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Oli and I left the marina around 10.30am, intending to try out the Newton area again. However, on our way past Craster we saw a large pod of dolphins, perhaps a dozen or so animals, working in groups of 2's and 3's to round up what we assumed could be mackerel, so we went in and did a couple of drifts over the reef. This produced a handful of small codling for me to 2lb, but Oli did better with one of 3.5lb (that looked bigger) and another that he weighed in at 5.5lb. He also caught a 3lb pollock and some smaller codling too. Visibility was down to about 8 foot, so clearer than last week, and there were a few more gannets and terns working closer inshore, which was reassuring.
At that stage, the gremlins in the boat electrics started playing up, and it looked as though we might not be able to restart the engine. After about an hour, we finally got it going, but it put paid to our plans to go up to Newton. We stayed on at Craster for a couple more drifts, but the wind had strengthened and was more SW, so the drift over the ground was a fast 1.7 knots. However, we were coming towards the bottom of the tide, so for the fish there was very little tidal movement, and they went off the feed.
We decided to work our way back to Amble, stopping for the occasional drift over suitable marks. Off the entrance to Boulmer harbour, I landed a couple of large launce on small jelly eels, and we picked up some mackerel, including a small joey (until now, all the mackerel had been large, and this was our first joey this year) and a few more small codling, but we could go for 20 minutes without even a bite.
Nearer Coquet Island, the gannets were diving, and we tried for a few more mackerel, but were not able to locate the shoals, so we decided to call it a day. I hope to try later in the week, if/when the electrics have been sorted.
At that stage, the gremlins in the boat electrics started playing up, and it looked as though we might not be able to restart the engine. After about an hour, we finally got it going, but it put paid to our plans to go up to Newton. We stayed on at Craster for a couple more drifts, but the wind had strengthened and was more SW, so the drift over the ground was a fast 1.7 knots. However, we were coming towards the bottom of the tide, so for the fish there was very little tidal movement, and they went off the feed.
We decided to work our way back to Amble, stopping for the occasional drift over suitable marks. Off the entrance to Boulmer harbour, I landed a couple of large launce on small jelly eels, and we picked up some mackerel, including a small joey (until now, all the mackerel had been large, and this was our first joey this year) and a few more small codling, but we could go for 20 minutes without even a bite.
Nearer Coquet Island, the gannets were diving, and we tried for a few more mackerel, but were not able to locate the shoals, so we decided to call it a day. I hope to try later in the week, if/when the electrics have been sorted.