TomBettle

Kam I am only having a giggle too. In between the many hectic things I have to be getting on with during my day (usually making coffee for Martin or similar) I do browse the forum and VERY occassionally put in my two penneth worth. Most people on here know me well enough to realise that I generally like to keep my opinions to myself and prefer not to stir up debate. Tom

Charlie Just a thought, but with another thread on the forum about the "Go-Fishing Show" at the NEC in the beginning of March it may be worth popping along to see what is on display. A lot of the mail order people will be there selling off last years stock and you can usually squeeze them for the best deals. Also, some of the main manufacturers will be there so you will be able to see their latest offerings too. And as the thread is about which tackle to buy, I am a great fan of Shimano gear (it is very good stuff, but I do get a few freebies too). As everyone has stated on here, a cheap rod will still catch fish (as a rule of thumb a more expensive rod will have a better action and will have better quality fittings, but modern rods are generaly pretty tough), but spend as much as you can afford on a reel. If I could choose, I would have three set ups. 1) A medium weight (up to 50grm ish) spinning rod and baitrunner fixed spool loaded with 8lb mono for everything in the harbour (mullet, bass, flounder, herring) and breaming etc. For the adventurous, this will also be great fun on a medium tide for Pollocking etc 2) A 12lb class outfit with Abu 7000 or Shimano Calcutta 700 or Torium 16 loaded with 12lb to 16lb braid for general bottom fishing for smaller Rays, Whiting, Codling, Pollock etc. 3) A 20lb to 30lb rod for the big stuff matched with a similar sized multiplier like a Shimano Torium 30. A 30lb class rod will stop almost anything that swims in the UK and eventually stop almost anything that swims full stop. One thing important to remember is in most cases the power of the rod isn't what is required to bring the fish to the boat it is at least as much, if not more so, to cope with the amount of lead required to get to the bottom (and reel it back in). For example, a 2lb lead is incredibly hard to reel in on a 12lb class rod, uncomfortable on a 20lb class rod, but manageable on a 30lb class rod. A 2lb doggie is far easy to reel in on a light rod than the dead weight of a lead. Tom

Hi All Last year we exhibited, but it was a few days of bloody hard work with most people going to buy a carp rod not a boat. This year I am planning on going up so if anyone wants to jump in the truck with me they are more than welcome. For those who haven't been before it isn't the best sea fishing show, but worth taking a gander. I use it as good opportunity for networking as there are always people there who I can persuade to give a bit of free coverage etc! Not that I am always on the scrounge, but if I can get it for nowt then I will do my best! Give me a shout if you want jump in with me. I can take 5, but it will be a squeeze for the guys in the back (L200 double cab). Tom

Oh dear! Another can of worms! All I wanted to do was tell you about a very long, cold, hard day that resulted in one big fish! I wasn't claiming a record or claiming that Lyme Bay was a compass anomally that was really East of the Needles, I just caught a fish (unusual for me which is why I was so excited!)! How come we didn't have this debate when Kam (I think it was Kam) caught his bloody great big Skate. That was a whopper and far more worthy of discussion. Personally my understading of club waters is on a club registered boat bewteen St Catherines and Portland Bill and anywhere in the English Channel south of there? Oh well, the next one I get around 16lb from somewhere off Plymouth I'll shove a few leads down it's throat and claim it as a record caught whilst fishing up the Wareham Channel! In the words of what's er face off the telly. "Am I bothered" PS: Yes, I am being faceacous (spelling?)

