Malc

We use Prime for the free delivery - the Prime TV stuff is just a bonus. Mrs135 ordered loads from Amazon so we reckon the free delivery has paid for the subs many times over.

Socorro 6000, I wanted something bigger than my well abused 4000 exages as they are OK for up to 3-4oz but in the winter I'll need 6+. I was looking at spheros and twin powers but I don't think that I would get that much more for my money. 

i yoused to go shore walking, some times to my addvantage, calshot castle was a good place at low tide

Yes, just the one of around 7/8lb IIRC, it was on the other boat
Very scarce over there apparently, Stiener (the owner of the resort and charter boat) thought the picture was photo shopped and I don't think he really believed it
The same lad also caught one last year

Awesome, I presume that you got sore arms from the fighting 

I took a walk out to a local beach and thankfully there weren't many people about as there was loads of lost tackle lying around, a breakaway lead and associated hooks and lines, two cheap jigs and one bizarre thing which seems to be a pink mackerel feather inside a muppet on a 1 inch length of line and attached to a carp bomb and two half ounce bombs!! Apart from the former the lines seemed to be 6-10lb maximum, I wonder how many locals and tourists get caught in these bits of lost gear?
At least I can use a few bits and recycle the hooks and swivels. 

I took a walk out to a local beach and thankfully there weren't many people about as there was loads of lost tackle lying around, a breakaway lead and associated hooks and lines, two cheap jigs and one bizarre thing which seems to be a pink mackerel feather inside a muppet on a 1 inch length of line and attached to a carp bomb and two half ounce bombs!! Apart from the former the lines seemed to be 6-10lb maximum, I wonder how many locals and tourists get caught in these bits of lost gear?
At least I can use a few bits and recycle the hooks and swivels. 

I took a walk out to a local beach and thankfully there weren't many people about as there was loads of lost tackle lying around, a breakaway lead and associated hooks and lines, two cheap jigs and one bizarre thing which seems to be a pink mackerel feather inside a muppet on a 1 inch length of line and attached to a carp bomb and two half ounce bombs!! Apart from the former the lines seemed to be 6-10lb maximum, I wonder how many locals and tourists get caught in these bits of lost gear?
At least I can use a few bits and recycle the hooks and swivels. 

I took a walk out to a local beach and thankfully there weren't many people about as there was loads of lost tackle lying around, a breakaway lead and associated hooks and lines, two cheap jigs and one bizarre thing which seems to be a pink mackerel feather inside a muppet on a 1 inch length of line and attached to a carp bomb and two half ounce bombs!! Apart from the former the lines seemed to be 6-10lb maximum, I wonder how many locals and tourists get caught in these bits of lost gear?
At least I can use a few bits and recycle the hooks and swivels. 

I won't bore you with the travel details because, well they're boring
Two flights and a ferry ride later, we arrived at Sandland Brygge at around 8pm last Wednesday 14th August 2024
The 7 of us were met by the owners/hosts Steiner and Stina who loaded our luggage and gear into their van for the very short 2 min drive to the digs, far easier than trying to drag a weeks worth of food, drink, clothes, tackle ourselves
We had one of the 2, 8 birth lodges which are clean, comfortable and full of all the appliances you will need
Anyway, we unpacked and 2 of us had a safety briefing on the self drive boats (6.5m all aluminium with 150 suzuki 4 strokes which you can see towards the end of the first video, there are also a couple of 7.5m boats with 200 suzukis on the back) 
Briefing done, it was time for supper and an early night
Day 1, Thursday
Luckily, a few of the lads had been here last year, so knew a few marks that we went straight out to
This threw up some nice Cod (not massive I know, but Cod) and smaller Coalies, there must litterally be hundreds of thousand of them, as this was the scene on pretty much every mark we went to

Despite the abundance of bait fish, it wasn't as frantic as I expected/was assured, there was no wind and a very little tide which I decided was the reason
Not a disaster 
Day 2, Friday
High wind and heavy, prolonged showers
Spent most of the day looking for shelter out of the wind (which you can always find somewhere in one of the fjords) getting wet and pulling the odd few fish up
Did try for Plaice, but drift was all over the place and horizontal rain, though I did manage a Dab of over a 300mm
No pictures as too wet
Not a good day
Day 3, Saturday
Good weather
Thought we would try some deeper water (150m +) very difficult to get 2 drifts the same even when starting at the exact same point (not just today, pretty much every day)
Had fish on every mark when the lines weren't kiting too much

