general scottish sea angling

[Ian Burrett]

Hi Stan

 

If you haven't been sea fishing recently, you perhaps don't realise the decline in fish stocks. There are many areas that were abundant with many species that only hold dogfish and Whiting. The scary thing is the rate of decline is increasing.

 

As for the Porgies, I have three boats Pollacking in Porgie type country,ie. inshore reefs, day after day and have never had a Pollack seized which i am sure would happen if there were plenty about.

[Gillies]

Been interesting reading this thread and hearing debate about various areas of fishing in Scotland, I dont know how I would generalise the fishing scene we have up here in the Westen Isles of Scotland, but I'll give it a go.

 

Been made up of rugged islands with diverse coast lines and various sea beds both inshore and offshore, in my opinion we are sometimes spoilt for choice on where to fish, and what to fish for. That said from boat we generally fish the same marks which produce a wide range of species in number, and from the shore go fishing around new marks to see whats about or stick to same ones which we know we have a chance of a fish or two from.

 

We have areas where we can catch a good number of Codling, and Haddock ... it kind of bores me personaly dropping down to the bottom, waiting for rattle rattle rattle at the end of the rod and then winding up .... I prefer not knowing exactly what is on the other end and the surprise when you see the shape and colours of it coming up from the depths. A couple of weeks ago we had 20 different species on the boat in the one day, which was great to see.

 

Last week we had a group of guys up here all week from Fife, they had chartered our club boat for 5 days - they come up every year ... each time enjoy the fishing they have, whether it is good or bad at the time. One of them explained that they could fish nearby Arbroath or somewhere like that for a week, and catch countless Codling with the odd other species among the catches ... that kind of thing would get boring though ... the reason why they come up here is that they just don't know what they are going to wind up next (I could relate to what they were saying). When up this time two of them smashed two of our club records for the Tub Gurnard and Brill, and had 22 species for the week.

 

On the big fish front, there are lots of areas of water for Common Skate, but no one seems to be interested in fishing for them ... though I am desperate to have a go for one, from both boat and the well know shore mark of Breasclete Pier which has produced a number of them from the shore. Also there are inshore areas commercial boats have reported catching a number of Portbeagle sharks in the winter, though I don't know of anyone who has fished for them .... getting the weather in the winter is another factor I think.

 

The shore fishing scene up here is superb, but not to many people take advantage of it - and a few whom do keep much of it pretty secretive ... much of it is only been explored just now as one or two people get more adventurous and fish marks properly. One guy had 6 Turbot in a couple of hours of the shore the other week, along with a number of Rays and the expected LSDs. I also heard a few weeks ago of a Blonde Ray from the shore ... which would possibly of been a new Scottish record!

 

We do get Bass up here, but not in good numbers or sizes and I have never caught one ... one shore mark is well known for producing them in Spring time on a windy day with a good surf running. Also surprisingly there are numbers of Mullet around, they get caught up in the illegal Salmon nets ... pretty large ones too, but I've only heard of 2-3 caught on the rod.

 

One shore mark (the pier we are leaving from for the Western Isles Open Boat Championship for anyone coming up at the end of the month) was producing Thornback Rays up to around 20 lbs last year ... bad idea catching them when one of the commercials were landing, they soon zig zagged nets all the way out of the bay and have virtually wiped the place out (having 17 boxes the first day they netted it).

 

Lots of shore marks produce Dabs as expected, as well as flounders - funnily enough from the boat this year we have had more Megrim caught in our club matches than we have had Dabs (I do know one AN regular that is desperate to catch a Megrim when he is up the week after next week ... I had 2 on Friday )... now thats a first ...more Megrim than Dabs, also the Plaice have made a tremendous come back to a number of marks over the years.

 

A lot of visitors to Lewis know the place for the Haddock fishing from the boat, it is generally really good - some marks on a good day its like catching Mackerel (though this year is slower than normal so far), but the Haddies this year are generally bigger than the previous years.

 

Red and Grey Gurnards are around here galore ...with one or two Tub Gurnards been caught more and more also over the past few years. This year small Grey and Red Gurnards are been a bit of a pest over soft ground.

