71lb tope shock off Norfolk coast
GAVIN Miller experienced a fishing trip he will never forget when he landed this huge tope weighing 71lb while fishing off the Norfolk coast.
The 29-year-old from Rosliston in Derbyshire, was fishing aboard Nigel Storey’s Sunbeam III out of Wells-next-to-the-Sea, when he landed the fish from a well-known mark located a few miles offshore.
Gavin, who has only been sea fishing a handful of times, said: “I have been out on a few boats from Illfracombe in Cornwall but have only caught baby tope. I’m more of a carp angler really and have never caught anything this size before - I couldn’t believe my luck.”
Fishing in depths of around 114ft, Gavin used a mackerel head on a size 2/0 hook to land the specimen which was the only tope of the trip. “I have booked up again for later in the year as I’m hungry for more fish like this. Nigel is an excellent skipper, he knows exactly where to go to catch them,” he added.
Gavin’s fish is 11lb short of the current boat caught British tope record, an 82lb fish caught off Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex by R.Chatfield in 1991.
New UK shore-caught tope record
Michael Bell’s long distance trip to the Isle of Man proved worthwhile when he landed a new UK shore caught Tope record, weighing a staggering 66lb 10oz.
The 42-year-old Northumberland-based college lecturer was fishing with his friend Scott Davidson at Point West, in Ramsey - a known deep water mark for the species - when he landed the fish, beating Kevin Legge’s 66lb specimen caught in Devon in 2006.
The pair caught a total of 24 fish during the week, including another large tope of 40lb, using freshly caught mackerel.
Michael used a Sakuma Manta 6/0 hook tied to a 75lb Sakuma wire trace to land the fish, which was weighed and witnessed by local angler Mark Quirk, before being released.
Blue sharks... from a small inflatable boat!
Catching sharks from a small inflatable boat might sound like a daunting experience – but that’s exactly what Julian Chidgey did, landing a series of blue sharks to over 70lb.
The Fox-backed angler joined forces with his friend Neil Edgar and targeted the predators off the coast of Cornwall.
Fresh mackerel hookbaits were caught first before being presented under a float setup. It didn’t take long for the action to begin, and Julian said: “I’d been fishing for smaller species on a light rig when all of a sudden I could hear line being stripped from my shark rod.”
“Despite having the clutch set tightly, it stripped 100 metres of braid before I eventually started coaxing it towards the boat. It was an epic fight that I’ll never forget,” added Julian, who used 30lb Fox Horizon braid and a 175lb wire trace to a size 10/0 hook.
Blue sharks on a seagull!
An imitation seagull has accounted for the capture of a record-breaking haul of huge sharks.
Fly fishing fanatic Allan Shephard and three of his friends did battle with no less than 29 blues to over 120lb while fishing their unconventional bait during a trip out of Milford Haven on the Welsh coast aboard Andrew Alsop’s White Water II.
The group worked the predators up into a frenzy by expertly working their array of home-made flies, that ranged from imitation bait fish such as mackerel, all the way through to a life size seagull that accounted for one of the largest fish.
The catch is the biggest ever of fly-caught sharks taken during a day and the party, completed by Berkshire-based rod Duncan Goldsmith, Toby Coe from Devon and Wiltshire’s Martyn Wright, admitted that they were left exhausted after the manic session.
“Catching shark like this is incredible. You couldn’t be more in touch with the fish because the centre pin reels have no gearing to help aid the fight,” said Allan, brands and marketing manager for Farlows Sportfish Group. “We don’t use harnesses, plus the 70lb core line that we use has very little stretch - to say it’s a hell of a battle is an understatement.
“The sharks take seagulls off the top and that’s exactly why we used this fly as it imitates a bird bobbing around on the surface. It’s amazing to see the fish coming up for it.”
Andrew Alsop is the most successful shark skipper in the UK and usually targets the predators with fish baits attached to floats made from empty soft drink bottles.
“Having never personally targeted blue sharks with flies, I jumped at the chance to try my hand at it,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I fished for sharks myself, but how could I refuse after seeing these boys do battle on fly gear all day.
“I was amazed at how sensitive these fish can be as we could actually feel them mouthing the fly and checking it out before they properly took the bait. When that happened we just had to hold on for dear life!” he added.
British shore caught skate record broken
CRAIG MacKay had to endure a titanic five hour battle before landing a new shore caught British record common skate, weighing 223lb.
