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Do you remember the first time you rode a bike.Thought daddy was still holding on but he’d let go ages ago. You were on your own ! Scared witless but buzzing with excitement! Do you remember when a year or two later you shot past shouting “look daddy ! No hands” Of course you remember it . It was the year you spent summer holidays with your arm In plaster.🥴 Thats about where I’ve got to with this boating milarky. Today I saw a perfect day but was completely unable to raise a crew from the north. Well many of you think nothing of a solo trip but I would prefer company. But the summer is passing us by 🗓️📆so damn it , I went for a solo trip out of Tucton. I’d heard mackerel were in big time. I’d have a few of those and then use the double high slack water to play shads (or mackerel)for bass. So the fishing went badly as neither trick worked and being overconfident I had no bait. But the boating and navigation was great . Launch and parking on a rising tide was easy except for the wading which flooded my wellies. I elected to get off mid afternoon before the tide dropped. The tricky bit was securing the boat on the falling tide and leaving it to find your trailer double parked. Once I’d overcome that Endeavour3 was rocking like a see saw on her cathedral hull. I managed to bounce her back into the river but there may be a few strands of our fibreglass left on the slip. The stour was running a bit by then but I managed to get the rocket science worked out powered it straight up the carpet bunks from a curved approach . Orbeit it was my fourth try. Got straps etc on . Ringwood to Salisbury was closed and ended up coming home via blandford . But home by seven anyway. Im glad I did that . But id sooner have the company of friends. If your up for a trip on Endeavour3 please apply below. Sorry , no fishy pics😢 .

Early starts are getting harder as I get older, on the boat for 6.30am with a good weather window for the day and small tides. The birds were working off the NCI station, so I had a quick detour to pick up some hopefully easy fresh bait. I tracked them down and a Bass, only for a brand new set of feathers bottom knot failure, lost slow jig and Bass, Ouch. Bait acquired in short time and then decisions to make, spurred on by fresh baits, I decided to go off shore in 100ft of water. With slow flows I anchored it well and was in prime position and excited for what was instore. A big Blonde was my target, I managed to hook one and got it close to the boat and on the surface for yet another tackle failure. The fish was just a double. I had a Shark rig out all day just in case I had a visitor of the big toothy variety, no luck, but nice to see the big reel out. The bites were not developing as I expected with a good bait trail of fresh Mackerel, what's going on, everything is perfect but no fish. Then a few small bass to 4lb on the baits and a small spotted ray. No Congers pestering me, only a few dogfish and the bait was lasting far too long with 3 rods out and know need to get the frozen out, slow, slow and even slower. I dropped another 75 ft of rope back to change my area to just behind another bank, a few bites but no fish. What is going on, Am I imagining it or I have I experienced slow Augusts before? I could have caught Bass all day and likely filled my freezer with Mackerel but that is not my Quarry, I would rather have one big specimen that I have planned and fished for. Unfortunately I did spot two Trawlers working, one off shore covering outside the lines the other Trawler normally works and further in but now in Christchurch bay SM75 working the Sole areas and dodging the netters gear close in, dam that boat it is so disheartening. A lovely day at sea with no incidents and a beautiful day, just a disappointing result.

There was also a huge green modern Tug / Trawler looking boat out there, he was waiting for the Rnli at one point, then restarted trawling something behind him 100yrds or so I heard on the radio, I couldn't tell what he was doing, it may be a modern form of dredging hopefully rather than fishing. If he was fishing were in real trouble. From the front it looked like a Jeremy Clarkson posh tractor, I can't recall seeing it before. He was working South side of the Fairway Buoy close to the Needles approaches. He left for Saint Catherine's point later in the afternoon South of the Island.

Fishing near two trawlers mal doesn't sound like it's likely to be a prolific day🙁 it needs at least an eight mile ban on them around the bay in my opinion. Colin.

Nice factual report, thanks Mal. I was out yesterday. Started with a couple of hours in the harbour, but the weed and boat traffic was bad. Moved outside, into a sheltered area A few bits and bobs but it was quiet. Moved further out, featherd a bit, but dropped the only mackerel hooked. Sort of weighed up the day. Great to be on my boat, but very slow fishing. Cannot win them all. Charlie

A long standing retired member Nigel Allen excepted an invite out on Kingfisher whilst on holiday from work. We set out from Cobbs on Sunday for a mixed fishing day. Mal got their a little early as most of you will know and set up Kingfisher for the trip, kettle on and raring to go. The day started looking for the elusive Mackerel, which I think ended up as 2 individually caught by NA and one joey later by MT. Many hours with 2 rods and lazy lines over the side, how ridiculous. As you can imagine that started the I remember when stories, you only had to go outside Swanage and drop some feathers and you had bait for the day. Those days are long gone along with other species. With big tides we managed our time in deeper waters, after a few bream and one small undulate we made our move out towards some banks for a drift. Bass first drop and then 3 on a line of feathers with a slow jig, only two made it into the net. Good size for eating so we took some for the plate and returned the rest for another day. The banter was wicked as always, nothing was missed and everything got a cheeky comment followed by a chuckle which often ends in a coughing session with us old gits. Just enough fish to keep us entertained, later in the afternoon the white tops made a show beam on and bumpy, as always Kingfisher just keeps pushing on through it and is so reassuring. By the afternoon a beer was calling before we needed a knap before bedtime. Great day with old buddies, such a joy to have Niggle the "Cod father" back out fishing.

Great crack was always guaranteed with Nigel onboard. Us old danglers can always come up with a tale or two. Good to see the codfather back on the end of a rod