Swainiac

Trev, well done chap, a good fish in what proved difficult conditions. Skeggs......mmm what can I say? He assumes that the mark in question is his own property, he has done similar to myself and Les when we fished the mark, and yes, he steers a course either straight at you, or between you and another boat thus making fishing almost impossible. He appears to have a somewhat cavalier approach to skippering, and I wonder what he says to his crew. Perhaps video footage is the way forward, sending this in to the MCA. I'd hate to resort to a 12oz lead through the wheelhouse! Well done chap anyway. Rich

Adam, the cleats are open top types, with the tips folded in, like wings...dunno what they are called. The stick on stuff should be fine

Anyone know/have lying around a pair of open top type cleats?? A friend is putting a set on the back end of his boat, and asked me to place a thread on the forum. He is also after some good anti slip self adhesive stuff to go on the top of the gunwalls to stop slip when you get on and off the boat. Any takers??? Rich

Laughed my chuffin botty off! Good to see a sense of humour! Am working at 1800hrs unfortunately....no can do.

Good skills required to land a fish of such proportion on light gear, well done. Will consult the timetable for days out mate...and give due notice. Rich

Also the lack of sleep on the first night, despite an attempt to drink the Marais dry of guinness, led to me being quite tired second night, leading to a glorious snooze! Rich

Nah Billy, Fish still fear you.......Women still want you, old friend!!! Nice fish BTW. Rich................yongerer than yooooooooooo! JUST!

Well done Allan, deserved fish! Good size ray for the species, with bream in there too.....we'll forget the LSD's!! Agree with Rich, cracking boat, stable platform to fish from, extreme comfort, and good company, I learned loads from crewing weekend before last. Rich S

Am I destined not to catch this year??? Arranged a trip out with Gordon, finished work early on the friday, went round to look at a tree job for the half term........and promptly fell out of the bugger! T*%T! Hope you got out Gord, looked a great day weather wise. Rich

Unfortunately Billy....no fish caught by ANY member of the Short clan are now eligeable for the PBSBAC...you guys are toooooooo good. Belated birthday greetings chap.....yes, respect ure age....hope it was a good one. Rich

Gordon, if you are really short of replies, I will vollunteer for sat chap....need my line tugged!!! Rich

No Billy.......most!!!!! Hope u had a good day . Rich

See you guys on the other side!!!!! Rich

Peter, I have no gripe as such, with him on a personal level, I do, however, have a gripe with a plan being mirrored and released to government prior to another documents release, which is what happened here. There is a bigger agenda within this documenet, not for angling per say, but again, on personal achievements and aspirations. I am very unhappy with the way that this document was put to the committee, but I am a single voice. I have a stack of letters both sent and recieved to the House of Commons, and specifics have been skirted round and not answered directly. Dont get me wrong, Pete, I am overwhelmed at your committment to conservation, both personal and as a mouthpiece for us in the club, and I know that you do have years of experience in this field, so please dont take this as a personal gripe at you and your work. It is not. Rich

Pete, where did this first draft documenet come from????

I sent in some questions to be put before shaw.....the guy seems a complete nob. He will not look at the picture of recreational angling v commercial....saying that we are amassing research into this now...and this will be covered in the new RSA stargtegy plan. Its a shame that the RSA strategy was stolen by the head honch of NFSA a week before it was due tio be put to the government but then tweaked to make sure his version was taken up. Smaks of jobs for the boys, this dude from the NFSA is purely feathering his own nest, he has HIS interests at heart, not thos of the recreational sea angling sector........pisses me off. Rich

Charlie, Im about all weekend if everyone else fails you. Give me a bell after 1400hrs, I'll be done at the sweatshop by then. Rich

Are there any crew plces left troops?? Would like to join you guys. Rich

Tom, no offence was taken, no worries. However, on checking Penn prices and turna around with the bearing source I have, I can turn round a reel in 1 hr 45 mins, from leaving my gaff, collecting the new bearings, fitting them and servicing said reel.........at a quarter of the Penn cost! Excatly the same bearing too! Duncan...... did the bearings I supply you stand up ok?? I'll reckon yes...also ask BB he has used some of my sourced bearings. Why pay ludicrous sums to Penn when SCH will supply perfect examples at a quarter of the cost?? Postage is lax around here, so its far quicker for me to walk there and collect even!!! Its about personal choice, mine here is not to furnish Penn with extra pennies! Rich....................................now......... Go and hook some Tarpon (hehe) made me giggle.

Cheers Kam, will give you a ring when I'm near...... Rich

What sizes Kam??? I may take them off your hands...can collect tomorrow evening if you like...am near Andover Rich

Tom.....................I'll shush then!

Keep it simple.......the shimano range are perfect for what you want from a downtider..........cheap to acquire, and simple to service. Replacement bearings are readily available, cost is

Adam, a good plan, for me, with the change in career, I have to work four weekends a year, so those are out for definate. Seeing as most of our comps are fished on trust alone, it does make sense to offer the option of either a sat or a sun. The spanner here is the BFM comps, which need a minmum of ten entrants, so that alone can cause problems. If that can be overcome, I would personally back the either sat sun option, perhaps a poll included with this thread?? My comps last year were curtailed due to Dads ill health, so I hope to enter more this year.....not that I will perorm!!!! Also, on the subject of comps....are we running a Bass only C&R comp with B.A.S.S. again this year??? Good thread..... Rich

Dan, 'ello matey.........still have my moby number old fruit?? Give me a bell at some stage, will pass on the info I have. Adams Stinger came from a general area where they group up to feed, but we were too far out to target the biggies......you have to be confident to get really close and shallow for the monsters that move in to feed during the warmer afternoons and evenings. When the commercials are netting cuttles, plenty spill out, and as Kam rightly states, if you see a group of gulls floating and pecking the water, they are eating the discarded cuttles, or the ones that have died post mating. Its not difficult to collect up a whole years worth of bait in a single trip. Bass.......a pretty decent mark for small bass is the bank off Lepe, at right angles to the shore, bang on a small ball weight, and bounce a worm or small shad over the bank and you'll be in for some sport there. Plaice also sit inside the bay on the sand/gravel mix there. Further down towards the point at Lepe, there is a mini tide rip with the confluence, (did I just make that word up???), of tide, and the bass get round the pilings in the water there. If you look towards the shore, past these pilings, there is a private beach, part of Cadland estate I think, and you can clearly see the barbed wire fence there........directly in front of you is a gravel bank, which has historically produced plenty of flounder, and some Thornies.....nothing huge though. The British boat caught sole record was taken from inside the Solent, not a squillion miles from the mouth of Beaulieau River, but its a very specific mark that is generally hosting the record holders boat in the telling time......which isnt when sole are being taken off Taddiford Commercials are doing very well for decent Bass in the Sconce area......bear this one in mind. Also try a live sandeel just off the shore at the end of Hurst. Enough wibbling already....bell me later dude, I'll give the decent stinger mark......only if I can join you. R