Hi Mike Well done and a good start. The sky is a great learning ground for small to medium eels and gives you a real taster of what a good conger session can be like. I still have L plates on my back when anchoring, but the Sky is a tough one to miss and usually guarantees a good session, but head advice from Charlie about Divers and choose alternatives in the Summer... There are loads out there to pick and almost all will hold a few snakes. Tom

Hi Adam IMHO It would cost a fortune to fit a "professional" quality custom cuddy and based on the fact that the steering position is midships you would have to relocate the whole lot to a more forward area to give the same style of cuddy that you would have from a Warrior etc (otherwise you would have a central "Pillbox" style). The White Shark is (as always) one of a miriad of this style with Quicksilver, Beneteau, Boston Whaler and Jeanneau all having there own versions. Most of them (ours can have) can be supplied with a spray hood and side screens which gives a cuddy effect. The downside is that any water that dumps itself on the screen almost completely cuts out visibility. I own the 21foot Jeanneau version (Cap Camarat 625) and can say that the centre console idea is fantastic as you get superb allround deck space, a good level of performance, excellent storage, but you do get very cold in winter with only limited protection. As normal, everything is a compromise: 1) Warrior is the boat that tickles your fancy, but you feel is expensive for its size(?) 2) Pilot House loses the deck space that you like with the Warrior, but keeps you toasty and warm with the steering position further back for a slightly more comfortable ride(?) 3) Centre Console is a great performer, good price to length ratio, great amounts of overall deck space fore and aft, but blinking freezing in Winter (?) Options 2 or 3 come from very high production boat yards and you will normally get a lot more amount of plastic for your hard earned pounds (either length or extra accommodation) simply due to the economies of scale. After getting to know you over the last few months I think you need to stick with the Warrior as it ticks most of your boxes and you are the "Unofficial Warrior Owners Club". Tom

Good luck Charlie, I hope she gives you the buzz for boating and serves you well. Tom

Thank you one and all, I am very touched. I only logged on to check for a PM I am expecting and had forgotten the B'day bit. For the record, I had my daughter and her two cousins down, didn't drink a drop, went to the aqarium, beach and and ate jelly and ice cream! AND I thoroughly enjoyed it! All the best Tom

For the record. The Empress of India (as is much of my fishing), way west of Portland Bill and deep into Lyme Bay. In fact she is as easy to get to from Exmouth as she is Weymouth. The catch report was just that, a report of a fish I caught when went fishing. It wasn't a record claim or any such stuff, in fact it was to say that it was a long hard, cold, day for very little apart from one big fish. I understand the club waters policy and in a comp or claiming a record I would be well and truly inside, however I actually joined the club for simlar reasons to Duncan - I wanted to broaden my horizons and learn from like minded individuals and I must say that the club has succeeded 100%. The fish that Chris caught was on a wreck about 28 miles due South of the Bill so just inside club waters. In fact if te weather had been clearer we would have been in sight of Alderney. Not sure what my fish would count towards anyway as it was only mentioned as a "Catch report". Have a nice day!

To be honest guys, I think te Pollock haven't realy shown up anywhere in numbers. My session at the beginning of January seems to have been a forward "party" and the rest haven't moved in yet. I know the Weymouth charter fleet aren't catching in great numbers at all and the same story applies right down to Exmouth. My trip yesterday was well over 60 miles for one fish! Tom

-1 on the way down in the car and -1 on the way home and I don't think it warmed up at all through the day. Chilled to the bone the only thing keeping off the hypothermia was copious tea and pot noodles. At the tip of Portland Bill we headed in a South Westerly direction about 8 miles to the "Martha". Very easily found and what looked like fish showing a dissapointing few drifts produced a big fat zero. On another 8 miles to the "Algarve" a small and very hard to find wreck, and again fish seemed to be showing but zero! Finally and with the last of the flooding tide we headed 10 miles North West to the "HMS Empress of India". An enormous hulk of a wreck with holes and hideaways all over it. Masses of stuff showing, but by 'eck they were hard to tease out. As the last little bit of flood died off I was finally in. A few minutes later a clonking Pollock that bounced the scales from between 15lb 12oz and 17lb. 16lb it goes down as! Over the slack a few more drift produced nothing but Pout so we knocked it on the head at about half two and punched tide the whole 27 miles home. Bloody hard work and bloody cold, but nice to be out in almost flat conditions. Tom

