Summer 2006

Written and posted 3rd November 2006

Summer 2006 Fishing Report

Fishing this summer has certainly been very hectic and exciting for all of the boats out of Dover. The species that we have caught has been very varied which has made for much more interesting fishing.

We have actually landed good numbers of black bream...and on a regular basis. We have also landed red mullet, which are a fish we rarely ever catch at Dover. All of the charter boats have been fishing in various locations throughout the Channel from Dungeness through to the Goodwin Sands and all with good results. Good sized Smooth Hounds have been caught and released, and our best bass to date this year has been a 15lb 1oz bass caught last Friday 27th October 2006. Prior to this, our best bass had been a 13.5lb fish.

Various competitions have been fished for clubs, including the police force, and on occasion we have landed in excess of 11 different species of fish in any one day.

Unfortunately the Turbot fishing this year has been a total disaster as we haven't landed one. This is due to the fact that foreign trawlers have run up and down the banks where we usually fish for them, non-stop, from the start of the season and up until now. When I think of how many Turbot we landed 2 years ago compared to last year where the number decreased to approx. 9 all Summer and then to this year where we have caught none and I'm not sure if any of the other boats had any either.

Although we've missed catching the Turbot, fishing has been brilliant overall throughout the summer this year with codling having been available, and earlier in the summer there was no end of fish reaching double figures - this did peter out towards the end of the summer but there are still plenty of fish within the 2-3lb range.

The water has maintained its clarity and whilst fishing today (2nd November 06) it still appeared to be fairly clear. I'm sure now that the winds have moved around to a northerly direction that this won't last much longer and it will be time to start anchoring the various ledges, reefs and rough ground off of Folkestone and Dover to start catching the autumn run of cod.

Although things have started to quieten down now, we all think it's a very good sign for the next winter with the amount of codling that were caught throughout the season and fish stocks seem to be fairly healthy in the Channel.

Fishing on the Varne this year for the boats, apart from catching bait, has been non-existent due to the damage being done by the trawlers ripping the sea-bed apart in this area. I seriously think that we should start lobbying our government and local politicians to suspend all trawling activities in these areas as this is very clearly an important environment where fish congregate for breeding etc. When we talk about the Varne bank now, it is only a shadow of its former self.

My last fishing report did attract the attention of a French angler who decided to call me with reference to the number of French fishing boats that regularly come across to our inshore wrecks and plunder them for bass. This gentleman actually agreed with what I'd had to say and he commented on the fact that the number of fish brought back to port for sale, meant that the fish were practically worthless. Bass numbers in the Channel this year were definitely lower than the previous year - let's hope that their early massacre at the beginning of this year isn't anything to do with this Summer's bass numbers otherwise it doesn't bode well for next year's bass season. Again, I feel that we should be writing to our local MPs and the fisheries agency (DEFRA) to complain about the amount of French fishing boats taking bass of all sizes from our wrecks for commercial gain - this has got to be stopped. I feel that it is up to all of us to make a stand, put pens to paper or fingers to keyboards, and start to bombard our government with our complaints. What would make a lot of sense would be to make a ban of fishing in the areas that are strongly affected by these French boats in the early part of the season and perhaps even make this a nursery area to protect breeding stocks of fish.

On that note, it is out with shorts and in with the long johns and thermal vests and let's see what winter has to bring...