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Smoothhound Fishing Aboard the Aly Kat – Veals Mail Order Hits the Bristol Channel
This past weekend saw members of the Veals Mail Order team heading out to sea for a session aboard Dave Roberts’ charter boat, Aly Kat, based out of Minehead on the beautiful Bristol Channel. With perfect late spring weather, clear blue skies, and just a gentle north-east breeze, conditions couldn’t have been more inviting for a five-hour smoothhound fishing trip.
The Team and the Tactics
The crew for the day consisted of Harry, Dan A, Dan S, Gary, James, Andy, and Lewis, a real mix of seasoned sea anglers and curious freshwater fanatics keen to make the most of the settled conditions. Fishing the run either side of the top of the tide gave them the best chance to intercept feeding fish, and with smoothhounds currently present in good numbers in the lower Bristol Channel, the question wasn’t if they would catch, but how many and how big! The plan was to start the day in front of Dunster, before moving closer inshore around White Mark to try for the rays. With years of experience between them, the team split into two tactical approaches. Harry, Andrew, and Dan S chose to fish uptide, casting away from the boat with big wired leads to anchor their baits. Meanwhile, others opted to fish downtide, using heavier leads and shorter traces to keep the baits down. As things panned out, each angler swapped tactics from time to time, switching position throughout the day.
The Action Begins
It didn’t take long for the first rod to buckle over and some serious smoothhound fishing action to begin. Dan A was the first to connect, his downtide setup doubling over under the weight of a powerful smoothhound. Moments later, Gary was into a fine starry hound, adding to the tally. Lewis followed suit, opening his account with a spirited smaller fish — proof that with the right coaching, the younger generation of new anglers are more than capable of getting amongst the fish! Gary was soon in again, this time enjoying a strong battle on a fixed spool setup. Andy, one of the most experienced anglers on the boat, made his presence known shortly after, bringing another quality hound to the net. Over on the port side, Dan S was making his Daiwa Kenzaki rod and BG fixed spool reel work hard as yet another smoothhound charged off, giving him a proper test in the strong channel tide. Every angler was soon hauling fish with double hook-ups testament to just how many smoothhounds were present.
Time to Up-Anchor
While smoothhounds made up the bulk of the day’s action, Minehead is known for its mixed species potential. Having enjoyed consistent smoothhound fishing, over slack water skipper Dave decided to haul anchor and steam inshore, setting up shop on the clean ground around White Mark in the hope of tapping into the ray population. As the squid and mixed fish baits soaked, a few thornback and spotted rays began to make an appearance. Young Lewis shone again, this time landing both ray species — the spotted ray was particularly special, as it was found to contain a research tag from Swansea University, a brilliant bonus and an important contribution to ongoing conservation studies.
A Team Building Day to Remember
As the tide began to ebb and the bites slowed, the team took the time to reflect on what had been a successful and thoroughly enjoyable trip. With rods packed away and the Aly Kat heading back to port, thoughts soon turned to the next part of the day — a well-earned pint and pub lunch, the perfect way to round off a classic Bristol Channel fishing adventure!
Tackle Used
The team used a selection of different rods and reels and a variety of terminal tackle and accessories on their trip. Here is a break down of the gear used including links through to the VMO site. This is the kind of tackle that we would recommend for boat fishing in the Bristol Channel-
Rods & Reels
Dan S – Daiwa Super Kenzaki Fixed Spool 12-20lb & Daiwa BG5000 and Daiwa Super Kenzaki Uptide & Daiwa BG6500
Dan A – Abu Suveran Boat 12-20lb & Shimano Talica 8
Harry – Anyfish Anywhere Uptide Pro 90-200gm & Daiwa Saltist BG30 and Daiwa Tournament Boat Rod 8-15lb & Daiwa 20 Saltiga LD20H
Lewis – Abu Suveran Boat 12-20lb & Shimano Talica 8
Andy – Anyfish Anywhere Uptide Pro 90-200gm & Abu 7000
Gary – Daiwa Super Kenzaki 12-20lb & Shimano Baitrunner 8000 OC
James – Leeda Icon Boat 12-20lb & Abu 7000
Terminal Tackle & Accessories for smoothhound fishing
Spiderwire Stealth Smooth 8 Multi Coloured
Seadra Stainless Steel Boat Rod Holder
Seadra Super Strong X3 Crane Swivel
With smoothhound fishing in full swing and rays showing well, now is a great time to get out on the water at Minehead. Get in touch with Dave Roberts to find out which tides are still available – 07764 150648.
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