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  • 24/09/2018 Fishing Report by Scott Shepherd on Atlantic Blue (Minehead, Somerset)

    24 Sep 2018 by Scott Shepherd

    Report on-board Atlantic Blue

    Monday 24th September 2018 saw us heading out to try some marks further down channel than we had ventured before. We started off anchored up on a mark in between three of the other boats out of Minehead that day catching dogfish. With mostly fish baits and a few cocktail baits on board, we managed a couple of small Bull Huss in amongst the dogfish. As we lost the tide in close, we headed for the Ivy Stone for more Bull Huss and Dogfish. Having been pestered by small bites on larger baits, Roy Sparks switched to a flapper rig with smaller hooks and managed to land a 3-Bearded Rockling of 2lb 10oz for a new boat record, well done, Roy!

    As we lost the tide there, I decided to head for a mark that the late Arthur Talbot showed me a few years ago and from where we have had some big fish including Tope, Congers, Smoothound and Bull Huss. We got there right at the end of the ebb tide and we swinging around from the off. As the tide held us more or less straight, we started catching fish. We had a few small congers and dogfish before Pete Austin's rod would bend into something a bit better that he and I both hoped would be a Bull Huss. When the fish hit the surface, it wasn't just a Bull Huss, it was a big Bull Huss that tipped the scales, witnessed by another angler, at 16lb 4oz and would set a new boat record. What was even better for me was that my best mate had finally, after 33 years of trying, beaten his personal best Bull Huss and set himself a difficult, but not impossible, target to beat.

    A short while later, Roy Sparks would be in the action again, this time with a dogfish. As I can hear the sighs of disappointment, I would like to point out that this fish of 2lb 6oz sets a new boat record that took us to 3 new boat records for the day!

    We headed back up channel to try for some rays before heading for home but, alas, the rays would prove elusive and all we would manage would be a few more baby tope, dogfish, huss and congers. As I headed the boat for the harbour, we were all satisfied that it had been a brilliant day and that they all wanted to come again soon and try to beat some more personal bests and boat records.

    Pete remarked to me as we rounded the end of the harbour that he has done 4 trips with me this year and has landed specimen fish on every one. He's had 3 Small-Eyed Rays over 12lbs, a Bull Huss of 16lb 4oz and Smoothounds to around 14-15lb (all of which were returned to fight another day!). Proof that you can't keep a good angler down and that I can, on my days, find the fish!

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