Mike Fox

Some horrendous patches of weed around this summer. This patch was off the southern tip of Sark, and larger than a tennis court. Other times this summer, I've seen strips of water so full of weed, it's almost impossible to go through in a gap. I had to have a diesel engine top-end rebuild once, following a blockage that I didn't notice quickly enough. Ok, that was probably a plastic bag over the intake, but weed can do it too! Definitely worth getting a sea water strainer fitted, if you don't already have one. Mike

Might have been a tub gurnard Gordon...

Iles Chausey...and they're in club waters. Just SE of Jersey, open, wild, rugged, massive tides at 13m on springs, clear water. Mike

I brought a stack of free boat mags (ads etc) back from France, and I reckon they're all cheaper out there. Happy to bring them down to the next club meet if you can hang on that long. Mike

Inshore Forecast outlook of "W going SW5-6" might be a bit too much for us to fish comfortably on Frisky. Will watch this space. Mike

Ron, To save your wife's delicate hands, have a browse on the forum about the different types of rope people use for anchoring. Cheapest isn't best (as I've found). Good luck and welcome. Mike

I have moved 2-3 ton of boat into marina berths in the past in calmish conditions with just a 2hb outboard - once rigged on a lifting bracket, the other time using an inflatable dinghy lashed alongside. Best speed attained was 4 knots. A small auxilliary like that will not move you effectively against either wind or tide, but can do the final bit, or take you out of initial danger into somewhere where you can anchor more safely, or maybe pick up a buoy if anchoring close to moorings is unsafe. Many people do choose larger auxilliaries, and picking a model that uses an identical fuel/oil mixture makes more sense. Like many things - it is a compromise. Mike

This is bad news for our boating, after berthing in Holes Bay since 1988 on and off. As well as contributing towards the

Duncan, St.Quay is all-tide and all-weather - no problems. Facilities excellent, wi-fi on pontoons etc, but a little artificial in character (much prefer the character of Binic 3 miles to the East, which is more restritive for access). Have used St.Quay for 12 years as a useful stopover. I know all of those harbours and visited most in the last few weeks. Sounds like you're planning a great trip! You might want to check tides for Granville to Cherbourg carefully. Granville has a sill, massive tides, and you may be restricted in your choice of leaving time. Cherbourg is a long haul, and through the Alderney Race/Cap de la Hague overfalls, which can last for several miles, and best avoided at peak Springs....unless your vessel is more seaworthy than mine (it's undoubtedly faster!). We stopped at Carteret and Dielette too, to improving our timing for rounding Cap de la Hague - might be worth a thought, or maybe if the weather is good try Iles Chausey - which I think is in club waters, you can leave when you want, and it has excellent fishing! Mike

Have just uploaded the holiday photos, and found this one I took for Tom.... It's of St Quay Portrieux marina, to the West of St.Malo. Pontoon after pontoon, stuffed with "patio doors", that made us wonder if this is the way of the future for Britain too. Imagine the commission on that little lot Tom! Mike

"Frisky" would have added 3 to the angling tally, but it was the start of our annual holiday, and as we got to Guernsey on Day1, we were out of club waters in one go. Hope to fish the rearranged one next weekend to stay in contention! Mike

Good call. We came back from Northern France (Dielette) on Friday, with a NW5-6, and it was far too boisterous to fish even a short way offshore. With the forecast of NW 5-7 for today, we had already agreed not to fish this one even if it was still on. Definately not nice out. Mike

Talking of jumping fish in Christchurch, I moored just above the Claypool a few years ago, and there was a dreadful smell in the area. Couldn't quite pinpoint it, but it was so overpowering we moved. Going ashore via dinghy later, we went back to try to find out the cause, and there was a fibreglass dinghy on a mooring with a rotting salmon of about 9lb lying in the bottom. I guess it had jumped, landed in the boat and had been unable to get out. I remember wondering what the bailiffs might have said had it been freshly dead, and the owner had just stepped aboard with fishing tackle... Mike

Charlie, I have twice fixed a transducer internally, mounted on a moulded block of plasticine. Perfect reception/display, accuracy checked with plumb line etc. The last one was for a fish finder in my previous boat, despite the manufacturer recommending drilling through. It lasted the 4 years between installation and selling the boat. If the device is portable, and can be easily connected to a battery - might you be able to test it out before drilling, even if you have to "borrow" a boat to see? I would offer, but am away on business this week. Mind, it was never subjected to the speeds you'll be experiencing! Mike

