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  • 05/2012 Fishing Report by Gethyn Owen on My Way 2 (Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey)

    May 2012 by Gethyn Owen

    Report on-board My Way 2

    Our last report detailed the great smoothhound fishing we have been experiencing in recent weeks. Many anglers have been fortunate to catch some quality double figure hounds, with the vast majority also smashing personal bests.

    All said though, the smoothhound fishing has also been patchy and hard work when compared to the reliability of recent years. Where one day we can go out and bag a dozen large double figures it will be followed by a day with just 1 or 2. An example of this was a couple weeks ago, when amongst the crew of 7, we had 4 anglers visiting from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Having found Roy, this month’s Boat Fishing Monthly cover boy a first ever tope in 2011, the task this year was for a smoothhound.

    The hounds though had other ideas, leaving the baits for a constant stream of dogs and small codling to devour. Through the day despite trying a couple of our more consistent marks for the hounds, the return was a paltry 2. That said Dave had a cracking time fighting his double figure specimen and Roy managed to bag himself a 6lb starry hound, small but a target species ticked off the list.

    With the tides dropping for the following day, we decided that a trip off to Holyhead Deep was called for and then try for the hounds later in the afternoon. Our day started drifting for small wrasse, pollack, codling and coalie for an hour. As the tide dropped we made our way off to a mark offshore, which would see us anchored in around 180ft of water, with the drop off laying the baits around 220ft.
    Roy was first into a fish, a nice spurdog just short of double figures; we won’t mention how the skipper knocked it off with the net though. For the next 3 hours, all 7 anglers were treated to a big fish bonanza and from 200ft of water, they certainly felt it afterwards. Every 5 minutes there was call of net as double figure spurdogs were accompanied by double figure huss! Everyone aboard was playing a fish with =in minutes of their leads hitting the sea bed. With only the odd photo shot, the majority of fish were released quickly back into the sea, from chatting after the hectic 2.5hrs fishing, we’d estimated over 50 double figure spurs or huss between the 7 lads, along with the slightly smaller sharks and also dogfish. Sadly the tope failed to turn up to this particular party, but just means we’ll have to try again!

    Returning to the deeps the following day I was joined by a group of good friends, Boat Fishing Monthly duo Dave Barham and Jim Midgley, Anglers Net Supremo Elton Murphy and the MD of World Sea Fishing Mike Thrussell jnr. Our plans were to have a ball in the deeps with the double figure spurs and huss, maybe even snaring a tope for our efforts. Everyone caught well from a variety of species, however despite, the mass of angling super talent aboard that day, the honours were well earned by My Way crewman Harry, who had bought a £7 kiddies play rod from a shop in town; coupled with a small Abu 6000, Harry was determined to land big and have fun whilst doing it!
    Drifting a couple wrecks on our way out to our chosen mark, Harry caught consistently on most passes, with pollack averaging 3 to 5 lb, this little fishing rod bent double as the pollack hit hard and made the occasional dive for freedom!
    In over 200 foot of water, the fun really started , a spurdog was the target species for Harry, despite having been fishing these waters for many years, the spurs always eluded his hook, congers, huss or dogfish usually getting to the bait first. It wasn’t soon after dropping anchor that his rod was bouncing with a nice take from the depths. During the fight, Harry often had to hold the 4foot, 2 ring masterpieces straight down to allow the fish to take line without the risk of snapping! Eventually after a gruelling 20 minute battle, a …. Conger broke the surface! Were as we laughed at this initial capture given the spurdog fishing of recent days, we then realised that a good 20lb conger had just been hauled from the deep water on what could be best described as a twig! Excellent fishing, I am though pleased to report that Harry got his spurdog, again on the small rod it was a fantastic double figure specimen.
    The following day we set out with the Boat Fishing Monthly smoothhound trip competition winners. How did they fair? You can read on these exploits in a forthcoming issue of the magazine.
    In shore the general fishing is fairly reliable for the time of year with mixed bags including dogfish, whiting, codling, small rays, huss and gurnards and many other species keeping the anglers busy whilst at anchor. On the drift the wrasse quantities are picking up with every passing day. Mackerel are about but proving patchy when wanting to quickly bag enough up for fresh bait.
    Hopefully more settled weather will follow on from the gales that are currently blasting along our coastline.

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