy up was entering my mind, whilst the body and mind were weakening. Strong tide and large waves on the way in had me dodging loads of semi submerged net or pot buoys. As often happens once in the wind dropped off and a clean up followed. A good decision to go out, my spirits and thoughts of the boat and the costs with very little use has been weighing on my mind, also with the threat of a large increase in mooring fees in Ribs pond. The engine went well and sounded much better than recent past trips following the new injectors being fitted.

Butane Charlie

Well done Mal Amazing how some fishing can help get your mojo back. Thanks for the report.

A rare evening treat. Well done with some good fish [emoji106][emoji3] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.