Sea anglers from the Lothians are among the growing number of clients heading off-shore with an Aberdeenshire-based charter firm.
Misty Angling Trips based at Fraserburgh leave harbour throughout the year, weather permitting, with cod plus haddock among recent catches.
They can take 12 on the boat which has two crew and a 20-mile limit and it is not just anglers from the Capital area who are making their way north. The ten-year-old firm have clients from Glasgow and even the Borders.
Skipper Gordon Morrison used to sail out of Boddam near Peterhead but a new boat means they are exclusively out of Fraserburgh. The benefits are a pontoon where anglers only have to step onto a boat and not climb down a ladder plus free parking at the harbour.
Susan Morrison, wife of the skipper, said that the winter hours are 10am to 2pm and summer hours kick in from Saturday April 6. Sailings are 8am to noon and 12 to 4pm, weather dependent.
Bookings can be made on their website ard trips cost £35 for four hours. The boat has a toilet on board but there is little shelter and anglers are advised to wrap-up warm. Lots of layers.
They are also advised to bring a flash of hot tea, coffee or soup as there is no catering onboard and Susan said: “The skipper targets certain species at different times of the year and, currently, there is cod out there.
“We’ve also been catching haddock since last January and a lot of anglers are keen to catch them. We do not have capacity to freeze fish so our customers, especially regulars who travel a distance, know to bring a cool box stacked with ice.”
PICTURE: Billy with a catch on a Misty Charter. Below, the Rachel May used by the firm. Contributed by Misty Charters
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