I booked up half a days fishing from the Kingfisher out of Ilfracombe. After suffering from sea sickness last time out, I was keen to see if this was a rare occurrence due the gales blowing and was delighted that the day was so still that the local wind turbines were motionless. Chris has taken to fishing in the last couple of years and enjoys this type of fishing as it is a social event as much as a fishing trip
We embarked at 2 pm and went out a just short way to catch a few mackerel for bait which took no time at all. Then we went North East around the coast to fish some submerged rocks for pollack using feathers. After half a dozen drifts, we had all caught a few fish, I managed four, the best being around 3lbs which I filleted on the boat.
We then headed out to sea six miles in to try for a tope. As is normal in North Devon, we all caught small dogfish and in an effort to avoid these I opted for a large bait, a full mackerel. This was tapped all the time by small dogs but I left it still hoping for a tiope without success. However, it did yield the best fish of the day, a bull huss of 7-8lb which was duly returned. I have eaten them in the past, but find the effort in skinning them isn’t worth the flavour, so I was happy with three fresh mackerel which were delicious freshly cooked with a potato salad. I am not a great lover of mackerel, but they are delicious when absolutely fresh. The pollack Sandy made into fish cakes.
It was a great day out and the calmest I have ever known the sea as the boat was virtually motionless six miles out. We arrived back at 6pm, just in time to get a richly deserved Devon ice cream.