Roker Lookers…13/03/2014

Roker Lookers…13/03/2014 I’d been chattering away on the phone with Brian when he asked what I was doing on Thursday. I’d been intending heading to Corton and sticking some herring down for a roker while fishing for cod with the usual squid and blacks. It’s early but one or two have been picked up commercially and I’ve eaten all the ones I had the freezer now. Anyway, Brian was heading out a bit further hunting the same thing and had a longline he needed cleaning off after a few months in the freezer. With such a fantastic day forecast it wasn’t the easiest decision but Friday was looking just as good so why not…besides, I’ve never tried or watched longlining and at least I’d be able to get further off and fish the whole day, and use the centrepin. I pitched up on time and just before the two Pauls; I’d met the one Paul a couple of times but this was the first time we’d been on the boat together. I felt honoured, both the skippers of Cleveland Princess to show me the ropes! I could tell it would be a good day as brian was practically dancing with joy – forget Riverdance, this is North Sea dance! Cheeky monkey aside we got loaded up and set off, Brian opening up the throttle for the three mile run out to the mark, taking full advantage of the flat sea with seals and porpoises spotted from a long way off. A mile or two further out there were some cracking marks to be seen but with such weather the lure of the further bank was too much to resist. Anyway, we were setting the lines elsewhere and everything was ready to go. But first… Before shooting the lines we had a little play with the rods, mixing herring, squid, fresh and frozen worm and crossing our fingers. With two chunks of herring on a wishbone rig on my Maxximus LD15 lever drag and a lug and squid cocktail on a pennel on the KP Scarborough reel I figured I was in with a good chance but it was Paul who got first blood… …with a spotty dog. He had a second and then it was my turn, my first dog of the year and a decent one at that. A male, it looked rather annoyed at being disturbed. We moved off once the tide started to run and shot the line. Only a hundred hooks, dropped down nice and tight to the sea bed with a dan at each end, a large grapnel beneath and longline anchors set along the bottom line. Then, just downtide, Brian dropped anchor again and the baits went out on the rods. I tried lug tipped with herring this time on the lever drag. Brian was in first with a small whiting and we all followed suit. Four dogs at the previous mark but no more for the rest of the day. Then, a nice surprise on a 4/0, a dab for Brian too, I think he was pleased! I was lovely and warm in my new Fladen Maxximus flotation jacket, comfortable too and it was about time it got some slime on it after owning it a full three days! Lovely whiting that, with most being around a pound this one at 1lb 10z was a real belter and gave me a lovely scrap. We were getting bites constantly the moment we dropped but these must have been pins as they weren’t getting hooked all that often. Consequently we mostly hauled up fish of a good stamp and the bucket was starting to fill with good size filleters. We weren’t troubled at all by the numerous seals or pod of three harbour porpoises that were with us most of the day – they were far more interested in the massive shoals of herring moving around, some of which were spotted in and even jumping out of the water. Well, we carried on fishing until the tied died away and then hauled the line up, bait left only on a couple of hooks but with no roker of cod and just a few whiting to show for it. Worth a try though! Paul set to work gutting while we fished the start of the tide and the seagulls, naturally, appeared in numbers out of nowhere. Now I’ve seen plenty of empty dogfish egg cases on the beach and even one with a dancing embryonic dog inside backlit in an aquarium in South Africa but this is the first time I’ve seen ones straight out of the fish, the yolk not yet formed. The pair of them went into the sea where they may or may not hatch. A few more whiting turned up as we finished off our bait and then it was time to head back as the sun started to drop. A marvellous day to be at sea.