robkilby Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 The friends we sometimes go away with /meet up with on our van trips want to go mackerel fisihng. Preferably in a boat, with gear provided. Any recommendations ; Wales, Scotland or England north of Chester/ Hull ? The " hour round the bay " stuff doesn't seem to feature on the websites , or ot the ones I have found anyway Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 The principal South Devon and Cornish ports used to all have plenty of Mackerell fishing boat trips during the summer months and the fish used to be large and plentiful in those prime areas. At times the fish are still plentiful but they ain't large any more due to overfishing by trawlers. There are probably also trips still available from other ports - notably the Midge (aka West) Coast of Scotland and parts of West and North Wales. Don't know about Northern England or the East Coast but if the fish are present in Wales and Scotland it seems reasonable to expect similar in between? Have you tried asking the local TICs in the main West coast fishing ports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Don't bother until July, when the water is warm enough to draw them in. Tracker is correct about Cornwall they always have boats taking people out Mackerel fishing for a tide, also for Sharks. Looe springs to mind as a prime spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 As Tracker & Peter say, Cornwall & South Devon in July to early September there are plenty of opportunities daily, Small coves & harbours generally offer the best fishing, rather than the larger Resorts. Mackerel fishing trips from Hull, - none that I am aware of, but out of the estuary higher up the coast, Fishing trips available from Bridlington, Flamborough, Scarborough & Whitby, but tend not to be Mackerel specific. One point to be aware of:- Many of the Skippers offering these trips expect part of your catch, so make sure you are fully aware of what they are offering. Some even limiting you to only 2 fish. It's often better to pay a little more for the trip & retain ALL you catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Remember mackerel fishing with feathers of the coast of Hastings as a lad and Worthing late teens early twenties. Easy food and good brain and heart food they now tell us. My friend with a boat went out (of Mudeford - New forest I think) and got into a shoal - caught 8. We are of on a trip - not just for mackerel - in May from Weymouth, Should be good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 CliveH - 2011-04-20 7:08 AM My friend with a boat went out (of Mudeford - New forest I think) and got into a shoal - caught 8. We got into a shoal off Falmouth many years ago and two of us on a 32' boat with 'hurdy gurdy' handlines caught - and boxed and sorted into sizes -140 stone - just under a ton! - that day. There was no waste as all (except a bucket full) went to the Falfish market at £1.50 a stone. That paid a few boating bills! And then there was the day out over a wreck that three of us only caught 12 decent fish all day - 5 conger, 4 ling & 3 pollock - smallest being a 21lb pollock and largest being a 48lb conger. That was a good day - and no fish went to waste! In the days when we were out every weekend and making a decent second income from the sea, too many times people would take their entire catch home. We often heard later that most of it would end up in the bin because they were too tired to deal with it or had no freezer space so we always tried to instill into people that although hand line and rod and line fishing is sustainable that is no reason to kill fish without purpose. Boats are expensive to run and maintain and when a skipper retains most of the catch he does so for a reason. The sold value helps keep the boat on the water and the costs down - and it also prevents waste. In our day most skippers would happily allow you to take a few more fish if you asked nicely and explained what you wanted them for - but that softly softly approach may have changed with the generation of skipper - don't know have not done it for over 20 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I remember days like that! - interestingly the mackeral season is still a way off - but 8 without really trying was good for this time of year. And yes - you are 100% correct to flag up the waste issue Tracker. A chap down the end of our close has his own smokery - smokes trout - fantastic!! - and if I get mackeral he will smoke these in his shed and we will share the catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Yeah Clive - I remember our home made smokery now you come to mention it - the whole neighbourhood knew when we were smoking fish - and we needed fog lights just to navigate round the garden! Most of our big mackerel catches were in the winter as mackerel are an all year fish - or at least they were in the Western Approaches in the 70's and 80's - don't know about the rest of the UK - but they only used to come close inshore from about late May to October! I don't know whether changing sea temperature etc has changed that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robkilby Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Thanks, as ever, for these helpful comments and ideas I'll see where the gang fancy when we meet up on Good Friday...and when they have in mind. It will be in the period most of you have suggested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robkilby Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share Posted April 25, 2011 Just back from 3 nights on Anglesey...picked up some info on fishing trips whilst at Beaumaris today. Had a great time on the island, so will e going back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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