Orkney Skate Trust tag and release trip 20 and 21/07/2011.

Day 1 of the 2 day trip saw us anchored at the hallowed skate fishing grounds of the past - fishing the top of the Bring Deep slope, Scapa Flow, just behind Graemsay Island. The chub bag was down and Ron Tait, Arthur Cook, Dan Wise, Al Wallbank, Chris Nourse and Gregor Hay waited for slack. Alas, no skate this trip.

Day 2 of the trip and with better weather we decided to move out of the Flow and fish up the West Coast of Orkney. Ex-fisherman Jeff Temple and skipper Ron Tait watched the sounder looking for that all important 3^rdecho signaling we have found the edge of the hard - a known skate favorite where the softer seabed (sand) meets the harder seabed (rock). We dropped anchor in 48m of water off Outshore Point at 11.15am (59 deg 04.958N 003 deg 23.273W).

The chub bag was filled with a heavy mixture of old chopped mackerel and porridge oats and lowered over the side. The anglers on the day - Jeff Temple, Roy Temple, Liam Temple, Al Wallbank and Dan Wise then set about making final adjustments to gear.

Skate gear was down - using the heavy rods (50lb class) and lever drag reels fitted out with 80lb braid line and lashed to the rails to prevent loss if a fish suddenly took. The terminal tackle is kept simple and has conservation in its design with crushed barbs on the bronzed hooks, and a short section of strong mono between weight and hook to prevent deep hooking. The weight designed to slip out if the fish is lost and the hook quickly rusting away. A double whole mackerel bait with tails removed was selected as bait.

http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/how-to-rig-up-for-common-skate/

The chum bag was working in that it had attracted the Spurdogs in on the smaller fishing gear that the anglers used. 15 Spurdog were caught and 5 of the largest were tagged. Other species caught were Lesser Spotted Dog-Fish and a good amount of Cod.

The tide still pushed North and slack was expected around lunch time. 

12.55 Bang- Dan Wise's Skate Rod takes a hit - right on slack water. FISH ON. The skate sucking to the seabed, the butt pad and shoulder harness donned and battle commenced. At 13.05 the fish finally begins to come toward the boat where it is brought alongside and brought on the boat.

A male skate, measuring 203cm from nose to tail and 150cm from wing tip to wing tip. The weight estimated using the Glasgow Museums charts at 133lbs. He was in great shape. The fish was measured, photographed and importantly tagged in the wing (tag 108) before quickly being released back into the sea.

The tide picked up and with that saw us haul anchor and head back to Stromness.

The Orkney Skate Trust plans further trips open to members of the group thanks to help from the Awards for All Lottery grant program. Membership is free and available to all - see the 'join us' section on this website.