Caught 15 Mackerel today and feel bad.......
Aug 24, 2016 20:30:06 GMT
Post by PinkFloyd on Aug 24, 2016 20:30:06 GMT
Went down to Scrabster Pier at 11:30am this morning, it was a glorious day, with my mate Rob..... put a dexter wedge spinner on the line and managed to reel in 15 mackerel in the space of 2 hours. Rob caught about 7 so that was 22 mackerel in total we hauled out of the sea.
Now......... I don't like mackerel and was only catching them and whacking them with my priest (to dispatch them quickly) because I thought Rob would gut them, freeze them and then eat them. Turns out he only wanted ONE and suggested that we dump the 21 dead Mackerel back into the sea! No way!! that just wasn't going to happen, the poor fishes were swimming about quite happily and the next thing they know they are being dragged out of the sea with a damned hook in their mouth and then whacked over the head with a priest.
It took me an hour wandering about the town offering free mackerel to everyone I know, what a bloody shame killing all of those fish with no intention of eating them..... anyhoo, it ended well, managed to give them away to people who would actually EAT them.
The initial "bite" and "catch" is a great buzz but no fun for the fish so I've decided not to go fishing for Mackerel ever again and if I do I'll file the barbs from the hook..... the Dexter spinner has three hooks on it and one of the mackerel I caught managed to get all three in its mouth and I had to basically rip the hooks out of its mouth (Killed it first).
I know....... some of you may think "what a wanker, it's only a fish" but why put one of Mother Nature's creatures through that, especially when I don't EAT Mackerel?
It's always the same when I go fishing (thankfully only once or twice a year) I feel bad for days and wish I hadn't gone..... I feel very guilty and feel sorry for the fish "after the event"....... you feel obligated to beat the crap out of it (in front of your fellow MANLY fishermen) but as soon as leave the pier I feel guilty of murder. Jeez, one geezer landed a mackerel and basically PUNCHED it to death with his fist, I'm surprised he didn't eat it whilst it was still alive!
Got a very good tip from a guy who caught ONE mackerel...... spray the lure with WD40 "It attracts them"......... yeh, ok mate......... 2 hours later I had 15 in the bag and he had one, I must remember to take some WD40 with me next time (hopefully there won't be a next time and if I DO get the urge it will be catch and release with barbless hooks).
Rob nearly foul hooked a seagull in flight and almost foul hooked my right ear....... he lost 6 spinners (£4.50 each) and blamed it on the 6lb line that I had wound onto his reel...... erm, I was running the exact same 6lb line and exact same Shakespeare reel Turns out he wasn't releasing the bail arm before casting I told him what he was doing wrong after he had fired £27 GBP worth of spinners into the sea
I can be a right evil bugger at times but so can he
Anyhoo........ apart from the mass murder of fish that was one really enjoyable day..... brilliant sunshine, calm sea and plenty of arm exercise...... they are easy if they take the hook about 100 yards away but as soon as they get up close they are more taxing on the arms.........
Mike.
Now......... I don't like mackerel and was only catching them and whacking them with my priest (to dispatch them quickly) because I thought Rob would gut them, freeze them and then eat them. Turns out he only wanted ONE and suggested that we dump the 21 dead Mackerel back into the sea! No way!! that just wasn't going to happen, the poor fishes were swimming about quite happily and the next thing they know they are being dragged out of the sea with a damned hook in their mouth and then whacked over the head with a priest.
It took me an hour wandering about the town offering free mackerel to everyone I know, what a bloody shame killing all of those fish with no intention of eating them..... anyhoo, it ended well, managed to give them away to people who would actually EAT them.
The initial "bite" and "catch" is a great buzz but no fun for the fish so I've decided not to go fishing for Mackerel ever again and if I do I'll file the barbs from the hook..... the Dexter spinner has three hooks on it and one of the mackerel I caught managed to get all three in its mouth and I had to basically rip the hooks out of its mouth (Killed it first).
I know....... some of you may think "what a wanker, it's only a fish" but why put one of Mother Nature's creatures through that, especially when I don't EAT Mackerel?
It's always the same when I go fishing (thankfully only once or twice a year) I feel bad for days and wish I hadn't gone..... I feel very guilty and feel sorry for the fish "after the event"....... you feel obligated to beat the crap out of it (in front of your fellow MANLY fishermen) but as soon as leave the pier I feel guilty of murder. Jeez, one geezer landed a mackerel and basically PUNCHED it to death with his fist, I'm surprised he didn't eat it whilst it was still alive!
Got a very good tip from a guy who caught ONE mackerel...... spray the lure with WD40 "It attracts them"......... yeh, ok mate......... 2 hours later I had 15 in the bag and he had one, I must remember to take some WD40 with me next time (hopefully there won't be a next time and if I DO get the urge it will be catch and release with barbless hooks).
Rob nearly foul hooked a seagull in flight and almost foul hooked my right ear....... he lost 6 spinners (£4.50 each) and blamed it on the 6lb line that I had wound onto his reel...... erm, I was running the exact same 6lb line and exact same Shakespeare reel Turns out he wasn't releasing the bail arm before casting I told him what he was doing wrong after he had fired £27 GBP worth of spinners into the sea
I can be a right evil bugger at times but so can he
Anyhoo........ apart from the mass murder of fish that was one really enjoyable day..... brilliant sunshine, calm sea and plenty of arm exercise...... they are easy if they take the hook about 100 yards away but as soon as they get up close they are more taxing on the arms.........
Mike.