Well done Mike! Sounds like you had a good one after all. We used to anchor on the edge of Shell Bay during mid-week trips (quieter then), and cast into the channel. Had small bass to a couple of pounds on worm there, but nothing of 6lb! We had a couple of nice plaice there too, on manky dead worms. We tried again and again with fresh wrigglers without luck, which makes me wonder if they hunt by smell. Cracking bream too for the harbour! If it's the same wrasse hole I use, I'm staggered, as I have never had a quality black bream in the harbour before (mind, we had a nice gilthead once...). Good to hear the fish do still feed in the Easterlies! Mike

Good luck on the trips Jason! Having helped a chap get back to sailing after losing the entire right side of his body after a stroke, I know it can be done. Some things took him a little longer, and preparation was key, but he was fine. Just to complete the one leg, one eye and a parrot sketch, you might be interested that we have fished with my son's budgie on board for many years. As we tend to spend whole weekends afloat, fishing when we can, he was keen to have a pet that could travel too. So if anyone is out and about, and hears said ship's parrot shouting at the seagulls, your ears are not deceiving you...it's us on that strangely-shaped fishing boat with the incredibly low fuel consumption. Mike

Might be a bit whumpity out there Mike...forecasting stiff Easterlies! Mike

Nice one Charlie - I reckon Tom will be after taking Abi on a romantic west country cruise shortly... Mike

Have the species comp results been published yet? Mike

Mike's comments bring back the other memories... ...the unidentifiable lights looming silently closer out of the dark ...the worry of cutting the buoyed anchor cable and motoring off in time ...the unidentifiable remote engine noises coming up through the hull as the boat sways silently to the anchor ...the stars in the night sky being strangely blacked out by a mysterious shadow, that moves silently and inexplicably across your field of view Oh, and the luminous, reflective green eyes of a huge, evil conger being pulled angrily towards you, with its black writhing body unseen in the pitch darkness, but coiled and ready to lash out, to drag you back down to its unseen lair... Now I remember why I prefer day fishing! Mike

Mike, You have a PM Mike

A great read, and an entertaining day out for all by the sounds of it...even Charlie hopefully, who will now complete his Shetland in double-quick time! Most envious at you getting out (especially so far and so fast) but couldn't get a day off this week to join in - too much work on. Hope Friday is good for Quest II too. Mike

Southerly limit and clarification of the rules would be good! We are hoping to be travelling from Cherbourg to Guernsey the day of the next species comp, and may well get a chance to catch mullet at Cherbourg, target pollack off Cap de la Hague, spin for bass in the Alderney Race (where we saw an Ocean Sunfish last year), and maybe have a quick drift over a certain bank for turbot and brill. As I read the rules, there is no requirement to either depart from or return to a UK mainland port when in a comp, and we will be in club waters, as currently defined. We can't do day trips blasting offshore like some faster boats, and this is our once a year chance to fish more distant club waters. If we're permitted, we might like to fish this one, and try to find some way of registering catches whilst out. Guidance and clarity would be welcome, cos on the following species comp, we might be leaving either Alderney or Cherbourg to return to Poole, and again have a (slim) chance to compete. Is it also safe to say that if people can fish for a few days in Alderney, will we be eligible to catch club record fish, say in St Malo, or on the inhospitable (and virtually unfished) Isles Chaucey ? Thanks, Mike

In an attempt to reduce the amount of clutter, I'm thinking of getting rid of some old PBO magazines - free to a good home ! I have most copies from 1988 to about 2001, and while many articles are sailing related, there's a bit in each about motor boats (test reports etc) - many of which are around second-hand today, plus loads of general articles about seamanship etc. Would these be of any interest to anyone as a batch - or I could split them into individual years if sharing them around is better? Alternatively someone with more free time than me might want to extract the best/most relevant articles for sharing in a more convenient format? I could bring them to the club meet next week if there's any interest. Mike PS They are heavy!

Couldn't find a doggie for love nor money during the species comp. Am not sure whether to be delighted or disappointed. Mike