The 49-year-old from Halkirk in Scotland, used a whole mackerel bait from an undisclosed mark on the North coast of the country. And just 30 minutes after casting out he hooked in to the huge specimen and began an epic fight to land what he described as ‘the most amazing fish you could ever catch’.
“I could barely stand by the end and even had cramp throughout the scrap” he told Angling Times. “The fish stripped off yards and yards of line and then it swam beneath a huge undercut on the cliff.
It took me ages to get it out and then I had to move back to where I originally hooked the fish in order to be positioned low enough to lift it out onto the rocks - even then we had to wait for a big wave to get it high enough.”
The fish, which will go down in history as an unclaimed record due to the fact it was released alive by Craig, has smashed the official record of 169lb 6oz caught by Gordon MacKenzie from the Isle of Lewis back in 1994.
However, Craig, who has only been fishing for two years, knew a fish of this size was possible after his angling partner, Murray Farmer caught one of a similar weight last year.
“We knew they were there but I had never actually caught one before after losing four in previous sessions. I was desperate to give it another go this year with Murray.
“There was no way I would kill it to claim a record because skate of this size are as old as me. They are a beautiful fish which belong back in the ocean,” added Scot, who is already planning to break his record. “I want to see if there are bigger fish out there but will have to wait a few days as I am still sore from landing this one!”
71lb Thames tope landed
AT 71lb, this tope was a true ‘fish of a lifetime’ and came during a session on the Thames estuary for Stewart Morrell.
The impressive specimen is just 11lb shy of the British record for the species and one of the biggest caught from the area for decades.
Malden-based Stewart was fishing aboard Ron Angel’s boat ‘Why Worry’ out of Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex, uptiding with a mackerel head attached to a 7/0 circle hook and a 130lb nylon trace. Skipper Ron said he had been seeking a fish like this for a long time for his clients:
“The last 70lb-plus tope caught here that I can recall was in the 1990s and a fish over 50lb is considered a specimen. The really big tope are females and we usually only get a six week run of them between May and June. They’re a bit later than usual this year though and there’s a really good run of them,” he said.
For more on his trips visit www.whyworryanglingcharters.co.uk or call 07956 439244.
Teamwork in White Water II boats 235lb porbeagle
THE UK’s most famous shark fishing skipper made a dream start to the season and christened his new £170,000 boat with the capture of his biggest- ever porbeagle weighing in at 235lb.
Earlier this year Andrew Alsop, who operates out of Milford Haven in Wales, predicted that 2013 was going to be a record-breaking year thanks to what he calls his ‘Ferrari of the sea’.
And his claims look set to become a reality after one of his most dedicated customers boated the huge predator during White Water II’s maiden voyage.
Shark fishing fanatic Andy Griffith makes the 12-hour trip from his home in Kent twice a month if the conditions are right and his dedication was rewarded when he won the battle with the new personal best.
Armed with a 16lb-20lb class Shimano travel rod, 60lb braid and a size 10/0 hook baited with a whole whiting, the property investor had to use all of his strength as well as relying on the skill of his skipper who was forced to reverse the boat to stop the shark from stripping all of the braid from Andy’s reel.
“I was absolutely blown away and it truly was a dream come true. I’ve been fishing with Andrew for seven years and I’ve always had faith that he would help me find a shark like this,” Andy told Angling Times.
“It took me almost an hour to get it to the side of the boat and the fact that I was using quite a light outfit made for an unbelievable fight – Andrew even had to grab me by the scruff of the neck at one point to stop me getting pulled over the side. I will never forget the day as long as I live.”
Andrew’s first few days of the new season also saw him locate a number of blue shark and he helped a group of anglers land five specimens to a best of 90lb in one outing.
“This boat is so quick and handless rough conditions so well that it gives me at least two hours more fishing time which allows us to cover water that was previously out of bounds,” said Andrew.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season as every year my catches and individual specimens have just got bigger and I believe there is the possibility of tuna and other species of shark such as the Mako.”
Smooth-hound record broken
ROBIN Randall has broken the British smooth-hound record with the capture of this 32lb specimen caught aboard his own boat Novat.
Targeting an area of rough ground out of Southampton known as The Brambles while aboard his boat, Novat, the 42-year-old fished a piece of ragworm on a size 4/0 hook to tempt the shark which beat the old best for the species of 28lb.
