Nine members of Wakefield MAG made the trip up to Sunderland to catch the Sapphire on Saturday 15th July, for our much anticipated sea fishing trip. We set off from Wakefield at 05:45 (yes, you read that correctly ... most of us were up at 05:00 (or earlier) .... people were still making their way home after a Friday night on the town !!). It was estimated to be a 2 hour trip up to Sunderland but we made it there in very good time, so were quite early arriving at the Marina (after an ever so slight detour getting a bit lost in Sunderland) .... time then to stretch our legs and find the boat. The boat took 10 people and the cost of £55 each included hire of all the gear and the bait and an 8 hour trip (from 8am to 4pm). Skipper Peter Stubbs welcomed us on board and we were off. We sailed for about 20 minutes then made our first stop (Bob asked if we could park somewhere flat !!!). Skipper Pete had a very broad Geordie accent and listening to Pete and Barnsley Bob (with his gruff Yorkshire vowels) converse was an absolute hoot ... neither of them could understand a word the other said ... LOL
We set up the gear and off we cast.
It wasn't long at all before the first catch was made (by Steve). Then we all were landing fish.
We sailed to another location and we were all again successfully catching fish (although some were undersize so went back to grow bigger for another day). Another stop and more fish landed.
The Skipper then took us to the site of some wrecks with the promise of much bigger fish to catch (the interesting ones always hang round wrecks apparently) .... and ..... quite predicably .... we caught nowt (obviously, we had all peaked too early that morning). Still, we had all done rather well and came away with two sizable cod each (all except Kane who had the worst luck of all of us, and only caught one).
In seemingly no time at all, it was nearing the end of our fishing trip and we were heading back to the Marina. Skipper Pete had done a great job of looking after us .... multiple teas and coffees made for us all day, he didn't charge us any extra for losing lead weights (and between us, we lost a lot ;-) .... and, he gutted and cleaned all our fish for us .... what a nice man.
We had a steady drive back 'down south', stopping off at the OK Diner on the A1 for a much earned dinner. We all agreed it had been a fantastic, if somewhat knackering day ..... Lots of banter and laughs, the weather was kind, no one got sea sick and no one fell overboard ;-)
Will we go again ...... absoulutely ...... but from Bridlington next time, to fish in the Yorkshire Sea .... then we can all have a lie in bed !!!!