RiP Mitch, the Innovator.

Cadgwith Cove skipper, Ian Mitchell or 'Mitch', one of Newlyn's most innovative skippers has recently died.

Mitch's early fishing years from the Cadgwith and his eagerness to innovate soon led him to seek out a bigger boat and the inevitable move to Newlyn...

Girl Sharon was eventually sold and re-named Tracey Clare

where he bought the St Ives Girl Sharon from Eddie and Sam Bassett - this was when netting was in its infancy and multi-mono net was the name of the game - a method of fishing that Mitch took to like a duck to water - it was not long before he felt the need to go bigger so he headed far north...

and so he bought the Harvest Gold from the Watt family in Shetland, which he re-named Golden Harvest. She proved hugely successful, so much so that Mitch became the first skipper in Newlyn for a generation to order a new-build of any size and in 1989 he ordered a Halfish 60 and named her Sowenna - Cornish for Success. As a gillnetter based on the largest GRP hull built in the UK, she proved an immediate success -carrying most of her nets in the aft net pounds meant the crew were able to handle different mesh sized tiers much more easily than larger converted ex-trawlers that had become so common in the Newlyn fleet.

Like most of the fleet Mitch and his crew cut their teeth mainly targeting hake in the Western Approaches. Not one to settle with a single arrow for his bow, Mitch also experimented with fishing deeper and deeper waters....

the addition of the huge Grenaa hauler saw him venture to the very edge of the Continental shelf for a few summer seasons...

with one trip producing this rare shark catch taken from around 300 fathoms...

In 1994, Mitch, along with the Silver Harvester, Ar-Bageergan and Britannia IV rigged the Sowenna to fish for tuna using drift nets.

This attracted much media attention, especially when Spanish fishermen became incensed that the Cornish and Irish boats were using nets rather than traditional line and pole methods...

the mood changed when Greenpeace launched a campaign to prevent the fleet from sailing - including rigging a floating boom barrier that they intended closing off the harbour - as Newlyn is registered an an International port of refuge this may have had serious legal consequences. After several days stand off which included the bomb squad being called out after phone alls to some skipper's homes led them to believe explosive charges had been fixed to their hulls the fleet eventually sailed nearly 700 miles south of Newlyn in search of tuna. Once again Micth was at the forefront of innovation - this time he also had Inmarsat C fitted in order to stay in touch with his landing agents and the CFPO - this proved even more useful when the Spanish and French fishermen made their feelings known to the UK boats at the time.

After 15 hears fishing the Sowenna successfully Mitch sold he on and opted for the 'easy' life and a home in the Scillys.

To mark the event he ordered a Cougar catamaran which he had rigged

as a multi-purpose inshore vessel and, like other Scilly fishermen, had his fish ferried back to the market in Newlyn...

though he was s till a regular visitor to the port - here seen heading for the gaps back to the islands...

Not one to rest on his laurels and ignoring the old adage, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" he changed tack completely and swapped his beloved cat for a stern trawler, still bearing the name Sowenna with an added 'III'...

Mainly working singlehanded...

she was rigged with twin net drums which enabled him to target several high value species found in abundance at certain times of the ear off the Scillys - if you knew where to look - fish like red mullet and...

of course, John Dory.

Ian will be remembered as the the most innovative and thoughtful skippers of his generation. His quiet demeanour, pioneering ways and continuing business success undoubtedly inspired many others from his home cove of Cadgwith and beyond to seek out every avenue of opportunity, even when things seem bleak.

RiP Mitch.