Looking to the future of fishing

Now the box has been opened, the Dutch boys are back in town to overland their Channel sole ...
these are Dutch flagged boats landing to Dutch transport....
a fourth boat makes her way in...
and the landing continues...over in the mission, London chefs, Tom, brother Rob and Yve, head chef from Tom's Kitchen discuss the planned day's fishing over some mission tea.....
out at sea aboard the Dignity, local punt fisherman Dick Ede show the visitors how to handline for mackerel......
on the meter the ground has hardened up...
after a couple of drifts the first fish comes aboard...
in Dick's capable hands, not the biggest run today...
skipper Andrew 'Traz' Treloar points out some of the local features...
while Dick looks on earnestly wondering if the mackerel will show any interest in their sets of feathers........
while Traz takes a more laid back approach to the proceedings it seems...
now time for one of the chef Tom to get a set of feathers wet...
while brother Rob looks on...
Dick is back aft, still in tutor mode....
when Tom gets his first bite of the day......

and not to be out-done, so does Yve on his first drop...on the way in the Scilly chopper flies over the Anglian Princess at anchor.

Nathan's pictures at sea

Here is a short slide show of images taken at sea aboard the gill-netters -
click to see here: nathan.pdf

Short movie

A short series of clips shot aboard two Newlyn gill-netters CKS and CarolH showing them dodging in poor weather and hauling gear.

Misty start to Friday

Misty starts often herald a shift in the weather - but tomorrow promises a frost!
L'ecume des jours registered in St Breuc, Brittany takes ice......
ahead of the morning activity at the market berths...
nothing escapes Lionel's attention so her visit is logged for the records....
aboard the Sapphire the gear gets its end-of-trip overhaul......
as the merchants work their way through a covered market floor behind a good shot of pollack from the Ocean Spray.....
the CKS, one of the growing number of vessels to join the 'Rsponsible Fishing' scheme has a good mix of ground fish...
after a winter's worth of weed development time its time to scrub more bottoms, this time it's the Sea Lion's turn.....
still more fish to come ashore from the Ocean Spray.....
and another weed job in the offing.....
which is nearly sorted on the punt!

Brixham beamers in town

Squirrel gets busy on the Achieve.....
while the Lisa gets the more traditional approach......
still, Gary seems happy enough with roller in and....
there's a bit of mending to do aboard the Bixham boat.....
yet another, "it's a game of two halves" it seems....
sems the Bricky boys bring their own fuel too.......
with their double-purchase gear....all it takes is a few well-aimed blows and......
heave up the sleeve.....last few days of 25% off at South West Nets, nice one Geoff!


Some visiting beamer action.

Ling is back on the menu

one of WS&S's harbour boats, the Lisa is out of the water for her a bottom scrub and paint....
signs of settled weather, a visiting gentleman's motor yacht down on the pontoons...
the Sowenna makes her way from the market, this weekend will see one of the biggest tides for the year..
over 80 boxes of ling make up the best part of the Girl Patricia's trip this neap tide...

one juvenile Icelandic gull deals with an itch....

on the market, Edwin grabs a few sardines, but what for?
a regular visitor to the harbour has popped in for breakfast it seems....
though there is some stiff competition from the ever-present gull population!

Gear goes on before fish comes off

The starboard beam from the Cornishman couldn't take the strain it seems....
good run of white fish put ashor by the Charisma....

Harvest Reaper gets ready to take ice for the next trip...
as the market floor is cleared by 8am....
one of the most modern local vessels and heavy in the water, Silver Dawn, waits for her fish transport away from the port....
young Tristan gets active.....

as a set of end ropes are stretched out along the quay.....
repaired gear goes aboard

Gateway to the world

The Achieve is beginning to look ship-shape as Leach Jnr and Snr are kept busy.......
looks like the May blossom has arrived early in Keel Alley where once the sea was....
with many of the fleet st sea its down to a few crabbers to brighten up the port.....
as jetliner contrails criss-cross the evening skies.

Paddles and plastic sheaves

Observed on the block that supports the beam trawl aboard a visiting Belgian beamer, the use of plastic for the sheaves....
as a rule, all the Belgian boats hang up their cod-ends while in port.....
these are dual-purpose boats that can go mid-water trawling during the winter months....
recognise that face cutting through his footrope?
in the relatively sheltered confines of the harbour, someone gets instructions on sea-kayaking