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  • 03/2011 Fishing Report by Gethyn Owen on My Way 2 (Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey)

    Mar 2011 by Gethyn Owen

    Report on-board My Way 2

    With the moon closest to the earth for over 20 years last week helping produce some of the largest spring tides for a long time, we looked forward to the next set of neap tides that would allow us to push offshore and see if spring was working its way to Holyhead in the shape of big huss, spurdog and if lucky a tope or two.

    I know I shouldn’t continually whinge about the weather, but being such a critical part of a days boat fishing, we cannot help but moan when things go against us. That said, I should try to remember that we are still only in March and traditionally it is not a month known for calm winds and flat seas! So back to the whinge, similar to the last set of neap tides, the wind gods kicked up a stinker for the vast majority of the neaps just gone, restricting our movements on all but one of the days to marks inshore or on the edge of Holyhead Deep.

    Inshore the fishing was once again consistent, with a variety of fish coming over the gunnels of My Way. Most marks consisted of numerous dogfish, small codling and whiting. Other marks also gave us numerous small and also large bull huss along with small ling, sea scorpions and also a few nice plaice once again. The thornbacks have continued close inshore along Holyhead Bay, nothing out of this world but acceptable at around 6lb average.

    On our first deep water anchor for 2011, 26th March, just at the edge of Holyhead deep, we only managed an hours fishing, thanks to the strong 7mph wind slamming into the boat! Ok it was a little more, it was actually 18mph gusting over 20mph, so we didn’t hang about too long and as soon as the tide showed signs of turning we upped anchor and retreated into the bay. For our efforts, we were though rewarded with a few huss, dogfish and 1 spurdog, we did lose a few other big fish – spurs or huss I cannot say.

    The following day, the sun was up high and we had no wind, not even a breeze, not the slightest of puffs! Big fun in deep water was the plan; before then though we set sail to load My Way with some fresh bait and fodder for the dubby bag to help bring the bigger targets to us. We managed to hook into a fair number of small pollack and herring over various marks on our travels around to Trearddur Bay, the herring were to prove extremely useful for both additional dubby and hook bait. Their extremely oily bodies can prove a major attraction for many species around our shores.
    We managed a very happy 3.5hrs in the deeps, catching continuously huss, dogfish and some cracking spurdog. Many of the spurs were released outside of the boat with only a handful of cracking double figure specimens coming aboard for a quick photograph
    More often than not when looking at attracting fish or shark to your boat you need to lay down a 'rubby dubby' trail. This usually consists of mashed up fish bits and blood. This mixture is poured into a bag and can be tied off onto the anchor before it is despatched to the sea bed.

    As the oils and particles get washed out of the bag they are pushed down tide and help attract predators into the area in which you are fishing.

    I have already heard a rumour that a new welsh record spurdog has been set in south Wales, although I am waiting to hear a little more, please note that the WFSA allows fish to be weighed aboard a boat and then released.

    It looks like this could be another good season for spurdogs, thats if you can locate them!!!
    It is certainly nice to see the hard work carried out by Save our Sharks and the SSACN in obtaining the ban on lining proving successful with increasing numbers of spurs as the years go by, hopefully this can be succeeded with correct future management.

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