Happy Birthday Martin See you at tomorrow's meeting. Best wishes Tom

Off out tomorrow with a friend, Mark. Heading way off South of Weymouth in search of Ling and Pollock. It is looking very hard though with the charter boats as far west as Exmouth bringing just a few fish a day. Not wishing to cop out, I have postponed my TV debut until the Spring as an email coming back from Chris Caines, after asking how things were and was there a dead cert started with, "It's Grim". Oh well, TV stardum will hopefully come later in the year! Good luck to those fishing this weekend and see some of you at tomorrow's meeting. Tom

Hi Bob Sorry for not replying. I was having a quiet evening in with Abbie, several glasses of red and a Glenmorangie night cap. Nice meeting you today, hope you enjoyed looking around the boats. Tom

Just a quick hello to David, Frank and Pat. Pleasure meeting you today and chatting about boats, fishing etc. Hope you had a worthwhile trip down and if there is anything I can do then please just ask. All the best Tom

Nothing very exciting really. The phone number is now my office here and the boats are now from our Merry Fisher range rather than all manner of boats. ....do I win the prize for getting it right?

Charlie According to FSA regs I am not allowed to recommend an insurer, however both of my boats are insured through a company called Denovo. They are based in Lymington and have a human being on the end of the phone. 01590 670055 or www.insure-my-boat.com If you call them please mention my name and Southern Motorboats. Their rates are usually competitive and the cover is good, but above al they are small enough to be truly helpful. The cover you should e asking for is a minimum:

Bloody Ferries, they kick up so much wash! Eerie sunset though....

The 28th and 29th are almost upon us and are the dates when I officially launch my new office in Salterns Marina, Poole. We have a great line up to take a look around or come and chat about boats or fishing generally. Tea, Coffee, OJ, Champagne and snacks are all available so take an hour out to come and have a browse. On display we have: Merry Fisher 530 Merry Fisher 580 Merry Fisher 625 Merry Fisher 605 Merry Fisher 655 Cruising (Fishing version also available, but not here yet) Merry Fisher 695 Merry Fisher 925 Cap Camarat 625 Cap Camarat 755 Walk Around Leader 805 Prestige 32 Prestige 34 Prestige 36 In fact we have more boats than we had displayed at London Boat Show! All welcome so come and say "Hi". All the best Tom

Hi Martin I have told them it is mid channel for Pollock or we may not have a programme. A good chance of Rays on the various banks, but nothing much to make a film about... Apparently we will only have about 8 minutes of footage presented, but I shall do my best for the club! Tom NOW: Does anyone get Sky Sports, my digibox doesn't have it? If you do, and we get on, can someone record it please!

Thanks Paul A quick call to Richard English suggested I have little or no chance of sandeels so Jelly Worms it s if the weather is fair or large lumps of mackeral for the Rays if it is so so or, "oh well there goes my chance of making the celebrity Z" list if we don't get out.

Well lovies, autographs will be free to members of PBSBAC . General riff raff will have to wait their turn.

Dear All This is a very polite request that you keep all apendeges crossed and pray that the weather and fishing gods are with me for the 13th February. Assuming your Ahmens and crossed things work you will see the results on Sky Sports on 3rd of March. If I make a total pillock (not Pollock before someone else gets in there) of myself I will be unlikely to ever rear my head again in public (some may say this is a good thing, but please work with me here). If it works I shall try and give the club a good mention if it doesn't I'll do my best to keep my gob shut (those that no me will be aware there is fat chance of that). So, without losing circulation, please keep all things crossed for the 13th as I am taking a "Tight Lines" TV crew fishing for the day. Wetting my self just a little Tom PS: Does anyone know of where I can get a reliable source of Sandeels for Weymouth in mid February?

Volkswagon Cough Cough It is Bettle not Beetle. According to a rather iffy website about surnames: Bettle from the French Bataile (or something like that ) meaning "Knight from the Battle" rather than some rather cronky old car or even an insect. PS: Mike I loved your description about the invention of self draining decks. Probably very accurate.

Pretty good Gordon, that is about it. We did a bit with everyone's favourite magazine ( ), Sea Angler which is in this months edition about long haul trips. That covers most of the basics. Tom