docholiday Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 (edited) Ok sorry for the delay but five days of shooting and fishing have left me knackered so didn’t meet my deadlines and I slept till 9.30 this morning. Day four was looking good with three of us on the boat 118 myself and Alex my shooting partner for a few years, we had been out on the rabbits last night and he stayed over for an early start, 6.00am saw us moving out of a very quiet Lymington, across to the solent were we quickly caught the mackerel for bait, then as Tuesday had been a good day we went back to the same mark about 6 miles south of the needles, It was great weather, little overcast and a small ruffle on the water, we anchored so we were on the slope of a bank in about 105 foot of water. over went the baits and we were fishing, now Alex and I had been fishing together all over the world care of Cunard, He was in charge of stores and I was the ships surgeon on the QE11 back in the late 1990’s. He had never caught a tope and this was his aim today. Therefore you can imagine the **** taking that was going on when he had caught nothing and 118 and myself had landed 9 tope to 12 ½ lbs plus a few dog fish. Eventually he managed to get one and was all smiles, except when unhooking it got a little close to my leg and nipped me, lots of laughs from Alex and he informed me it was my fault for all the pisstaking!! From there it just got better and better. we each caught a Thornback ray. Then 118 caught a 5lb bass, what a beautiful fish and lots of envious glances at the fish box Not running out of luck 118 then caught a 5 lb Brill, we usually catch one of these a year and this was a good size, Fantastic eating, in between the steady flow of tope a lot more looks of wonder and a little jealously into the fish box. Alex now had 4 tope and a few dog fish so was made up. 5 ish and we started to talk about going home, with an hour back to the moorings and cleaning and getting home it was time for the day to come to an end, besides we would be back tomorrow same time weather permitting. ½ hour to go….. I was holding my rod… and felt a typical dogfish knock, feeling as pleased as punch with the day and remembering the bass brill etc that had come over the sides, I declared, Dogfish to the crew, tightened up and felt a little kick. No Small tope I confidently said, wound in a few feet and stopped dead, not going up or down, Quickly changed my shout and confidently said no skate. lots of pisstaking about me not knowing my *** from my elbow. eventually got it moving again and it starts bouncing up and down and behaving more like a tope again. Then we had our first glimpse about 30 feet down in the clear water, Skate they cried followed by silence..No tail… **** it’s a TURBOT. :o panic stations everybody is a gibbering idiot the first attempt at netting saw the fish out of the water ….then back in as it flipped out of the net. I have a heart attack certain its going to come off. It rockets down with me hanging on and trying to get it back under control. next go and she is in the boat we all look at each other and start whooping and hollering, we had done it. later that night on the scales it went 22 lbs 1 lb short of the club record from 50 years ago. after filleting and getting four amazing fillets and the roe I slept like a baby fish of a lifetime, not half. Don’t think I will ever beat that. Remember this is just off Lymington not off Jersey where they are more common, in 40 yrs fishing these waters my biggest was 4 lbs. Happy… you bet doc Edited July 10, 2010 by docholiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Great read fella and an even better day by the looks of it.Very lucky to enjoy fishing as good as that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Now thats what I call a Turbot, fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astraman1 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 sounds like my kinda holiday shooting and fishing nice fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 That looks a terrific day, I have to say that I am very jealous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonblasterian Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Enjoyable read and great photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 thats a day you will never forget. a big well done Doc, some great fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 sounds like you had a cracking trip mate a big well done BB Now get peeling the chips mate :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev 1 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Happy days doc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verminator69 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Nice one Doc some cracken pics fella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Wow nice turbot, i caught one at 22lb many years ago"!!! Massive arent they!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docholiday Posted July 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 That looks a terrific day, I have to say that I am very jealous! Teal thanks and an honour to recieve a comment from the first person on pigeon watch doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 You should of sold that bad boy, a 2lb Turbot sells for £20 around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt Twerp Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 great days fishing, well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Well done Doc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotgunspud Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Well done top fishing Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garygreengrass Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 That`s a what you call a good fishing trip, Well done boy`s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docholiday Posted July 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 You should of sold that bad boy, a 2lb Turbot sells for £20 around here. was offered £120 for it but thought i might never have the chance to eat that much turbot so it stayed with me doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatcatsplat Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 was offered £120 for it but thought i might never have the chance to eat that much turbot so it stayed with medoc Too flippin' right!! Was in a restaurant the other week and the market price for the turbot that day was 30 quid for a small steak!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Cracking report there mate and well done. Tight Lines Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 and of course selling it is illegal.... WELL DONE!! That truely is a fish of a lifetime - awesome! Looks like you dont need a trip out with me if you catch fish like that!! We were out in the channel islands on my boat last year and one of the younger crew hadnt had a bite all day. I'd had 6 turbot already, so I left him wind the next one in.... that also went 22lb! Boy was I gutted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 and of course selling it is illegal.... WELL DONE!! That truely is a fish of a lifetime - awesome! Looks like you dont need a trip out with me if you catch fish like that!! We were out in the channel islands on my boat last year and one of the younger crew hadnt had a bite all day. I'd had 6 turbot already, so I left him wind the next one in.... that also went 22lb! Boy was I gutted! Is it? to be honest I don't really know squat about seafishing apart from how to real a line in (and I'm still only 'meh' at that) so I'd be intrested to know the relevent legislation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lez325 Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Me too Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Well, basically you cant sell what you catch unless you have a commercial license.... that means ANYTHING. You can give it away, but cant sell it or swap for commercial gain - the penalities are very big and pretty severe. The reason is twofold and both linked - it protects the stocks of fish in the sea, and protects the commercial sector. That's the basics - as you'd imagine it's a hugely political and debated subject - not that the leisure sector want to be able to sell fish, but of the damage commercial fishing does.... Unlike the 'bad' old days where the skipper would keep the catch to sell to make more profit on the trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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