Mackerel Shortage coming?

[Leon Roskilly]

See:

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/sacn/latest/

 

TL - leon

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Hi Leon,

 

Alan Taylor mentioned a Mackeral shortage a while back.

We have noticed a fall in catches here,......well I have anyway , not here in the normal numbers, lots of people Ive spoken to have said the same.

 

Yakity.

[chesters1]

their breeding ,i saw a 4" one dead on the beach ,even at this size they are small clones of their mums

[Spur-Hound]

Its realy strange, Has been one of the best years since many for mackarel up in scotland, Throught the east, and parts of the west,

 

Some lads up here would agree this year you tend to get pig sick of them, Some times this year its been an imposability to hit bottom through makkies in areas, no matter what wieght you put down

[Happy Dude]

i find all this a bit strange, this year i have never see as many mackerel off the south east coast of scotland and also at oban and up the west side to ardnamuchan, millions of them, everywhere you stopped you couldn't get through them.

 

on the other hand with haddock at a 30 year all time high in stocks why can't we catch any on the old marks we used to fish at st.abbs and dunbar, only a couple of miles off in 150-200 feet of water where i used to get good bags of haddies now all there is is small dabs and pin whiting.

 

mind you, those grounds are prime prawning areas and guess what's a bycatch of prawning????

 

it's not unusual to watch a prawning boat drop his net 1/2 a mile outside eyemouth harbour and drag it right up the coast within 1/2 a mile of st.abbs head, is this legal?

[Spur-Hound]

HD have you heard the rumeres from our local harbours in the south east that the crab potters in this area are picking up a few small spurrdog in there pots????? Strange for the east is it not? Ive heard it a few times now, Including from skippers from the areas, Pitty about the haddies, At least the west coast stocks seem to be ok, well ok enough for me to catch quite a few even from shore...The lads out on the boat are getting a good few...

 

Mackarel situation is strange tho, Fished afloat out of st andrews with a friend this year and the makkies he is getting there is unbalievable, Same with the crail coast the place is hoaching with them... Not as much now but only a matter of weeks ago....

 

Shaun

[Happy Dude]

shaun,

 

we used to get spurs on rod and line off burnmouth on the smooth ground when we fished for haddies, mind you this is in the late '70s and early '80s,

 

there has been more LSD's reported from both boat and shore which i think is a bad thing, as this is a sign that there is a place for them ecologically that never used to be there, ie more food for scavengers due to a lack of cod, its happened before witness places like the loch system in the clyde and loch ryan

 

i think it was last year or the year before when i heard from a mate of mine who works beside one of the deputy harbourmasters at eyemouth harbour that a trawler had hit a pack of LSD's, they had 200 boxes and got £10.00 a box for them.

[kentangler]

I've nevar seen so meny spelings of 'mackerel'. Cum on chaps, spel yer fish corectly. I saw won blowk on ere spel Sole as soul! I do hear that there is also a problem with stocks of Sandeels. Too many taken for commercial reasons, including for blast freezing for bait.!

[Spur-Hound]

Dont think its bait thats the huge sandeel issue, Although it all goes towards it, All fishmeal pellets etc comes from sandeel apparently, ALl of what they feed them farmed trout an salmon... Thats ALOT of sandeel