Email to a friend
Print versionPort of Call: Scrabster
Located in the North of Scotland amongst stunning golden sandy beaches and the imposing cliffs of Dunnet Head, lies the port of Scrabster. The port itself is a busy ferry terminal serving the Northern Isles as well as been home to a fish market and a shell fishing industry. Importantly for us sea anglers the port also has two fully equipped charter vessels.
ANGLING PEDIGREE
Scrabster is one of the countries top fishing venues, a glance of the record books will show you just how influential this port is. Porbeagle Shark 507lb; Halibut 234lb; Torsk 15lb 7oz; Pollock 18lb; Cuckoo Wrasse 3lb and most surprising of all Guilt Head Bream at 2lb 6oz. The area regularly produces ling to 20lbs, cod well into double figures, plus a host of quality pollock in the low doubles range.
SPECIES AVAILABLE
Top targets at Scrabster are cod, pollock and ling all of which are available most of the year. Over the reefs you can pick up coalfish, scorpion fish, a variety of wrasse species and the very occasional bass. Coming onto the clean sand and shingle banks will provide good sport with a host of species including flounder, dabs, plaice and turbot. The spurdog fishing can be hectic with fish up to 10lbs. For the big game angler this is the best place in the country to hook up with porbeagle shark, with the best fishing from late October until early March. Scrabster is one of the few places in the UK where you have a realistic chance of catching a Common Skate or a much sought after Halibut, but sadly little fishing is done for these species at present. Mackerel are abundant during the summer months, but most unusual is that Scrabster can offer a realistic chance of catching a squid on rod and line!
 |
TACKLE AND TACTICS
Standard down tiding tactics are the mainstay for drifting over the reefs. A 20/30lb class rod will be more than ample for most fishing, for those wanting more sport a 15lb class rod would suffice. Spinning and uptide rods can be used for casting shads and jelly worms away from the boat when fishing over the reefs. Reels such as the Abu 7000, Shimano Tyrnos 20 and light Penn boat reels are more than adequate. Much heavier tactics are required for shark, skate and halibut, but a chat with your skipper will give you an indication of the tackle required. 12ozs of leads will be the minimum on a charter boat in the area, but on occasions the fierce tide in the Pentland Firth will require anything up to 2lbs.
 |
Tactics for sorting out the better cod and ling are baited chrome pirks, casting pirks can also have good results on their day. For general fishing Hokkais, white feathers and baited bare hooks all pick up a large variety of reef species. For flatties, bottom fished hooks with attractor beads and blades work well. If you are after a spurdog use a running ledger but ensure you have a biting trace of heavy mono.
 |
A broad variety of lures work well including muppets, twin tails and shads, colour choice varies according to water clarity and depth, with orange and black lures the most effective. I’ve found the best lures for Pollock to be the Calcutta swim shads and fire tail jelly worms which are particularly deadly when cast away from the boat.
BAITS
All the usual suspects work well with worm, mackerel, squid and sand eel all producing fish, I have also found that whole supermarket prawns work well too. Mussel can be a particularly good bait for targeting quality wrasse in the area.
MV Stormdrift II skipper Davey Benson gives us his top tips for Scrabster
1 Cannonball weights are less pone to snagging than standard cone leads.
2 Coalfish can reach plague proportions a certain times of the year and larger hooks will help prevent you from hooking the smaller ones.
3 Never leave home without a good selection of lures in both colour and style.
CHARTER BOAT CONTACTS
MV Stormdrift II - Skipper Davey Benson
Boat phone: 07849 776940
Email: davey@mv-stormdrift2.co.uk
Website: www.mv-stormdrift2.co.uk
Hebredian Warrior skippered by Chris Bennett – 07989 473204
del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
 Fishing Rods Fishing Reels Rod Rests Fishing Hooks Rig Components Accessories DVice & Leads |
Plugs, Lures Lines & Leaders Shore Fishing Rigs Feathers & Lure Rigs Luggage Clothing & Hats Deals |
BERKLEY FRENZIED POPPER £3.91 Each TIDEWATER LURE RIGS 83p Each 7" WSF Jelly Worms Get ready for the new Plugging Season, Buy 3 get one of them for free, Blue Pilchard Divers WSF NOW STOCKS SAKUMA HOOKS
SALTWATER FLIES FROM FULLING MILL FROM £1.25 BACK IN STOCK PENN CAPTIVA CV2 REELS BACK IN STOCK SALT / CAPTIVA SPINNING COMBO DEAL BACK IN STOCK ABU CARDINAL 304FD PRICE: £37.18 |
