[AndrewJS]

East Coast correspondent DanTe has reportedly been chugging round the Norfolk coast on a trawler.:boat: No kidding! This is not a wind-up.

I knew he was buying new rods but he decided to invest in a boat instead. He said that marine diesel was better value per fish than James' black lug.:laugh:

Come on Dan. We'd all be interested in your catches unless they're a CEFAS secret.

 

[AndrewJS]

We'd all be interested in your catches unless they're a CEFAS secret.

:whistling:whistling:whistling:whistling:whistling:whistling:whistling:

 

[james s-h]

That's cause they still have not caught any yet Andrew, it's similar to when he goes with a rod and line!!!!

 

[DanTe]

Ah ya buggers!

I'm afraid the rumours are true, all in the name of science I'll have you know.

Spent my first couple of days out last Tuesday and Wednesday. Best and most interesting work I've done by a long shot. Pig in s**t. Just spent today chopping a few of the sample catch up.

The work is marine surveying for areas around windmills and pipelines. Which in laymans terms is pretty much sorting, counting and measuring out on chartered commercial boats.
You should of seen my face when one of the hauls brought up about 500 odd Sprat, that was the next few hours covered.
I'll admit to having to get the book out for some of the types of mini monsters, brittle stars, Sea Mouse e.t.c.

We were out in the wash around the windfarm off Mablethorpe/Ingoldmells doing a Shrimp survey on the Lynn Princess. It brought up some interesting results especially from the trawl around 100 yards off the beach. Whose ever caught a Brill off that bit of the coast as we brought up 6, 4 in-size, one of them was around 2-3lb.
Out in the middle we hauled up a Smoothie that must of gone 25lb+, bloody great thing, took some handling. Loads of Smelt, Sprat, hundreds of mini flatties including a lot of Lemon Sole and god knows how many Weaver, especially from the shoreline trawl. We had 130 of em from a 10 minute trawl!
I don't think I'll have to buy any Sandeel for a long while. Got around 150 in the freezer and could of taken 5 times that.

Learnt some new Norfolk from the skipper who was real good old boy.
Here's a mini quiz - Anyone know what an Atlan and a Feathery Flue (my spelling) are??

I know they get all sorts of stick on here but It didn't take long for me to develop a new found respect. The skippers has been doing it from the age of 14 for 50 years and it's bloody hard work, long hours and tough physical work. It ain't easy, I didn't do half what they did during the day and I was wiped out in the evening.
Also those shrimp nets are pretty selective. I'd hazard a guess that from 2x2hour trawls they did for themselves there can't of been much more that a couple of buckets of by-catch from each. loads of Lobster in the Wash too.

Out on Herring trawls the week after next..

So there you go, fishing with the enemy!!

 

[lucky bob]

Dan Te....
sounds like a great and very interesting job there mate...

 

[Shaun_aka_croc]

Thanks for sharing that Dan, interesing stuff.

 

[coalie]

Well done on your new job Dan, very interesting reading as always. Good to see there are plenty of sandeels and other food fish around. It sounds like a thriving marine ecosystem around the Wash. Hopefully the sea bed will become even richer around the windfarms if there is a restriction in trawling around them which can only be a good thing for the fish.

 

[DanTe]

Cheers Guys!

You're dead right coalie, there's plenty of life left in the Wash and plenty thriving round the wind turbines. I forget how close to them the boats can get but it's not that. Looking through some of the past surveys certain species have increased by as much as 200% in the lee of the turbines.

There's a boat caught Smoothie record out there too for someone who's prepared to put the time and effort in, the skipper told me he gets plenty bigger than the one we had on Tuesday.
The old boy really knows that place too he'd be able to tell us almost exactly what we were going to get from each survey mark. It's uncanny how localised some the catches were. Two of the marks were little more than 1/4 of a mile apart, one was barren whilst the other contained the most numbers and species wise.

 

[fish"a"holic]

GREAT STUFF danTe! VERY INTERESTING JOB YOU HAVE THERE, I WAS BOARD TILL I READ THIS!! CANT WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT POST, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK CHAP

 

[AL_Carpman]

Brilliant Dan, really good read and interesting to see so many species out there, if only someone could catch some of em on rod n' line

AL ..

 

[Bluejacket]

Learnt some new Norfolk from the skipper who was real good old boy.
Here's a mini quiz - Anyone know what an Atlan and a Feathery Flue (my spelling) are??

Marvellous stuff Dan, sounds like a brilliant game you're on at the moment.


Artlan = Monkfish or rock salmon like fish. Heard it used for pot bait.
Feathery Blue = Mullet

Not so sure though.....

 

[PoutMagnet]

Sounds great fun Dan, wish I was there.
Can you make the beach clean? I think Darren is coming as well.

 

[beany01]

Shrimp trawls are selective. They dont catch as much as big fish trawls as you cant tow them as hard due to the water resistance on the small mesh.
This is a good thread, see how many people ARE interested in commercial fishing. I think most fishermen would enjoy a day out on a trawler, or even a small inshore boat. Ive caught over 200 stone of herring in an hour in a 17ft skiff. It was good fun, until we had to clean them out of the nets for the next 10 hours.

 

[Roller]

Very interesting Dan thanks for sharing, so the Wash is looking in fairly good condition?

 

[Stelios]

Dan. great reading and very interesting. Would be good to hear more of your further trawling exploits

 

[Sharkey]

Brilliant info there Dan, keep it coming. good luck with your work

 

[josh]

You should of seen my face when one of the hauls brought up about 500 odd Sprat, that was the next few hours covered.

Oh god Dan you've mentioned Sprat already haha

 

[coolboxx]

Dan what a great read sounds very interesting hope to read a few more reports like that one, i cant make Orford next sat but will be going somewhere in the afternoon, well spotted Andy. :thumbs:

 

[AndrewJS]

i cant make Orford next sat but will be going somewhere in the afternoon. :thumbs:

Don't tell me you've bought a trawler as well?
:roll1::roll1::roll1:

 

[Mr Badger]

Now, if the windfarms proliferate ,( which they will ) that's very good news indeed.
Sink a few decommissioned old tubs in and around them and marine life should be on to a bit of a winner, for a change.
Cheers,
Davey