alun j.

....but not that big !! pictures CAN lie ! Paul, I'll put a catch report in. Alun.

Looking good .........if you can believe weather forecasts this far out ???? .......but gives a boost to enthusiasm!! Weather websites are giving LIGHT winds from East through to South..... nice offshore direction should give us a warm, calm day .........fingers crossed! Alun.

Fat to burst! She was stuffed, with about 6 good size fish and fish remains in the stomach [big sardine size] and some developing roe. ......and provided an excellent meal thanks to Adam's expert cooking skills. Alun.

.... on all counts! A leisurely start, that could have been more so........as there was no water in Christchurch Harbour an hour and a half after LW ! When we did get off the slip, the Run and Bar were fine with plenty of water for a tiddler like Gastronaught. Looking for a bream mark, there was already quite a flotilla out towards the end of the Ledge ........this spot has become sooooooooo popular. Not being a sheep, I was sure there are good bream in many other spots, so we dived right and went to one of my other fancied spots to fish a flooding tide on the Ledge. At anchor , the wind seemed much more benign, and had little effect over the tide pushing us nicely in towards the rougher ground. To groundbait or not groundbait ? ......that is the question!! First drop.....bites; mine's only a pout but Adam's into a 'steamer', that's stripping braid off his little reel with his 'bendy wand' have little impact; this can't be a bream! Down to the last few turns on the reel and the fish has stopped, on the bottom, some distance downtide. Boatfishing technique number *** required [ buoying off the anchor]; in fact we got away with all but.... by paying all the warp, we'd gone downtide an extra 60m, enough to get level with the fish, and Adam was back on scraping terms.... and a few mins. later netted a beaut. of a bass of 6lb 8oz........such a fat fish .......and what a good start! It took some time before any bream showed.........not in numbers, but good size. The action slowed as the wind increased and tide slowed.... so a change of scene. As we ventured out, the tide over the Ledge was a bit bumpy and big swirls of plankton coloured water going by made me reconsider the plan..... Back inshore, it was much nicer and the coat could come off! On one of my summer spots, the action soon got going again........ some nice bream amongst the doggies, pollack [small], wrasse, pout, gurnard.........and a monster cuttle for Adam....and a couple of brown crabs [that will be lunch today!]. I used up the groundbait ........but still not convinced of its efficacy ???? I suspect that if you are 'on the bream', you catch.........and not sure you can 'bring them to you' any better than having several baits in the water putting a scent into the tide. Thanks Adam for coming along........for the good company, gastronomic discussion, insightful comments about inexperienced folk with their new boats [messing up big-time!]....I thought they'd all come to watch us fishing until the Lifeboat turned up! ....and thanks for standing by when I messed up [i'd left the trailer clamp key at home and had to dash there and back]. Best laugh of the day......... for Adam, it must have been watching his cuttle squirt me with about a litre of inky water ! ....for me, watching a gang of novices trying to launch their new RIB forwards down the slip! Well stocked with fish for this week's menu, variations on a theme of fresh bream! Alun.

Anyone like to join me on Gastronaught for a session on Sat.?? Due to the Club 'do' in the evening and tide times [ LW 7.30 ], it won't be an early start { 8.30 - 9.00 }. Alun.

Duncan, If you plan anything in the half-term week [28th. May ->], then I'd be available to crew/ share costs. .........and [ hopefully] anytime from the end of July .......if retirement plans materialise!! Alun.

Bream ,aka 'porgies' in other parts , eat all sorts !!; catch them in summer through to autumn and they are full of weed [ not easy to digest for them] and it comes out much like it goes in. A few Kgs of rice - based 'food' will do nothing but good....... fattening them up for breeding, sport or this year's growth. Alun.

NO........other way round!! More mph than knots.........as a nautical mile is longer. Alun.

Yep! .......... but it could be either or both! I look to anchor in 11 or 12 m. of water [ or more!] Be sure and have plenty of warp.... 50m. min. The easiest start is to get west of the Ledge on a gently flooding tide. Drop the anchor as the deep water comes up shallower in front of the rough ground. The anchor will go into sand and / or clay; you can pay out warp and fish back onto the rough and be confident of few probs, retrieving............just watch out for lines of pot gear near the buoys; these will usualy run in line with the tide [ E - W]. Alun.

Rob, With your size of boat, you can use a much smaller anchor; go for a 2 or 3 Kg 'Bruce' - style and trip it with 2 or 3 tiny little cable ties. This held my Orkney 4 40 quite easily when you add 4 or 5 m. of chain, and is much easier to haul back in. I fished and anchored the Ledge area regularly.......and sometimes you get the anchor 'stuck'. I lost 2 in 3 - 4 years of fishing trips [ first one was untripped and went in a few weeks!] Looks like a cracking little boat to get you out fishing quickly and easily; see you out there, Alun.

