For once the weather was kind to us and there was no wind at all - downside was the really hot temperature and the effect it had on the fishing!
I arrived at Trefor pier around 8.45 to find Terry and Kev and others already setting up their gear and serving up the sausage and bacon baps and brew. Terry and Kev had been out night fishing the evening before til midnight and had had a very productive session so hopes were high. There were soon over 10 of us, including quite a few new faces and people who were on their first time out
Here we are setting up and launching at Trefor beach with the tide on the ebb:
After a quick safety talk and paddle plan at the launch we split into two groups - one going north - the other group, including me, paddling under the pier and into the shallow bay looking for mackeral and then straight out west into deeper water for a drift south with the ebbing tide looking for the mackeral shoals. We were soon into a few mackeral but no big shoals were found - still enough joeys were pulled in for us to move on to the tope mark. I also pulled in this little fellow:
Can someone confirm which type of gurnard this is please
It was really beautiful out on the water :
It was beautiful sitting astride or side saddle on a flat calm sea, looking accross to the cliffline whilst anhored up over the gully. We dropped large half mackeral and flapper baits down on the bottom in the search for tope and huss - reels left in holders with the ratchets on - and fished the second spinning rods for more fresh mackeral bait or baited shrimp rig in my case hoping for my first ever black bream.
It was very quiet for the first hour or so, with just the odd mackeral coming up, then suddenly just after the tide turned the fish seemed to switch on and Terry had both rods nodding, with both mackeral and the first dog. I had a couple of good bites on a whole mackeral bait on the bottom fishing rod, which got my pulse going
;D - I decided it was dogs and switched to a smaller mackeral bait from a fresh joey lask - and sure enough I pulled in my first ever doggie off the yak and a new species for the year - unhooked at the side of the yak and released to pester someone else
after a photograph for the species hunt:
After another hour of dogs, mackeral, grunard and I think two different types of weever fish, we decided to paddle back inshore as the tide was starting to pull quite strongly and there was still a distinct lack of big fish about. We paddled close in to the cliffline, in search of black bream and pollack and wrasse.
One of the guys got a small wrasse on rag, whilst I pulled in another new species for the yak, a nice size launce, caught on the spinning rod with small shrimp rig:
We paddled back up north half a mile towards the Trefor Pier and fished some more in the shallower areas - but there wasnt much about appart from the odd mackeral.
I paddled back around the pier, avoiding the combat anglers lines, and local kids jumping off the pier, for a well earned buttie rest on the beach. I then paddled back out to the shallow area - looking down into the 15ft of gin clear water and admiring all the huge spider crabs that were scattered around the area waiting for anglers baits to be cast from the pier ;D , and the odd divers that were also there in strong numbers. I joined Terry for a final half an hour spinning in the hope of some larger mackeral to take home for tea. Terry pulled in a small herring on a tiny shrimp rig but nearly had a 4lb plus wrasse which took a liking to the herring on its way up to the surface ;D
At 5pm it was time to paddle my sore backside and aching legs back under the pier legs for a final chat before everyone made off home. It was a very enjoyable day out - not the best fishing but plenty of fish and some good bites to keep us busy at times. Two new species at least for me - need a second opinion on the gurnard before adding a third one to the list.
Thanks to everyone for a great day out and nice to meet some new members.