Making most of living on the coast

 Thinking about how to get the most out of living by the sea I am reminded of the long history the sea holds to contributing to our health and well being.Almost 500 years before birth of Christ Hippocrates encouraged his patients to bathe in warm sea water. He noticed fishermen who had injured their hands after soaking in warm sea water they had few infections. The warm sea water releases toxins between the blood and the water restores the balance of minerals in the blood.
                           
                             
I remember how my father used to heat up sea water for a foot bath. we gladly don't need to go to an exotic spa to get this treatment a trip to Huaxley and a quick warm up in the lobster pan...just the ticket!
The seawater has potassium for all over energy and iodine as a natural anticeptic.
We have records that Henry 111 bathed in the sea to heal scabies and in 1791 John Lathan opened the first seaside hospital.
In 1750 an Englishman named Russell published a work which enjoyed great popular success. In it he wrote" One should drink sea water, bathe in it and eat every product of the sea" on that bomb shell I am off for a Guinness!!!!!!!!!!!

Boxing day review

With wind howling outside my front door and after returning from a windy trip in the North Sea I am happy to look back on some highlights and surprises of the year.
The sea temperature is defiantly increasing and that's the reason we are catching fish not normally associated with this coastline.Tuna have been caught locally and swordfish sighted of Blyth.The catches this year were mostly cod ,Pollock,mackerel, whiting, sole and just to round the year up Bass!!

There are some trips which stand out when the weather, light and tides offer opportunities like nothing else and when you can give a friend a  trip out it's hard to believe this is Not the Mediterranean but just off the coast of Amble. Coming in after the sun has set and the sea is calm is a nice way to round off a day.

But fish is only part of the menu and as you can see Virginia's carrots are nearly as big as the fish I catch!

It was a good year for mackerel! This is Nev the Morning star engineer catching his tea.

  Virginia was fishing three hooked trace of daylights going for mackerel when this surprise collie found the bottom hook much to everybodies surprise as it was janded with a thumb on the deck..

It then found its way into my frying pan

Compass House Amble

Its been sometime since I have updated my blog.I have been busy with my new project and that is Compass House Amble.A traditional stone house that I have acquired for holiday letting.
The Northumberland coast is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful coastlines in England and attracts many visitors from all over the world.
I will be starting a new website soon which will be full of information on attractions and "Things to do" in Northumberland,restaurants,sea fishing,still water fishing,sailing,golfing,walking bird watching just to name a few.

Just for now here are a few picture of my holiday house.
Should you wish to book for a week or just a couple of days please contact me at sandy.scott@live.co.uk

Longlinning

Longlinning is a method of catching various species of fish.

This method is centuries old and allows undersized fish to be returned back to the sea alive.

I have caught various species of fish using this method and only keep the ones I want for my own food.

I will explain the method how to use a  long line and one that can be used from the shore

Back to work

 

On the last day of my leave the winds died back and we had a chance to get a run out before tying up the boat for a month.

We have been having some strong westerly winds so this was a bonus opportunity.  

We were fishing for cod and collies and didn't expect to get mackerel this early in the year. The mackerel have been caught

late last month but ten miles east of the Coquet Island. It is a good sign they are moving in shore this early.

It is looking promising for my next leave and we can get the smoker going again!

 The mackerel were not the only arrivals the young eider ducks
have made there perilous journey from the nesting grounds on the Coquet they look like small corks following the female eider.

Off to work for a month

Weather window

 We have had a week of westerly winds and the sea has had quite a lift but it didn't deter us  from getting out  to see what was about. Yesterday evening there was a weather window and Virginia and I grabbed our gear and went out to see if we would be lucky with a few fish . As we headed North out of Amble harbour towards one of my fishing marks the gannets were diving into the water after the sand eels.When we got to the ground we had the marks already on the chart plotter and the fish finder was showing a good result

Within ten minutes we were catching cod and coal fish.

 It didn't take long to start to fill the bucket and then the wind  changed and we headed for home before it became uncomfortable. I get plenty of bad weather when at work so when on leave I look for fair seas to fish in.

When we got home and started to gut the fish they were full of sand eels and the undigested ones I frooze for bait. So from one catch we hope to get the next catch!

It is such a good sign that the sea is full of sand eels. It is the Puffins main diet and helps to feed and replenish so much

marine life around these coasts.

This morning I went out to the Island with Davy in his Trident  Coble and came back with two lovely crabs for breakfast. They

feed in the iodine rich kelp and are rich in flavour. So the fridge is full again and I feel the season can begin in earnest.

Dawn Marie B

Theses are a couple of photos of the Dawn Marie B fishing for lobsters
of the Northumberland coast.On board is Skipper/owner Davy bell.



Here she is as the Morning Star