Report - Cherbourg '14 - Silver Spray

With the weather delaying our departure from Poole by 24 hours, the trip was cut to a 2 day trip with wrecking the order for both days.

After a good steam, and having stopped for a few live mackerel, we were soon amongst the fish, where I managed 12 fish in 15 drifts, 11 pollack and a ling - with all but one fish above 10lb.

Biggest pollack went 16lb (8oz off a PB), and ling went 18lb (equalled PB).  The boat managed 58 pollack, 4 cod and a ling on the 15 drifts with cod to a smidge over 20lb, pollack to 18lb, and my ling at 18lb.  The best wrecking I've experienced, for quality and quantity.  My 11 pollack averaged probably about 12lb.

A quick snap of my ling.....

A lot of filleting later we headed for a well deserved beer, and some food.  An early night (after my 3am start) was required, and much needed rest for the arms/back.

Day 2 commenced with a plan to try for the bass we found last year, but the mackerel and scad had not read the script, and after an hour or so - we managed 3 tiny mackerel, and one jumbo scad - not great.  We tried drifting with shads, but only pollack were taken.

Leaving Cherbourg on day 2 - gutted as the 'patisserie' was closed for a refurb - so no pastries for the return leg!! 

We experimanted on a few other marks with little success and all too soon the tide died off, so down went the hook, hoping for a conger and a few big bream.  1st fish up were pout and poor cod for those after bream.  My focus was on conger and soon there was a fat 50lb'er breaking the surface.  1st conger of 2014 released, I joined the bream hunt.  A dozen or so pout and pc's later, we had swung off the wreck and it was time to head to our final mark.  No bream on this trip.

On the final mark - it was again practically a double figure pollack every drift, up until the full ebb of the tide, and time to head for home.

I think I'll be eating pollack and ling for a while!!

Excellent trip again - looking forward to 2015 already.