Lee Noble July Edinburgh

So some pics from our trip on the Oberon (See 2017 Gallery) with Kenny and Callum on the 1st & 2nd July we didn't take many due to the Saturday just being a fish a drop, the Sunday the weather moved in so we went to the sheltered bays with a few species being caught dogfish, gurnard, Cod, coalfish, dab, flounder, pollack, no big fish and all returned the trip is an experience and we will all be back to heave the really big ones up we couldn't get to on the Sunday plus the Cod is the best I've ever tasted haven't stopped eating them since I got back nearly running out of ways to cook them, a big thanks to Mark and Ken for the photos we did take.

Alex Chrystal July 2017

 

What a strange first day today, on the boat at 9:30am and straight to the flugga, few fish on but not a lot to write home about, there was thousands of gannets diving right by us so kenny decided to get the lads on some big coleys and a chance to try the coley challenge, amounting to the biggest fish of the morning to my dad 29lb coley, a few of us had 3 huge coleys on at once! What a fight! After that We tried to find the cod again and searched all morning with only one or two being caught very strange! Then after dinner headed back to our first spot, bang, straight back into cod after cod after cod, I pipped my dad by a pound to get a 30lb cod alongside a 20lb on the same lift! A lot of personal bests broken today! Roll on day 2! Pics of Ben Leighton PB coley 25lb, Alex R Chrystal PB coley 29lb and my PB cod 30lb and John David Alan Russell 26lb cod PB

Robert Chappell Forth & Clyde crew's Shetland trip.

12th July 2017

Fantastic 1st day on the Cod at flugga, started off with a few light weights of around 15lb on the gummi's but were soon hauling up double shots of mid 20lbers, and Coalies to 27lb. Brilliant fishing with the weather staying kind, with the usual flugga swell making boating the fish that tad more strenuous, thank god for twin speed reels, biggest Cod of the day fell to John Kay at 32lb a pb Cod of 31lb for Jim Richardson. Biggest coalie fell to me at 27lb.

Day 2 was somewhat of a surprising day as we fished one of the wrecks after a bout of baiting.
A day of disappointment for a few of the lads.
Although we did manage around a dozen ling to 29lb there really wasn't a lot of activity during the day, a few cod in the high teens low twenties seen the day out. Although this seems a good catch, past results made it poor. But that's fishing and we can't control the outcome.

 

Day 3 was as expected with quality fish on every drop, with a few pbs for Jock McNeill and Gerry Copland. Most fish in the mid twenties with the odd smaller fish being taken for the table. All in all another brilliant trip with a great bunch of lads.
The 29lb ling was a pb for me so a happy camper.
I'm sure the rest of the crew will post their pics on this post.

The crew.
Robert Chappell
Alan Bell
Gerry Copland
Jim Richardson
John Kay
Trevor Campbell
Jock McNeill
Thomas Rielly.

Personal bests.

Robert Chappell 29lb ling
Jim Richardson 31lb Cod
Jock McNeill 27lb Cod
Jock McNeil 26lb coalie
Gerry Copland 25lb Cod.

Nikki Thompson Loch Fyne SAC....Flugga 2017 with Kenny Graham /Oberon
June 30th 2017

We were looking forward to returning to Flugga this year and prayed the weather gods would be kind to us. The forecast looked not too bad but the overnight crossing on the ferry was a tad lumpy to say the least, and some of us were glad to step ashore for the onward journey to Toft to pick up the 'wee' ferry to Yell.

Once aboard we decided to go up to the saloon to enjoy the view..thats when the fun began. Being a bunch of lazy sods, the six of us squeezed into the lift and got stuck midway. It took the engineer the entire crossing to free us and we got out just in time to drive ashore..

We eventually arrived at Cullivoe hall and got settled in. This year we decided to order hot food to save us cooking and to be fair, we were hard pushed to eat everything. Fantastic quality and choice, we will definitely do it again next year, it was worth every penny.

