Mike Fox

Great report Craig, and am glad you found them some fish! We went East as mentioned, and while we only managed 3 mackerel all day, we had a variety of fish, maybe 40-50 in total. Regretfully, we had to use the groundbait dropper to try to keep up with you Nice out though, wasn't it! Mike PS You should have told the lads the old Arab cure for sea sickness. Never mind, next time.

Congratulations both !!!! Mike

and another picture..

On Saturday we went East, to try to dodge some of the tide, and tried a number of our marks, including Southbourne Rough, the Clan McAvey, the Dolphin Sands, and one of our infamous turbot spots (not off Alderney!). George had the fish of the day, a brill of 4lb 2oz, to a live 7" pout, on a 6/0 to fluorocarbon trace.

I used to get bits of teak from Howell's at Cobb's Quay. Not sure if they're still there, but he could supply most sizes and shapes. Mike

Due to unforeseen circumstances (broken throttle cable), Frisky is out of action for the next couple of days, and I have the best part of

Great to hear you're just about there Dave! You've missed less good weather at weekends than you might think, and hopefully you'll make up for it when the weather eventially improves! Looking good! Mike

Superb pictures Adam! Mike

That's no way to describe Neo ! Frisky crew will decide closer to the time. Mike

Craig, If you ask Corralls for a form, you will be abe to get a card that allows you to fill up there 24 hours a day. Have been meaning to fill mine in for ages, but we only fill up rarely having ermmmm alternative means of propulsion. Mike

A stunning catch from such a small craft - well done! Mike

Have used light spinning rods for years for the above - 2oz rated, with a 3oz lead seems to be fine on the drift and in Poole/Christchurch Bays out of tide. My Ugly Stik Spin 8' has coped with bass to over 14lb and conger to 40lb, so has the grunt when needed, and is fun too ! Mike

All, I picked up a sailing magazine on my way back from London today, the Practical Boat Owner, July 2009 edition. Inside on p8 was an article about the RYA fighting against a proposed wind farm in Poole Bay. Apparently it's been in the local and national press but I was utterly unaware. Have tried to find a reference to it online and found this: http://www.rya.org.uk/NewsAndEvents/newsro...velopments.aspx Not as clear as the magazine article, but it looks huge, extending from about 5 miles South of St. Catherine's to about 8 miles off Kimmeridge and in an area 4 miles from North to South. The RYA is objecting on navigational grounds (splitting the Western Approaches and routes to the Solent and Poole), but with clearance of 22m to the blades above high water, most small boats could theoretically get in and around. They'd probably have to ban trawling there, so it could end up being a fish reserve of some type - but what if no angling either? Any more info or thoughts folks? Mike

Gorgeous fish and well done for returning it. Sounds like there might be a few more turbot "this side" than I first thought ! Mike

Glad you got back in safely Dave and Bill. Mike

Have just come back from a few days on the Isle of Wight, and this morning we left at 7 a.m. to have a look at fishing the Dolphin Sands and the Clan, but with a E4 and horrible swell we went fishing nshore instead, where it was a lot smoother. Conditions within the Needles Channerl were fine, but after a mile or two from the cliffs, it started chopping up, with swell creeping around St Catherine's Point. Definitely better closer to the island than in Christchurch Bay in an Easterly! Mike

Hi John, A good question. A lot depends on what you do, where you go, and how you use your boat. Assuming you only go a few miles out in fair to settled weather, and your needs include the following: - iinsurance to get you home without a lifeboat call out - one that uses the same fuel or fuel mix as your main engine (saves on a separate tank etc.) - one that can use the same fuel tank connector - one with enough power to let you trundle home at a sedate 4-5 knots or so, sufficient to get good steerage in Poole entrance, for example with tide - one that could be used for trolling for mackerel and bass at 3 knots without sooting up your main engine...and economically - one that can live on a separate bracket, and can get a prop low enough to drive you home in a bit of a chop - one with a reverse gear to help "park" when you get back Seems quite a lot to ask for, but something 4-5 HP should meet many of those needs. I don't know current models well. I've moved over 4 ton of boat with a 2 hp outboard before - slowly admittedly at just over 3 knots, but in settled weather it can be done. Wonder what others would suggest? Mike

