Mike Fox

Kind offer Neil, thanks. My son offered me a few casts on his new Vercelli before Christmas, but I declined. Thanks for the offer of a loan, but won't accept thanks. Understand the concept, no pendulums etc, but like your idea of something a bit stronger, as well as distance and bite sensitivity. I guess small ray, smoothound, strap conger and even cod will turn up at times, and it would be a shame if the rod was too light for the job. Good thought, thanks.

Tom's good on the Vercelli range, which he sells. Neil at Wessex is good at the Colmics, which he sells. It was that independent, personal view I was hoping for.

Agree Greg, but George can't travel to Tier 4 beaches for "exercise". Still might give them a go

Hi All, Now that we're in Tier 4, can't reach my boat in Brixham (Tier 3), I'm still suffering from cabin fever. As a result, I've had a couple of good trips to Chesil, and have been looking at uplifting my beach fishing gear. I'm not in the market for a Century or Zziplex long distance rod, but feel I could might be able to cast a bit further with some improved kit. The current trend for continental style 4.2-4.5m continental style beachcasters has some merit, especially when matched with wide-spooled fixedspool reels such as the Penn WaveBlaster 8000. Does anyone in the club have personal experience of Vercelli, Colmic or other conti rods, and would anyone like to share what's good and what's less effective, in what conditions, what locations, etc? Then there's the debate over tubular "power" tip, or sensitive "hybrid tip... That's before you get onto rod action such as c-curve, j-curve, parabolic, semi-parabolic, etc. All I really want is to lob 3 clipped-down baits 150m or so, spot the rare bites that might arise, and have a chance of landing them...or is that asking far too much? Thanks, Mike

I remember reading about this in September, and wondered if it will keep going, and be excluded from insurance cover. We've extended our cruising insurance as far as La Corunna for the last couple of years, hoping to get that far south, but I suspect we won't next year. We got to within 140 miles or so from Spain in 2018, but were stopped by gales. Rob, a 5 tonne killing machine, 2m underwater, is unlikely to be bothered much by a boat hook. I suspect that if you really managed to annoy them, they might not be quite so gentle....

The point I was trying to make is that for a newly-bought £6-7K angling boat, marina fees which would typically be over £3K, will be difficult for some to afford, given the likely financial difficulties over this winter period. If this is widespread, lots of boats will hit the market at the same sort of time, and hence prices will fall. So yes, probably all marinas...

I think the bargains will be had when new owners get their marina fees for next year...

I've done over 40 channel crossings, and there's a number of things that might prove to be a "stopper"... Jersey might still be in Covid-19 lockdown, and mandatory 14-day quarantine when you get there; Are you convinced the boat is offshore capable by design (RCD Category B, for example); Will your insurance cover you for the trip? Will you have undertaken sufficient sea trials to have assured yourself all equipment works reliably? Do you have sufficient spares, experience and safety gear for the entire trip, given that in the middle you'll be 30 miles from land; Who do you really expect to rescue you if things go wrong, and you're out of VHF and mobile phone range? Remember that the French will charge you to be rescued, if you're in their "half" of the Channel, and you get rescued via your PLB alert. Tides: You really want to hit the Alderney Race on slack, or the very start of the flood tide. Ideally on a neaps. It can be evil else; Weather: You need a calm spell. Many club boats have been across, a F4 in the wrong direction can take you off planing speeds, and trip duration and fuel consumption will suffer. Fuel: You need to guarantee having enough fuel for main and reserve engines for the entire trip, and it's best to assume the wind will turn against you, and displacement speeds as contingency; Daylength: Jersey is littered with crab pots and submerged marker buoys dragged under by the tides. The edge of the Normandy coast is similar. If you do pick one up, what's your plan for clearing the prop? Departure window: if you're in a marina in Jersey, the marina probably has a sill, meaning you can only leave half tide or above, which might impact your timing of arrival at the Alderney Race. Visibility: You will probably have the speed to go round the stern of shipping in the Shipping Lanes, but if visibility is poor and you don't have radar or AIS, then you're effectively blind. You might have to delay departure until visibility improves, meaning you'll probably need accommodation on the island (see above for Covid-19 concerns). Autohelm: Unless you have an autohelm, a 100 mile plus trip like that will be a challenge to concentration. There's other points that you will think of as well. I'd look to have it popped onto a transporter and ferried back to the UK, if any of the above items are of concern. Mike

All good points above, but don't forget the petrol or diesel implications!

