Too little too late

[jonnyswamp]

A call to the skipper on Thursday confirmed the trip was on, but was out of Brixham instead of Paington due to a mix up with his berth

So got up half an hour before I went to sleep, loaded the van and met at our usual rendezvous (pub car park) at 3.45, loaded the rest of the gear  and were on our way by 4.01

An uneventful journey (apart from the talk of double figure fish, because no-one has been fishing for them and the wrecks should be full) saw us arrive outside "Rockfish" at 6.21

Dumped the gear on the harbourside and parked the vehicles a sort walk away. By the time we got back to our gear, Shaun the skipper was heading towards his boat with the other 4 lads close behind him

Introductions out of the way and we slipped the ropes about 6.50

The plan (said Shaun) was to steam out to a wreck around 28m out (IIRC) and see what was about

Around 2.5 hrs later we arrived at the wreck to find 3 other boats in our place (didn't they know we were coming, or what)

A quick, half hearted drift saw nothing, so on to the next which was in a small cluster of 3/4, which gave options to move between them easily

This produced a couple of Pouting and with the tide quite slow I dropped a jig down and gave it a try

A sizeable whiting was the result of my first drift SPJ ing, but with the wind against tide, I struggled to stay vertical and was kiting too much, so went back to sidewinders

The next drift gave me my first pollock, only small at around 5lb, but very welcome, we picked up a few more between the other guys up to around 8lb on this wreck and moved once or twice more to the nearby wrecks, without much further success

We were around 42 miles out, with a good 3 hr steam to get back if we stayed where we were, Shaun suggested we start our return journey and try 2 or 3 wreck on route back in, each around half our away to each other

 

There was a Guernesy reg boat on this wreck and they hauling out some good sized Pollock on live sandeel/launce (couldn't see which) while we were there, one guy fishing normally while the other seemed to be using an ultra long trace, with 3 or 4 droppers. He threw the lead out, let the lures/bait drop, then reeled in. Certainly knew what they were doing, but then you woudn't last long in that profession if you didn't

So our last wreck of the day was the Moray/Murray, a wreck we have done well on over the years. Fish from the first drop, not huge but regular

We only had 20 mins or so here as time was getting on and we had to be in for 6pm (long day) After finding the fish, 12 turns up here, I had 2 on the penultimate drift and for the last, I would try SPJ one final time#

So back of the boat I go and down goes a 200g red thing with a pair of hooks hanging from its snout, 16/18 turns up and nothing, back down and did the same a few times nothing

Time to wind up, so I dropped back down one last time, got to about 15 turns and bang, fish on, what an experience on this light tackle!!!

Not for long though as it spat me, the blighter (that's not what I actually said, but I didn't want to upset Geoff) Would have liked to have landed it, but now I know what it's like to hook something decent on light gear, I'm hooked

So a slow start to the day, but we did find a couple of fish. Not a good day by anyone's standards, but hey ho

One of the boats that were on the first wreck was Silver Halo out of Torquay, a mate sent me his report of the day and they did fantastic with Pollock going 20 odd lb and after speaking to Matt (Silver halo) today via email, I've booked him in early May for 4 of us to have a go

And I've sent @Terry Smith a couple of quid to replace my jigs I couldn't be bothered to retrieve from the various wrecks

Swampy

 

 

 

 

[Saintly Fish]

Thanks for the comprehensive report swampy. Sounds like a good day out by any standard. So a few more decent fish would have been nice, but you did catch and got the SPJ bug good and proper. Bet your now counting down the clock til the next trip! 👍🏻

[Andy135]

Quality write up. Sounds like hard work but at least some fish for your efforts. Well done on the SPJ too. Very envious 👍

[JonC]

I can’t even start to read that much , I’ll wait for the film to come out🤣

thanks for reporting. Jon 

[jonnyswamp]

Yes, got the bug definitely

It was like being a teenager behind the bike sheds all over again

[Andy135]

Just now, jonnyswamp said:

Yes, got the bug definitely

It was like being a teenager behind the bike sheds all over again

If it's that good I'd better buy some more gear 🤣

[jonnyswamp]

Just now, JonC said:

I can’t even start to read that much , I’ll wait for the film to come out🤣

thanks for reporting. Jon 

Just look at it like a site method statement, pretend to read it and do as you please 🤣

[jonnyswamp]

2 minutes ago, Andy135 said:

If it's that good I'd better buy some more gear 🤣

Yep, just like my first romantic encounter

Well, not the first with Mr Jenkins the gym teacher, I wasn't fussed on that

But the second with Lisa Murphy

[Saintly Fish]

5 minutes ago, jonnyswamp said:

Yep, just like my first romantic encounter

Well, not the first with Mr Jenkins the gym teacher, I wasn't fussed on that

But the second with Lisa Murphy

Did his tache tickle? 

[jonnyswamp]

6 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

Did his tache tickle? 

