16-12-2006, 06:47 AM
Hi guys,
I have time for a brief update before I have to go back to sea. I am pleased to report some success. We have caught 5 squid!!!
Sailed from Brixham at 2200 on Friday 8th December and steamed west towards a stretch of Cornish coast between Plymouth and the Dodman point. We were expecting fine weather conditions as the forecast was for the wind to veer into the NW and decrease. after a lumpy steam in heavy SW swell we conducted the first drift just before dawn with the lights on, at this point the weather was NW 3 (very pleasant if a tad cold, about +2deg C). No squid on the first drift, however on the second drift 1 squid (Loligo Vulgaris) was caught. No other squid showed for the rest of the morning and then just before lunch another L.Vulgaris (38cm mantle length, approx. 1.5kg). I caught a small one around mid afternoon and then nothing for the rest of the day.
The following morning the wind backed very quickly into the SW and freshened to a full gale, for a change. By lunchtime we were forced to seek shelter in Mevagissey and did not get away until the Monday afternoon. Even then conditions would not allow us to fish any offshore marks so we spent the best part off the day conducting drifts around likely looking headlands and rocky reefs and areas where local fishermen had caught squid in the past. After several drifts we steamed to a mark just off Fowey where a small fishing boat came along side out of curiosity. The skipper of this vessel had targetted squid with jigs on numerous occasions and suggested we attempted a reef known to him as the "Outer ground" as this often produced squid in the marginal conditions (murky water) we were experiencing. The first drift over this mark produced a fine specimen of L. Forbesi (48cm and probably 3kg), again though this was the only taker, several more drifts in full dark with the lights and not a touch. Slightly heartened we returned to Mevagissey for the night and sailed at 0430 the following morning to drift the same mark.
10 minutes into the first drift and two lines had takes almost at the same time, I retrieved the forward section of the club (hunting) tentacle of a large L. Forbesi and the other line lost theirs after several metres of retrieve. 20 minutes later and on the same drift I had a fine specimen to the boat and lost it as it was coming aboard, another line caught and landed a Vulgaris of 34cm I had two drop offs and the other line lost one at the boat and had one drop off and then nothing.
Weather was freshening all the time from the SW and the accompanying swell was the main reason we experienced so many drop offs, as it was very difficult to maintain a constant retrieve rate.
The weather continued to deteriorate to a full gale, again, and we were forced to run before it and return to Brixham.
SW gales continued through Wednesday when we attempted several drifts around Torbay but were unable to venture further than about 2km offshore.
We returned to Brixham on Wednesday night and have been waiting to get back to it, probably on Saturday morning when the forecast gives the wind veering into the NW and this should hopefully improve the water clarity.
Squid is being caught by the trawlers so with luck we should see some results. I intend to try slightly different tactics this time as at night I intend to anchor and let the lights work the squid to us rather than drift.
I have time for a brief update before I have to go back to sea. I am pleased to report some success. We have caught 5 squid!!!
Sailed from Brixham at 2200 on Friday 8th December and steamed west towards a stretch of Cornish coast between Plymouth and the Dodman point. We were expecting fine weather conditions as the forecast was for the wind to veer into the NW and decrease. after a lumpy steam in heavy SW swell we conducted the first drift just before dawn with the lights on, at this point the weather was NW 3 (very pleasant if a tad cold, about +2deg C). No squid on the first drift, however on the second drift 1 squid (Loligo Vulgaris) was caught. No other squid showed for the rest of the morning and then just before lunch another L.Vulgaris (38cm mantle length, approx. 1.5kg). I caught a small one around mid afternoon and then nothing for the rest of the day.
The following morning the wind backed very quickly into the SW and freshened to a full gale, for a change. By lunchtime we were forced to seek shelter in Mevagissey and did not get away until the Monday afternoon. Even then conditions would not allow us to fish any offshore marks so we spent the best part off the day conducting drifts around likely looking headlands and rocky reefs and areas where local fishermen had caught squid in the past. After several drifts we steamed to a mark just off Fowey where a small fishing boat came along side out of curiosity. The skipper of this vessel had targetted squid with jigs on numerous occasions and suggested we attempted a reef known to him as the "Outer ground" as this often produced squid in the marginal conditions (murky water) we were experiencing. The first drift over this mark produced a fine specimen of L. Forbesi (48cm and probably 3kg), again though this was the only taker, several more drifts in full dark with the lights and not a touch. Slightly heartened we returned to Mevagissey for the night and sailed at 0430 the following morning to drift the same mark.
10 minutes into the first drift and two lines had takes almost at the same time, I retrieved the forward section of the club (hunting) tentacle of a large L. Forbesi and the other line lost theirs after several metres of retrieve. 20 minutes later and on the same drift I had a fine specimen to the boat and lost it as it was coming aboard, another line caught and landed a Vulgaris of 34cm I had two drop offs and the other line lost one at the boat and had one drop off and then nothing.
Weather was freshening all the time from the SW and the accompanying swell was the main reason we experienced so many drop offs, as it was very difficult to maintain a constant retrieve rate.
The weather continued to deteriorate to a full gale, again, and we were forced to run before it and return to Brixham.
SW gales continued through Wednesday when we attempted several drifts around Torbay but were unable to venture further than about 2km offshore.
We returned to Brixham on Wednesday night and have been waiting to get back to it, probably on Saturday morning when the forecast gives the wind veering into the NW and this should hopefully improve the water clarity.
Squid is being caught by the trawlers so with luck we should see some results. I intend to try slightly different tactics this time as at night I intend to anchor and let the lights work the squid to us rather than drift.