Alderney
Angling.com
|
|
|
|
What a Valentines day for Matt Pitter! After quite a slow week, with Nigel Bowditch, catching strap conger, dogs, pout, poor cod, mullet to 5lb, sole and rockling he finally managed got something worthwhile to put a bend in his rod. In the early hours of Saturday he bent in to a beautiful Undulate Ray of 14 1/2lb. Caught of the back of the island, photos were taken and the cracking fish was released back in the the tidal race. Needless to say it was a personal best. 27th February 2004 Its all a bit of hit and miss at the moment. The north easterly wind has done what easterly winds do and that's kill the fishing. Congers to 20lb have been coming from the breakwater and the Impot. Bream have also been slow and generally to 2lb. Plattes Saline is the place to be for mixed and varied fishing. Sole to 3 1/2lb, bass are reliable enough and around the 2lb mark. Also here there are red mullet, mullet to 5lb, pout and poor cod, and basically this venue could chuck up anything. There have been reports off anglers reeling in and having takes close in on their gear which are probably large bass, maybe pollack. It will be worth leaving a second rod baited with pout or poor cod just 10 yards out to get these roving fish. The real challenge is the mullet. Disappearing for days and then re-appearing en-masse. Roy Repton and Roy Carter from Plymouth had a disastrous week till today then struck it rich with mullet after mullet all day long. One near on emptied out a spool only to be turned and then lost later in the fight. Credit to them both for sticking with it in cold, strong northerly winds....just rewards I think. 23rd March 2004 More fish starting to show for the anglers prepared to get out there. Mullet are shoaling up really well now. Fort Doyle, Breakwater Chateau L'toc and Picaterre Slides the best marks. Lots of fish to 5lb landed at Picaterre and Chateau with the bigger mullet to 9lb landed at the Breakwater and Fort Doyle. On Doyle there is also a large seal helping himself to the stocks. He has been seen tossing mullet in the air, one was a conservative estimate at 15lb based on the fact the tail fin was the size of a pair of hands!! Elsewhere, when there is no weed Plattes is producing mixed fishing with more bass appearing around 2lb again. Pollack to 4 1/2lb have come in on the inside of the breakwater to rubber eel. 1st April 2004 Hard to make a report of the latest fishing as there are so few anglers giving it a go, roll on Easter! Plenty of bass in the boats though, from the shore you can see the shoals of fish, gannets plunging in to them which makes a great sight. On the shore there are pollack and bass coming from Douglas Quay and the Breakwater to rubber eels and spinners, and although not fished for mullet are still around in numbers. The commercial boats are landing tons (and I mean tons, not used that word lightly!) of Bass and Tope. All we need are some fisherman!! 5th April 2004 Much the same to report. Bass to 3lb are showing off Douglas Quay which is providing fun on light gear on lures. Lack of anglers at the moment to make accurate reporting but with the full moon moving out as the week goes on, tourists arriving and I will dust my gear off Wednesday and give it a go, hopefully there will be plenty to report. 7th April The Turbot are here. Sundancer III is out there, having arrived across the channel in a northerly force 6/7; the first reported drift hooked out 7 turbot. Few mackeral showed but plenty of launce were there for bait. Since then more turbot have followed along with some bass. I never got out as hoped because of the strong north winds........well I haven't got a Cat have I! 8th April Matt Pitter and Graham Hazel are back. First night 3 conger (Graham) between 20-30lb, pollack to 4lb and a couple of dogfish (Matt). Also Grahams son, Steven, caught a 4lb wrasse which hopefully will go on the Gallery. 10th April Mullet to 7lb have been landed. Location unknown. Lots of Turbot are coming aboard from the west of the island. I had my maiden voyage which went trouble free. Motoring around the island was picturesque but also made me well aware of the many obstructions just laying beneath the surface. I also investigated the Gannet colony just off the island which was interesting to say the least, the boat needed a good clean when I got in!. Fishing, blanked on the turbot but did manage 4 pollack to 4lb for the freezer, good fun on the light gear I was using. 13th April My trip Sunday in my own boat Turbot fishing was a massive learning curve. No fish boated, one missed. Heaven knows what I was doing wrong, especially as the long line I was drifting besides had 6 on plus 3 Blondes, the biggest went 30lb!! Smuggler IV skippered by Colin Dukes of Exmouth has been getting around 30 turbot a day plus the odd bass. Loads of mullet shoaling up. At times they're so thick you feel you could walk on them. They're getting ready to spawn and then they'll be off. Shore caught Pollack and Bass are becoming more numerous, fish of 4 and a half pound for both species are being reported coming out on spinning methods. Steve Jenkins float fished sandeel off the breakwater, had missed a couple of bites but didn't miss a 3lb 7oz lumpsucker. 15th April First mackeral have shown just to the south of Braye. Water temperature is now up to 10 degrees which has vastly improved the fishing. Garfish have been caught off the eastern end of the island which is also where huge shoals of mullet have congregated. In the boats there are plenty of turbot, double figure fish are now becoming frequent. I had a trip out yesterday on my own boat and once the fog lifted made my way 7 miles west of the island and in two and half hours took 7 turbot to around 6lb (not bad for a novice!), also caught pollack to 4lb. 19th April Turbot are still about in numbers as Chris Tetts Peace and Plenty are proving. Also plenty of fish on the wrecks, Pollack, Ling, Cod. Weather a bit naff at the moment which is slowing down the shore anglers activity. We have though seen more Garfish. Plenty mullet in the 3-5lb weight have been caught. Bass to 4lb once again showing on plugs, eels and lures. 23rd April More double figure turbot are showing on the banks even up close to the island. Brill and Bass are showing in larger numbers too, the average size of the Bass are improving too, more reports that they are getting over 5lb. Mackerel are slowly increasing which makes bait supply easier, having said that its the frozen bait doing the damage with the flatfish. Around the shores it's much the same. Pollack to 4lb, Bass to 3lb, and Wrasse to 4lb around the Breakwater and rock marks. Red Mullet down on Plattes Saline with the odd Sole, shoal Bass and Pout. 26th April Had cracking weekend back at home, two parties. My nephews 3rd birthday and a friends 40th. What's that to do with fishing eh? Nothing really, just that at 12.00pm Sunday I am sat in my sisters living room watching Pompey, at 3.45pm I am sat in my boat off Alderney landing my first Turbot!! Only had two though, both under 4lb, packed up at 7pm. Alderney is far easier to get here than maybe you imagined. 29th April Out in the boats Turbot are a bit slower but the better quality is showing. Fish to 15lb and up to 20 per boat are being landed with Offshore Rebel, Tiger Lily IV, Smuggler IV and Top Cat being amongst the action. On the wrecks between 8 and 15 mile large catches of Pollack are being taken, Cod and Ling putting in appearances too. On the shore, well the usual Bass and Pollack are taking lures and plugs, Garfish numbers are on the up........and wait for it!! Three codling have come out. One at Doyle and two of the Breakwater. Mullet still about, usual other bit coming off Plattes, plus Wrasse elsewhere.
|
|
Send mail to
chris@alderneyangling.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
