Sadly the mackerel that were once so plentiful around our shores have been in decline for around the last 15 years and it got to the stage where we had to make changes to our ever popular mackerel trips because we could no longer catch the numbers of fish that people had come to expect. In 2020 we tried a change to the format of these trips so instead of fishing in the Solent we would now travel right out to the Needles Lighthouse on every trip giving people a great boat ride and sightseeing experience around the famous Needles rocks and surrounding area, then while we're out there we have a go at catching a few mackerel for you to take home for dinner. We also changed these trips to private charter bookings only and limited the maximum number of people on the boat so now your group of family & friends have the whole boat to yourselves to allow plenty of room for fishing and moving around on board rather than the crowded mackerel trips of before. These changes have proved very popular so we will continue to run these trips in this way.

 

Leaving from Keyhaven on board Osprey II we take you down the river then it's out into the Solent passing Hurst Castle and following the main shipping channel out to the Needles rocks & lighthouse. After rounding the Needles we will stop around half a mile further out where you get to try catching a mackerel or two for your dinner and being quite close to the cliffs there's plenty of scenery to look at too while we drift up and down on the tide fishing. We can either spend around an hour fishing for mackerel then have a slow relaxing cruise home keeping very close to the island shore for sightseeing as we pass the Needles rocks & lighthouse, Alum bay coloured sand cliffs, Totland bay, Colwell bay and Fort Albert or if you prefer we can spend a little more time mackerel fishing and then head straight home as usual not doing the slow close up sightseeing part of the trip on the way, whichever version of this trip you'd like to do is no problem at all just let Greg know your preference when you get on board the boat or we can just make it up as we go along if you like.

 

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Please remember: Even though we try our best and usually do find you a few mackerel, catching mackerel cannot be guaranteed anymore and in 2025 numbers of fish were mostly poor (apart from a few lucky days when the shoals appeared), so please only book one of these trips if you're happy coming along to enjoy the trip and taking your chances on the fishing part of the trip.

As an alternative short boat trip option we do run more 1 & 2 hour sightseeing only charters these days, for more details click here.

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All the rods and tackle needed are supplied by us and included in the price of the charter so you just need to bring yourselves and a bite to eat. If you have never tried fishing before and are not sure what to do, don't worry, mackerel fishing is quite easy and Greg will show you how to use the fishing rods. Not everyone in your group has to fish if they don't want to of course, some people are just as happy coming along to enjoy the boat ride taking in the sights & sounds of the Solent and Needles area while also keeping a look out for any passing Dolphins, they're not always there of course but over the last few years they have become quite a regular sight around the Needles.

Our Mackerel/Sightseeing trips can be arranged for any available day during the Mackerel season, available dates and start times are listed further down this page then please contact us to check availability and make your booking. It's advisable to book your trip in early to save disappointment as we get very busy during the summer.

Please also read the "After you have booked your fishing trip" section below.

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2026 Price

The price for a 3 hour mackerel/sightseeing charter is £210.

This price is for the boat charter and includes rods and tackle for up to a maximum of 8 people so you just need to bring yourselves and a bite to eat. Sorry but we don't run any of these trips where people can book individual spaces.

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A deposit of £70 which can be paid on our website is required to confirm your booking.

The balance payment is to be paid on board the boat on the day of your trip preferably in cash or by bank transfer.

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To book a 3 hour trip please call, text or Whatsapp 07973 577640 (voice calls 9am ~ 9pm)

Outside of these hours please use either text or Whatsapp.
When I'm busy on the boat I may not always be able to answer calls straight away but please don't give up just send me a message via text or Whatsapp and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Our email address can be fou​nd on the Contact us page

or you can Whatsapp message using the button at the bottom of your screen too.

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Check back here for availability & updates on our 3 Hour Mackerel/Sightseeing trips throughout the Summer.