Its got them all!

I have been unable to fish properly for the past couple of weeks either due to the weather being absolutely crap or by getting distracted by other commitments. I have been visiting my loch Linnhe mark close to home though and in these short sessions I started having better results and some more surprises. The mark as I've mentioned before is a narrow deep bay with boulder-covered, steep banks and plenty of kelp close in while soft bottom further out. I have always fished it on the side closest to the road but wanted to try the opposite side as well, since there's a steep point and less angling pressure. Today I finished early from my morning shift and thought it would be a good opportunity to visit the 'other side'.
From the previous sessions here, I noticed that the fish started preferring slightly larger lures than the usual 1.5"-2" ones I've been using. The pollock especially seemed locked on the slim paddletails and I'm pretty sure that's due to the sandeels being their main target now. Thus I had very good results with slim lures such as 2.75" Lunker City Swimfish and the M Ecogear grassminnows.
I started with the same presentation today and after reaching the point I started fan casting around the point in order to locate the fish. I would mix between letting the lure drop freely and also controlled in order to get bites near the bottom or OTD. The bites came quickly and I started getting decent pollock one after the other that were giving a great scrap on the Solpara!

Excellent fun on this size!

I also got a few sharp bites that cut the lures tails and I then changed tactics as I knew that wrasse were about... I put on the trusty cheburashka with a #10 long shank hook rigged with a 2" Berkley Fish fry. After allowing the lure to touch bottom I quickly got bites and landed in quick succession a codling, a sea scorpion, a cuckoo wrasse and a ballan wrasse!

Haven't caught one in a while!

Seem to be getting only females for some reason..

I love ballan wrasse!

I missed a few more wrasse bites and I noticed that they would bite better when the lure was worked more aggressively (not faster retrieve).
I then started seeing fish breaking in the surface and targeted them instead. It was a large school of mackerel and I soon had one on the end of my line. I lost a couple and realised that the small hook didn't give me a secure enough hook hold so I changed lure to a 7g Yoshikawa little bit metal jig that would also allow me longer casts. On the first cast and as soon as the jig landed in the water I had a fish on! This one fought like a demon and for a moment I thought I hooked something very serious.. In the end I managed to land a brute of a mackerel of almost 40cm! Its the second time I catch a mackerel that big and I really wish they would get to this size more often!

The photo doesn't do it justice..

Dinner...

After catching a few more mackerel I decided to head home as I was really pleased with this short session. The mark has proven once again its worth and I will soon revisit it...
Bellow are some pics of a couple previous short sessions.

Cuckoo wrasse are lovely..

My first dragonet!

Shinny poor cod..

Gurnards are cool..

Hungry codling..

My biggest fish from this mark...

Beautiful view from the 'other side'.

All in all I think my persistence with this mark paid off and I just cant believe that it holds so many different types of fish! Hope to do some more fishing on my days off and possibly on the heavier gear for some good pollock on the deeper marks.

Thanks for reading!

Gear used.
Rod: Major Craft Solpara SPS-S792M (7'9", 0.5g-5g).
Reel: Shimano Exage 1000fc
Mainline: Spiderwire invisibraid 6lbs. Dragon fluorocarbon, 6lbs.
Rig: metal jigs, microjig, jighead
lure: Lunker City 2.75" Swimfish, Ecogear grass minnow M, Berkley Fish fry 2", 7g Yoshikawa little bit.

Isle of Sark, a rock fishing paradise.

This will be the last post from Sark as I'm leaving tomorrow for Greece. Ive managed a night session in Thursday as the tide was favourable and was thinking of catching some squid to eat before I go as I love them. Also I wanted to catch some of the night predators and generally have an enjoyable last night session. The weather was perfect for fishing with a slight wind and fog but not cold at all.
I started with the squid jig after adding a sinker to it as its a slow sinker and I wanted to work near the bottom. I let the squid jig sink and after pausing a few seconds for it to settle, I gave some twitches and jerks on a sink-and-draw retrieve. The squid started coming fast even though the water was still low and I lost a couple good ones trying to pull them up the wall. I wasn't too bothered though as they seemed very positive on attacking and was getting more every cast. On one occasion I felt the usual 'touch' of the squid but not much of pulling back, just weight on the line. After bringing it to the surface I was greeted by a cuttlefish! I knew they are found in the Channel islands at around this time of year, but I didn't think I would get any as I'm leaving.

Unexpected guest!

After getting the cuttlefish I managed another much larger specimen, but lost it on the way up the wall. A few casts later I lost my only squid jig to a snag.. Not disappointed as I had all I needed, I switched to soft lures for scad and pollock fishing. I put a 4.5" Big Bite Shaking Squirrel on a 5g Sakura fishead jighead (a combo that has given me very good results) and started casting around. The fish didn't take long to respond and I was getting a steady stream of scad with the occasional pollock. The latter have started to come in numbers again and the size is getting bigger as well, as I hooked a nice one but again lost it on the way up.
I was starting to get many squid attacks and they destroyed my lures, so after a few more fish I called it a night.

Carnage!

 Today was my last day at work and I finished around 14:30. After saying goodbye to my colleagues, I headed down the harbour to say goodbye to the fish as well!
The weather has turned bad  with gale force winds, but in the harbour I would have the wind on my back so I didn't mind. I was mainly expecting garfish but secretly hoping for a black bream.
I started with 2.5 and 3g jigheads with 2" Berkley Fish fry and 3" Mebaru Bushi. I was letting the lure reach bottom and working it slowly hoping it or dragging along the bottom. A couple casts in and got a garfish on the drop that put up the usual entertaining fight. Another one followed a bit later and then the Guernsey ferry arrived and moored in the harbour. The engine was on and creating a lot of current and commotion in the water. I switched to a 7g Yoshikawa metal jig, armed with two extra assist hooks and casted near the current. I got some bites and then managed to hook another nice garfish. I was getting more bites but even with two assist hooks, its tricky to hook these fish and I got some unhooked close in.

Rigged for Garfish.

After the ferry went I started casting on the inner side of the harbour. I was working the jig on the bottom opening the bail and letting line out every few turns of the handle. And soon I got a sharp tap and an erratic aggressive fight. I thought it might be a scad but the fish was fighting near the bottom. a few moments later I saw silver but not in the shape I was expecting.. It was a small black bream and it made me really happy as I managed to get all the species I wanted from the Island!

Feisty even small

The squid started coming thick and fast and were getting hooked on the jig even better than the squid jig! And so after a few I decided to head home as I was soaked wet by that point..

No need for squid jigs!

I don't think I have ever fished in a place so prolific with fish and of different species.. Although the island is not a place for a potential record fish (except maybe wrasse), the fishing is varied and with a bit of effort, very rewarding. I hope to come back one day again as I cant get enough of the fishing here.
All in all I have enjoyed the fishing for all species , but there is one that has a special place in my heart and is the reason I came here in the first place.. It is not the bass but the beautiful and obliging Ballan wrasse! A fish that I will really miss in the Mediterranean but I'm gonna target Its cousins down there!

An awsome species.

Angler's paradise?

Thanks for reading and more to follow soon!

Gear Used.

Rod: Major Craft KG Evolution KGS-832ST 2.53m, 3-15g and Golden Mean Symphonia, 8.6", 0.6-8g
Reel: Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500f and Mitchell Mag Pro 1000
Mainline: Spiderwire Ultracast Fluorobraid 10lbs, YGK nitlon DFC fluoro leader 10lb and Toray Bottom Attacker Fluorocarbon, 3lbs
Lures: various