We were like coiled springs ready to burst when we met up with Kenny the following morning. There was a wee bit of a chop on as we left Cullivoe behind, but not nearly as bad as last year and the sunshine and blue sky were a bonus.

Our first day was amazing with cod and coleys to 25lb, loads of doubles and almost every PB was smashed. It's hard to describe the excitement you feel when these big cod put a bend in your rod, nodding like mad all the way to the surface, or when the big coleys dive under the boat stripping metres of line from your reel...it's an awesome experience.

By the time we had hauled these guys aboard from Flugga, the Turbot Bank & Skwa Roost, we were knackered...a great start to our three day trip.

Up bright an early next morning we set off for a bit of wrecking over the Majestic with a brief stop at Upscud for bait. The first drift was a bit slow with only a few mid-sized cod coming aboard, however, the peace was soon shattered on subsequent drifts with everyone into ling between 20-25lbs and a couple of crackers weighing in at 36lb & 39lbs adding to the tally.

We made a brief stop at Flugga for coleys on the way home and smashed a few more PBs with Torsk 7-12lbs and a fair few decent cod bringing day two to an end. It was a pretty quiet boat home after an exhausting day..

After a good nights sleep we were away sharp for our last day starting off at Flugga, the Three Sisters, Skwa Roost and finishing back at Flugga.
The PBs just kept on coming all day long with 20-30lb cod, loads of doubles and big bullet coleys to 24lb. It's kinda difficult to describe today, exhilarating, tiring and memorable all rolled in to one.

It's funny how your thoughts change...at the start you're hoping for thumping big fish every drop and by the end you're so knackered you hesitate to drop the line down in case you have to haul another big brute up from the depths.. Canny win ...

On the positive side, we returned as many fish as practically possible with only a few kept for the pot and bait.

We had an amazing three days fishing with Kenny on the Oberon. He's a great skipper who goes out his way to put his anglers on the fish. His son Calum is a 'wee skipper' in the making and can handle a boat up there with the best of them.

Are we going back ??? Hell Yes....already booked for next year..

Bernie Forshaw with Dean Lodge and 3 others.

2 July 2017

We booked Oberon to fish 5 days 26th - 30th June inclusive. Though we were hampered by the weather most of the week, Kenny worked hard to get us out whenever there was a window enabling us to fish just 24 hours out of the 40 hours booked. Some of the lads took some beach tackle fishing the Harbour jetty and the award-winning beach at the top of the island that was sheltered from the stiff NE breeze, catching small Coalies, Pollack, Plaice, Dabs and Flounders.

Fish-of-the-week was awarded to Phil (The Coalie Kid) McGibbon for his 28lb Coalfish which was brought up together with a 22 pounder on his 2 hook gummy-mak rig. Phil was presented with our "Cullivoe Cup" for his efforts to keep at least until we get a chance to win it from him next year.....somehow Phil managed to contain his delight at winning the trophy better than Kev Lee, who photo-bombed the presentation photo 😀

We catered for ourselves most of the week but on Thursday night we went to LJ's Diner, Mid Yell (about 12 miles from Cullivoe Hall).....brilliant menu, service and food, we would highly recommend....ribs, steaks, chicken and pizza / pasta dishes all available.....you are welcome to take your own beers / wines etc as they do not have a license https://www.facebook.com/midyell/

Thanks Kenny for a great week and best of luck to everyone booked for the remaining of 2017. Tight lines !!!

Carl Barnfather

21 June at 21:22

Richard Jackman's report Day 3 in Shetlands weather perfect this morning when set off as we all know what the weather is like up here didnt stay that way weather man got it big time wrong so the day was messed up
Still had cod to 20lb and collies to 24lb not as many fish but still amazing competed to any where I've fished
Not every day can be grade a fish

C Barnfather West Yorkshire Wrecking Crew

12 June 2017

Day two
A thick fog had enveloped the island as we set off at 8am hopes were high off better day as the big swells had dropped along with the wind. After an hours steaming to our chosen mark for the day Pirks, Gummi's, Muppets and Savage Shads went down, fishing was slow for the first 30mins with a few small cod about 15lb and Strap Ling, then the action started to hot up and Peter Strickson set the mark for the biggest fish of the day pool with a Cod of 25lb only to see it passed by Peter Lockwood's,27lb Cod twenty minutes later.

