'Tiz the final #FishyFriday for Newlyn in 2023!

The grader is still...

the market floor empty...

the boxes stacked...

a handful of boxes of mackerel saw the year out...

the man in red is on his way...

the man on duty is waiting...

the lights are lit...

and the fleet safely moored up for a week.

Enjoy the break!

 

Fireworks as Internos arrives in Newlyn!

Time to celebrate...

with family and friends at the end of the quay...

pic courtesy of the skipper's wife

and some very excited offspring to greet the arrival of the latest boat to join the fleet in Newlyn...

the very first 15m Maxus Cat from G Smythe boatbuilders in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland...

fittingly, the harbour was bedecked with lights...

and a Christmas tree...

as dozens of well-wishers welcomed the latest sardine boat to join the feet...

laden with ballast to stand in for the net yet to be put aboard...

as every cat fan knows, you get the equivalent deck space for a boat almost twice the length...

a fact well appreciated by the assembled crowd of family and friends  assembled on the quay just before midnight...

with the festive lights adding to...

the sense of occasion...

on a day of other significance...

so while the crabber Nicola of Ladram landed her pre-Christmas trip of crab and lobster...

it was down to crewman Treeve to pop a cork...

and skipper Will to celebrate...

along with the next generation of potential Newlyn fishermen and women!

Here she is the following morning courtesy of crewman, Treeve.

Plenty of quality fish on the final week's market before the Xmas break in Newlyn.

Last time the beam trawlers Billy Rowney and St Georges will land to the market in 2023...

as some merchants appear very keen to get their fish away....

boats are picking up bass almost everywhere, from offshore beam trawling...

to inshore handlining...

ray-a-plenty for some...

and some decent brill...

last landing for the St Georges...

more bass...

very festive box tallies from the Plymouth registered boat...

even the mackerel guys had good pickings...

while the AA team score four times over the weekend with their best haul yet of bluefin, which inlcuded this 182kg fish...

safely iced away in their holding bags...

before little Graham acts as a counter balance to move the huge fish...

cod like you seldom see it, with its golden scales...

jogged squid also look stunning...

while the pamrket sees the last of he pollack to be landed this year...

caught by inshore...

 and offshore alike..

all lit up...

with all hands busy on the gear...

watched over by skipper Jimmy Barnes...

as the crew cut out some of the chain mat links...

and clear the fishing line...

before adding new dollies in the chaffing mat...

and make the final adjustments to the fishing line...

there's only one boss on a boat, what the one in the wheelhouse says, goes...

except for the fishroom...

as Sheriff gets handed an unusually large haul of spider crabs for the time if ear from Phillip and Isaac...

left hand down a bit to get that tuna stowed on the lorry...

last landing for the Billy Rowney almost done.