Ditting for Wrasse on the Scottish coast

[Vagabond]

Species hunt 2007 Nos 30 to 32

After all the “big stuff” we had caught from the boats, there was still a few species to pick up from the rock marks.

Our first move was to try a pier where in previous years we had caught cuckoo wrasse and three- bearded rockling.

Dug some ragworm and pulled a few mussels off the rocks, armed with those and half a dozen cooked prawns we fished a scratcher rig in the deep water at the base of the pier.

Certhia was into the first fish – a Ballan Wrasse – not new, we had plenty a month ago. Further fishing yielded nothing but ballans and snags at this venue, so we moved to a rocky point which Davy had said was a good spot for Short-spined Sea Scorpions . The Long-spined are very common, but as Pingu pointed out recently, only the Short-spined are on the list.

No sea scorps of any description turned up, but a fine immature female Cuckoo Wrasse accepted a chunk of mussel – hurrah!



We moved along the coast to another pier, close to a salmon farm. The smaller species of wrasse act as “cleaner wrasse”, pulling sea-lice off other fish, so this is a good spot for Goldsinnys and Corkwings. Baited up with tiny scraps of cooked prawn on size 18 hooks, and tightlined at the base of the pier in about 40 ft of water.

Soon the first bite, and a Goldsinny Wrasse was added to the list.



Two hours later, we had had about a dozen Goldsinnys each, plus a number of Pollack and Coalies – nothing else. It was getting way past lunchtime, and it looked as if we were going to have to admit defeat.

A Lion’s Mane Jellyfish went by, and was duly recorded.



More Goldsinny Wrasse – is that all there is here?

Something different at last! A Black Goby – from the identical spot where Certhia had a Black Goby last year – I wonder if it was the same one? Unfortunately it is not on the list. So does not increase our points score. Shame! It’s a lovely little fish – worth double points if you ask me.


Next drop down, something different again – and this time its exactly what I wanted – a Corkwing Wrasse.



No sooner was it photographed than it was returned and we were accelerating towards our lunch.

PS “Ditting for Wrasse”
Origin :- “What the devil is that prune playing at?” asked a crusty old sea angler, observing a novice making a hash of things. “I dunno, Sid” came the answer, “Perhaps he’s ditting for wrasse”