Mackerel Fishing Boat Trip With a Dog in Looe, Cornwall

A fun activity in Looe is taking a mackerel fishing trip from the harbour. Ever since I was young, I’ve periodically been mackerel and sea fishing while on holiday in Devon & Cornwall. I have also been out on a few longer sea fishing and shark fishing trips with friends. The most memorable being from Ilfracombe in North Devon.

After seeing signs for mackerel fishing trips around Looe harbour, I decided the dog needed his first sea fishing experience while we were in Cornwall. He had been in boats before and was well-travelled, so I knew he would be fine if the skipper was OK with a dog on board.

Booking a Sea Fishing Trip in Looe, Cornwall

To book the trip, we got a number off an advertising board on Looe harbourside. I chose the Emma Louise boat because they were the first to answer the telephone. The Emma Louise boat advertised 2-hour trips with Dave, including all tackle, at a time that suited me.

Booking was painless. We selected a date and time from the available slots and left our name. That was it, all booked. They instructed us to meet next to the sign just before departure time. The price for the trip was £20 per person, and dogs travel for free. This was payable on the boat.

In most towns and villages in Cornwall, there are similar boards for booking sea fishing trips on the day, depending on tide times and weather.

Emma Louise Boat

The boat is a small fishing boat with no covered area but was sturdy on this calm day. Rods and tackle were prepared, ready to fish straight away.

Dave was a friendly chap who had some good banter and was good at giving instructions to participants. Also, for help to unhook fish for those who couldn’t/wouldn’t.

The Boat Trip out to Sea

The area we fished involved leaving Looe Harbour, passing the beach, and then heading out to sea for 10-15 minutes. This was a stunning trip, and I got some great photos of the seaside town from the boat. The views from the sea were worth the entrance fee.

Mackerel Fishing on The Cornwall Coast

Once in the right area for mackerel, they turned off the engines, and rods were issued to all aboard, with some basic instructions on the depths to fish at. The technique is to pick a depth to lower the line to, then raise and drop the rod until you feel a bite. The hooks and lures mimic small fish that mackerel and sardines devour, so rod movement encourages fish to bite.

When you feel some extra movement or weight on the line, it is time to reel the fish in patiently. Mackerel is not the biggest species, so it is relatively easy to bring in with some patient reeling. It didn’t take long for people to catch fish, sometimes three at once. We unhooked these and added them to the bucket to share out at the end of the trip.

After an enjoyable 1.5 hours with a rod in hand, I had caught 7 fish, and the trip was over. We turned around and headed back in.

On the return to Looe, we paid the fee and took the fish I wanted to leave with for my supper later that day. This was great fun, and the dog enjoyed the ride and taking in the view. Shockingly, he didn’t even bark at the moving fish as they came into the boat.

Apres Fishing

After the fun on this glorious day, I required a pint or two. So, after buying some ice to keep the fish cool, I headed to a few bars for some refreshing Korev, Cornish lager. Only a few, as I was keen to get back to Tencreek Campsite to light the barbecue.

One job left was to pop into the delightful Quayside Fresh, a very nice farm shop in the town centre, to pick up accompaniments. I also picked up a bottle of spiced rum to fill up the famous hip flask while in town, a perfect accompaniment to fish.

Cleaning Mackerel & Other Fish

Before cooking the fish, they needed to be gutted and cleaned. For this, my new pocket knife came in handy. Slicing from the waste hole to the gills in one motion exposed all the parts to be removed before cooking. Then I rinsed the fish and bagged it up, ready to take back to the barbecue.

Cooking Mackerel

It is quite a primal feeling to cook something you have caught, harvested, or grown. I was so looking forward to cooking this catch. Ideas had been crossing my mind since unhooking the first mackerel to make the best meal out of it.

The first dish involved removing the heads and tails from some fish. Then cooking a “pan” of soup for the starter. This included potatoes, carrots, onions and fresh dill. To finish, I added some Aspall cider vinegar to give it the sour flavour of Romanian soups. This turned out well, and I enjoyed it as a starter.

For mains, I stuffed the fish with a blend of flavours, including crushed garlic, salt, pepper, chorizo, and fennel root, and garnished it with dill. I wrapped the stuffed fish in foil to cook gently for 15-20 mins, then devoured it with salad. In the past, I have cooked them many times, wrapped in soaking-wet newspaper, over the open flame of a campfire. This gives them a more smoked flavour and is a straightforward way to cook them without a BBQ.

Dog Food From The Sea

Mackerel was in abundance, so I cooked a few without seasoning. When cooked, I stripped the meat off and checked for bones in the final dog food. This dish got the seal of approval, and the dog wolfed it down as usual.

Cornwall Mackerel Fishing Trip Review

Mackerel fishing was a fun day from start to finish, and I recommend it to anyone who can or hasn’t fished before. The views from the boat are great, even if you don’t want to join in. The fresh fish to cook with after is a real treat too.

My only regret was not seeing the dolphins that sometimes come to say hello to the boats near Looe. Then again, the dog might have jumped in to play if they had appeared.