I’ve been out a few times in June, and finally broke my duck for Tope yesterday. Plan A was to catch mackerel for bait and go to a couple of marks in Utopia in deep water in fairly big tide. Plan B was go to Sandown Bay in shallow water for easier fishing for bream if no mackerel.

Plan A actually worked! Me and my brother caught 4 tope between 8-14lb and lost half a dozen by striking too early, but great fights on fairly light tackle, especially when the tide was running hard.  Thought they would be double the weight from their size and fight, but the scales don’t lie…  The crushed hook barbs certainly helped for quick release. Plenty of doggies and a spotted ray in between the tope bites too.

I really must get the gear and learn the Alderney Ring method of anchor retrieval! It would have been impossible for me to haul anchor from the bow on my own halfway through the flood (would have been even worse on the ebb!) and I only just about managed it with my brother using the engine to carefully follow the anchor, and even then it pretty much wiped me out…

ps: unbelievably, I managed to survive all day until 10:30 pm without the football score being leaked to me

Perfect finish to the day watching the highlight 😊

Steve Fordred, Spoonbill