However, Robin won’t be able to submit an official record claim as he sportingly returned the fish alive, as opposed to killing it and returning to shore.
“I was fishing in about 15ft of water so the fish went off like a train, it was like hooking a tuna. It just kept going and I knew it was a big smooth-hound. It looked simply huge, the biggest I’d caught before this was 15lb. I was unaware just how big a catch it was until I showed my pictures to Al's Tackle in Woolston,” he said.
2013 Alderney Lure Only 24 Hour Species Hunt
Tronixpro & Alderney Angling are very proud to announce the "2013 Alderney Lure Only 24 Hour Species Hunt" in association with Sea Angler Magazine, The Lure Forum, Marukyu, Nice Fish Distribution and Lure Heaven.
Tronixpro & Alderney Angling are inviting all lure anglers to join them on the magnificent island of Alderney to fish a lure only species hunt from midday Saturday 14th September to midday Sunday 15th September 2013.
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For futher details call 01481 824884.
North sea record porbeagle caught off Whitby
A MAMMOTH three hour tug of war ended in victory for Sam Ward with the shock capture of this huge porbeagle estimated at 365lb – the biggest ever caught off the North Yorkshire coast.
The fish, which is also believed to be a North Sea record, was captured by the 41-year-old angler from Holbeach, Lincolnshire, during a two day trip aboard Shy Torque out of Whitby.
Anchored around 30 miles offshore, the giant shark was taken after two other porbeagles - weighing over 200lb and 175lb - had been landed by his companions Steve Herrick and Richard Furness. Sam, who’s previous biggest fish was a 38lb carp, admitted he was in total shock after battling with the fish of a lifetime. “We didn’t even see the fish for over two hours and it took me over three hours to actually land it – I was completely exhausted by the end.”
The fish dived to a depth of around 75m in just 20 seconds after taking Sam’s whole mackerel bait and even managed to spin the boat during the scrap. Measuring 90 inches long and 56 inches thick at the head it was estimated by skipper Rich Ward to weigh around 365lb.
The official world record porbeagle is 507lb which was landed off Pentland Firth, Scotland in 1993 by Christopher Bennett. Fish of this size are extremely rare, however, and only a few captures over 400lb have ever been reported including a rumoured 500lb-plus fish landed by Graeme Pullen off Cornwall last year.
Shark fishing fanatic Dave Turner - who is one of only a handful anglers to have boated blue, mako and porbeagle sharks exceeding 100lb in British waters - believes the capture is even more remarkable due to the location where it was made. “These species have become more popular in the last decade but the biggest fish are very localised and not often associated with the North Sea.
“Most of the big fish are found off the coasts of Cornwall or the West of Scotland so this capture is extremely special,” he said.
Sam, whose previous sea fishing experience amounts to catching cod and flatfish, now can’t wait to get out again. “I didn’t expect to catch anything like this when I agreed to the trip but now I want some more of the action and have booked the boat again for later in the year.”
Anyone interested in fishing on Shy Torque can do so by contacting skipper Rich Ward on 07733 233352 or 07747 848406.
World cod record broken
THE world cod record has been broken with the capture of the first ever 100lb-plus example of the species.
Weighing a staggering 47kg (103.6lb), it was landed by German angler Michael Eisele who struggled to hold the immense fish aloft after boating it from the famous Soröya fishing camp in Norway.
It is the pinnacle of a run of over-sized spring time ‘skrei’ cod from the area over the past two years, which also included a then European record of 91lb in May 2012.
Heiligenhafen-based Michael battled the cod for over 30 minutes after it took his 375g Horminator Puffin lure which was fished 70m deep in 94m of water out of Breiviksfjorden.
He said: “I’ve not had a really large cod before. My previous biggest was a 30lb North Atlantic but this was just unbelievable. The fight was very tough but thankfully the drag on the reel helped control its runs.
“I was using 40lb line and a 100lb leader - anything less would have been dangerous and I could have easily lost this fat fish. It felt like a big cod but not 47kg, and when it came up I was just crying and shouting ‘what a beast’!”
The fish was accurately weighed at a shore side factory and an official claim has now been filed to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Michael, who is a director of Dieter Eisele Fishing, beat the previous Atlantic cod best of 98lb 12oz, set way back in June 1969 in New Hampshire, USA.
