Gummage

I got my Blonds and spotties the wrong ray round especially for you Jim🙄.

Yes , I use WhatsApp . Over fifty names on it now, mostly non members from my other life. All folks who have said, “I might like to come with you one day”. At the push of a button I can invite them all and when they don’t come I can reward them with reports and pictures, sometimes almost live from the action . And so earlier in the week when wives, work and other worries put paid to to any of my contacts dropping the “other life” stuff at hideously short notice ,I once again had no crew for the weather opportunity which was Friday. The good skipper of Looby IV sportingly offered to take me on for the day and plans were made. We went with plan “c”; early trip down 7.30 bridge. Every fishing trip is an adventure . I’ll always associate the Dorset countryside with a sense of excited anticipation and the scene as the dawn broke over Cranbourne Chase seemed to articulate my mood. That’s why I was one minute late Jerry! But not too late for the Bridge The rest of the plan was simple; put the world to rights in the total absence of any political correctness whilst trying to assail the species comp leader board by scoring a bull Huss and/or a thornback dustbin lid. I’ve disguised our secret chosen location by cleverly photo shopping popular local tourist destinations into the background of my trophy shots.😉 suffice to say, with only two of us aboard we didn’t go further than we needed to. We anchored two hours before slack . The tidal run still had spirit for a while. We fished three well weighted ledgers an up tider and two lazy lines. It was fish from the off! (I will one day use that line to head up an Endeavour3 report!) Gurt (Wiltshire term) dustbin lids with spots on. To Jerry l He was pulling another up as the ferry went by. Jerry explained that the reason his lazy line had been out fished by mine was that a tope had eaten all his! Eventually he nearly got to interview it about its crimes as he got it up on light gear but it jumped bail and absconded. The mark produced six species,Rays(Blond or Spotted. I always get them the wrong ray round.) bream , four or five pouting , a couple of mackerel, a couple of troublesome small eels. That’s not six is it.? But there was something else. The wind got up so we went to Swanage and Jerry showed me how to read the ground there. Productivity was down; fish wise I mean. We weren’t short of inappropriate banter. I got far too excited over a two pound conger again and another bream came up The wind got up more. We opted to run round to shelter in the lee of old Harry. It was a popular call and the charter skipper who ran up and anchored just stern of our starboard became the focus of J’s endearments. I tied to calm him as the stag party aboard reached its crescendo. “Just young men having a good time. Like we were once” We stuck it there for a fruitless hour. But you can always pick up tips Like this ; the bucket in the foreground is full of fresh water . All used rigs and lines and ledgers go in there to get rinsed. The bucket in the background is allegedly full of hoodlums😕. Our last hoorah was an east west drift across the Swash and quietly beyond. I was was privileged to witness the first time Jerrys ever done that without Catching a single thing. Seems I did teach him how to do something after all! Four thirty bridge End of play great day. All spic and span again Thanks Looby IV Thanks Jerry Final thought ReWhatsApp. I did a WhatsApp report of little content beyond photos in very few minutes when I got in last night.. very easy and very immediate. This club report took longer, much longer . I struggle with the file handling etc . It’s not such an easy medium. If I had committed these experiences to a club WhatsApp exchange this report would not have been written in this style . You judge. I feel Terry Plaicemat has written the wise words on this. MG

I did put out pbsbac greeting about mid day . Didn’t hear a response so left it . I heard the pan pan but didn’t get the full dialogue i was left wondering if I should try again making sure I was using 25W. I thought a 1W transmission should cover the ledge. Is that right?

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike.Thought daddy was still holding on but he’d let go ages ago. You were on your own ! Scared witless but buzzing with excitement! Do you remember when a year or two later you shot past shouting “look daddy ! No hands” Of course you remember it . It was the year you spent summer holidays with your arm In plaster.🥴 Thats about where I’ve got to with this boating milarky. Today I saw a perfect day but was completely unable to raise a crew from the north. Well many of you think nothing of a solo trip but I would prefer company. But the summer is passing us by 🗓️📆so damn it , I went for a solo trip out of Tucton. I’d heard mackerel were in big time. I’d have a few of those and then use the double high slack water to play shads (or mackerel)for bass. So the fishing went badly as neither trick worked and being overconfident I had no bait. But the boating and navigation was great . Launch and parking on a rising tide was easy except for the wading which flooded my wellies. I elected to get off mid afternoon before the tide dropped. The tricky bit was securing the boat on the falling tide and leaving it to find your trailer double parked. Once I’d overcome that Endeavour3 was rocking like a see saw on her cathedral hull. I managed to bounce her back into the river but there may be a few strands of our fibreglass left on the slip. The stour was running a bit by then but I managed to get the rocket science worked out powered it straight up the carpet bunks from a curved approach . Orbeit it was my fourth try. Got straps etc on . Ringwood to Salisbury was closed and ended up coming home via blandford . But home by seven anyway. Im glad I did that . But id sooner have the company of friends. If your up for a trip on Endeavour3 please apply below. Sorry , no fishy pics😢 .

