Slowly but surely over the years, my attitude towards fishing has changed to the point where it bears little if any resemblance to what it once was when I first started putting to sea in boats. Dreams of pushing well offshore, often in poor conditions, hoping to fill the boat to the gunnel's with huge fish every trip have given way to a more measured pace of life. I still need those trips occasionally, but I now concede that there are other ways of making the most out of what is available. Short sailing times, hard fighting individual fish, and tackle chosen to give each and every fish a chance to shine are an alternative approach I particularly like, a very good example of which was a recent visit to Port St. Mary on the Isle of Man.
To an extent, both politically as well economically, the Isle of Man is a country in its own right. Despite being no more than 32 miles by 13 miles at its longest and widest points, in fishing terms it also acts more like a country than a small offshore island with fish that may thrive at one extremity being absent from perfectly suitable ground at the other. Bass for example are not uncommon fish around the north coast of the Isle of Man, yet are absent from the inshore banks and sand waves within easy striking range of Port St. Mary to the south. It’s a mystery why this should be so as these marks are literally stuffed with launce which can be caught to order on shrimp rigs. One positive is that this absence of predators leaves more for use as bait. And what a bait they are, not only for the inshore pollack, but just about everything else that swims in these productive inshore waters.
Port St. Mary is an excellent base, particularly for visiting anglers from across the water. A 25 minute flight from Blackpool followed by 10 minutes on the road after touching down and you are there. This is where Ian Ball keeps his boat ‘Hannah Louise’, a powerful 38 foot Offshore 105 with full Code of Practise ticket giving him a 60 mile operating range. And while there are marks and wrecks well off (and some close in) holding some very good fish when conditions allow access to them, for days when the weather is less accommodating, there are plenty of good fish tucked in tight to the cliffs all the way down to the Calf of Man and back up the other side to Port Erin, which is good news, as it gives Ian extra options in terms of shelter, plus bases either side of the island to work from. Far better than being blown off which is the last thing visiting anglers would want having made the trek across.
Anglers familiar with Weymouth back in the early 1990’s may well remember Ian Ball who chartered out of the port aboard a boat called ‘Our Phyllis’. Ian’s wife, who hails from the island, obviously ‘leaned’ on him to make the move north, and after a short spell commercial fishing, he is now totally switched over to rod and line fishing which he has been doing for the past decade and more. Wrecking is one option for pollack, ling, conger and cod, and surprisingly good numbers of tope and spurdogs on the tidal sand build-ups around some of these sunken hulks. The other is rough ground fishing close to base. Heavy ground in 30 to 50 feet of water is abundant close in with pollack and wrasse by far the dominant species. Cod, ling, gurnards and black bream are also on the cards. Surprisingly, the many acres of clean ground between the inshore rough and offshore marks hold very little in the way of angling species.
During my visit, the where to go decision was made for us by the weather. Fresh south westerlies meant that the only comfortable fishing was tucked in either off Langness Point which is where we started the day, or down towards The Calf where we finished up. That suited me down to the ground. I love fishing for pollack and wrasse on light tackle. Pollack we all know about as quality fighting fish. Wrasse on the other hand, are one of those species which appear to languish in a sort of angling no mans land. No one it seems feels as though they have proper ownership of the species. Shore anglers like them but can’t seem to get the degree of access they require. Boat anglers on the other hand, have the access but lack the desire, which is a great pity as wrasse are plentiful, easy to catch, and tough customers to deal with on the right gear. I never turn my nose up at the chance of giving them a go, and this trip would be no exception.
The day started with a run out to the sand waves for launce which took no time at all then back inshore to fish the ‘eels’ on 12 foot flying collar rigs with a slow retrieve. Pollack fishing like this is real edge of the seat stuff. With a willingness to hit at any point between the bottom and the surface, you just never know when that sudden explosion of power is going to happen. But there are clues. And it is these that keep your senses right on the edge. In many cases pollack will track in behind a launce nipping and tugging at it for a while without actually taking it. Fighting the urge to strike at that point takes every ounce of self control you can muster. But you have to do it. A case of keeping the bait moving until the fish actually eats it then kicks for the bottom. If you play by the right rules you will rarely miss-time setting the hook. Most pollack in fact do the job for you as they grab, turn and head for home. Then the fun really begins.
Pollack are powerful energetic creatures. But like all fish, they can be overwhelmed by heavy inappropriate tackle. Inshore where the water is comparatively shallow and the fish rarely make double figures, a medium spinning rod and fixed spool reel lets them show what they are really made of. The majority of our fish went back anyway, so why bother with quantity on heavy tackle when you can have the time of your life on more suitable gear. I dug out one of my pike spinning rods and matched it to a Shimano Baitrunner 6500B which was having its debut trip prior to taking it out on more important business in Peru which is covered in detail elsewhere. A very impressive piece of kit, and just the ticket for this kind of fishing. Fixed spools do have their place in boat fishing, and fishing for inshore pollack is definitely one of them.
Langness produced fish, but not in the quantity or the size range suggested by recent visits, so Ian immediately upped sticks and headed down to the Calf Sound and some of the little sheltered coves where we could tuck in out of the freshening breeze. The pollack fishing was much better further south. With nothing other than launce and mackerel for bait on day one, we were a bit limited in terms of fishing for wrasse, though there were plenty of cuckoo wrasse about the place when the baits were cut small enough. Bait however was less of a problem when were moved up closer to base and out a little towards the close of the day to fish a patch of broken heavy ground just to the south of the harbour entrance where cod, ling and red gurnards were only too happy to gobble down mackerel strips and launce on a long slow drift.
The following morning saw the Ramsey club on board. The weather was better in terms of being less showery, but some wind was forecast for the afternoon, so, after filling the live bait tank with launce, we tucked in tight around the Calf again. Only this time we also had worm and scallops on the bait board, and what a difference that made in terms of the wrasse fishing. The previous day we had just had the odd ballan on mackerel strip. This time they were coming up all over the place, though it should be noted that the best one caught by George Brew actually took a big launce. We later moved up for a few final drifts over the broken ground that had produced the cod the previous day thinking that the worm and scallops would get a better reception than the fish baits had, but no. More evidence if ever it was needed that while we might think we know all there is to know about the feeding habits of fish, they are still capable of springing the odd surprise from time to time.
CHARTERING DETAILS
Weather permitting, the fishing around the Isle of Man is pretty much a year round affair, particularly for pollack and coalfish. Obviously fish like and spurdog’s are more seasonal being confined mainly to the high summer months. If the forecast is not too good but there is fishable water on the Port Erin side of the island, Ian is happy to take the boat through the Calf Sound, even if the anglers themselves don’t fancy the ride. Port Erin is literally 10 minutes from Port St. Mary by car, and he is happy to meet the party there saving them taking a battering on the way around. Can’t say fairer than that.
Anyone interested in fishing aboard Hannah Louise, including visiting parties looking to spend a few days or even a week can contact Ian Ball on 01624 836028 (home) or 07624 457994 (mobile).
Ian also has a web site which is www.IBBoatcharter.iofm.net,
and an email address at IBBoatchater@manx.net.
Flights to the island regularly take place from Liverpool and Blackpool.
Further details of travel, car hire and accommodation can be had from Isle of Man Tourist Board on 01624 686766 or tourism@gov.im