 

Its been a long time since I have seen a Tope been landed from our regular marks, but there are a few of them been caught from one or two marks when its fished, and I dare say if you were to target them ... you would hook into them. Also there is a shore mark that I know that produces Tope, but the anglers whom fish it seem to keep it under their hat and not talk about it much.

 

Just 13 or so years ago we would be getting totally overwhelmed with Spurdog all day long, you would wind up 3 at the same time with a pack of around 20 following them up from the depths ... you just could not get through them. I have not seen a single Spurdog in 1-2 years now though !!!!!! Commercially overfished. There is a number of species suffered badly from the commercials, species that come to my mind quickly are flat fish such as Turbot and Rays.

 

I've never seen a Smoothhound or a Bull Huss up here, just don't seem to be any around - though have seen Huss caught by the commercials.

 

The likes of Pollack, Coalfish, Ballan Wrasse, Cuckoo Wrasse are always around the hard ground marks, and can be readily picked up from both shore and boat marks. Some great inshore and offshore Pollack fishing can be had, and is particularly fun on light spinning gear.

 

On the subject of commercial boats, I won't knock the local commercial boats at all, I have a lot of friends in the industry and they are just making a living in a tough industry, and have seen many of them now leaving the industry all together or go bust .... however massive French and Spaniard trawlers with electronics in the wheel house to rival NASA that can be seen close inshore trawling away, that's a different story.

 

When I look at old sea charts that skippers of commercial boats have noted the types of fish from these areas that can be caught, the vast majority of these areas in recent years have now become deserts with very little fish left ... it is encouraging at least to see one or two marks working a wee bit better now, but still not a patch on what they used to be.

 

Winter shore fishing can be pretty good, for those wanting to brave the Hebridean winter conditions, to briefly comment on it .... ummmm there is as expected good Pollack fishing of the rocks, one or two marks produce Cod up to around 30 lb, and from some soft ground marks have good fishing for Rays and Plaice to be had.

 

From April to October/November I'm out at sea almost every Saturday with our club boat (unless weather says otherwise), be it a club competition, helping out a junior competition, or just a nice relaxing day out seen what I can catch. I don't do to many fishing reports here or post fishing photos just to avoid the backlash and hassle of comments from certain sections afterwards.

 

Anyway, just thought since this is a post about general fishing in Scotland ... I'd throw in my two pence work about the scene up here in the Western Isles of Scotland with a pretty brief overview through my eyes and mention a few species.

 

Gillies

[101_North]

sam-cox:

I envy a lot of the protentual you guys have in Scotland, sharks & tope from the shore just to name two.

Do you target bass often?

I wish I had some decent Bass round the Forth area Sam. I can target Bass OK and catch them easily from the power stations but they're mostly very small - with the very occassional bigger fish. Can be good fun though on light gear as long as you can block out the idiots filling bin bags with them :mad:

 

I know other areas have better Bass to target though and at some stage I'll try and give them a go.

 

I think that compared to other regions of Scotland the fishing on the Forth is nothing special!

[Bob on Stronsay]

What's a BASS??

 

Never seen one yet but I will shout out very load when one makes an appearance this far North.

 

Bob

[Spur-Hound]

Stan,

 

Very generous of you to offer help to those seeking something more than your average doggfish in scotland! Any chance you could put me on a great white shark from the shore, preferable in the clyde or forth estuarys???

 

What are the best baits for the above species in scotland... I suppose it cant be too small, so one can get down through the vast shoals of pesky Turbot!

 

Where exactly might i catch a common on the east coast if you dont mind me asking? Im guessing i could not reach them by casting off portobellow beach??? Failing that i could settle for a sordfish on the fly!

 

Shaun

[Davy Holt]

dale:

cheers Norrie.

 

seems the `unapproachable' one wasn't too impressed given his comments on the IAC.

 

then again when you have caught all the 50lb+ cod he has then i suppose you have a right to be unimpressed.

wonder what part of the goldfish bowl he has caught them.....

