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  • 29/05/2023 Fishing Report by Geoff Sharp on Sweet William (Tyne, Tyne and Wear)

    29 May 2023 by Geoff Sharp

    Report on-board Sweet William

    Massive thanks to Ian, Chris, Steve, Warren and their parties for a fantastic trip out yesterday.

    We departed the Royal Quays Marina in absolutely glorious conditions; almost no wind, sunshine and glassy seas, and for once, it stayed like that until late afternoon, when a problematic little south easterly wind did it’s best to make the fishing difficult.

    As we’ve been doing for the past month or so, we have a little check for mackerel on the first stop…and immediately hit into a few, which was great to see!

    The first wreck was a bit slow, with some tricky fishing conditons; the boat was barely moving, yet the lines were kiting out in front of the boat almost horizontally as if there was a 5+ metre tide pushing. We had to try and hold the boat using the engines to give the guys and girls half a chance. Some great stamp codling came up but we abandoned that wreck and moved slightly further inside to some shallower marks.

    As we wreck hopped around, the fishing remained steady with every mark producing a great stamp of fish. It wasn’t until mid afternoon that it really pickled up; Steve found an absolute clonker of a Ling, and after a lengthy scrap, with everyone watching from the starboard gunwale, it loomed up out of the depths, and proceeded to give it one last head shake at the surface and slowly swam back down. Steve’s son was picking up a Codling a drop all of which were a great stamp. Warren and his brother found some great fish and also landed an Atlantic Wolffish, which was returned safely. The lads fishing shads were doing really well as the water was gin clear, again, almost a fish a drop all of which were great stamp.

    The last wreck proved problematic; when we first set up the lads pulled up five great fish simultaneously on the first drop; and then a strong south easterly wind suddenly picked up making the fishing tricky. I think we picked another fish or two and took that as sign to call time.

    The long steam home in the sunshine and calm seas provided ample opportunity for the guys to get their filleting done.

    Fantastic weather, flat seas, steady fishing (and the first sight of mackerel) with great craic and company; a skipper’s dream!

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