TomBettle

Mike I'll be leaving about 09:00 on Friday so I'll pass you at the chain ferry????? Only joking. Have a great trip!

Happy Birthday Sam. As with everyone else, I'll be generous enough to let you buy me a drink at the next club meeting. Have a great day mate. Tom

I maybe completely wrong, but battery boxes "may" be a requirement for CE marking. Either way, you should fit them for all the reasons above. They will add a whole two minutes of time in taking off the lids should you need to access them.

Fast and Rough? If it was a Blue you would probably have been able to turn it in 15 or 20 seconds on 20lb drag. I would expect a drag of 5 to 7lb on Blues. A big Porgie would have taken line steadily with little hinderence on 20lb, but would have turned eventually.

The new traces will be fine for Blue Sharks, but could still be too light for the proper teeth of a Porgie unless you get a perfect lip hook hold.

Just re read the post. 20lb of drag!!!!!! OMG!!!! That's huge levels for any UK fish. What were you fishing for? The 700lb Marlin I had last week was played on 17lb drag for most of the fight and only as it (and I) tired did we nudge it up towards 30ishlb. If it was hooked whilst Tope fishing around Alderney it could have been one of any of the UK shark species. I believe Blues are often seen towards the north west Tope marks?

Hi Duncan My Porgie traces are 4 or 5 feet of 400lb 49 strand, double crimped and shrinkwrapped ends to a decent 400lb swivel followed by about 15 feet of 400lb mono rubbing leader with a further high quality swivel with a snap link. Hooks are 12/0 Mustad, made for the job. My Blue shark traces follow a similar theme, but come down to 175lb 49 strand and 300lb mono with a 10/0 Meat Hook or Partridge ultra sharp hook. I have one unused Tiger Shark trace which is a work of art (monsterous art). It has a 16/0 Mustad haywire twisted to 5 separate single strands of 400lb wire each. The 5 strands are five feet long and not wrapped with the idea that they will fit between the nashers of the shark rather than get sawed as would happen with multi strand. This is then linked to 15 feet of 600lb mono.... not much use for Porgies though

Hi Terry After we got cut off yesterday... Marine Electrical Services or MES in Poole are brilliant. Matt Sydenham is our tame expert and MES are on 01202666066

Dan Not online stuff, but I use a softeware package called "Passage Planner". It's brilliant. GIves the whole English Channel tidal flows direction, speed etc in half hour jumps.

Hi Guys Some of these are nice and tell a story of a great fishing holiday. Hope you enjoy them Tom

Up until the week before last Rod was adamant that it would be the end of this month for launch (fully operational). I don't think that anyone believed it and bookings aren't being taken until August (http://www.troms-explorer.com). Personally, I know that one of the very last jobs is getting Matt Sydenham's team down there to fit the electronics and they are due to go down very shortly. Touch wood, fingers crossed, no mirrors broken and no walking under ladders with or without a black cat I would hope that the launch will be end of May. First hop around to Poole or Weymouth, quick stop to iron out any immediate snags and then on to Norway to finish any bits and bobs through June. ...That is "I would hope", rather than, "it will be". Things are coming on nicely, one thing is very clear. She won't be pretty, but will perform the required function exceptionally well and very economically. Tom PS: silence, what silence? There's been a two to four page monthly update in Boats and Outboards since January. Say hello to the boys, whicever are enquiring.

Mark The very best are probably Icey Tek boxes, but they are, by a long margin, the most expensive. I have a 242ltr (huge) Igloo Coolbox that I bought off Ebay for about

Without a doubt Duncan. I would have loved to have been heading over today! Instead I am wondering... "Blue Marlin in Cape Verde or Rain, wind and the chance of a Bass in Alderney" Only joking, all that are going, have a really great trip and get your string pulled plenty. Tom

Came back in a NE 6 on a spring a couple of years ago with Quest II. That was a tad lumpy out as far as the Deeps and then just "so so" the last 4/5 of the way.

I am not expecting it to be easy Neal. I'm sort of mates with Dave Lewis the writer of the feature and he knows the area and score far better than me, He suggests that as the fish are in such a small overall area we have a truly real chance of success. Uptide gear, large fixed spools, with crabs under bubble floats is apparently what we need. Along with a big spring tide where the main run of water is around dawn and slack is 8am ish. I'd be up for a trailaway or charter. I've even got a small electric outboard we could use for stealth. Anyone fancy joining me? Tom PS: Cheers for the mention on my trip this week. Any report and pictures on Gambia?

Hi I've got myself all excited after reading this months Sea Angler in which Dave Lewis reveals that there is a breeding population of Tarpon, yes Tarpon, that have been discovered around the area of the Aberthawe Power Station. Allegedly they have accidentally found themselves is the water system around there and are now living very happily in and around the area due to the warmer, food rich, waters that are as a result of the power station. I am looking to charter a small boat (skippered or self drive) to explore the area towards the end of May. Does anyone know of anyone chartering in the area or maybe fancy a rail away for a few days? I'd love to be the first angler to hook and land a UK Tarpon, so does anyone (between another 2 and 4 anglers max) that fancy doing some research with me? Cheers Tom

Alun It will be best to contact Mark directly rather than rely on him spotting the post again. Not by PM, but by phone (the numbers on his website). Tom

I told him to pop on here and say Hi, offering his services, but yes, give hima shout if you have bodies that need beds. I never even realised he ran a guest house too! http://www.alderneyangling.com

Guys I've PM'd a couple of numbers to some of you. Also, just been chatting with Mark at Alderney Angling. If any of you are in need of accomodation, he can sort you out. He may be up for joining one or two of you too. Tom

Sorry Rich, by coincidence I had just come off the phone from Ewen about a reel clamp kit for the brand new 50VSX. As a result I actually had his details in front of me. Tom

They can get far bigger Duncan. 22lb isn't a big fish by Ling standards, although it will pull your string well if taken on Pollack gear. I took Mark B to a wreck on the way back from Alderney last year and we had plenty of them on flappers on a slowish drift. Best fish went about 18lb I think(?). Unfortunately the wreck lays just to the west of club waters and is interestingly nicknamed... "The Ling".

One last 32" Wide Screen Sanyo TV. Silver with silver stand. Perfect working order.

Al Sorry to jump in, but this is Penn's dedicated reel man. He can either carry out the service or send parts as required. Ewen Hill Penn Shakespeare UK Ltd Unit 15 Evans Business Centre 68 - 74 Queen Elizabeth Avenue Hillington Industrial Estate Glasgow G52 4NQ Tel: 0141 880 9029 email: service@pennfishing.com He is an absolute legend and his service is impeccable. Tom

Exactly like that one Alan. Or as Mike said, the smaller Shimano TLD's are OK. They feel a little lumpy, but are real (or reel) work horses. The Penn (do you get the feeling I am plugging Penn ) 320LD is a very similar reel, albeit fractionally smoother feeling, to the Shimano equivalent and has a reasonable retrieve. It would sit nicely on the 12/20 when downtiding, leaving the 535 for the uptider.

A good multi purpose reel that will actually suit all three rods if pressed to do so (especially the uptider) will be the Penn 535. It's fast and a good caster. It is probably marginally better on the 12/20 than the 8/12, but don't discount it. It's super tough unlike some of the rubbish new Jap Abu's (European ones are first class) that seem to have gears made of chocolate (just my opinion). For the little rod, look at something like an Avet SX (see the Rok Max website). A Penn 535 loaded with 30lb braid and an appropriate shockleader for downtiding and uptiding will do well for the two bigger rods and then an Avet Sx will provide loads of enjoyment on the little rod. Tom PS: Forget Shakespear reels at the moment they are pap.