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  • 16/08/2013 Fishing Report by Mark Dolben on My Way 2 (Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey)

    16 Aug 2013 by Mark Dolben

    Report on-board My Way 2

    Well after one of the best days fishing I have ever had I felt I had to write a report and tell you all about it so here goes.
    It all started with a last minute booking after seeing on the My Way website (well worth a look www.goangling.co.uk) there was a space due to a cancellation at 9:30 pm the night before! It was a quick call to Gethyn and and I was booked on. Happy days!.
    It was a 9am sail and we were greeted at the dock by Gethyn and his lad H on a nice sunny morning. What a difference a day makes . The day before it was blowing 30-40 mph and absolutely lashing it down which had scupper end Gethyn's original plan of a trip out to the deeps, the swell out there would be too big after the weather the previous day.It was going to be a day of species hunting inshore.
    With everyone briefed on what to expect we set off to the first mark of the day, target pollock and wrasse on light gear rigs where size 1 down to size 8 hooks (for the mini species) and light spinning rods and sensor tips of which there is a great selection and top quality on board for the crew to try out or you can bring your own which I did. But Gethyn asked if I fancied a go with one of his tronixpro hto rods that he is giving away every month as prizes and boy I'm glad I did! Withh balanced gear like this an 8 oz wrase gives a good account of itself and if you hook a 2-3lb fish you've got a battle on your hands! Great fun!
    It wasn't long before the the first fish of the day were hitting the deck, plenty of colourful little wrase in the shape of Ballan,cuckoo,corkwing, and my first ever goldsinney wrase. Beautiful little fish,pollock, mackerel, rock goby's Really good fun on the light gear and a very enjoyable start to the day. After that it was kettle on as we steamed out a little further to the second mark of the day, the mussel beds where some of the crew carried on with the light tackle approach, taking a selection of fish, cod,gurnard,Huss,poor cod,whiteing,dab,and dogs but there was only one thing on my mind. Tope!!
    I lost what felt like a nice fish about this time last year that spat the hook after a couple of minutes (gutted) as I have been hoping and trying to bag my first tope with out success for a couple of years. On my last trip out to the deeps with Myway plenty of tope came aboard but to other anglers.Frustrating, but you can't complain too much when you're landing double figure spurdogs and bullhuss! lol
    Any way Gethyn and I felt there was a chance so I baited up with fresh mackerel just snippingg off the tail fin to stop it spinning in the tide. Out it went and I sat back to wait it out. After an hour or so with no luck and the other guys having a ball pulling up double and triple shots of fish I was thinking it might not happen and I should join in on the fun with the others and it was just as Gethyn was commenting on the lack of whiteing that are usually quite prolific on this mark it happened! Like the scene out of jaws the rod tip twitched, the reel clicked once...twice and then screamed. I jumped up, grabbed the rod, flipped the reel in to gear. The rod arched over and it was fish on and what could only be an angry tope that was on its first blistering run absolutely smoking line from the reel!
    I got a couple of turns back and it went again and then again and as I was gaining bit of line I thought disaster had struck again. I felt the line ping (must have been over one of the fins) and slack line. No, weight at all. I was gutted and started to reel as fast as i could to get another bait out for another go and bang! bang ! it was still on and it took off again ripping line off the reel. The fish must have charged the boat and with a mix of relief and adrenalin I got back into the fight. After another 5 minutes the tope began to tire and we got the first glimpse of it and it was huge. The biggest fish I have ever seen, let alone caught! Another few minutes and it was ready for the net. Gethyn slipped the net under the tope and it was mine! We laid it down on the deck and I was in awe, a truly impressive creature!!
    She weighed in at 48lb7oz . What a fish! A few photos and we slipped her back and wached her disappear back into the depths, awesome!!
    After that some of the crew wanted to get in on the action, gearing up with more fresh mackerel. It wasn't long before Arron was in to one that led us a merry dance, swimming under the boat and tangling with 5 other anglers but he kept his cool and with a bit of quick thinking and Gethyn's handy work with the scissors we had another tope on the deck 46lb, Well done mate! Another 5 minutes and it was my turn again,another cracker 30 to 35lb. I couldn't believe it. Amazing!
    Then it was time for a spot of lunch (sausage, black pud and bean butties) mmmmmm!! And a move to the last mark of the day to have a go for smooth hounds of which we picked up a few in the 5-8lb range along with some other bits and pieces and some nice codling for tea, all taken on crab baits. All too soon it was time to head for home but what a cracking day and I would like to thank Gethyn and his lad H for the best day's fishing I've ever had. Cheers guys!
    It goes without saying I would highly recommend a trip on Myway no matter what your age or ability. Top quality bait and tackle, rods, reels (not the battered rubbish you get on most charter boats) hand tied rigs, plenty of tea and coffee and mmm those butties! All supplied by a really knowledgable skipper who is only too happy to help. You really can't go wrong booking a day out on this boat. Just check out their web site at www.goangling.co.uk. Well, that's all for now can't Wait for next time!

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