HIDDEN DEPTHS
Some skippers are beginning to look at unexploited wrecks in deeper water to offer anglers a new experience
Tackle unexploited deep-water wrecks.
The majority of UK wreck fishing is done in relatively shallow water, often less than 230 feet deep, which leaves a large number of, as yet, unexploited wrecks out in much deeper water that rarely if ever see a charter boat. As a consequence, the fish stocks on these deep-water wrecks are greater and give the chance of bigger than average fish.
There’s also a mindset among anglers that to fish anything deeper is just too much hard work and requires the use of stupidly heavy weights. A lot of charter skippers work to their customer base and
visit only the wrecks where the fishing is relatively easy. If they do venture deeper, it’s an occasional visit with experienced crews who have the ability and tackle to exploit these deeper depths.
This mindset applies to the wrecks in the middle and north of the Irish Sea, especially those at long range in mid-channel that sit in water between 330-400ft, some even deeper. But they are packed with good fish that rarely if ever see a lure. Some skippers (Gethyn Owen with My Way 2 out of Holyhead, Anglesey, being one) are beginning to look at these unexploited wrecks to offer anglers willing to try a different approach a new experience.
TIDES
I’ll allay one fear straight away. Even in depths close to 400ft, during the two-and-a-half hours or so either side of low-water slack, there is often minimum tide run due to the increased depth. People seem reluctant to believe me, but during this period of neap to middle-size tides in the mid Irish Sea, I can fish with 6oz and get straight down without the line dragging off at an angle.
The day these photos were taken, I fished with 6-8oz in depths averaging 375ft for the two hours either side of slack low water on a Liverpool scale 27.4ft tide. Obviously, this applies to a near windless day when the boat drift is slow, but equally, far-off wrecking requires near perfect weather, so drifts will tend to be slow.
Tides are not something you should need to overly worry about. If you tell a good skipper you want to wreck fish in deep water, he’ll know the best tides and exactly when to time the trip to coincide with the slacker tide period.
I’ve fished wrecks on bigger tides up to 30ft off Holyhead, and around Ireland, and not had a problem if wind conditions are favourable, but would suggest looking to the smaller neaps and rising middle-sized tides as a starter.
TACKLE
Rapid advances in tackle over the last decade or so have made deep water more accessible. The reel you choose is vital. One of the reasons for the “can’t fish deep water” mindset is those older reels with relatively slow retrieves. These are laboriously slow at retrieving tackle from depth, and are often oversize and heavy.
Modern fast-retrieve reels, like the Avet or Penn series, are proven in this category. My preference is the Penn Fathom 15LD lever drag. Very compact in size, it is well-balanced and has a line capacity giving plenty of mono backing plus 300m of 30lb braid, which even at these depth keeps the line level high for maximum retrieve rate. Crucial is its two-speed retrieve, with the higher speed rated at 6.1:1. You’re winding back around 31 inches of line for every full turn of the handle.
Add in the tough but smooth gearing and the multiple ball-bearings and you can retrieve tackle very fast and with minimal effort, even when using bigger 10-12oz lead weights. In 350ft of water it should only take 60 seconds or less to retrieve from seabed to surface with 6-8oz weights. Such features and abilities are the secret to all deep-water wrecking.
Rod wise, I mostly use a 15lb-class with a supple tip, but with some real stiffness in the mid-section and butt. Plenty of power to lift and play fish, but a supple tip allows a pollack the chance to suck in the lure without feeling too much initial resistance.
Braid is the only line to choose, but be selective. Compare diameters carefully and go for the smallest you can in the 30lb category. The less line diameter means the less tidal drag, and therefore you can get down to the seabed and stay there with lighter lead weights. Look for a diameter no more than a quoted 0.20mm, and don’t worry too much about breaking strain. Colour doesn’t matter, although I prefer a dark green.
From experience, a fluorocarbon leader is essential. I like a low-vis gap between the braid and the end tackle because I find I catch more fish. Fluorocarbon is much more resilient and, being stiffer, it helps minimise tangles and presents better than soft mono. I use 30lb mostly, but I’ll drop to 20lb if the fish are proving fussy.
BEST RIG
Eliminate complication and forget flying-collar rigs and the like that get easily tangled, especially on the descent. The idea is to drop at speed and get down there fast to maximise time over the wreck during the drift.
I use a modified Whitby rig for the two styles of deep fishing I find effective. Simply tie an American snap swivel to the end of the leader and add the weight to the connector link. Now, on the same eye the leader is tied to,
add a 7ft length of 20lb fluorocarbon.
I only use weighted shads and lures. With this rig, when the weight hits the seabed and is instantly lifted by retrieving line, the weighted lure is still dropping and goes flying past the rising lead weight, pulling the hook-length straight and tight and avoiding any tangles.
Do, though, cut off any knot tag ends pretty tight, just to be sure there are no hang-ups. This is the rig I use when working the lure up through the water column by retrieving line back slowly on to the reel.
I also find ‘hopping’ the lure tight to the seabed very effective. Just reduce the length of the hook trace to about 4ft. When the weight hits the seabed, retrieve about 7-8ft of line, then work the rod tip slowly up and down, jigging fashion. This has the effect of hopping the lure just up off the seabed, and it is deadly for cod, bigger pollack, ling and large coalies.
A little trick that makes changing lures easier and adds more movement is to use a standard clip link that incorporates a swivel, , such as the Berkley Easy Clip. These are very strong, but it has the freedom to move a bit more due to the open tapered end in which that the lure eye sits.
When hopping, if the lure is tied directly to the lure eye, the lure does not naturally fall nose first, it falls flat, sometimes tail first. Fished inside the link with free movement, the heavier lure will invert and fall nose first, looking more natural.
The hopper is a heavy-duty, two-hook rig (although I prefer a single hook) made from 80lb mono with short 12in hook snoods and armed with two shads, sandeels or jellyworms, making it a useful rig to have if the wreck has collapsed and is laying relatively flat on the seabed, or is partially covered by sand.
This rig works the lures tight into the debris and right in the main killing zone where the fish are holed up and looking for food. Make the rig so that the lowest lure connection is 3ft above the lead. Just work it lift-and-drop style. A sacrificial lead weight on a weak link can help reduce losses to the wreck when using this rig. ■