After reading 13 pages of posts in the build up to last weekend's aborted Alderney trip, I thought you all might like to know what you missed!
I would have been amongst the PBSBAC party, but I had booked a long weekend trip on Tiger Lily to Alderney well before the club trip dates were announced, and with a bigger boat, we managed the trip - just!
Our departure scheduled for Thursday was delayed a day by 45 knot winds, and we set off at 8.00am on Friday into a stiff westerly, giving big beam on seas, helped up by the residue of the previous day and wind against tide. Very uncomfortable. We should have delayed departure until lunch time, when the wind was meant to swing NE, but that would have meant no wrecking en-route.
Because of the conditions, we straight lined it, which meant the choice of wrecks was more limited, but we stopped on a mid-channel wreck and got off the mark with a couple of cod and plenty of pollack; then moved on to another wreck 3 miles north of Alderney from which the skipper expected lots, but we got nothing...........
Into Braye by 5.00pm - never seen it so quiet! Only two other boats showed up later, True Blue and Manta Ray. You were all missed by the local hostelries.
Saturday was forecast a light NE. We woke up to Force 5 plus, but at least the direction was right. Crept round to the Shoal Bank and hit a turbot first drop, and had steady sport all day as the wind dropped away to mirror calm by evening. Final score for the day was 30 flatties including a 5lb 8oz Brill for me and a 10lb tubot topping the flattie charts. We returned everything under 45cm, which meant about half went back.
True Blue fished the Casquets and caught 72 with twice as many anglers on board, but smaller fish, with a higher proportion being under 45cm and returned.
Good to see so many smallish fish for the future.
We had to be back Sunday evening, so only managed a half day on the Casquets before heading off, but still managed 15 flatties to 10lb, but no Brill. We were hampered by a Guernsey long liner who had set several sets of lines across the top of the bank which proved a real snagging hazard. I lost one nice fish that was hooked and fighting well, before it snagged and broke me as we crossed a lurking line.
Then it was lunchtime and up sticks for a fast flat ride home and a long drive back to N.Oxford.
Conclusions:
It was the right call to abort the trip. In a small boat, it would have been reckless to have left before mid-morning on the Saturday or to have returned later than Sunday evening, having seen the conditions first hand. That would have been a long way for little more than a days fishing.
For the planned next trip later this month, our experience was that the Shoal Bank has fewer, bigger fish and a good smattering of Brill, whereas we saw no Brill on the Casquets, but lots of turbot, but smaller.
Long lines are best avoided.
I can't make the next one either but for different reasons. I'll still be on someone else's bigger boat, but with a stick up the middle and big white things.
I'll pray for flat seas, a safe crossing and no long lines for you all.
Ian