Good luck with that, and let us know what you think after a year

Hi Raymond, I looked into this a few years ago. I take it you have no mains/shore power to use a conventional charger, nor a method of charging it up when under way. I would look to link it to your engine alternator if at all possible, so it's getting charge whenever the engine is running. The marines turbines/generators are expensive, and only deliver a few amps. The good news is they can keep delivering it 24 hours per day, so need carefully regulating. The vibration and noise can be significant, and wherever they're placed they will need careful bracing on a pole with supporting wires. This makes it difficult to remove if it's in the way. While it will be more than enough to keep a leisure battery on a boat charged, you might have other options open to you. Have a look on Google (or similar) for "marine wind generators" for costs, performance etc. If you then look for "marine solar panels" that might give you another option, which could save you a thousand pounds or so...I have a small £40 solar panel that I use to keep my car battery charged when away a couple of years ago, and it fits inside the back window. The car started first time after 16 weeks, despite the security system being active all of that time. A third option would be a portable power pack you can charge at home, or even remove and charge the leisure battery itself at home. Others may have a different solution, but good luck, whatever you decide. Mike

You have a few items on your wish list that seem contradictory, and might need prioritising. For example, if fuel economy is a priority, then diesel springs to mind, but if you have diesel, you might not have the speed and acceleration you want for water skiing, but will be fine for towing donuts, and gives peace of mind offshore. If you have diesel, you can't readily change to a more powerful engine as you can with outboard. If you have an outboard, you'll need petrol which might prove trickier to source in some locations. Sun-bathing space implies some compromise towards a "family boat" instead of purely angling, and they typically come with creature comforts such as sleeping accommodation, a galley, and a toilet, which constrains angling space in a smaller hull, and if you go larger, fuel economy suffers. Offshore capability to the Channel Islands implies RCD category B, which you won't find in vessels smaller than 23-24 feet, which implies higher berthing and fuel costs, and you can forget towing. For a walkaround hull for angling with some leisure and offshore capabilities, the Jeanneau Cap Camaret range might suit some of your needs, but they don't have livebait wells, and can be exposed offshore. For serious trips offshore when the weather can break down, a decent protected cabin is worth its weight in Fiish Black Minnows. The Bayliner Trophy models will give you this. Fixed livebait wells can be found on the Arvor range of pilothouse boats, which has many models between about 19 and 28 feet, and are optimised more towards angling than weekending, but can be used for both. If you decide to tilt the compromise more towards "family use with reasonable angling capability", then you will find a wider range of vessels open to you, with many club members opting for Beneteau/Jeanneau pilothouses or similar, but you will probably lose the dedicated livebait well, and walkaround capability. Budget, as ever is key. Every time you set a budget, you'll find that for "just" an extra £5K-£10K new possible boats come into scope. Some choices need compromise, and all compromises can be made to work, to a greater or lesser extent

Hi Ben, a few photos will help, and information on which type of stern gland it is. My comments below assume an inboard diesel and straight shaft. If it's a traditional stern gland with greased flat string and a separate grease "gun" then it's straightforward but messy. If the stern gland is dripping a tiny bit of water now, you can nip it up afloat until it just stops, then re-pack the grease "gun". If the gland has no adjustment left and is dripping quite a bit of water, it will need re-packing. If you're lucky, it's just a matter of slackening off everything ashore, fishing out the old packing with an appropiate hooked tool, and replacing it. Always cut the flat string on the diagonal to reduce ridges, and insert it slowly whilst winding it on the shaft. Make a diagonal cut for the last bit too, so it lies neatly, and compresses uniformly (but not too tightly) as you tighten everything up, and you can then apply as much grease as you can before re-packing the "gun" as it easiest ashore. If you have the black rubber Volvo shaft seal (or equivalent) these need a tube of grease with a metal nozzle that you insert between the two stern-facing flaps/seals on the gearbox end, and you squeeze the grease out (like toothpaste) as you rotate the shaft. These shaft seals last about 7 years, and eventually wear slightly asymmetrically causing a leak that grease won't stop. To replace them, you need to remove the shaft from the gearbox (which might be difficult without proper pullers) and slide it aft, dismantle and remove the old seal, and carefully install the new one, using the insert tool provided to make the two rubber flaps point aft as you insert the shaft. If you have rope cutters installed on your prop, these might have to be loosened or removed to drop the shaft. Oh, and keep the fitting tool in your spares box onboard, I once had a seal "invert" on launching and needed the tool to push it into the correct position. Hope this helps, Mike

I've been using biocide on Feisty's diesel since I bought her 4 years ago, and the light "marmite" bug in my first year filters hasn't been seen since. I actually pop a bit more in than recommended, because I typically add 100-120 litres per tank before adding the fuel, and measuring small quantities is fiddly, so I simply add more. It doesn't seem to cause a problem

Best wishes both! Roll on the end of the need for ockdown!

Martin, just remember that the English language doesn't have a word that expresses the true urgency of the Spanish word "Manana"...

After over 30 years of leaving boats in all summer, I've given up on antifouling props. The speed of rotation washes out all toxins and "goodness" and you just get left with a matrix of paint that remains well-attached. The weed, slime, barnacles and bristle-weed absolutely loved it. I scrape, sand back, polish with wet and dry, and the burnished bronze has a fresh layer of toxic copper on the surface that keeps the worst of the wildlife at bay for another year.