It was entertaining the other week - he was opening on time, the tannoy system was working on the bridge, and the bridge keeper was telling the boats off for not being "on station" and delaying him. Most of the boats there were incredulous. Remember you can call Poole Bridge on Ch 14, after a reasonable period, such as a minute or so, and ask if he's going to lift the bridge on time. That can be fun. I guess asking him the time, or asking "how he has been keeping" might be equally popular. Mike

Paul, You forgot to mention avoid holes in your boat and waves bigger than your boat! Mike

Being a simple man, I distrust tide tables - they're all calculated by different complex algorythms and we all know about software bugs, and as for variations in pressure and wind direction strength, well ! And remembering the semiamphidromic system of tides in Poole, we all know about the fun of double-highs and single lows. The week has 7 days for a good reason - the phases of the moon take 7 days to pass, and we all know that you get Spring Tides at full and new moons (ish). Well, if you check the tides for Poole, if the moon is full or new, then low tide is about tea-time. If it's a half moon, then low tide is lunch time. The middle bits you interpolate logically as being in the middle somewhere. Simple? Of course I am. Why else do I have a 5'6" keel. Mike

Hi Adam, I started another thread before yours, and about 9 others joined....I typed: Guess we're first back - took a guest out who was rather unwell in the Easterly swell, so we just managed a couple of hours. We had a dozen or so bream in that time, best: Carol Fox - 1lb 7oz George Fox 1lb 7 oz Mike Fox 1lb 3oz We all lost fish that were closer to 2lb, but definitely no monsters today. Good to see Carol and George in joint first place, even if fleetingly. Mike

Guess we're first back - took a guest out who was rather unwell in the Easterly swell, so we just managed a couple of hours. We had a dozen or so bream in that time, best: Carol Fox - 1lb 7oz George Fox 1lb 7 oz Mike Fox 1lb 3oz We all lost fish that were closer to 2lb, but definitely no monsters today. Good to see Carol and George in joint first place, even if fleetingly. Mike

All - the forecast has degraded, and it might not be nice out there, especially later (i.e. 12 hours after the forecast was issued). Timings are of course approximate, and the stronger winds can come in sooner than this broad indication. Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis Updated: 0411 on Sun 10 May 2009 Strong winds are forecast Inshore waters forecast 24 hour forecast: 0700 Sun 10 May 0700 Mon 11 May Wind East 3 increasing 4 or 5, backing northeast 5 to 7 later. Sea state Slight becoming moderate. Weather Fair. Visibility Good. Please be aware, and if you have choice over your hours, fishing earlier sounds better. Hopefully the current Safety Officer is aware. Mike

1.) Alun J 2.) Paul Frey 3.) Will Summerall 4.) Jonathan Summerall 5.) Stuart Summerall 6.) Pete Russell Snr 7.) Colin 8.) Bobi 9.) Charlie C 10.) Dan C 11.) Neal Sturt 12.) Allan Mac 13.) Rupert M 14) John Young 15.) Dave Evans 16.) Jim Davies 17.) Gordon Holt 18.) Chris Gould 19.) Martin B 20.) Dean B 21.) Charlie A 22.) Aaron M 23.) Trevor W 24.) Simon Larman 25.) Paul Dore 26.) Tony Devine 27.) Paul J 28) Mark Winfield 29.) Adam Franklin 30.) Rachael Frankli 31.) andy garrett 32.) Richard Biggs 33.) Mike Norman 34.) George Fox 35.) Carol Fox 36.) Mike Fox

Hi Rob, Agree with Dave's advice re Skerries etc. Inshore at Start Point in the race is good for bass on sandeel/lures. Don't forget you can turn left towards Brixham too. This length of coastline is very rocky with small inshore islands and submerged rocks - so watch your chart and sounder. Jumbo mackerel, pollack, bass and wrasse abound - good chance of a PB with several of these. Crab or half-mackerel fillets accordingly. Try almost any of the inshore reefs for the above, and deeper water and bigger tides off Berry Head for tope etc. Also - don't forget the Dart itself, for bass, flats, mullet, ray etc. Very deep water many miles inland. Used to live down there too, in Paignton, but fished Brixham to Dartmouth, and the Dart a fair bit. Inshore wrecks get hammered by day and half-day charters, and Brixham has a large fishing fleet still - so be aware lots of offshore marks can be fished heavily too. Mike