Peanut worms set to take sea fishing by storm
A UNIQUE new bait set to take the sea fishing world by storm has gone on sale for the first time in the UK.
Peanut worms are an unusual strain of lugworm with a large bulbous end and a tough texture, and have already been used with great success in Spain and Italy. Although native to UK and Irish shores, huge difficulties in finding and digging them up has made them almost impossible to source in the past. However, Sean Walker of www.peanutworms.co.uk has now found a closely guarded way of supplying them live to anglers by mail order. The lucky few to have tried the strain of worm so far have reported impressive catches of bass, pollack, wrasse, cod, mullet and bream.
“This is a completely new bait for the UK,” he said. “Throughout the process of setting up my business I’ve been working with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to make sure I’m operating within the law. Peanut worms burrow deep into the sand and are underwater most of the time.
“I can keep worms alive for weeks by replicating their living conditions but this isn’t possible when sending them out, so each pack has its own individual ‘use by’ date - usually four days after the anticipated date each is received. My aim is to provide a first class live bait service.”
One of the first UK anglers to try peanut worms was Mike Tock of West Hull Angling Club who, fishing the River Humber near Spurn Point, shared a catch of 62 fish in three hours with two friends.
“I’ve never seen a bait like this before - it’s more like a slug than a worm. They are extremely tough and didn’t burst when I pierced them with a baiting needle. They also move a lot once you put them in the water. We were getting a few flounders early in the session so I changed to peanut worms and starting catching lots of bass up to 3lb. It’s unusual to catch school bass so early in the year here as the water is still very cold. I’ll definitely try this bait again,” he added.
Buy them
Peanut worms are currently only available from Glasgow Angling Centre for £6.99 per tub. Visit www.fishingmegastore.com or call 0871 716 1670. For more information on the product see www.peanutworms.co.uk.
British record skate banked at 235lb
THIS IS the exclusive picture of a huge 235lb common skate that smashes the current British record out of sight.
It took Welsh specimen hunter David Griffiths an hour-and-a-half to haul the historic 7.5ft-long specimen up through over 500ft of water while he was on holiday in Scotland with his son William and a group of friends.
They were fishing aboard Ronnie Campbell’s Laura Dawn II a mile-and-a-half off the coast of Oban when the giant skate - which is 8lb heavier than the current British best caught back in 1986 off the Isle of Lewis in Scotland - took a squid and mackerel cocktail mounted on a size 10/0 Mustad hook.
“It took me over 30 minutes just to get the fish off the bottom, and when I saw the look on Ronnie’s face as it came up through the depths I knew it was a very special specimen indeed,” David told Angling Times.
After its dimensions were accurately measured on board and the estimated weight confirmed, the mighty specimen was safely returned unharmed. This means that the captor won’t be able to make an official record claim because, as things currently stand, all boat-caught fish are required to be killed and weighed on the shore in order to be eligible for entry into the history books.
“I’ve caught skate to 210lb before, but this magnificent creature completely dwarfed them and even though it would have been great to claim a record, there’s no way that any of us would do any harm to a fish like this which is probably 60-years-old.”
Skipper Ronnie has been fishing for giant skate for over 25 years and David’s is the biggest fish he’s ever brought aboard in that time.
“I’ve never seen a skate like it. With a length of 91 inches and a width of 71 inches, it works out at 235lb on our conversion chart, but I think if we weighed this fish on the shore it could have been at least 10lb bigger because it was so fat,” said Ronnie.
During their six-day holiday, the group of friends boated more than a dozen skate over the 100lb mark, with 12-year-old William landing them to an impressive 113lb.
3lb cod wins angler a brand new car
FOR MANY anglers a 3lb fish isn’t exactly a catch of a lifetime but to Karl Wiepcke, the 3lb 7oz cod that he caught in last week’s European Open Beach Championship was the most memorable fish he will ever land…because it won him a brand new car and a pocketful of cash!
Karl took the modest fish during the three-day event, held on a wind and rain battered Yorkshire coast around Hornsea, where it was enough to beat more than 100 other anglers and scoop the first prize of a Peugeot 107, as well as nearly £3,000 in cash.
Fishing a mark at Aldborough, the 34-year-old mechanic from Goxhill in East Yorkshire knew that his only chance of banking a decent fish was to wait until high tide. Accordingly, he didn’t start fishing until 2pm, at which point he cast out a Pennel rig sporting a size 3/0 hook baited with a black lug and white rag cocktail.
