Speciman Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Zzippy and I launched our kayaks from Castletown slipway, Portland at first light this morning to fish the breakwater area. We headed to the southern entrance first and fished over the wreck, HMS Hood, for a good hour. We only had a few bites despite lots of fish showing on the finder. A ballan wrasse of no great size was all we caught - if we had given it more time perhaps it would have been a different story but the wind had picked up and we decided to try another mark. When we went to up anchor we found they were both stuck. After a lot of pulling and getting no where fast we cut our anchor lines. We then headed off towards the middle entrance of the harbour letting the W/NW wind take us in roughly that direction. We drifted past most of the small wrecks by the breakwater with no noticeable bites. When we arrived at the middle entrance we hooked up to a buoy near there and fished a sheltered spot out of the wind. We caught several dogfish on mackeral strips and ragworm. Three times Zzippy got hooked onto something which gave a decent bend in his rod and each time the line was bit through (this was on one of his rods setup for smaller species - hook baited with ragworm). Our big bait rods remained untouched except for one dogfish deciding it liked Zzippys triple squid offering. Early afternoon we paddled/tootled back to near our launch point and fished by the 'stone block' there for a short while. We caught one goby on ragworm & called it a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Strange name to give a goby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaicemat Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Sorry, That was me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Oh dear I thought all my comments about junk and wreakage on the bottom all around the southern entrance was enough, I didn't want to labour the point and say DON'T ANCHOR. Not only the Southern entrance but also at the edges of the middle one too. If you need to anchor instead of drifting make a grapnel out of 1/4" or slightly less re-bar or rod, the hook that is snared will straighten out with a bit of a pull and you can re bend it by hand. Even so I would set it to a light trip so that it will break out either way. If the paddle out is not too much I reckon you could have a load of fun out there in the summer months the Hood and the Middle Ship entrance are usually seething with fish. Mad Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speciman Posted January 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Thanks for the anchor tip -- I'll keep an eye out for a suitable rod to make a grapnel with. I'm pleased to hear those marks teem with fish during the summer. The way Zzippys fishfinder was beeping over HMS Hood suggests that there are quite a few down there now! The middle entrance whilst a reasonable paddle from the launch point, seemed quite a safe venue to fish from the kayak. I'm sure we'll go there again. Can squid be caught there during the autumn months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Re. cheap anchor: - 1' - 1.5' of scaffold tube. - Drill a hole in one end and attach a 'D' shackle for your chain/rope - The other end drill two holes at right angles through both sides - so you have 4 holes in total. - buy 2 lengths of threaded bar from a ironmongers or builders merchant - insert the two bars into the holes to make a 'cross' - secure then each side with a pair of nuts - bend at 45 degs (ish) - voila - a cheap disposable anchor costing no more than Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Nice Grapnel tip Adam,Do you suppose it wouldhold Pal-a-mine,on xchurch ledge for example....jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueboatdriver Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 It is a good idea to have an anchor you don't mind losing on board for really snaggy areas. The only problem is they're not usually galvanised or stainless and the last thing you want on a nice boat like yours Jack is something on board that's going to leave rust stains wherever you put it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamouse Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 An extra little tweak to Adam's grapnel - fill it with concrete. The extra weight will help with staying put and concrete is also cheap Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Jack - I probably shouldnt say this, but we have never had a problem in 4 years anchoring xchurch ledge. If your anhor is tripped properly then it shoudl always turn and ping out - therefore I use my best anchor on the ledge. The only trouble I have ever had in either getting the hook caught in pots / pot lines or like last weekend in a wreck (like we did!) Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Nice Grapnel tip Adam,Do you suppose it wouldhold Pal-a-mine,on xchurch ledge for example....jack I know this for a fact. If you knock up your own grapnel using re-bar and gobs of arc weld, equip it with a mis-shapen loop welded on off center. The sort of thing that looks like medievil knights used to scale castle walls, and if fellow anglers see it they gasp 'wassat'? with disgust on there face. Well that anchor will be the finest rock and wreck anchor ever and you will never be able to loose it. Even after years of welding experiance and toolmanship have passed by and you can now make a state of the art stainless steel self tripping fully folding adjustable fluke angle beauty of an anchor, the ugly old rusting pile of crap will still be there. No matter where you drop it down, under and round power cables, knotted round the chain of the ferry, one little tug and up the little ba***rd comes smiling that 'You can't get rid of me buddy' look as it surfaces in a red cloud of rust scale. Mad Mike PS if any one wants this inistructable anchor they can have it free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob F Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Zzippy, Specimen, Karen and I went white water kayaking for the first time last weekend. On the Exe at Tiverton. What a wonderful view...if you like looking at pebbles on the bottom of the river bed!! I spent most of the time upside down. It's a good job I can hold my breath for a long time. Karen, of course, went through every rapid and weir without missing a heartbeat or showing the least hint of tipping over. Bloody show off!! Bob F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Ref the anchor It should hold Pal O Mine,I have no problem holding Great White on one. Mine are made using ether solid Bar for the body or tube filled with lead to give them a bit more weight. They do tend to be best used anchored straight into the rough, or the uptide end of a long wreck. I usually rig mine with only a short length of chain as a rubbing end for the rope. If you use your normal chain it sinks faster than the grapnel and can lasoo the wreckage When motoring out if they are stuck your boat will easily straighten the wires. I then use a short length of tube to reset them like a fix nosed uptide lead. I can take a photo of mine if you want to see how they are made, I leave them with the wires in line with the body untill they are used as they are easier to stow. But as someone else said they do rust, so I chuck a bit of paint on the new ones to slow that down a bit to prtect the boat Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Whilst on this subject - I needed to replace BW's anchor as it got left in a big lump of steel 15 miles south of Hengistbury head a few weeks ago...... Xchurch boat shop had them on offer when I called up last week - 19.99 - bargin methinks....but they soon as well be bl***dy FREE if they arnt in stock as I told the bloke! Cherries Chandlers in Moordown (next nearest to me) had them.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 I think Ajay in Soton sells a 5kg bruce (copy) for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coddy Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Kam Where is Ajay in Southamptn? Coddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 It's next to a bridge...... honestly, don't know the street, go into southampton from Eastleigh airport turn off. The left turn after the no entry under railway arch left turn, sign posted Bittern. A jay is on the right just before the bridge, there are some street parking, the place looks like a bomb site, more like a derelict than a shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 I think it's here: Ajay's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy fred Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 5kg bruce on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 At one time Andy and I were in line for "bulk buying " discount at Quay West, but we have now improved our technique and touch wood havent lost one in the last 10 trips jack...p.s.see my near miss tale elsewhere.!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 5kg bruce on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 But how much do they charge for p&p on a 5kg bruce copy. the 5kg on postage alone is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted January 22, 2006 Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 But how much do they charge for p&p on a 5kg bruce copy. the 5kg on postage alone is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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