 

As well as the Cod and Coalies, we also had their equivalent of dogfish, Torsk, which can be a nuisance
A bit of a cross between a Ling, a cod and a Rockling
 
We also picked up a few Wolf fish, they call them Catfish up there
Ugly critters with razer teeth and a jaw like a hydraulic crusher, but nice eating apparently


Finished the day off trying for Plaice
I think we had between 15 and 20 between the 3 of us, with this being the best of the day
5lb 6oz

Had a couple of double hook ups with 3.5/4lb fish which initially I though was a double figure fish, ashamed to say I was a bit disappointed when I saw 2 fish coming up 🫣
This was my most enjoyable day up to now
Day 4 Sunday
Carbon copy of Friday, blustery winds and heavy showers with much the same results
Managed a few Plaice towards the end of the day as the wind turned and made the drift the right direction
This was around 4lb IIRC

Day 5 Monday
Great forecast so we set off for the "pig farm" some reefs and drop offs around 6/7 miles off the NE of Loppa
Very quiet for both boats all morning, though the few fish that were caught were worth the wait
First in were the lads on the other boats, one of them (Smurf) dropped a dead bait down and as soon as it hit the bottom, his rod went bananas
This was the result

Took the treble deep, so wouldn't go back, went 66lb when weighed some 6 hrs later
Was very probably 70lb when caught, he was over the moon, could hear the cheers (from his boat and one close by) a mile away
Smurfs mate will copied his tactics and was rewarded with it's smaller sibling 20 mins or so later
Will's (on right) went 34lb, looks like a minnow next to the monster
Will also caught the only Red fish of the trip
Our boat wasn't faring so well, until Paul also dropped a deadbait down and was rewarded with the best Halibut of the trip
Scales were bouncing between 38 and 42lb, so we generously gave him 39lb 😁
Will also picked up a halibut earlier on in the week of around 20lb
To be continued on next post

The owner of the resort also has a 12m cat he charters out to the better, further away marks where the small, self drive boats aren't allowed to go
Its around 30 miles and apparently you aren't insured that far out, so charter is the only way and was highly recommended
A late start at 12.30 due to offshore winds early on and after a near 2 hr steam, we're dropping onto a huge reef system that can be drifted for a few hrs at a time with the right winds
A couple of winds up on my first drop produced this 
Deck hand Dave estimated at low 20's, who am I to argue
This was the stamp of fish that we were all catching on pretty much every drop, fair play they go like a train when they take the lure
After half a dozen of these, I sent a dead bait down, hoping for a big Cod or a Halibut
After about an hour and 3 bait changes, all I had caught was a Torsk (bastard fish) because that's what you call them when you see they're not a Cod or Coalie, had a few decent tugs, but couldn't connect and watching the rest of the boys pulling in fish in the mid 20's I was getting a bit tetchy, so went back to lures
In the mean time, Will had hooked and landed a Cod of 52lb, which unfortunately didn't go back, but would be given to some locals as is the case if they're too damaged and not wanted by the angler
I haven't got a pic of him holding it, so this will have to do
 
I had a couple of high teens and early 20lb Cod on a 9" lead headed lure (similar to a Sidewinder in design) so thought I'd try the biggest in the box and just target Cod
This was what the Norway veterans called "cut baits" mine was an imitation Puffin around a foot long !!!
Sent it down and they were hitting it as soon as it hit the bottom, plenty of the same size as earlier (huge for over here, just run of the mill over there)
I was hit by another 20lb + (or so I thought) and when the lunges became a bit more severe and line was being stripped off my reel, I was hoping this was something a bit better
It was, it was a 50 +
56lb 6oz and my PB ( a never to be beaten PB unless I go back out in 2026)
Because all fish are pulled up slowly and allowed to expel air as soon as you can see them (farting them) about 5/10 meters down, the majority go back unharmed like torpedos, 
This one also went back, seemingly none the worse for seeing my ugly mug, which is nearly as satisfying as catching it
Though, when I saw the size of it under the water, my arse was twitching a bit thinking that at any second i was going to loose it
2 drops later using the same method, I was hit by something bigger/stronger that I got up off the bottom by a few meters, only to watch my reel release a few more
Played tug of war for a few minutes and started gaining, then watched my reel give out more line than I had initially reeled in
So started the battle again and managed to get it, probably, 30m up after another 10 mins or so
Then I just went light and the expletives were ringing out
Whatever it was ( Cod or Halibut) was certainly a good fish
Got the lure to the surface and could see that my line had wrapped around the gape of the hook, probably disgorging the fish it fought
Ah well, there's always next time......
A pic of the lures we were using, with a 6" sidewinder for scale
I also caught a small, 5/6 lber on the Puffin lure, greedy buggers
A few other photos from the charter day and earlier
Had this view from our lodge a few mornings
To sum up my view, not as busy as I was told it would be, high water temps probably didn't help, the charter boat is a must if you go out there
But still very good fishing compared to what we have here
I will probably go back in 2026, 2025 fully booked 
 

