Friday 25th May 2007 - "Gemini" Skerries Plaice Fishing - Today, Patsy and I spent a really good day afloat, fishing for Plaice on the "Skerries" which are situated in Start Bay, about 4 miles out from Dartmouth.  We were aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" in company with four chaps from the Cotswolds and a couple from near Derby.  They were all great company.  Dave, the Skipper was his usual helpful and thoroughly supportive self, as was Mick Hallam, our trusty crew.  The repartee, tea and coffee was prolific and thoroughly enjoyable.

I know that I have said that the "Skerries" are a shadow of their former glory, mainly due to commercial fishing pressure placed on the marine resources.  This is not unique to Dartmouth, but is symptomatic of a far wider problem.  Despite this, there is some excellent sport to be had on the "Banks" in search of those ever popular orange spotted "flatties", the Plaice.  We found some excellent sport there today, catching between us something in excess of 3 dozen Plaice, about half of which were returned alive by the anglers to grow, breed and fight again another day.

I was the first to get into fish when on the first drift of the day, I caught a specimen Garfish, which when later weighed-in ashore at Brixham SAC, this evening, on their calibrated scales, tipped the balance to 1 lb 9 ozs 4 dr, against a specimen rating for inshore boat of 1 lb 8 ozs.  I know it's not a "flattie", but it did take my Plaice trace, baited with a cocktail of Ragworm and Razor Clam, as I was retrieving it to re-bait.  It was securely hooked fair and square in its bill on a Sakuma 1/0 circle pattern hook.

My preferred tackle today was an Abu Garcia "Suveran" 7' 9" 10 to 20 lb test curve Pro boat rod, fitted with a tiny "Accurate" 197 multiplier reel, loaded with 300 yards of Berkley Fireline Crystal Braid 14 lbs BS.

We all caught Plaice, our intended target species, plus some very welcome Whiting and Mackerel, interspersed with an occasional Tub Gurnard.  Here are just a few of today's catch with their delighted captors.  I apologise in advance that I can't remember everyone's names.  Should I plead insanity or just plain old age?  Those who were there know how much I appreciated their good company and dedication.

Despite problems with the new wind reducing boom microphone, which I had  attached to my video camera and which fell apart forcing me to remove it, I managed to shoot some movie footage.  I apologise in advance for my heavy breathing which regrettably you can hear on the sound track, because my nose and mouth were so close to the built-in microphone.  Needless to say, once I got home, I managed to fix the boom microphone problem in less than 5 minutes!

View Video approx 3¼ minutes "Skerries Plaice aboard Gemini"
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Patsy and I would like to thank everyone for their good company and fishing prowess.  A good day was had by all, with everyone catching plenty of Plaice.  I know that I caught 8, up to around 2 lbs in size, which was great fun on a warm day afloat on calm seas.

Staff Correspondent - Sea Angling News
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Graham Lewis from Torquay proudly holds his beautifully marked Plaice 2 lbs 12 ozs caught on a Ragworm & Squid & Crab bait aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" on the "Skerries" Sunday 29th April 2007 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Malcolm Shears from Brixham proudly holds his best Plaice of the day 2 lbs 12 ozs caught on a Rag, Squid & Crab cocktail bait aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" on the "Skerries" Sunday 29th April 2007 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
Happy anglers Roger Lovell and Rona Taylor who fish as members of the "Birmingham Hookers" sea angling club with their Plaice caught aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" Friday 23rd March 2007 Photo courtesy of Maggie Kelly
	Happy angler James Naden who is also a "Birmingham Hookers", SAC member  with his Plaice caught aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" Friday 23rd March 2007 Photo courtesy of Maggie Kelly
Patsy Concannon holds her "Skerries" Plaice caught aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" Tuesday 13th March 2007 Photo courtesy of Mike Concannon
	Bill Trevarthen from Plymouth proudly holds his specimen Brill 8 lbs 8 ozs caught from a mid-Channel wreck scour on feathers baited with Mackerel strip aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" Sunday 29th October 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
Allyson Thomas from Aberdare proudly holds her specimen Turbot 17 lbs 12 ozs 10 dr caught on a Mackerel bait from an offshore wreck mark aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" Monday 4th September 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Paul Evans of Cwymbran Predators SAC proudly holds his specimen Turbot 16 lbs caught on a Mackerel "flapper" bait aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini" from a mid-Channel wreck mark Sunday 6th August 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
English Teacher Laura Hodder proudly holds her Plaice 2 lbs 8 ozs July 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Mike Smerdon a member of Torquay SAA proudly holds his Flounder 3 lbs 1 oz caught from the "Skerries" off Dartmouth aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini 2" while using a cocktail of Peeler Crab and Ragworm Sunday 16th April 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
Tom Bastow a member of Paignton SAA proudly holds his brace of quality Plaice 2 lbs 9 ozs and 2 lbs 3 ozs caught from the "Skerries" off Dartmouth aboard Dave Harrison's Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini 2" Sunday 16th April Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Richard Wilson proudly holds his "Skerries" Plaice 2 lbs 2 ozs Sunday 16th April 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
Roy Hebburn proudly holds his "Skerries" Plaice 3 lbs 10 ozs April 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Adam Pedrick proudly holds his "Skerries" Plaice Early Summer 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
Cameron Harris proudly holds his very first "Skerries" Plaice May 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison
	Matthew Lesley proudly holds his brace of "Skerries" Plaice Spring 2006 Photo courtesy of Dave Harrison

Dartmouth really is a good "Plaice" to enjoy your angling