The Shambles (at Last!)

[plaicemat]

Just got back home after a very pleasant little 2 day sojourn at Chez Alan .J which included us having Thursday and Friday after the Spotties on the Shambles. Both were days of 2 halves. Thursday saw us heading out in chilly sunshine but with a kindly sea which raised the spirits and the confidence for the day ahead. We had Paul D. on Neo for company. However, by about 11.00, the wind had started to rise and the sea get lumpier. Drifting, until that time, had been perfect, 3/4 to 1 knot and using 2 - 3oz weights. But, by the afternoon, with wind assisting tide, things got a bit more difficult, even with a drag out and by 3pm, things had got decidedly uncomfortable in the force 5 -6 wind so it was decided to draw stumps. Finishing off with half a dozen drifts on the Hood, the nett result from which was 3 sets of feathers to the Hood, nil to us, we made our way back to Castletown slip. For those of you who don't know it, this is a good steepish slip, concrete onto very firm shingle, available any time of the tide and FREE. There is also free parking usually available. Leave the slip, turn right and there is the entrance in front of you, literally 3 minutes to the open sea. The day finished with Alun 4 to 1 up on me. Rats!

 

Thursday evening saw me at my first PBSBAC meeting, the AGM no less. It was good to meet and greet the members, some of whom were already known to me, and some I met for the first time. After some frantic voting, we were left, reassuringly, with very little changed, committee wise. Hurrah, vive le staus quo. All this excitement and beer!

 

Day two saw us, once again, launching from Castletown with a morning full of promise. This time we had Simon (britboard) for company being crewed by Paul. When we got out to the bank, there was quite a swell running which made things uncomfortable as the wind held us beam on to the waves but drifting at a perfect speed. Speaking personally, the day was blessed as I managed to make contact with the odd fish while Alun, most unusually, could not make capitalise on the bites he got. Again, the wind rose steadily to 5 - 6 until, by about 2.30, we had endured enough and ran for cover. A short drift outside the harbour entance produced the square root of bu**erall, so we returned to the slip and an early bath. Final tally? 3 - 0 to me, making the 2 days all square at 4 plaice each, which were all good fish that will add a bit of variety to our jaded palettes.

 

Thanks to Alun and Deb for their hospitality, this is definitely a superior class of guesthouse. Also to Alun for showing me how to fish the Shambles. I would now be confident to tackle it on my own.

 

Good luck to those trying the bank this weekend. You should note that our friends from Burnham on Sea are fishing a 2 day match there this weekend, I think launching at Castletown. we saw their vanguard out there today.

[alun j.]

Thanks to Terry for the two trips out on Stingray; I love going to the Shambles in Spring .........but it's not easy fishing and these two days were both spoiled by the windy weather; even more so for Simon who brought his Raider down from High Wycombe in the traffic on Thurs, only just in time to get to the AGM, then another haul to Weymouth. He seems such an enthusiast, I hope he wasn't too disappointed by the lumpy seas and shortage of fish [ it does get ( much) better].

 

Castletown is a nice little slip, a bit tight but improved over last few years as the step off the concrete is now onto firm, fine shingle / grit , better than the lumpy stones of past. Not much room to leave trailers ; at the moment the beach is full of small tenders and a few wrecks. Also difficult to manhandle those heavy trailers on the steep beach.

 

Adam........

 

Hope you meet up with Burnham boats on Sunday and have a good day. Have a chat with them on their launch arrangements. The member we spoke with yesterday said they'd been in touch with Portland Harbour [ or was it the Navy ?]; they will be launching at Castletown then leaving their trailers and cars in the base next door and tying up their boats there overnight in a secure compound for a very reasonable small charge. Perhaps we could do the same if we do a trailaway soon. Castletown saves a couple of miles steaming across the harbour.

 

 

Enjoyed all four plaice in big family meal last night........ excellent fish , all in superb condition although a bit smaller than expected / hoped for !

 

Postscript to other post............ I also had a ' turbot rig ' out all day yesterday without a bite......... using fresh launce and smelly mackerel ; all untouched.

 

Squid on with the worms seemed to make a big difference, but spoons didn't ! Weighted beads beat the spoons 7 - 1 .

 

Alun.

[Swainiac]

Alun, the ball weight included in the trace is, I feel, and absolute must. ALL fish taken on both trips I've done this season have fallen to this method. I'm hopefully out again, this tuesday, with my ex colleagues from the Police, so will report again accordingly.

 

The Turbot are being taken on a different area of the bank, but should drift to other areas later on. I expect BB will keep us informed. I have my kids over from Ireland all next week, from wed onwards, so should anyone need crew on Monday, I'm available.

 

Rich

[britboard]

just to say "Thank You Alun" i thoroughly enjoyed myself, and what a learning experience it was! lets hope i can keep on learning and catching.

 

I would like everyone to know what a top bloke Alun is, not only did he put me up his wife Deb also cooked the most excellent Lasagne, they are a credit to the club! and brilliant ambassadors for the sport of fishing

 

also thanks to Paul(sinbad), who taught me a great deal about Plaice fishing and kept me company throughout the day.

 

Thanks Again

Simon L

[Sinbad]

In response to the earlier posts (this being my first chance to use my own computer, with a house full of pre-teen internet addicts !)

 

Just like to record my thanks to Simon for an excellent experience on the shambles - My first time out there, even though it reminded me more of my sailing days in Weymouth dinghy competitions - wet , windy and hard work !

 

Conditions were at the top end of fishable, and quite unpleasant for small boats. Fortunately, Simons Raider18 is a great boat, gives a safe and stable platform to fish from - felt very safe and secure all day - even better when stood inside the cabin! out of the wind.

 

Fishing was rather slow, but might have been down to our novice techniques - took just one launce on hokkais to break our 'duck', then managed a medium plaice of 1lb 9oz - just the one all day. Took a while to get the drift going, with almost no tide at times and the wind taking over, pushing the bows downwind, but an upturned grapnel with the wings cable tied 'closed' and dragged on the sand did the trick.

 

Rigs were a Shortish trace of less than 3ft and some beads, drilled bullet near the hook, and ragworm tipped with squid.

 

Speaking to the Burnham lads, they fished in the company of the charters with " 12ft long flowing traces" and got nothing. The charters seemed to be having a much better day with quite a few fish seen boated.

 

Definitely will consider going back when the weather improves a bit.

 

Paul

[Swainiac]

Paul, I'm surprised at the length of trace suggested by the charter boys......we are currently having reasonable success with sub 3 foot traces. The fish are hard on the bottom, so it follows the less trace between hook and weight, the lower in the water the baits drifts over the fish. With winds as they are, the bottom is going to be churned even in small tides, so vision will be impaired. This is possibly why the brighter bead combinations were working better last week. I'll report again Tuesday if I get out with Josh and the lads.

 

I was surprised to read only a solitary launce was taken, as BB and Thommo took plenty during the day last week. Strings of three mini shrimp rigs with either a brightly coloured ball lead, or a pirk of sorts as a weight seem to work for us. Reducing the number of hooks in the trace leads to less snagging up of launce when they do take, spinning up in the trace, leading to foul hooked fish which take ages to unhook.

 

Good weights are a short lengths of chromed pipe filled with lead, with a loop of wire in the top, and a swivel employed too to sqeak out spinning. Vary the length of pipe to adjust weight. Top tip.

 

Rich