Duration:8PM to 10PM
Tide:Dropping
Weather:Fine, breezy
Results:About 4 stone of mackerel, oh and a solitary pollack.
Report:
Took the opportunity of a fine, calmish, mild evening to drop the wee Orkney in for an hour or two with Paul. Opted to launch from Oysterhaven as its only 6 or 7 miles or so from the house. It was merely a brief trip to get the hull wet and hopefully lift a few macks if nothing else. After a small bit of bother with the engine (cutting out when putting into gear) at the slip, once it was properly warmed up it was fine and off we went. There was a nice bit of wind against the ebbing tide that made for a nice 3 foot short chop on the water heading out but with the 2 of us at the front, we cleaved through it with ease and got into calmer water. We headed about a mile and a half out from the harbour and drifted alongside the 2 islands whose name escapes me. Mackerel were there in numbers and suitably equipped with buckets, cool boxes and cool bags we began laying into them with gusto on a mission to fill the freezer for the coming winter. I find Mackerel get very oily towards the end of the season so now was prime time to begin laying some stores down. We weren't disappointed and just over an hour of steady fishing had the various implements filled to capacity. Paul managed a small pollack during this too. Tried fishing a few baits on the bottom and tried a bot of gilling over some promising looking patches of reefy ground to no avail. No matter, we had got what we came for and I was happy just to have Duke out on the water for only her third sortie this year.
Small bit of bother at the slip as it had dried out and we had to retrieve the boat and trailer with a rope but thats no big deal. Many thanks to the chap, whoever he was, in the Classic Kitchens van, who gave us a hand to straighten her up on the trailer. Cheers mate...
A handy wee evening, I look forward to many more down that way before the end of the summer.