Decided to give them a whirl.
One fist sized baking potato, around a fillet and a half of smoked mackerel, 2x teaspoons of full fat soft cheese, egg and breadcrumbs, makes 2x chunky cakes. 
Either steam or microwave the spud, let it cool and mash and if it looks dry add some softened butter, combine the potato and fish and if you fancy add Parsley and/or capers. Fill a suitable size cooking ring or scone cutter half way but leave a small recess in the centre on which you put the soft cheese, then cover with more fishcake mix.
Flour, then egg, then breadcrumb and either fry or cook in the oven at 180 fan. 
I will try grated cheddar in the centre next time. 

Looking tasty!

Decided to give them a whirl.
One fist sized baking potato, around a fillet and a half of smoked mackerel, 2x teaspoons of full fat soft cheese, egg and breadcrumbs, makes 2x chunky cakes. 
Either steam or microwave the spud, let it cool and mash and if it looks dry add some softened butter, combine the potato and fish and if you fancy add Parsley and/or capers. Fill a suitable size cooking ring or scone cutter half way but leave a small recess in the centre on which you put the soft cheese, then cover with more fishcake mix.
Flour, then egg, then breadcrumb and either fry or cook in the oven at 180 fan. 
I will try grated cheddar in the centre next time. 

Just in case anyone is fishing south shields pier, this is how the tide runs on a decent sized flood tide. 
 

Good on you for sharing your knowledge, both on here and with those lads on the pier. Can't help everyone though, and clearly some won't be helped!

I was a bit bored so decided on a couple of hours at the mackerel, and preferably herring, from south shields pier. Mid tide upwards is both easier to fish and more productive. I started 3/4 of the way along it even though it is supposed to be off limits due to work on the wrecked lighthouse etc so I wouldn't be in their way or in any danger. 
2-3 hours into the flood and the tide is hitting the pier and dog legging towards the river proper and you can see the tide lane which is where I aim for. Normally people don't fish here much as they get snagged too often, however I have done my research and have a mental map of the seabed from fishing from my kayak and there is a sharp rise up about 50m out. 80+ m cast into the main run and then slow retrieve for 30m and then reel fast to miss the snags. 3 mackerel in 30 minutes and just one snag and I go back down to get a place further down the pier on the other side of the gate. 
I know that the last 2 hours of a tide this big (5m) should get an eddy forming that runs up the pier and should bring the fish around here and close in. Half an hour and I get my first fish, unfortunately it shakes off on the way in, next cast the same and a couple of casts later I land another. Few more hits and misses and then it goes quiet an hour before high water and I'm off home. 
I am lucky enough to be 7 miles from the coast so I can get there more whether or not I am fishing, I've read about shields pier and its best spots and listened in on conversations on the pier and in tackle shops etc and can now put together all the information and hopefully get the best out of it. 
So what? Big smug grin and a pat on the back! I watched some of the other people on the pier, a group of lads in their late teens, 2 lads not quite in their teens and a holidaying family all having a go, none catch anything but the bottom and other lines. No one really speaking to anyone, however the two young lads had a problem with one of their reels and very politely asked for help, it was just a loose loop, so we get talking and one hooks a mackerel but in trying to get it up the wall it drops off. So we talked about fishing and I explained about how I was fishing the pier and why, and they listened and asked questions which I tried to answer. 
It gets me thinking that we need to help out more with those who are willing to ask or need help, I've seen guys get stroppy because they were told that they needed more line on their FS reel as you could just hear the friction of the 50(possibly stronger) lb mono from a half filled spool, or multiple crack offs because they don't have a leader (divvent tell me what to dee, I've been fishing here...) . Sad that some people are so self absorbed and can't be told and some are sponges and would mop up the smallest bit of information and act on it, perhaps angling clubs should be a bit more proactive as well as anglers in general 🤔 
Sorry for a rambling thread on makky bashing, just finishing my 2nd cuppa tea 😆

Just in case anyone is fishing south shields pier, this is how the tide runs on a decent sized flood tide. 
 

