Stayed my dragons but not many fish.

[Gummage]

I said to Mal last autumn that I sensed a long lazy Indian Summer was coming . So that didn’t happen but it’s happening now and I abandoned the silage fields for yet another three day dose of Dorset Madness.

I towed the boat to a secret location near Wareham where I could safely abandon it to attend the meeting. 
Great meeting and thanks everyone for making us feel so welcome. The talk was fascinating but I don’t think international fishy fame is part of my destiny.

At the meeting Rob helped me form a plan for Wednesdays tidal expectations.

 

Plaice drift on the rise.

Visit the patches and get pouting over slack 

Ebb starts at 2.00pm , drift round old Harry using live bait.

 

what ‘appended waz;

 

plaice drifting but I got distracted by the possibility of a bass from the training bank. What do you know ! I caught one with a rusty metal mackerel but only because he was too young  to have good taste. 
The patches  refused to yield bait fish although I persisted tried different spots and stayed too long.

on my belated  way to old Harry I had a brainwave. Squid !  Colin taught me how to catch squid last week . It only took me two hours . I might get really lucky this time. So I arrived at old Harry with only lures to play with at 3.30. I worked that rusty metal mackerel like fury until the tide turned and rocks might be a concern. These Bass had too much panache  about them and dined else how .Sorry Rob, I screwed that plan.

 

A bait robbing baby bream fell to my last chuck plaice rig on the way in

 

 

Today , after sleeping on the boat again I motored across the bay to the Christchurch ledge.  

Most others chose plaice fishing off Bournemouth beach. I wanted to try for bream  and then whilst it was  a big spring tide it had a double high which meant a long period of slack water. Ideal for plaice jigging I thought. 

The tides did what it said on the tin but the bass didn’t . I had one bite all afternoon  and that was off in a flash. 

The plaice drifters did quite well I believe. Let us know Colin.

I needed to beat the falling tide to get the boat out or else have to wait till eight. 

I stopped a few times as I came back across the bay to try and find a mackerel or two  but they are scarce. So it was a blank for me today.

 

But it was two days of solo boating . I beat the tide and got the boat out at baiter slip single handed. That was my win from this trip. 

Special thanks to Dan Barnes for accommodating E3 and Colin for company, logistical support( worms etc) and tutoring on the solo launch and retrieve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mal Thomas]

Thanks for sharing, we need to talk I think I can provide a day out and an overnight van stop.

[great white]

Great offer Mal, hope Martin can take you up on it.

[Greg]

Take the offer Martin and soon you will become the great fisherman you strive to be

I would also say, keep things simple and don’t try to run before you can walk. You can not build a mighty castle without a good foundation !!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Graham Nash]

18 hours ago, Gummage said:

 

 

 

But it was two days of solo boating . I beat the tide and got the boat out at baiter slip single handed. That was my win from this trip. 

Special thanks to Dan Barnes for accommodating E3 and Colin for company, logistical support( worms etc) and tutoring on the solo launch and retrieve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw you solo launching at Ridge the previous week (which I always find very daunting with such a steep slip). How did you find it at Baiter? I'd guess much easier (although wetter). 

[Jim]

Went for a walk over Arne last week and on the way back to the king's arms at Stoborough we stopped at Ridge wharf for a look. ( probably nearly 50 years since I was last there.

Cor ! 

It's grown a lot since then. 🙂

My Dad had a yacht at Redcliffe and it's a long slow run to the sea but I believe the costs make it worth it.                         

This time of year it must be great to get the speed up a bit.  😃

[Graham Nash]

3 hours ago, Jim said:

Went for a walk over Arne last week and on the way back to the king's arms at Stoborough we stopped at Ridge wharf for a look. ( probably nearly 50 years since I was last there.

Cor ! 

It's grown a lot since then. 🙂

My Dad had a yacht at Redcliffe and it's a long slow run to the sea but I believe the costs make it worth it.                         

This time of year it must be great to get the speed up a bit.  😃

I pay about £1500 a year on the trailer. I think it was £2100 last year on a pontoon. Remember there's extra time and fuel for the 3 or so miles extra each way each trip. 

[Gummage]

Thanks for the interest. Offer noted Mal . You are right Greg . Going on other boats as a guest is a great education . Hopefully it’s good craic as well.

 

Shallow baiter versus steep Ridge?

Baiter is what Baiter is . I often go there . I think the hazards are straightforward and easy to understand.

Doing long belays amongst the general public requires care and don’t let your trailer go off to the side. But I’ve never had any serious issues there. (It helps if you put the bungs in).

The max length you can launch at ridge is 6 metre. Mine is six meter. High tides are 1 hour after the Poole quay tide.Its best if you can use them. 
I launched with a lunking  great merc 90 on my boat we took water over the transom. 
with the benefit of hindsight  I should have instructed my assistant to pull me straight out. In the heat of the moment , once it was uncoupled I used a blip of throttle to heave it off the trailer nd level the vessel up with its cargo of salt water. Later that day my merc exploded in a fireball (see post “It went with a bang”). The bottom carburettor had malfunctioned and dripped petrol . Was it the launch that damaged it ? I’ll never really know.

 

My new motor is smaller and lighter and I always unload all the petrol cans to lighten it more before launching . water can still come into the well past your steering cable grommets etc and onto the deck. Hope you were impressed withtheperformance of my new deck pump the other day Graham.

 

So I. Agree with you Graham Ridge is tricky.
 

 

 

[Maverick Martin]

Martin you would be more than welcome out on Madness.

keep an eye on the crew threads or message if you would like a message when I’m going out.

Wind and tides look great for next week but I’ve not checked with the other half yet

[Gummage]

Sometimes I m  my own boss and sometimes I’m told I’m not.
We have a farm standards inspection looming and that is derailing my fishing aspirations a bit. 
so martin , it may not be soon but I’d love to Be a guest on madness in due course.