Karl told Angling Times of the agonising 24-hour wait before he was announced the winner: “In a competition such as this, run over three days where anglers are allowed to rove the coast, it is hard to tell what is going on and I never dreamed I would still be ahead by the end of the last day. I’m over the moon” he said.
Alan Yates wins 'Ten Worm Challenge' event
Highly respected sea angler Alan Yates was crowned champion of the unique Ten Worm Challenge after he banked 32 fish during the contest.
Entrants to the event were permitted to use 10 lugworms and no other bait and were allowed to fish anywhere they wanted along the south coast.
At the end of the outing, the Sea Angler magazine contributor had walked to victory with ease after he selected to fish a renowned mark at Dungeness, with Mark Howard taking second spot with 11 fish from the same spot.
Angler banks foul-hooked 182lb skate
Landing a huge skate is a brutal task in itself but Peter Ross was forced to endure a battle of almost an hour before banking a 182lb fish which was foul hooked!
After deciding to fish off the coast of Ballylumford in Northern Ireland, he put two rods out for the species and received a take just after midday.
Upon picking the rod up he was met by a solid resistance and after a lengthy battle he was given a big surprise.
“A dogfish had taken my mackerel hookbait and then the skate tried to eat that and became foul hooked in the process,” explained Peter.
UK angler hauls in mammoth blue marlin
A 25-year campaign to land one of the world’s largest exotic species came to an end for Kevin Gardner when he banked a mammoth 1320lb blue marlin.
The Norfolk-based pub landlord made the long haul trip to Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean and used a lure to attract the attentions of the beast.
He was then forced to endure an energy sapping three-hour battle before it was beaten.
Controversially, the fish was brought back to land dead and the snout was hacked off to be taken back to the UK as a trophy.
Best cod sport for years say experts
THE unprecedented run of big cod has continued this week with two fish over the 40lb-barrier caught from along the south coast.
Experts have claimed the past 12-months have produced the best sport for the species in several decades, and Dominic Camilleri backed-up this bold statement when he landed a 40lb 12oz specimen from Shoreham, East Sussex.
The West Sussex-based rod started the day with a pb of 15lb but soon smashed that with a 25lb fish falling for his cuttlefish hookbait. Determined to up his best again, he rebaited the rig and it didn’t take long to achieve his goal.
“As soon as I hooked it I knew it was a big fish and it did its best to shed the hook. We couldn’t believe the size of it when it came to the surface and there was a huge sigh of relief when we finally got it on the boat,” said Dominic. “The fish surpassed all my expectations - it was a once in a lifetime session,” he added.
It was a similar story further east where, fishing off the coast of Dungeness, Kent, David Simes landed a 40lb 14oz specimen – the biggest from the region in over 20-years.
After boarding the private Nessun Dorma boat, he and his dad Richard headed two miles off shore and it wasn’t long before the huge cod found his bait.
A 30-minute fight followed but the real problems began once he got the fish to the surface. “We got it alongside the boat and when we went to net it we realised it was too big to fit in! We panicked to start with as we knew it was a monster and in the end we just had to lean over the side and lift it up by the gills,” explained David.
Local shops have also been inundated with reports of big fish in recent weeks and Seagull Fishing Tackle boss Tony Hills said: “There are so many whiting off the south coast for the cod to feast on and as a result they are getting bigger by the year. This winter has been the best in recent memory and I think the best is yet to come – I certainly wouldn’t rule a 50lb cod out.”
Angling Trust aim to build relationship with sea anglers
The Angling Trust has moved to meet with sea anglers to gain their views on how the governing body can improve their sport.
Marine Campaigns Manager David Mitchell will meet will members in Littlehampton, West Sussex to hear the views of fishermen who are keen to help the Trust develop their relationship with shore and boat fishing enthusiasts.
The meeting will be staged on January 24 at Littlehampton DAC’s base at Fisherman’s Quay and will get underway at 7.30pm.
To reserve your spot email events@anglingtrustsussexmarine.net
Benyon hails cod quota decision
Discussions to decide quotas for trawlermen for the coming year have been hailed a success by Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon after they were kept at the same level.
Commercial fishermen faced the prospect of a 20 per cent cut on the amount of cod they could catch in the North Sea but that threat has now been removed.
In a further boost for the industry, trawlers will now be able to catch 15 per cent more haddock in the area.