Just in case anyone is fishing south shields pier, this is how the tide runs on a decent sized flood tide. 
 

I was a bit bored so decided on a couple of hours at the mackerel, and preferably herring, from south shields pier. Mid tide upwards is both easier to fish and more productive. I started 3/4 of the way along it even though it is supposed to be off limits due to work on the wrecked lighthouse etc so I wouldn't be in their way or in any danger. 
2-3 hours into the flood and the tide is hitting the pier and dog legging towards the river proper and you can see the tide lane which is where I aim for. Normally people don't fish here much as they get snagged too often, however I have done my research and have a mental map of the seabed from fishing from my kayak and there is a sharp rise up about 50m out. 80+ m cast into the main run and then slow retrieve for 30m and then reel fast to miss the snags. 3 mackerel in 30 minutes and just one snag and I go back down to get a place further down the pier on the other side of the gate. 
I know that the last 2 hours of a tide this big (5m) should get an eddy forming that runs up the pier and should bring the fish around here and close in. Half an hour and I get my first fish, unfortunately it shakes off on the way in, next cast the same and a couple of casts later I land another. Few more hits and misses and then it goes quiet an hour before high water and I'm off home. 
I am lucky enough to be 7 miles from the coast so I can get there more whether or not I am fishing, I've read about shields pier and its best spots and listened in on conversations on the pier and in tackle shops etc and can now put together all the information and hopefully get the best out of it. 
So what? Big smug grin and a pat on the back! I watched some of the other people on the pier, a group of lads in their late teens, 2 lads not quite in their teens and a holidaying family all having a go, none catch anything but the bottom and other lines. No one really speaking to anyone, however the two young lads had a problem with one of their reels and very politely asked for help, it was just a loose loop, so we get talking and one hooks a mackerel but in trying to get it up the wall it drops off. So we talked about fishing and I explained about how I was fishing the pier and why, and they listened and asked questions which I tried to answer. 
It gets me thinking that we need to help out more with those who are willing to ask or need help, I've seen guys get stroppy because they were told that they needed more line on their FS reel as you could just hear the friction of the 50(possibly stronger) lb mono from a half filled spool, or multiple crack offs because they don't have a leader (divvent tell me what to dee, I've been fishing here...) . Sad that some people are so self absorbed and can't be told and some are sponges and would mop up the smallest bit of information and act on it, perhaps angling clubs should be a bit more proactive as well as anglers in general 🤔 
Sorry for a rambling thread on makky bashing, just finishing my 2nd cuppa tea 😆

Just in case anyone is fishing south shields pier, this is how the tide runs on a decent sized flood tide. 
 

Drogue would be my thoughts 

Had Gary ( @thejollysinker) out for a trip yesterday. He was on holiday locally and dropped a line for a trip. By chance had space so he joined us for an expedition to the deeps. 
 
What an all round nice guy 🙂 was great to have him aboard! Sadly I didn’t find him a blue whiting for the species hunt was a fast drift, and a bit lumpy… (LOTS of pot holes and speed bumps in the sea on way out and back in again, but cat bashed her way through) 
Gary did manage one blue…. Took a while to get it in. I did learn some new colloquial phrases from Devon that apparently aren’t safe for social media… but I can’t blame him when this little smiler popped up next to the boat after a heavy 35 min scrap 🙂 
Top work that man, expertly played, tagged and released… 🙂 
Another 5 finished off the day nicely 🙂 
 
 

we get them here on the sand banks - like the Shambles, adamant etc - i've never caught one yet but seen them landed!!
 

We get quite a few, especially on the surf beaches. Inshore is very quiet at the moment, so maybe that is why we are picking more up 🤔