Well done Bob ! ... Master Mariner.... perfect example of keeping a 'cool head' and realising there are several equally practical ways out !! Cimarra had a much less eventful day............ .....as early a start as was possible, but still a queue on the slip; then off to the Ledge where MANY boats were parked............. and many more joined us [ I counted 25 by 11am.] We weren't doing as well as hoped for...........so plan A was resurrected .......and Simon whizzed us west at 35+ mph and we soon reached Anvil Pt., where we joined a couple of others for the last of the ebb.......and got into a few bream and decent wrasse..........but this died with the tide and didn't restart with the flood. En route back to Mudeford , we stopped where I found a big bream last week, near the W. edge of the Ledge but today it was just pout. A slow crawl back up a very shallow harbour [how did you manage Bob??]......reminded me why I use Mudeford rather than Wick. Alun.

Gastronaught joined in the hunt for early bream earlier this morning. First trip out from Mudeford for a few months showed the big changes in the route over the Bar ........ this could get 'interesting' as summer gets busy, as there is now a narrow little channel, tight in to the end of the quay and close to those fishing of the car park. 7.15 am and a familiar shape on the slip; Adam launching OotB, in a hurry to catch the water disappearing from the harbour, with Rachel as crew, only just recogniseable under many layers of insulation. Adam threw her onboard and was off before we had unclipped the trailerboard......into the misty, cold fog. With the last of the ebb, Gastronaught made a [wrong]call and spent a couple of hours on the Rough and found nowt but pout! ...and one stray pollack ....and very little flow of tide ........but at least the sun had appeared. A move of spot did little to improve things, so we headed off to the Ledge............ and found OotB, Aquafresh and a few charters .... and later joined by Sheila Marie and several others. Despite deploying plenty of good bait, we couldn't find the bream; wrasse aplenty but the dashing quarry evaded us......so last hour of our morning session was a quick stop on the other side ......... and one cracking result..... a PB for Paul, with a beaut of 4lb. 7oz. all dressed in blue!. Great day to get out....... with the weather changing every 5 mins. Alun.

Dave, Sorry to hear the bad news re. the battery. You are correct, it was/ is the original, so now would be just over 5 years old. I suspect the main reason has been the fact it has not been used [ for over 7 months] and age can be a factor with flat batteries; car batteries often fail [suddenly ] at 4 + years , from my, limited, experience. I don't think it matters too much which type you get as replacement but keep using it !! Enjoy your fishing this week, you've got the weather for it. Alun.

Weather looking to hold into next week .........so there will be masses of traffic ! So, an early start from somewhere. Seat available on Gastronaught if you'd like to join me Post here or say hello at AGM........I'm out of contact here from Fri to Sun pm. Alun.

Have you got enough fishing there PJ ?? I might........... just might......... get out on Mon. ......if I can keep everyone else happy enough!! Alun. PS........ memo to self ........... get some worms !! [ just in case!].

How about adding salt to the water as the ice melts; this should keep the temp. down, rather than throwing away cold [ energy absorbing ] water. I don't think this would 'colour' the fish......... if it's isotonic with seawater. I had good results last summer by taking frozen plastic milk bottles of water and using them to chill some seawater in the cool box; this cold seawater sloshed around the catch and kept it perfect on hot days ........... but it wasn't the several days trip I think you are describing ............... but maybe some salt could help?? Alun.

Mike. Barramundi are freshwater fish that migrate to estuaries to spawn; the eggs need brackish water to develop. Alun.

.......coming though !! ........but just when I'm away ....... so no reports from me for a couple of weeks, at least! Alun.

Duncan, That code must mean something else......... Adam's pump is some beast!! ...that pushes out a big squirt....... far more than the little Rule. ........... like your thinking though !! A.

........and I'm away! Good luck to those that get out. Alun.

Well Done Adam! .......... looks the bee's knees .....and well able to blast off those sun-baked-on macky scales after a day's bass or bream fishing [ soon???]. Hope you get a good trip out over Easter......esp. as weather's looking better. Alun.

Just like your shirts ......... Bri - nylon or polyester ..... but not polyprop!

Mike, I think you are getting confused now !!! Polypropelene is what you are describing !!....... that cheaper, harder...often blue or orange stuff... that often frays .......... ....... OK ..... for bailer twine, tying up tomato plants, making crates, buckets and even cheap carpets from... ......but not good on the hands as anchor warp...... Rich.......... get nylon ........ and multiplait is so much nicer to use. Alun.

NYLON......... the stretch is useful in absorbing forces. The anchor and chain will make it sink! Alun.

Happy Birthday to you both ........ and with your day on a Sunday this year, a few extra treats ??? Adam .......... may your new box always have something to keep cool ......and Fred's new boat will keep things hot, hot, hot! Have a good day .......... shame about the wind today! Alun.