Mal Thomas

Feliz Navidad de Espana. A Christmas WISHING TOO all the members at PBSBAC. We had a lovely walk today, spotting KINGFISHERS, OYSTER CATCHERS, GREAT WHITES, OTTERS and TIDDLERS. Off home for a GASTRO blowout - a REEL RUNNING contender for the best SLICE OF LIFE....aaahhh SERENITY. A PAL-O-MINE is coming over for a SPRITZER, a bit of MAGGIE MAY, LITTLE SAL and JOJO. What a JOINT VENTURE. There's at least 2 WAYS to enjoy a CUSHDY day. Going to be AWOL for a little longer. Time 2 REFLECT. Have a Happy Christmas and hopefully, some WIGHT MAGIC. Mal & Laura.

She looks ideal jim good luck with her. Good pics

Are you sure you only had one ringwood charlie? cheers mate.

Nige I trust you got plenty of designer gear and gave the plastic a true work out.

Surely not jim 4 cans is barely your daily allowance.

Had to work today so no fishing, decided to go for a meal on my return, wedding anniversary soon. Started with some proseccto, shortly followed by some fishy bites. A glass of chablis, weymouth scallops with serrano and pea puree. Main was 3 cuts of pork cooked perfectly with roasted vegatables. A bottle of crianza rioja,excellent quality hacienda Grimon. Dessert was a chocolate tart with a rasberry coulis, followed by espresso coffees. What an afternoon, beats washing the boat down after a few doggies. All enjoyed whilst gazing longingly over christchurch habour dreaming of a day out on sweetpea which looks unlikely before we depart for spain. I will be checking the web site for all the cod PBSBAC are going to catch whilst we are away. Happy christmas to all members. Bought a DNA kit today online hope to install before we leave. The club meeting was one of the best, not only because of the four raffle prizes what a lucky barsteward Iam.

Good news martin, lets hope you get the bug back!

When or how do I progress from a pout catcher, who do I have beg. After a year of enjoying myself could I have possibly climbed the rankings, is martin the key? could I have possibly climbed to the dizzy heights of dogfish.

I managed to smile in this one...!

Played golf thursday got paid for it and won a set of golf clubs in the tombola, very happy. Planned a days fishing with niggle and got a PB cod 19lb and a conger about 20lb with a few good whiting thrown in for good measure. Thanks nige for a memorable day, out never drunk so much tea. CHEERS MATE.

There was a pod of porposes in the car park sunday perhaps they were to blame for the lack of bites and the odd hook ups.

Flat calm was a nice introduction when crossing the bridge for my first time in Sweet Pea, anchoring was an experience in the flood more rope was the cry from niggle as we drifted pass. Should have gone up front and lowered manually it would have been better. Eventually we came to a standstill and got some baits down. Excellent weather thank goodness because the bites were not plentiful. No cod just some pout and doggies, however more skippering confidence, my top eye came off my kenzaki that sidelined my favoured rod for the day. lots of red weed didnt cover my baits thanks to extra swivel, the cod get to stay off my plate a bit longer, thankfully I had one a couple weeks ago.

Happy birtday crossy only the best have this birthday.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes, I didnt get the weather I ordered, somehow I got manflu instead Never mind. A 10lb cod was a nice present on a charter monday.

It's what a guy in our marina called them! They are groups of limpets (?) joined together to look like a claw. We had loads of them nibbling our bottom bait and clingin on whenever we reeled in. A pest to be honest unless you break them open and use them as bait.

Set out as early as the tides would allow this morning and headed for The Ledge. Fishing was slow to start with just a few mackerel and the standard dogfish. Took out a new rod and christened it with a nice blonde ray, followed by several more. My other rod was also working well with several blonde rays, a thornback, and a school bass. As we were getting ready to relocate towards the bay to watch the airshow, I picked up the rod to reel it in and felt a faint tug. After the briefest of waits, it took and I reeled in our first plaice - at 3lb 6oz. From The Ledge we moved to the bay to anchor up and watch the airshow. (Never knew a chinook was so agile). Not much in the way of fish, but we did snag a cuttlefish, several devil's claws and some shad, before having to head back.

No...it's my special 'Superdry' fishing jumper from Edinburgh Wool Mill

Set out Saturday with dark and grey skies. Not what we expected. Set the anchor and got the rods down and started a brew. The tide was drifting the weights back well away from the boat. The rod bent over and I knew I was into something weighty. My 6lb class rod was coping nicely (see photo). 10 minutes later, we had our first double-figure fish on the boat. The thornback averaged 14lb 11oz on our new digital scales and was returned safe and sound for another day. As complete boating novices, it has only taken us 7 months to achieve this and we are delighted. See attached photo of fish.