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  • 21/08/2011 Fishing Report by Luke Rees on Atlantic Blue (Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire)

    21 Aug 2011 by Luke Rees

    Report on-board Atlantic Blue

    A first for the Danglers. A trip out of The Haven, turning right and going beyond the beautiful inshore island of Skomer and surroundings and heading North to The Bishops and Clerks. Today we were on board Volsung from Dale with skipper Andy. Earlier in the year Andy has had some cracking reef Pollack up to just under double figures. Hopes were high among the 10 Danglers on board for some good fish and we weren't to be disappointed.

    I myself had yet to bag a Cuckoo Wrasse this year, and wanted one for my species hunt. I was not let down as on the first drop of my Silver Blue Dream Lures I had a good knock and took up the first fish of the day, a Cuckoo Wrasse. There's a way to start the day, one happy Dangler.

    There was then a steady stream of smaller Pollack and small Coalfish, along with the odd Ballan Wrasse before anything of size came up. But it did. Interesting to note that despite excellent persistence from Daihook gilling with a Sidewinder, he didn't land a fish with this method. Others tried and failed too... All good fish today came on Hokkai's and after making the switch Daihook (Ian) did hit some good fish.

    Here's a good Pollack had by Mike Middleton, a nudge over 5lb. Mike took the fish using orange hokkais.

    We hit a patch of good ground, I'm told there was a small wreck around the area and fishing was hectic so I didn't have many opportunities to take pictures. My brother Tom who was guest for the day lost a rig so I set him up quickly with my previous rig ready to go, first drop he had a cracking Pollack and over 5lb. I had a smaller one at the same time too. Brotherly picture ey.

    Tom was feeling a bit queasy and had it up over the side a few times which limited his fishing time but he did well to persist and bag a few fish. Jim was also ill and slept it off in the cabin all day. I managed a pretty good Pollack of my own at a nudge over 5lb, he just would not stay still for the picture so Greg gave the fish his last rights and we had a good picture.... then I forgot it was dead and chucked it back as I was on a Cod mission today ...ooops. Luckily the net was handy and we scooped him back up.

    Mike Middleton was having a cracking day, in the end he managed the biggest Pollack of the day and one of the few Codling we managed to muster off the reefs. His Pollack was 5lb 14oz and the Codling was 5lb 4oz.

    Greg, being the Samaritan he is went to help Mike net a fish while Andy was making a tea. Now Greg did ask me to watch his rod while he went and helped. So I did, until in the blink of an eye there was a huge bit on it and it got ripped straight in. Despite my dive for it that Ian said Warren Gatland would have been proud of it was now the property of a large Pollack somewhere around the Bishops. So he had a bun had reflected on the one that got away, by the time we got home it was talked up to a double figure Cod I think.

    Here are the buns expertly modeled by Ian before being ravaged at the hands of the Danglers. You cant beat an afternoon tea break out there.

    I managed to get a nice picture of the rocky formations of the Bishops as we left. They were a beautiful and eerie place to fish. We made a pit stop on the way home at Martins Haven to bag up with some Mackerel for tea and freezer filling. They were of a smallish size here, nothing like the size from the Smalls last week.

    Thanks to Andy for a great day out. The trip was a first for the club and was rated a success with the good average size of the Pollack. They were of a much better size than the Hats and Barrels. Today we had Ballan Wrasse, Cuckoo Wrasse, Mackerel, Launce, Coalfish, Pollack and Codling so a nice mix of species.

    Cheers
    Luke

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