Aye and not just his tache either

After seeing the hairy scaffolder I'm having flashbacks

[GPSguru]

1 hour ago, jonnyswamp said:

A call to the skipper on Thursday confirmed the trip was on, but was out of Brixham instead of Paington due to a mix up with his berth

So got up half an hour before I went to sleep, loaded the van and met at our usual rendezvous (pub car park) at 3.45, loaded the rest of the gear  and were on our way by 4.01

An uneventful journey (apart from the talk of double figure fish, because no-one has been fishing for them and the wrecks should be full) saw us arrive outside "Rockfish" at 6.21

Dumped the gear on the harbourside and parked the vehicles a sort walk away. By the time we got back to our gear, Shaun the skipper was heading towards his boat with the other 4 lads close behind him

Introductions out of the way and we slipped the ropes about 6.50

The plan (said Shaun) was to steam out to a wreck around 28m out (IIRC) and see what was about

Around 2.5 hrs later we arrived at the wreck to find 3 other boats in our place (didn't they know we were coming, or what)

A quick, half hearted drift saw nothing, so on to the next which was in a small cluster of 3/4, which gave options to move between them easily

This produced a couple of Pouting and with the tide quite slow I dropped a jig down and gave it a try

A sizeable whiting was the result of my first drift SPJ ing, but with the wind against tide, I struggled to stay vertical and was kiting too much, so went back to sidewinders

The next drift gave me my first pollock, only small at around 5lb, but very welcome, we picked up a few more between the other guys up to around 8lb on this wreck and moved once or twice more to the nearby wrecks, without much further success

We were around 42 miles out, with a good 3 hr steam to get back if we stayed where we were, Shaun suggested we start our return journey and try 2 or 3 wreck on route back in, each around half our away to each other

 

There was a Guernesy reg boat on this wreck and they hauling out some good sized Pollock on live sandeel/launce (couldn't see which) while we were there, one guy fishing normally while the other seemed to be using an ultra long trace, with 3 or 4 droppers. He threw the lead out, let the lures/bait drop, then reeled in. Certainly knew what they were doing, but then you woudn't last long in that profession if you didn't

So our last wreck of the day was the Moray/Murray, a wreck we have done well on over the years. Fish from the first drop, not huge but regular

We only had 20 mins or so here as time was getting on and we had to be in for 6pm (long day) After finding the fish, 12 turns up here, I had 2 on the penultimate drift and for the last, I would try SPJ one final time#

So back of the boat I go and down goes a 200g red thing with a pair of hooks hanging from its snout, 16/18 turns up and nothing, back down and did the same a few times nothing

Time to wind up, so I dropped back down one last time, got to about 15 turns and bang, fish on, what an experience on this light tackle!!!

Not for long though as it spat me, the blighter (that's not what I actually said, but I didn't want to upset Geoff) Would have liked to have landed it, but now I know what it's like to hook something decent on light gear, I'm hooked

So a slow start to the day, but we did find a couple of fish. Not a good day by anyone's standards, but hey ho

One of the boats that were on the first wreck was Silver Halo out of Torquay, a mate sent me his report of the day and they did fantastic with Pollock going 20 odd lb and after speaking to Matt (Silver halo) today via email, I've booked him in early May for 4 of us to have a go

And I've sent @Terry Smith a couple of quid to replace my jigs I couldn't be bothered to retrieve from the various wrecks

Swampy

 

 

 

 

Your report pretty much sums up what everybody else has found over the last month, that the wreck fishing is very patchy.

Was the Guernsey boat 'Les Vagabonnes des mer' ? ......... if yes then they are from Teignmouth, but the boat is still registered in Guernsey.

I know exactly where you were, that is my usual fishing grounds on what we call the Gateway Wrecks (did you fish the Gateway ?)

The 'Murree' was a cargo ship that went down in 1989, it is a big wreck and about 152m long and right in the middle of the shipping lanes.

I guess you might have stopped to fish the 'Rota' on the way out.

If the weather holds, then I might go out on Tuesday and have a go at the 12 mile wrecks.

 

 

[jonnyswamp]

Just now, GPSguru said:

Your report pretty much sums up what everybody else has found over the last month, that the wreck fishing is very patchy.

Was the Guernsey boat 'Les Vagabonnes des mer' ? ......... if yes then they are from Teignmouth, but the boat is still registered in Guernsey.

I know exactly where you were, that is my usual fishing grounds on what we call the Gateway Wrecks (did you fish the Gateway ?)

The 'Murree' was a cargo ship that went down in 1989, it is a big wreck and about 152m long and right in the middle of the shipping lanes.

I guess you might have stopped to fish the 'Rota' on the way out.

If the weather holds, then I might go out on Tuesday and have a go at the 12 mile wrecks.

 

 

Didn't notice the name of the GU reg boat, but it was a smallish white Quicksilver type

Didn't know the names of the others, only the Murree

But yes, patchy best describes it

From his report, Silver Halo did very well

When I contacted him via email earlier, he said due to the tide being oppo the wind, his anglers were taking it in turns fishing on the stern, casting away from the boat giving more fishing time with the lure vertical

According to his report, his heaviest was around 23lb

 

 

[GPSguru]

26 minutes ago, jonnyswamp said:

When I contacted him via email earlier, he said due to the tide being oppo the wind, his anglers were taking it in turns fishing on the stern, casting away from the boat giving more fishing time with the lure vertical

According to his report, his heaviest was around 23lb

Matt usually does well, long before he was a charter skipper he used to fish those wrecks on his red warrior 175 (Piranha).

Yes that is what I do on my boat, cast a little uptide, but not too far otherwise you can't control the descent.

23lb is a big fish for this time of the year, the usual stamp is about 12 - 15lb.

Edited April 18, 2021 by GPSguru

[suzook12]

1 hour ago, Andy135 said:

If it's that good I'd better buy some more gear 🤣

Is that a pack of embassy, a bottle of woodpecker with a hole in the cap and a single out of date condom?

[Andy135]

5 minutes ago, suzook12 said:

Is that a pack of embassy, a bottle of woodpecker with a hole in the cap and a single out of date condom?

🤣🤣🤣 How do you come up with this stuff? 🤣

[suzook12]

1 minute ago, Andy135 said:

🤣🤣🤣 How do you come up with this stuff? 🤣

I text JonC and asked him 🤣🤣