Red Hot Wrecking..........For Some!

Where do I start with a day like this? Rarely have I seen such mixed fortunes amongst 10 anglers on one 38 foot boat, but today would show just how fickle the fishing "gods" can be.

The trip had been booked for some months and it was with a great sense of anticipation that Pops and I boarded the renowned Flamer III in Weymouth. In a typically organised fashion the skipper, Colin Penny, ensured all the gear was stowed safely and had us away from the quay at 7am sharp. Our target for the day was to catch some of the prime run of late Winter Pollack off of the wrecks in the English Channel, South West of Portland Bill. Flying collar rigs would be the order of the day with a variety of shads, red gills, jelly worms and sidewinders at the business end. Everyone set about tying those killer rigs, selecting their favourite lures and testing their knots to make sure the first hard fighting fish wouldn't escape due to inadequate tackle!

We set off in to a dramatic winter sunrise ready for a 29 mile steam to our target wreck. Many of the other boats were also slipping their moorings and I snapped this pretty silhouette of a boat named "Cobra" leaving the harbour at the same time.

Weymouth Sunrise

After a couple of hours we arrived at the wreck and Colin set up the first drift. I had opted for a trusty "Blue Herring" Storm shad whilst Pops went for a black jelly worm with a red tail (Colin had advised that these had been taking the larger fish).

A Promising Start

As we neared the end of the drift John, who was fishing on the port side closest to the cabin, leaned in to a fish. It was a nice specimen easily in double figures. Colin repositioned us again and the second drift produced the identical result. A large double for John and nothing for anyone else.

Two more drifts saw a third double for the port side of the boat (not sure who landed it) and this super fish, again landed by John. John went on to bag 8 Pollack on the day, the best performance of any of the anglers.

"Top Rod" John

A couple more drifts and the port side of the boat all registered fish as well as three of four Anglers at the stern. The notable lack of fish coming to the starboard trio of anglers (me, Pops and experienced local angler, James McArthy) started to be a target for jokes from the skipper.

Best Pollack of the Day

The poor performance from our side of the boat was emphasised after a couple of hours on the wreck when a port side angler, Richard I think, caught this fabulous fish. It tipped the scales at 18.25lbs, one of several 18lb plus fish seen on Flamer already this season.

Best Pollack of the Day

Weighed in at 18.25 lbs

In to the third hour and nothing changed. Each drift produced one or more fish with an excellent average size, the majority well over 10 lbs.

The starboard side remained very quiet. Pops and I tried shads in blue, purple, pink, green, orange and white. We also tried blue sidewinders, black and red jelly worms, purple jelly worms, red lead head twin tails and gills in blue, black, red and orange. None had the magic formula.

Ling Cameo

As we entered the third hour of fishing, an angler at the stern of the boat enquired whether there would be any Ling on the wreck. Colin was very confident when he said there wouldn't. Then a couple of minutes later another angler bent in to what looked to be a very, very good fish bending his 12lb class rod double. A measured and prolonged battle ensued until the fish surfaced - you guessed it, a ling! This very fat fish was quickly unhooked and weighed. It was even re-weighed a couple of times to see if it would make 30 lbs, but in the end it was confirmed at 29lbs, a cracking fish by any standard.

29 lb Ling

Colin tried to keep our spirits up on the starboard side by offering us a cup off coffee if we could catch a fish. He then brought out some wine gums to cheer us up. It shows how bad things were on our side when Pops' first thought was to try it on a hook!

More Pollack, now a smaller run of fish, and another Ling fell to the port side and the stern, but nothing for us.

Starboard Pegs Break Their Duck!

As we approached the four hour mark Colin repositioned the boat and urged that the "bunch on blankers" on the starboard side should now try and break their duck. James duly obliged with this Pollack. He would go on to catch another two in quick succession and salvage respectability for his day.

Face saving fish for James!

I turned my hold all upside down, desperatley seeking some piece of coloured latex which might change my luck. At the far recess of one of the pockets I found a small white Sidewinder. It was the last throw of the dice for me and I quickly attached it to the line.

Off we went on the next drift. The marks were called out one by one - "coming on to the wreck", "on the middle of the wreck", then "coming on to the back".

As the last call was made, 4 hours and 21 minutes after we started fishing and after precisely 26 turns of the reel, I felt a sharp tug. I kept winding. A couple more pulls and then a run, yes a run! The fish dived for the bottom and I became so excited I immediately declared I had a "good fish on". The first run stopped and I started to wind. My whole day depended on me landing this fish.

It went light - had I lost it?

Then it pulled again but not very strongly - was it a pout? Surely not, Pouts don't run like that do they?

A heart stopping head shake and I thought it had thrown the hook. No, it's still there - phew!

Finally the fish surfaced. It was a Pollack! OK, not the good fish I had first declared (and I hoped no-one had heard this), but it was a real fish none the less.

4 hours, 21 minutes and 26 turns!

It's funny how fishing goes some days. Colin put us on an excellent wreck with plenty of good sized fish and whilst some profited enormously from their endeavours, I struggled all day long. Pops sadly ended up with a blank as did one other angler who was right in the middle of the productive part of the boat. There was no doubt in the morning that a particular Mackerel pattern sidewinder, which we did not have, was the most productive lure. As the day wore on however fish fell to all sorts of lures and this was no longer an excuse. Still, it is a good incentive to go back and try again!

Extra Pictures

I snapped a couple of atmospheric shots whilst we were out and about today. The early morning light at this time of year can be fantastic and is definitely one of the bonuses of being awake at dawn on a Saturday.

Stunning Sunrise

Commercial Boats Are First Out

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