Swainiac

Nice report Adam, was going to call you last week, didnt realise you were away!! I could have done the double......you in Algarve, and Coddy in NZ!! See you soon, Rich

Brian, Float tackle, or bottom tackle?? Beads/spoons?? Bait?? Peeler or rag?? Ebb or flood?? Thanks <gg> Rich

Does that mean they can stick most types of surface together with ease??? Rich

Nice one James.....are you the only finalist from last year??? Rich

Welcome aboard Dave.......look forward to ure input. Rich

Paul....good work Budweiser........ Rich

Martin, Peter, weve hit the nail on the head. Its a personal choice to wear a life jacket. It's not law, it cant be enforced, so why issue reccomendations to club memebers to wear jackets? I will recount a short story, re. a very close friend of mine who is no longer with us. He was on board a joint services sailing exped. in the med, just finished a night sail, and coming into Los Gigantes harbour. The boat was at anchor, awaiting the harbour master to open the harbour. Harbour master opened the harbour, ship enters harbour under aux power, freak wave hits boat, pushes it up onto rocks, hull is holed, four crew members go out of the holed hull, life jackets FAIL to inflate, two crew dead, two crew recovered with serious injury. This doesnt distract from the fact that two crew were wearing lifejackets, two weren't. One of those crew who was, was my best friend, his life jacket didnt save him, from that day on, I vowed to wear a jacket when out at sea, I try to abide by my self imposed rule. I'd hate to be a casualty for a skipper to have on his conscience.....likewise, I think that for a skipper to have a casualty on his consience would be a hard cross to bear, especially when the club reccomends safety equipment to be worn, and the fact that we appoint a safety officer echoes this. I personally feel that we should have this as a club rule, enforced by skippers. All skippers I have crewed for in the club, i find responsible people, however, we only have to experience one accident, then how would this thread read??? Rich

Martin, you say that we wouldn't have the means to enforce it, which is untrue. As you quite rightly pointed out, there is a duty of care placed upon the skipper of any vessel, therefore, it is he who says who is carried on his craft, and the rules that each passenger must abode by. One of these rules could be the compulsory wearing of lifejackets. I have had no end of mickey taking when out on charter boats and donning my lifejacket prior to getting on board the vessel, but hopefully, I'll be alive to laugh later. The seas are possibly at their highest yearly temperature now, and as the winter season progresses, we'll see an increase in the number of times we don flotation suits. More and more suits now have floatation included in the trousers, and these, not matched with a jacket...perhaps its a warm day...is a recipe for disaster. sensibilty takes over, it shouldnt be a case of do we wear a life jacket today, we should set an example, and make it compulsory, this is easily policed by all skippers in the club. The six milion dollar question is, unfortunately, do all our skippers practice this?? We already know the answer to the question. Food for thought methinks. Rich

Guys, after fishing three days solid last weekend down in Weymouth, and a few fruitless drifts for squid at the harbour entrance, it pleases me to pass on info from BB........the squid are now in, in numbers. Catches are being made made off the stone pier, (Nothe Fort), then after dark, off the wooden pier, opposite. Small boats are also taking them out in the bay. I'm fishing with Billy Tuesday afternoon/evening, so can post a more positive report then. Fancy tagging along PJ?? Rich

Have started a new thread re. squid Paul......... Rich

Many belated happy returns Paul, glad the trip went well, shame about the Ray, nice Bass too, october will produce a cracker in club waters I'm sure, there's still plenty out there........and I'm still 14oz's short of a double for this season!! Rich

Paul, I think its more tide dependant than photo dependant. We've caught plenty of squid off the ridges behind the Island during daytime, I know winter days are darker, but we've still had them, I seem to recall you bringing in a decent sized squid this summer too. I'll check, and post back matey Rich

Paul.................makes mine look positively small!!!!! Which boat did she fall to? Angler looks familiar too. Rich

Alun, I fished the three day weymouth festival this weekend with BB, and the troops are already catching squid both off the pier, and out in the bay, on a wreck consisting of two slabs of metal???? (Anyone know the name?). Plenty of smaller makky and pollack were coming up with the tell tale squid nip in their sides.......so get yer boat down there!!!! Rich

James, count me in....did u mention big tides when we talked about this a few weeks ago?? Trev!!! I cant believe ure a fair weather fisherman!!! After all......skin is waterproof! Rich

James, what is Roger charging for a mid channel trip? If he doesnt charge like a wounded elephant, I'll fill one place for you. Cheers, Rich

