Amazing Conger Day

JustMark · #1 10-10-2009, 05:13 PM

Daybreak this morning saw me stood on the quay in Paignton Harbour. I was booked on the Tuonella with Skipper Pete Bingle.

The boat wasn't due to leave until 9am, but I wanted to get there extra early to make sure I got my favourite position on this boat, starboard sternpost.

I must say, the effort to get there that early really paid off. After the atrocious weather we have been having recently, the dawn this morning was stunning!. I love the activity that goes on early in small harbours. The crabbing boat put-putting out to pick up his pots, the old boy rowing out to his small yacht for a leisurely day's sailing.

Saturdays are always particularly busy in Paignton because you usually get a stream of folks taking one last look at the sea before returning home to the smog from whence they came. Almost without exception there is a friendly "Good Morning" followed by questions about which boat you are going out on etc

Shortly before 8-15 4 guys show up and stand with me waiting for the skipper. I was glad to see 4 of them because if less than 5 people show Pete doesn't set out. He needs 5 to cover his diesel.

These were a great bunch from London who usually fish for carp. None had been boat fishing before. They had no idea what to expect.

Away we went at 9-00 on the dot, steaming out to Berry Head first to hunt for bait.

I was the only one using my own tackle, and was really pleased as time after time I was pulling full house onmy tinseltrace, and they were good sizes too.

It wasn't long before the others got the hang of it and it took us just over half an hour to fill a couple of boxes.

Then it was off to the wreck Pete had chosen for the day. We anchored up amongst the dozen or so tankers that are lying in deep water in Torbay at the moment while they wait for the oil price to go up.

I set up my conger rig and loaded it with a whole mackeral flapper.

Everyone else was using lighter traces with macky strips.

I was the first to score within 10 minutes with a hard fighting conger of around 40lbs. There was some fun on the boat when we got that aboard as the London guys got their first up close and personal encounter with one of these beasties!

A few minutes later several of the guys had landed some good pout, a couple of silver whiting and even a 1.5lb garfish!

By now though I was into my second conger. Even though it fought if anything harder than the first, it was a little bit smaller at 30lbs.

By now any thoughts the guys had of carrying on with macky strips was gone, and pretty soon we were all fishing whole pout and mackeral.

By the end of the day, amongst 5 of us we had taken 18 Conger (everyone caught at least one), the smallest of which was 25lbs and the largest was caught by Pete's 14 year old son. It was at least 60lb and as I left they were taking it to the Paignton Sea Anglers Club to be weighed.

The whole day was simply fantastic. The see was like a boating lake. Flat calm and the sun was beaming. Not a breath of wind. Perfect.

My personal best for conger is now 45lb (I had four in total)

Great weather, great company and a personal best. It doesn't get much better than that.

Happy days ;0)