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Common Skate from the shore

3K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Karl Marx 
#1 ·
A few months ago I had the opportunity to fish from a boat running out of Oban and target common skate.
Leigh Taylor skippering the Laura Dawn II gave me sole access to the boat for the day to fish and film.
All in I had 5 fish landed that day ranging in size from 77lb through to 182lb with one fish lost after an epic battle and a couple lost during hook-up.

This experience sparked my interest into trying to catch one of these amazing creatures from the shore and so wheels were set in motion and this weekend we set off for the West coast of Scotland. Armed with a pair of Ron Thomson accelerators, Diawa BG 8000's, Spectra braid and huge pulley rigs we set up and baited with mackerel.

I dropped my first take that showed no sign of slowing down and had me worried about being spooled, catching from the shore is totally different to hooking up from a boat. I didn't have to wait long for the second opportunity and after a fight of just under an hour I landed a beautiful female. Measurements were taken and compared to the chart giving a calculated weight of 174lb. Photos and filming compete we allowed her time to recover and she slid away into the dark with one beat of her huge wings.

Both experiences from boat and shore were mind blowing and a must on every sea anglers bucket list, I will never forget the realisation that such a powerful fish could and would get hooked up and landed.

We will be back and possibly turn this into an annual pilgrimage, chasing the 200lb fish that are out there.
 
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