Looks a bit puffy this week to me. Sorry your plan didn’t come together. I saw it might deteriorate in the afternoon. . I had tried to encourage a moonraker crew to come out at dawn on E3 but they all stayed on the roost.

I’m now 12 hours too late to take you upon that Bob. I failed to get a crew for today . Looking forward to heatring how you got on.

Look forward to following your progress, Charlie. Have a great season!

(He was the son of the French chef)

My erstwhile boating partner was the French owner of a French restaurant in Swindon . He worked out that Christchurch is only two bus rides away from Swindon via Salisbury. So he was sent with his mother on a bus trip to Mudeford crabbing. “But don’t put them back; they make a wonderful soup” But on the way back his carrier bags full of crabs, of course, fell over. Mayhem soon ensued as they scuttled off under the seats and among the other passengers!

Young master Gummage would like to talk to you

Very like our day.

I managed to do the entire of last year without getting a dogfish amongst my dozen or so species. Count. Can’t wait to get et them. yeah ,I know; it’s careful what you wish for.🙄

We’ve had some good times on Doombar , Andy. I’ll be sorry to see her go . But needs must. If you need my boat trailer to move her we might be able to work it round a trip somehow.

Have you still got the whale pump?

Lovely start today(Tuesday). Crossing Christchurch harbour. Hope to fish the needles channel for Bass The plan was to use the obliging tides at Christchurch to put in before nine and retrieve any time after 4.30 and fish the infamous “Bridge” by the needles lighthouse . We would go by way of Hurst castle use the Ebb to drift us along likely looking rocky marks on the island side of the channel this drift , in the light winds it would take us gently down to the Bridge where it can get evil. 🌊🌊🌊🌊 We aimed to arrive 2 hrs before slack water to fish the Bridge proper and possibly up to two hours on the flood. I was optimistic. There was a long rolling swell out of the Harbour but no chop. E 3 planed and cruised all day at 18 to 20 knots so we could get there easily in a half hour. We had time up front to go plaice fishing at Southbourne. An hour of this produced one small plaice. Nets were everywhere. Then we set about executing the plan. And it all went to perfection except for one thing . The Bass didn’t seem to want to play. Slack water was half hr later than the Christchurch harbour table . We waited til 3.00 .We noticed other skippers waiting for the flood whereas We’d fished the Ebb alone.🤔 Anyway We didn’t want to stay there in the fading light And decided that the last hour of daylight would be better spent nearer home so we went back to Southbourne and whilst james was sneaking forward for a sly fag (don’t tell my daughter) his Rod started to go overboard. He just rescued it and after a hard tussle afforded us a photo…… We were running up the channel at 5.00 and out by six. No Bass were hurt in the making of this report.(Apart from one which was pulled out under our noses at Mudeford Quay)🤨

Welcome to the club and a great question for a kick off. On my boat the original deck drain is hidden behind the tilt and trim on the outboard. The original 1980 motor probably had this mechanism inboard. I don’t know how old a Shetland 500 is but Perhaps that’s why you can’t find a bung.

Yeah, like wot they said🥳

Now that’s what I call a good night out. I have a squid jig but it’s still in its packet.

I’ve decided not to invest in this, but I’m sure it won’t be hanging about.

I wasn’t expecting to see this tonight and I’m also very sorry to see that you are selling Brian. I can’t deny that what Jim says is true. You have my attention .

A young lad, a friend of my son, fell in to crew for me on Friday. The mid day low tide made Tucton look an attractive option. Launch costs are reasonable, £7.50 for 12 hrs parking and ditto for the trailer. I was warned about the slip drop off but it was a very easy launch and retrieve for me and the newbie. Weather was superb to start with. Forecast to blow up a bit in the evening. The most satisfaction I got from the day was letting the young’un drive the boat. First following the intricate buoyage in the harbour and then running on compass settings on th open water. He did well ! Mackerel ! They are shy blighters this year, aren’t they? I spoke to otheranglers who were all of this opinion. The conditions produced 0.8 knot drifts over the ledge. We did this for few hrs with lures and baits. One bream gentlemen, this is a eulogy to just one bream.! At mid day I chucked an fender over by way of a man overboard exercise for my novice. I asked him to judge the wind direction. “What wind” came the reply, which was fair enough. He retrieved the virtual victim , no problem. I was impressed. About 4.00 pm things started to change. We ran inshore to try for plaice but the wind, as forecast and accompanying chop put paid to that. Final thought ? It was about the boating in good company , not the fishing.

I’ve found a young hand for Friday.(man Friday?) Going out of tuckton for plaice an d Mack’s etc

Not my Endeavour

Please see Colin’s recent post “new mark”. I’d like to buddy with him but I’m still looking for a crew. Pick up the thread on his topic. PM me if you’re a candidate.

Awe thanks guys, only got delivered today!? Hence no earlier response. Much appreciated all.