Blue Skate (aka Common Skate) in the Solent

[Coxy]

Out today with some locals on the Charter Fishing boat not far from the Nab Tower in the Solent off Isle of Wight. Flat calm & no fog.
Loads of whiting ( not great size), dogs, Congers , Blonde Ray & a first for me - a juvenile Blue Skate aka a Common Skate. These are very rare around these parts & first I have known caught for over 60 years. This one was only 9lbs & they grow to 200lb living 50 -100 yrs.

Went back safe & sound after some pictures. A great end to the year.

Happy New year everyone

 

[chesilpete]

Nice!

 

[Dicky]

Nice one, Blue skate seem to be showing up once or twice a year recently. Are they not a separate species to the common skate? Looks a lot bigger than 9lb, what charter boat were you on

 

[Ollieollie]

Nice to see

 

[Trampster]

Nice catch and photo Coxy. Well done. Bit of a rare one, that.

 

[kevothefish]

Genetic research has found that the common skate is actually 2 species: the blue skate and the flapper skate. Blue Skate males reach maturity when about 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) long and females when about 1.23 m (4 ft 0 in) long.Flapper (Common) Skate ),males reach maturity when about 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) long and females when about 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) long. A few blues have been caught off chesil around 13lb and a fish over 20lb was recently caught from a Minehead beach in the Bristol Channel.

Blue skate - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wolf]

Great catches,piccy and write up

 

[Coxy]

Nice one, Blue skate seem to be showing up once or twice a year recently. Are they not a separate species to the common skate? Looks a lot bigger than 9lb, what charter boat were you on

It was a quick weigh as we wanted to get it back in. It was actually quite thin & did not look to have much food in it although it looked healthy. Blue Skate & Flapper Skate are aka Common Skate.
I was on "Flamer" of Sussex Sea Charters out of Itchenor (Chichester Harbour). I used to help out skippering it before Warren bought it off Mac. I took my boat out of the water on 23rd dec but could not resist the opportunity to go out. They have a Whats App group so you can join in the news & sign up for trips. Contact Warren / Lisa 07795631553 or equiries@sussexseacharters.co.uk

 

[Coxy]

PS - caught in only 80ft of water.

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Nice one, a rare catch

 

[Cwab]

Have not seen any for an age but assume skate wings in fish mongers or some fish and chip shops were common skate as remember them to be full of bones but very sweet?
Nice fish and catch.

 

[Topwater]

A log of ray species particularly thornback, get sold as 'skate'. Never believe a fishmongers ticket (nor for that matter a commercials catch record - the biggest lie being 'line caught' bass when most of it is netted)

 

[Cwab]

A log of ray species particularly thornback, get sold as 'skate'. Never believe a fishmongers ticket (nor for that matter a commercials catch record - the biggest lie being 'line caught' bass when most of it is netted)

Yes, and not that long ago some of those that netted were illegally landing/selling fish before the purge some years Back on north west English coast, when many were bagged and paid the price but had done very well for themselves when cash was king.

 

[Topwater]

Yes, and not that long ago some of those that netted were illegally doing so before the purge some years Back on north west English coast, when many were bagged and paid the price but had done very well for themselves when cash was king.

And it still continues. Look at the bass situation, that's been going on for decades...
Not sure which purge your referring to?

 

[Cwab]

And it still continues. Look at the bass situation, that's been going on for decades...
Not sure which purge your referring to?

Longer back than I remembered as time flies so 2000-4 ish when fishery protection boys and police worked together and had a clean up round fleetwood involving netters and buyers. Only had it recounted to me by someone retired and involved some time later and was amazed how serious it was taken not unlike drugs and he said it frighted a lot of folks into stopping back then.
Don’t know if any historic reports in local or National papers and scary how time goes by.
Edit, also now recall it also involved small boats rod fishing and landing and selling to pubs etc, full Monty
Further rant, if they cannot stop illegal boat folks no chance for a fish.

 

[Topwater]

By fisheries protection do you mean NWIFCA?

 

[Cwab]

By fisheries protection do you mean NWIFCA?

No idea of what back then the exact title of the agencies involved bar the police and whom my then friend worked for and what he did and for whom, sorry and hope that helps?

 

[Topwater]

I think we've gone way off off topic - my apologies, particularly to Coxy

 

[Cwab]

I think we've gone way off off topic - my apologies, particularly to Coxy

My fault for rant, apologies Coxy.

 

[Coxy]

I am with you ....... no problem.
A lot of bass sold as "line caught" in supermarkets / fishmongers and are undersized but legal as they are farmed bass flown in from the med (bream as well). Unlikely to get much to eat off them!
Our Inshore Fisheries love to target Anglers to check on bass size & number limit ( I was boarded twice last year & seen them on quaysides checking anglers' bags for fish as they get off the charter boat) but do nothing about illegal netting in bass conservancy areas as it's done at night when they are not working.
Am all for strict policing of fisheries like they do in Canada & USA.