northeast1
Well-known member
Well after putting back the skate trip due to an injury it was now or never before it was to late, so with more pain killers than would be used on a horse off i went with 3 other lads for a couple of days at sea after the big skate.
Left Gateshead at 3am and reached our destination at 8.50am, with 10mins to go before our charter boat sailed. The weather was typical far north west Scotland, with rain and wind with odd sunny spell but we expected it so was ready.
By 9.20am we had 4 lines in the water all baited with size 24/0 hooks loaded with 2 and 3 full mackerel in 530ft of water.
We never had to wait long before we got our first bite, a skate picked up one of the lads baits and did a short run before dropping the bait so we knew they down there feeding at least, 20mins past then a good solid pull down and skate on, i got strapped in for what would turn out to be my longest battle with a fish and a new PB.
After 1hr 50mins the fish was beat and it took 4 of us to pull it over the side
It hit the deck and i knew it looked bigger than my last PB so the skipper got the charts ready and we gave it a health check and tagged it
I was pleased with a new PB a nice clean female skate never hooked before at a massive 199lb, just 1lb off that magical 200lb mark.
At the same time one of the other lads was also into his first skate and also landed a cracker at 184lb after a 1hr 20min battle
Apart from the odd dogish and small thornback ray that was it for the 1st day, 2 skate .
Day two was abit wild wind wise but with tide and wind against each other the lines sat straight up and down most of the day and between the 4 of us we landed over 1000lb of skate in a mad couple of spells with one lad taken a massive 205lb skate.
My second one was 185lb and this one was a tagged already fish and new the game as i got it off the bottom and in the boat in 45mins
Couple other species i was happy to land as you dont get a chance to fish for them often.
Small 4lb thornback ray taken on a squid and crab
So it was a canny few days away in real pain since but worth it, i also caught a skate with agps tag on with a £100 rewrd so that was a nice treat
It was then back to the dig's and the long drive back home Friday night.
View from the digs window
But now it is time to get back on my boat and start the season
Left Gateshead at 3am and reached our destination at 8.50am, with 10mins to go before our charter boat sailed. The weather was typical far north west Scotland, with rain and wind with odd sunny spell but we expected it so was ready.
By 9.20am we had 4 lines in the water all baited with size 24/0 hooks loaded with 2 and 3 full mackerel in 530ft of water.
We never had to wait long before we got our first bite, a skate picked up one of the lads baits and did a short run before dropping the bait so we knew they down there feeding at least, 20mins past then a good solid pull down and skate on, i got strapped in for what would turn out to be my longest battle with a fish and a new PB.
After 1hr 50mins the fish was beat and it took 4 of us to pull it over the side
It hit the deck and i knew it looked bigger than my last PB so the skipper got the charts ready and we gave it a health check and tagged it
I was pleased with a new PB a nice clean female skate never hooked before at a massive 199lb, just 1lb off that magical 200lb mark.
At the same time one of the other lads was also into his first skate and also landed a cracker at 184lb after a 1hr 20min battle
Apart from the odd dogish and small thornback ray that was it for the 1st day, 2 skate .
Day two was abit wild wind wise but with tide and wind against each other the lines sat straight up and down most of the day and between the 4 of us we landed over 1000lb of skate in a mad couple of spells with one lad taken a massive 205lb skate.
My second one was 185lb and this one was a tagged already fish and new the game as i got it off the bottom and in the boat in 45mins
Couple other species i was happy to land as you dont get a chance to fish for them often.
Small 4lb thornback ray taken on a squid and crab
So it was a canny few days away in real pain since but worth it, i also caught a skate with agps tag on with a £100 rewrd so that was a nice treat
It was then back to the dig's and the long drive back home Friday night.
View from the digs window
But now it is time to get back on my boat and start the season
Last edited:
happy bloody fishing
cracking fish there Richie and great pics also well done on your PB 