Dale.. I never said I wasn't impressed.. I said I'd be more impressed if it had come from Scottish waters

 

Mind you after reading this thread..I think we should be using 50lb cod as live baits

 

I had heard that the BBC was bringing back Jackanory... I just didnt realise the first story would be on here about Scottish Angling... nuff said

 

Now I'm away back out to play on the boat, catching my pet fish in the Aquarium

 

catch report so far:

2 Commons.. 171lber & 126lb male

over 60 Coalies to 2lb on fly gear, floating line stuff... awsome

1 13lb conger from the shore

around 1 dozen pollack to 6.5lb on jellies

 

1 broken throttle cable

 

[ 18. July 2005, 08:24 PM: Message edited by: Davy Holt ]

[stan4massey]

Spur Hound,

sorry , can't help you in that respect, quite interesting that you might find great white available in the Forth or Clyde waters, I`d never thought of that. Do you have inside knowledge of this? I`d love to add it to my notes. The baits I last know of for this particular species were two eagle rays, back to back, almost like a flapper. The rays were each around 30lb. The actual fish, caught by a mate of mine, was 1704lb, taken off Kangaroo Island, S. Australia, 1994, Rod was ??

reel 80 wide International, line 130lb test mono Sea Mer, 5ft 600lb steel to 20ft 800lb commercial mono. Need a photo you would have to tell me how to put it on the forum but it is quite a good photo. I`m a computer dummy you see.

 

As for getting down through the `vast shoals of pesky turbot', not sure what you mean?? Turbot, as a rule , are demersal (i.e. they feed sea bed or close to the sea bed) shoals, as most anglers understand them, at least if you have got to get through them as you suggest would inicate a pelagic species. Seems to be a conflict of species I.D. on this point, perhaps you may clarify????

[Spur-Hound]

Just a dull sence of humour in my part stan... I may have picked up wrong but you spoke as though the turbot carpet the seabed!!!

 

 

In all seriousness, wat are the possibilities in our waters in your opinion?

[stan4massey]

Spurhound,

 

O.K. lets go back. I am very guilty of letting my mouth, (or keyboard) go into drive without my brain being in gear. So are many others. Turbot do`nt carpet the seabed, nor do brill. They do exist however in certain areas, (possibly where comercial boats can`t get near them). These areas are tiny and concentrated, I would be stupid to say I know them all, I do`nt, but I know a few areas where they are concentrated. Set the picture( if you pardon the pun) clear. I do`nt have a vast array of photos, I dont even own a camera, I`m not that interested in photos, suffered that in the 1960-70`s, and got slaughtered for it for dead fish on the pier so gave up!. I do have potential marks for brill and turbot (I have caught them, not big but did get them) took many seasons, you aint getting them every drop and every trip but you will get them. If you want to slag off feel free, but genuinely all I`m interested in is getting Scottish sea angling off the ground. Those that think it is Jackanory stuff, well fine... Let them, they know the truth and if they dont have the courage of their convictions then that is between them and their own God. In Posts over the last few days I mouthed off, OK, wouldn`t you if pratts and self appointed Gurues (cant eVen spell it) were mouthing off a load of crap and jealous garbage about you based on innuendo, romour, heresay and gossip AND OUT AND OUT RUBBISH.

 

Anyway the info is there, free to all, some crap, some will pay off, no guarantees but well worth a try. Stan.

 

PS Not too sure how many marks you should put on this site (commercial readers?????)

[stan4massey]

Spur hound,

 

actually do have photos of that white, some fish, the guy that caught it fished more or less professionally for them for years and released and taggged about 90+%. Sadly he died of cancer in 1994. A loss as a friend and a great angler, he pioneered the trips to the himalayas for marseer and the Amazon trip for the (cant remember the name arramuni ????) Goes to 250lb plus and then some. We aint priveledged, we save our money, (I aint rich) and we fish for something different every 2 or 3 years. Now and again some of us look just a bit further forward than others, like me we dont make friends by alledging to tell the truth

the way the majority would like it, we tell it as is it is.