The forecast for Sunday was terrible, so I opted for a few hours on the Saturday (14th) instead. It’s now September so I needed to pull my finger out somewhat and get enough mackerel for the winter season before the bad weather dispersed the shoals. The cod larder also needed an urgent topup!
Mackerel were a little thin on the ground – there were plenty there, but they tended to come aboard in ones and twos rather than full houses. However I added 50 to those already sitting in the freezer from earlier in the summer, so the winter bait problem is largely solved. Plenty of codling showing inshore too, although a little on the small side. Enough keepers to top up the freezer though, plus a sprinkling of smallish coalies and pollack and titchy ling.
There were large shoals of baitfish showing, mainly herring fry to judge by the contents of the mackerel, and in some places these reached from top to bottom of the water column – perhaps 50 feet thick.
Great way to spend a morning, unless you’re a mackerel, of course!
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