Si-fly
Well-known member
Hi Guys, Earlier this month I was chatting to a mate when he mentioned he was heading up after common Skate..... Wow, I've been hoping to do that trip myself, so as it turned out he was going alone I asked to tag along ?
Plans were agreed and a rapid order put in to VMO.. Next day the order arrived of heavy seadra swivels, hooks and heavy braid..(thanks guys) .. Perfect for a 4am getaway next morning!
Off we went in my van, and without much hassle we arrived at 1pm on the west coast of Scotland.... Think I was a tad excited as I drove the whole way with just a 15 min stop... And felt raring to go!!
Out with the kit and off we went to Mk 1....dont think anyone had fished here before, but with deep water in close, it looked good on the charts.
Big baits out and camp set.
Bubbling with anticipation we sat back and chatted.... Cracking scenery.... Well worth the trip up just for that.
We started getting the odd small nibble, and mate had a bit of line taken, then nothing but odd taps.
Skate he said.... OK I said.... As if ?....... Click..... Click.. Click clickkkkkkkkk?
Well when his T1200 and reel both screamed in pain the battle was on!!
Now he's a big strong lad 6'2 and he was giving no mercy..... However the fish wasn't impressed and tried its best to drag him in... Poor reel.... And never seen a T1200 bend like that on a fish before..... Wow, I thought not sure I want to hook one now ?
Eventually he got it to the bottom of the slope, where it stuck fast.... Dam.
There was a bit of a too and fro battle at this point, and then slack ?
Turned out the 200lb snood and gone... Looked chewed, but may have been a rock I guess.... Oh well at least we had hooked a big fish.
Baits refreshed, although they looked untouched tbh.
All was then quiet for a while until I had a few small pulls.
Could it be a 2nd chance?.... Nah, not going on the bend of my rod!
Turned out it was a ray, a small thorny impaled on a 12/0 ?
Think we then had a big edible crab and starfish each before the midges came out in force... Bloody hell they are a pain!
Smokey fire lit on the rock and head nets on.
it was quiet through the night and next morning, so we decided to get back to the van and move spots.
A couple of hours later we were heading out to our last mark.. All refreshed and keen again..
Rods out and motionless tips.
This spot was again right out the way and was stunning, and like the last spot we had seals and dolphins making the odd appearance now and then, great to watch.
The evening arrived, and while my mate was 40y away looking at another spot, off went one of his rods again.... My chance to feel a skate, and boy do they pull!!.... I only got 30 seconds before he got back and took over... But wow... Power!!
Unfortunately this big fish again went to ground and after a while a 2nd breakage.... Gutted we both were
Quiet after that and when the midges arrived at dusk... Around 12, we headed back to the van for a couple hours kip, before back out to the rods at 4am.
As this was the last day, we decided to share the 2 T1200 as we felt my rods were just not up to the job and we didn't want extra lines in the water incase a tangle caused another lost fish.
I picked the right side, 30 mins later off it went ?
After a bit of a struggle we finally saw our first Skate of the trip and this one was safely landed.... Wow, I was happy as.... Buzzing ?
A male and only small by Skate standards, but going 115lb on the charts I was over the moon.
However I honestly did feel bad for my mate after his 2 lost fish, and just hoped he would get another chance.
We stuck with just the 2 rods and any more runs would be his, after that any subsequent runs shared.... Seemed the fairest thing, and we were both happy with that.
Unfortunately it stayed quiet through the day with just a few dogs on a light rod put out close for spurs.
Late afternoon now, and my mate decided it just wasn't going to happen and he was keen to start the journey back, rather than have a late one, sleep and go the next morning.
I packed what kit I had out and he started packing the rods and rest of his kit, while I went for a quick look at a close by Mark.
Then a shout, and looking round a very bent T1200 ?
The last rod out... Rest of the kit packed... And off it went, unreal!!
This was yet another big fish, going on the run, and yet then came in easy.... Strange.... A small thorny he now thought, then a brief and violent yank on the rod said otherwise reel screaming, before calm again!!!
We didn't know what to think, he said maybe a seal had grabbed the ray, or maybe a dog???
Anyway the dead weight kept coming and was now quite close, although prob 150ft down still... Bloody deep these lochs!!, when the rod slammed over again and this time kept going!... Definitely a skate after all... Down, down, she went, I guess to the bottom ?
Ah so close, yet so far!... Lift and wind, lift and wind.... The fish was coming, then it would go back down.... Sickening to watch a T1200 with 80lb braid getting owned buy a fish ?
This went on for a while, with my mate slowly getting the upper hand, until at last the leader knot appeared, then was gone, then appeared..... On this went for a while with the fish getting stuck about 15ft down below the kelp ?
He had to keep giving it slack and letting it swim free before trying again and again, and eventually pulling from a different angle got it free and upto the surface.
What a monster, which I quickly got hold of and we both pulled ashore for a quick pic and measure before a speedy release.
Now this fish was big, very big, however we will never know its weight as it was missing its tail!..... You measure these monsters length and width to get a weight.
All we can say is a lad I know has had a number of 200lb fish, the smallest of these was 72" wide and my mates went 78".....so I think 200lb+ was more than likely..... And it was a fat fish!