Also consider if it's waterproof and can float (even if it needs a "jacket"), and can be readily attached to a lifejacket in a pouch or similar. Some are designed for mountaineers who are unlikely to be stuck in seawater miles offshore, hoping for a lifeboat to find them.

Hi Steve, You might like to check cookoo ray as a possibility... I'm away currently, and cant help more at this time. Mike

Moral of the story, only go out fishing when the sky is interesting if planning a jigsaw!

Hi Stuie, I've compared the pictures of Chris's fish with online guides and Peter Henderson's "Identification Guide", both at the time and today, and have a few observations that might assist. As you know, I studied and worked as a marine biologist for a time, though didn't specialise in rays and skates. - A fish's scientific identification is based on it's structure, not necessarily it's skin patterns or colour. which can vary with age and size; - Chris is a highly experienced angler, who has probably caught hundreds of blonde ray and quickly realised the fish was NOT a blonde ray, as it's patterns and colour might have initially suggested to most observers; - He took clear, detailed pictures and submitted them for identification from a reputable team of marine biologists, before returning the fish alive; - Based upon pictorial evidence alone, the marine biologists were "pretty sure" that it was a small-eyed ray (regretfully the short Press Release made this sound definitive); - For absolute proof, marine biologists would need the body, as would the British Rod Caught Records Committee, but Chris returned the fish alive. - The criteria to specifically identify a small-eyed ray look at the body structure of the fish and include ratio of eye spacing to eye-to-spiracle gap being at least double (passed), thorns extending from the tail half-way up the body (passed), white line on wing margin (passed), wing margin angle of around 90° (passed), short tail length relative to body length (passed); - The marine biologists also clarified that the "typical" white bands being missing are within the normal range of variation for this species. - Based on the burden of proof normally accepted by the Club, this identification is as good as we can expect without killing the fish. I guess there's two clear ways of moving forward with the media, either drop it and move on, or re-releasing the press release with clarification of how the identification was arrived at. Mike PS I think it was a fabulous fish, and commend Chris for returning it, and the diligent approach he followed. PPS Even if it beat me into second place in Fish of the Month for December

Whiting for the pot was Greg's idea too, when he dropped me a line yesterday. I jumped at the chance! We made the 8.30 bridge this morning, then pushed out to the Spoil Grounds off Old Harry. Greg dropped the hook in a favoured spot, and we had a steady supply of fish from the off. The first on board was a blonde ray to tangled lines. Greg claimed only one hook was in the fish, and it was his, and who was I to argue....much. The spot produced a couple of decent whiting each, a succession of pout, and a solitary strap conger of 5-10lb to Greg. A move to the tail end of the Dolphin Sands produced more whiting, which were a mix of good keepers and smaller fish. A, few more strap conger appeared (and a couple of better ones lost), a single doggie, a small turbot, and a feisty undulate ray to me, that went 15lb 9oz (lowest steady weight). Conditions weren't bad. A light breeze, a southerly swell and light cloud, and a thoroughly enjoyable day out, back on the 4.30 bridge. Thanks again Greg!

Many fixed spool reels in your price bracket have two typical problems, in my experience. The first is the roller bearing on the bale arm, which is best lubricated as soon as you've bought it, especially if you plan to use braid with the stronger tides and deeper waters round here. The second is the drag; you want something that can be tightened to give many pounds of smooth drag under heavy load, in case you connect with a conger, big ray, or the elusive cod, and the better bearings you have, the better the reel in simple terms. If you rinse the reel well with fresh water after each trip, it will give you a couple of years of use, else you can expect major corrosion issues after just one summer. For a rod, I'd go for something with rod rings compatible with braid. Personally I like a 2-piece rod of 8' with sections of 4' each, for easy transport in the boot of the car and storage. Something 6-12lb class would be fun with bream, plaice, etc, but would probably only hold 6oz of lead maximum, so not suitable for deeper water with big tides. A 20-30lb class rod would handle any cod you're likely to find around here, and have enough backbone for the odd lunking conger or hefty ray, with the downside of not being as much fun for the smaller species. They can handle over a pound of lead comfortably, and if you really wanted to push it, maybe up to 2lb for short periods, but believe me, it's no fun retrieving pouting or doggies with big tides in deep water. Many anglers use a 12-20lb class rod, but I find they lack backbone for bigger fish and tides, and tend to be less fun with the smaller species like bream, so I don't use mine very often. Any rod is also worth rinsing in fresh water after every trip, especially the fishy grips, the reel seat and the ring eyes. The rod might outlast the reel by many years, but my personal preference would be to spend a bit more than half of your budget on the reel, to get the best drag you can find. This might limit the rods available to you. Mike PS The braid, say 300m of 30lb, could set you back £30, so hopefully this is on top!

Good luck those that take part ! Mike

For those who might be interested in one of the larger competitions in Club Waters, this write-up might give food for thought. The overall results and positions are accessible from an embedded link. https://www.planetseafishing.com/welsh-success-weymouth-wibac/