Fishing on the Wendy Ann

[snatcher]

I had kindly been invited out by my mate Russel for a days tope fishing in Luce Bay. We had decided to launch Russels boat Wendy Ann at Ardwell slip. We arrived on the ebb at about half tide.

The launch was going fine until the trailer and boat got bogged down in some soft sand followed by Russels jeep !!!!! With a bit muscle power and the use of a tow rope and a bit of luck we eventually managed to launch.

First off was to find the mackerel which can be harder than locating the tope at times. We steamed straight out for about one mile and started to drift for mackerel.. Russel was using a set of 5 feathers and I was using a set of four. The mackerel were thick under the boat and we filled up our bait box within about 20 minutes. We both managed a couple of "full houses"

Russel kindly offered to prepare the rubby dubby bag of mashed up mackerel. The bag was attached to the anchor chain and over went the anchor. Down went the tope baits of whole mackerel and we settled back for hopefully some tope action. Its the first time we had fished together so we started swapping some fishing yarns and a few jokes. I was first into a fish with manditory dogfish and whilst posing for the photograph managed to get myself rashed !!

The tope were noticable by their absence so we decided to fish some bait rods with squid and mackerel strip. We started picking up small whiting,gurnard and a few more dogfish. Russel was gutted when he had a good bull huss on and it either threw the hook or dropped the bait at the surface. The smile came back to his face though when he got a thornback on board.

Even though the tope were not playing ball the craic was good and it was just good being out on the water - even though it was starting to get a tad lumpy. Berore last knockings I managed to get a decent red gurnard and Russel had a bait bitten in half - probably by a tope.

The gulls are never far away and enjoyed the contents of the rubby dubby bag as we were packing in.

Not a great day on the catch side but most enjoyable anyway. We also managed to retrieve the boat without incident. There is always next time.

John

[grandad]

Hi John Welcome to the site, I have read some of your reports elswhere.

Brings back memories, I once went Tope fishing,

enjoyed catching the Mackerel but spent the rest of the day supplying the burley

Kissed the ground when I got off the boat, no tope were caught that day.

Waiting to hear more of your exploits.

Grandad

[fragmeister]

Hi John,

Great read, great pics and I loved the flavour of the report.

Dogfish, thornbacks and tope... we do't hear those names a lot in Australia.

Keep those reprts coming.

Cheers

Jim

[wizza]

interesting report thanks.your tides must be too big for ramps at that bay? cheers wizza

[thefisherman6784]

That's right

There's always next time

Not the day you guys planned but still a great trip out with a mate and some great pics too

Cheers thefisherman6784

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sydneyfisher12]

Great work boys nice to see something different I like those boats you have over there I think they call them Wilson flyers there nice boats

Great photos too

Cheers sydneyfisher12

[russell taylor]

Great work boys nice to see something different I like those boats you have over there I think they call them Wilson flyers there nice boats

Great photos too

Cheers sydneyfisher12

it is very similar to a Wilson flyer, its a pilot international, they are very stable sea boats.

[russell taylor]

I had kindly been invited out by my mate Russel for a days tope fishing in Luce Bay. We had decided to launch Russels boat Wendy Ann at Ardwell slip. We arrived on the ebb at about half tide.

The launch was going fine until the trailer and boat got bogged down in some soft sand followed by Russels jeep !!!!! With a bit muscle power and the use of a tow rope and a bit of luck we eventually managed to launch.

First off was to find the mackerel which can be harder than locating the tope at times. We steamed straight out for about one mile and started to drift for mackerel.. Russel was using a set of 5 feathers and I was using a set of four. The mackerel were thick under the boat and we filled up our bait box within about 20 minutes. We both managed a couple of "full houses"

Russel kindly offered to prepare the rubby dubby bag of mashed up mackerel. The bag was attached to the anchor chain and over went the anchor. Down went the tope baits of whole mackerel and we settled back for hopefully some tope action. Its the first time we had fished together so we started swapping some fishing yarns and a few jokes. I was first into a fish with manditory dogfish and whilst posing for the photograph managed to get myself rashed !!

The tope were noticable by their absence so we decided to fish some bait rods with squid and mackerel strip. We started picking up small whiting,gurnard and a few more dogfish. Russel was gutted when he had a good bull huss on and it either threw the hook or dropped the bait at the surface. The smile came back to his face though when he got a thornback on board.

Even though the tope were not playing ball the craic was good and it was just good being out on the water - even though it was starting to get a tad lumpy. Berore last knockings I managed to get a decent red gurnard and Russel had a bait bitten in half - probably by a tope.

The gulls are never far away and enjoyed the contents of the rubby dubby bag as we were packing in.

Not a great day on the catch side but most enjoyable anyway. We also managed to retrieve the boat without incident. There is always next time.

John

a great day out I hope its the first of many snatcher.

[Pongrass18ft]

Great post and fish varieties, keep the posts coming.

Chris.

[snatcher]

Great post and fish varieties, keep the posts coming.

Chris.

Will do Chris

John