Sunday saw storm Freya blow many of the fleet back to port early over the weekend...
some were due to land anyway...
while others like the Northern Irish vessel Northern Osprey took shelter for a few hours before steaming back home...
the strong winds also blew in a few feathered as yet, unidentified visitors...
and were strong enough to dislodge a stack of pots on the quay...
the netter Ygraine ran in ahead of the worst of the weather...
to land a catch of superb quality hake...
and other whitefish...
like these stunning tub gurnards...
with their strikingly iridescent dorsal fins...
many people question the practise of discarding fish over-quota at sea and why fish caught still alive can't just be returned - this is the swim bladder of a tub gurnard - fully inflated - it is used to regulate the depth at which fish swim by changing the buoyancy of the fish by releasing or absorbing oxygen...
once out of the water it is impossible for such a fish to reduce the gas content of the bladder and the fish is then unable to swim normally - some pelagic fish, like mackerel, do not have swim bladders...
landing the fish is a family affair...
and all hands help on the market...
while the rest of the crew grade hake...
the classic Cygnus 44 hull is an immaculate conversion from trawling to netting...
Monday morning sees the fish from the Ygraine...
and a a handful of beam trawlers land fish like blonde ray...
monk fish tails...
and there were even a box of greater weevers - with their poisonous dorsal fins removed so as to protect anyone handling the fish after the sale...
the odd John Dory...
all keenly contested price-wise by the buyers...
Fish for Thought could not resist bidding on these cracking large whiting from the netter Ajax...
the bulk of beam trawl trips are made up of monk tails. megrim, lemon and Dover soles along with plaice and a wide variety of ground fish...
and sometimes a box or two of pristine red mullet drop out of the cod end...
netters sometimes hit a patch of spiders and pick out the paws...
while Seaborne Fish went for these perfect specimens of haddock for their shop...
Mousehole Fish just couldn't resist picking up these beautifully bright blackjacks or coley, a great favourite in Germany apparently...
mackerel supplies were restricted on account of Freya keeping the punts firmly on their moorings in St Ives bay...
while Wild Harbour couldn't resist the stunning looks of these big grey mullet...
Mr and Mrs smoothound...
the mornings are now just beginning to get light before the end of the auction...
which sees all but a handful of baots tied up in port...
the smallest sizes of Dover soles are known as slips and tongues...
young Mr Smart just could not resist the long tentacles of this big Mediterranean octopus which make superb eating as they become very tender when cooked correctly...
while down the Mary Williams pier the Sapphire II is taking on fuel...
and preparing for her next trip.