We had our monthly Police Trip out on Due South, with a view to some end of season bassing and maybe a few rays........was it pooh or what? Weather wise, we couldnt have wanted better, although the 5kt breeze did stiffen up later in the day. The main hassle was the weed, for outside the Solent, it was awfull. Anchoring on top of the Bank, allowing us to fish both sides of the tide, we began by getting LSD, a couple of stary Scad, Jumbo Mackeral on the bottom, then as the tide slowed up a little, we had two Ray, a small eyed of aroung 5lb, and a tiny, but beautifully marked spotted. One of the guys lobbed out an uptider, we were only sat in 40 feet of water, and had a steady bite, lead bouncing back in the tide steadilly. Hitting the fish, a decent ray was hooked, not landed as the mono must have clipped a braid line behind the boat. 2 o'clock came and the fishing was poor to say the least, so we had a few drifts farther up the ridges, bad weed, slow drifts.....below the magical two knots, although it was interesting to hear Mike say that you dont need that drift speed over this mark. We headed around the bridge,and back inshore, to tuck in on some rough ground in about 60 ft of water. Much better sport ensued, taking Bull Huss, late bream, huge pout, LSD, and a decent Ballan. Tally for the day, boat wise, was Spotted, Small eyed, LSD, Tub Gurnard, Scad, Mackeral, Bull Huss, Pout, Bream and Ballan Wrasse, so with ten speices aboard the boat, it was bad for this end of summer/start of winter fishing. Looking forward to the whiting and cod days......Tight lines, Rich

Dan, we fished the ridges behind freshwater yesterday, weed was horrendous!! I was using stormy eels, on a flying collar eight foot trace, 6/0 hook, and just let this tick along the banks......some of the guys used storm shads, working them hopper style, bouncing them up a few turns, then dropping back down. Both methods have taken Bass there historically, alas none yesterday. The Bass around Hurst seem to more surface/midwater fish, hence plugging will produce results. We've fished livebaits there with results, nothing like the success on the Bridge, or behind on the sandbanks/ridges. It seems that somedays the Bass are there...like the mackeral, sometimes not, and getting the two together is like finding hens teeth this time of year! Tight lines anyway later on. Rich

Adam, have you seen the placcy type signal crayfish traps?? They are dual ended, clylindrical in shape, no ramp, a simple funnel that allows shellfish entry and no exit, and extremely simple to construct. If you want, I'll try and blagg one from the fish farm, so you can have a glegg, and see if you think you can construct something of a similar nature, the simpler and cheaper...the less you will worry about commercial potters knicking your string!!! They dont like it!!!! Forearmed is forwarned!! Rich

Kam, Mike has been fishing the solent and surrounding areas since Ive known him from school days, so yes.......He's pretty clued up! That said......it didnt help our day yesterday!! Its on a morring down in Lymington River Kam, you can see it from the pontoons if you're down there, shes a sky blue vessel with white wheelhouse, we've had a trip out on her first tuesday of the month for the past ten yrs, since she was floated, and both him and Ted have given us many PB's, some cracking mid channel trips, superb Bream trips....the list is endless really. As far as giving up chartering goes, Ted isn't getting any younger, and he wishes to spend time with his family, and Mike just wants to get more fishing done himself, instead of watching others try!!!! I'm sure he will go back to skippering at some point....he's too good not to!!! Rich

A friend of mine is selling his boat, Due South, currently a charter boat out of Lymington, after owning the vessel from new, for ten years. He asked whether any club members are interested. Due South......south 26, 1995, 215 HP, Sabre Perkins deisel, C.O.P. CAT 2, six anglers plus one, lying lymington, presently working, offers around 26K. Pm me, Rich for telephone numbers, if any club member is interested. Rich

Oooooooooooooops...spelling

Blimey lads..............if we correct every speeling error on here, we'll be in class till well after high water Rich

Trev, I've been out of the DETR circles for a few years now, since leaving the Police Service, so pleas excuse my ignorance. Have signals been given pest status? Are they now to be completely removed from our waters, both rivers and lakes/ponds? I have two fish farms near me, The famous Two Lakes, built in the fifties by Alex Behrendt as the fisrt purpose built still water trout fishery(?), and Crampmoor fish farm, designed by Behrendt, and run by Mark Stollery, in recent years. Both fisheries are overun with signals........could be a good source of bait!! Oh....and the odd panfull for Adam!! Rich

Having just got back from Florida.....with all the new posts on the forum in recent months with our more than competant kayak section, my eyes were wide open looking out for these guys on the intercoastal areas around clearwater. Spotted loads, most of which were families out enjoying the florida sea and sunshine, but a few sport fishers were out. Having seen Specimans set up on here, I must admit that yours seems far better equipped than theirs. I did nip into the Bass Pro shop in orlando, and their kayak prices are very very good.......I have brought back their boating catalogue, full of great shiny stuff for all types of craft, livewell bits, pumps etc etc, Adam will love it!! There is also a dedicated website to sport fishing from kayaks...am racking my brains to think what it is...will give my friend a buzz and find out, and post later. Rich