Cheers all, a trip of a lifetime ?
Plans were agreed and a rapid order put in to VMO.. Next day the order arrived of heavy seadra swivels, hooks and heavy braid..(thanks guys) .. Perfect for a 4am getaway next morning!
Off we went in my van, and without much hassle we arrived at 1pm on the west coast of Scotland.... Think I was a tad excited as I drove the whole way with just a 15 min stop... And felt raring to go!!
Out with the kit and off we went to Mk 1....dont think anyone had fished here before, but with deep water in close, it looked good on the charts.
Big baits out and camp set.
Bubbling with anticipation we sat back and chatted.... Cracking scenery.... Well worth the trip up just for that.
We started getting the odd small nibble, and mate had a bit of line taken, then nothing but odd taps.
Skate he said.... OK I said.... As if ?....... Click..... Click.. Click clickkkkkkkkk?
Well when his T1200 and reel both screamed in pain the battle was on!!
Now he's a big strong lad 6'2 and he was giving no mercy..... However the fish wasn't impressed and tried its best to drag him in... Poor reel.... And never seen a T1200 bend like that on a fish before..... Wow, I thought not sure I want to hook one now ?
Eventually he got it to the bottom of the slope, where it stuck fast.... Dam.
There was a bit of a too and fro battle at this point, and then slack ?
Turned out the 200lb snood and gone... Looked chewed, but may have been a rock I guess.... Oh well at least we had hooked a big fish.
Baits refreshed, although they looked untouched tbh.
All was then quiet for a while until I had a few small pulls.
Could it be a 2nd chance?.... Nah, not going on the bend of my rod!
Turned out it was a ray, a small thorny impaled on a 12/0 ?
Think we then had a big edible crab and starfish each before the midges came out in force... Bloody hell they are a pain!
Smokey fire lit on the rock and head nets on.
it was quiet through the night and next morning, so we decided to get back to the van and move spots.A couple of hours later we were heading out to our last mark.. All refreshed and keen again..
Rods out and motionless tips.
This spot was again right out the way and was stunning, and like the last spot we had seals and dolphins making the odd appearance now and then, great to watch.
The evening arrived, and while my mate was 40y away looking at another spot, off went one of his rods again.... My chance to feel a skate, and boy do they pull!!.... I only got 30 seconds before he got back and took over... But wow... Power!!
Unfortunately this big fish again went to ground and after a while a 2nd breakage.... Gutted we both were
Quiet after that and when the midges arrived at dusk... Around 12, we headed back to the van for a couple hours kip, before back out to the rods at 4am.
As this was the last day, we decided to share the 2 T1200 as we felt my rods were just not up to the job and we didn't want extra lines in the water incase a tangle caused another lost fish.
I picked the right side, 30 mins later off it went ?
After a bit of a struggle we finally saw our first Skate of the trip and this one was safely landed.... Wow, I was happy as.... Buzzing ?
A male and only small by Skate standards, but going 115lb on the charts I was over the moon.
However I honestly did feel bad for my mate after his 2 lost fish, and just hoped he would get another chance.
We stuck with just the 2 rods and any more runs would be his, after that any subsequent runs shared.... Seemed the fairest thing, and we were both happy with that.
Unfortunately it stayed quiet through the day with just a few dogs on a light rod put out close for spurs.
Late afternoon now, and my mate decided it just wasn't going to happen and he was keen to start the journey back, rather than have a late one, sleep and go the next morning.
I packed what kit I had out and he started packing the rods and rest of his kit, while I went for a quick look at a close by Mark.
Then a shout, and looking round a very bent T1200 ?
The last rod out... Rest of the kit packed... And off it went, unreal!!
This was yet another big fish, going on the run, and yet then came in easy.... Strange.... A small thorny he now thought, then a brief and violent yank on the rod said otherwise reel screaming, before calm again!!!
We didn't know what to think, he said maybe a seal had grabbed the ray, or maybe a dog???
Anyway the dead weight kept coming and was now quite close, although prob 150ft down still... Bloody deep these lochs!!, when the rod slammed over again and this time kept going!... Definitely a skate after all... Down, down, she went, I guess to the bottom ?
Ah so close, yet so far!... Lift and wind, lift and wind.... The fish was coming, then it would go back down.... Sickening to watch a T1200 with 80lb braid getting owned buy a fish ?
This went on for a while, with my mate slowly getting the upper hand, until at last the leader knot appeared, then was gone, then appeared..... On this went for a while with the fish getting stuck about 15ft down below the kelp ?
He had to keep giving it slack and letting it swim free before trying again and again, and eventually pulling from a different angle got it free and upto the surface.
What a monster, which I quickly got hold of and we both pulled ashore for a quick pic and measure before a speedy release.
Now this fish was big, very big, however we will never know its weight as it was missing its tail!..... You measure these monsters length and width to get a weight.
All we can say is a lad I know has had a number of 200lb fish, the smallest of these was 72" wide and my mates went 78".....so I think 200lb+ was more than likely..... And it was a fat fish!
Cheers all, a trip of a lifetime ?
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