All rods were in constant action for the next three fours as we drifted across our mark wit only a couple of fish under 18lb coming up. Baits were tried to try get past the Cod and Coalfish but just produced arm wrenching bites. Baits tried Frozen Black squid & Fish strips.
The drift started to speed up and we had to put on 2lb of lead to hold bottom then Robert Tatchel boated a 29lb Cod to take the lead five more large cod were caught in quick succession but were between 27 -28lb then Jim from Aberdeen managed to equal Tatch's fish with another 29lb cod.

As we entered our final hour several large fish were hooked but not landed due to smashed traces or snapped swivels bot myself and Peter Lockwood spent ten minutes hooked up then gong slack. On the last drop of the day I landed a cracking fish while using a 2lb live coalfish on a Gummi Mack as it was landed it coughed up another one it had eaten earlier. It was goog but not big enough to take top spot as it was only 26 1/2lb with an empty stomach.

Michael Spinoza had a great day with a succession of 20lb+ fish before getting a 25lb Cod Jim Nash best of the day was a 27lb Cod Peter Strickson 28lb Cod Peter Lockwood 27lb cod.

All too soon our weekend was over and we had to head home till next time.

C Barnfather West Yorkshire Wrecking Crew

12 June 2017

Day one

Saw us boarding Oberon at 10am and we headed for the Slabs to the west of Muckle Flugga.
At the start of the drift the cod were a bit sparse and small Ling decided to hit the Gummi's bus as the drift progressed the fish thickened up and were between 15-18lb.

Double shots of prime condition Cod started to come up all round the boat with the odd Coalfish.
After about two hours drifting the size of the cod started to increase and despite fishing in over 300ft of water Cod were attacking lures in mid water.
Most cod now exceeded 20lb with the odd 25-28lb fish coming up. At this point I had been fishing 2 10" Red muppets on a trace with 12/0 hooks and as I was dropping to the bottom I noticed Jim Nash had two fish on the surface and was struggling so I stopped my lures in mid water and helped him to get his fish in and as I picked up my rod it suddenly bent over into a fish and I assumed it was a Coalie as the rod bounced about only to wind in Two cod the smaller one was just over 20lb but the beast on top was a Flugga PB for me and won the boat pool and weighed 35lb. Pictures later. After weighing and a picture it was returned alive to carry on breading.

Peter Strickson then connected and set his new PB Cod a 31lber after coming close with a 28lber a few minutes earlier.
And again it was returned alive.

Everyone had cod over 25lb and Bill Cosgrove caught a new PB for him a 27lb Coalfish.
Pete Peter Lockwood bagged a nice 27lber

Report By Carl Barnfather - Update 2Carl Barnfather

2/05/17

The season has only just started and some great fish are showing this past couple of days has seen cod and ling over 30lb a 37lb skate torsk to 10lb a three pound whiting and a cracking 56lb Anglerfish once confirmed this will smash the current record of 45lb, well done 5yr old Peter Smith from Fife who picks up our first Oberon Gold Award of the season.

The bookings for 2018 are filling fast so if your planning a trip dont leave it too long

Report By Carl Barnfather - Update 11/05/17

11th April 2017

Been a long winter but at last the fishing has started again. Just a couple of trips so far with Cod to 32lb and Ling near to 40lb a surprising addition was a 12lb Angler Fish this week.

This year Kenny says he is hoping to do more species hunts as the area has an abundance of Plaice to 6lb Blonde and Thornback Rays Pollock and Wrasse but to name a few. But if you intend on doing a species hunt bring bait as it is not readily available on the islands.

Tom Jenkinson has done a fantastic job of the new rods for Oberon and the boat has plenty for those who wish to hire them and the reports are really good.

You can view more details of these rods over the next few days as a dedicated Flugga Rods Page is Updated.