alun j.

bet it turns out to be neither of these.......nor the Swash! Alun.

Anyone fancy a bit of a Trailaway to the Shambles this weekend ?? Similar looking weather [as of this evening's forecasts] , light to mod. NE on both days, with Sat maybe the better, and Sun. more E. Tides dropping away from the big Springs at the mo. 1.8 on Sat, 1.5 on Sun. I am available to crew or up for taking Gastronaught. Clocks go forward on Sat night/ Sun morning ........just to throw peoples' time-keeping out! All eyes on Guru / Metcheck to keep hopes alive [ Oh! for a calm day!] Alun. [has a taste for plaice/turbot].

I sense this could all change over the next few weeks........ ,,,,,,,,if the weather gods play ball! A.

Mike, Spend a few

Adam...... Have you seen the tide for Thurs. [ see BBC / weather / tides] Portland is Big, big , big !!! on Thurs.; it's vernal equinox .....Spring spring!! It quickly drops into the weekend ..and wind / tide combination seems better for Sun. ....... but I'm game for whenever I can get out. Alun. Give me a reason to go get worms!!!

Around the Isle of Wight, nearly all the cod are [ were !!] caught using calamari or cuttle baits ; this was on calamari. The water is almost always murky with sediment in the winter months; so something big and scented. Alun.

Small by your standards.......... at just under 20 lb. .........but a pb. for Dom. Alun.

Only joking Dom......... Of course I remember ..............and how good it tasted! .......but it was the only one on the boat ALL WINTER !! Let's hope the forthcoming bream and bass make up. Alun.

Lucky lot , this mid-week brigade!!............ hope to join them soon!! Adam....... Weather window might just open again on Sunday. The tide is a good bit smaller then [ 1 .8m] than the big ones belting through for the next few days. If Sunday was a possibility.......I'll get some 'proper' worms! Hope you enjoyed Sat.'s plaice ........ guess what's for my dinner tonight? Alun.

What's a cod ??

Paul, I think you will be lucky with the wind; it should calm down mid week , before it picks up again next weekend [ to frustrate me AGAIN]. Yes please to some fish [ whole is fine!!]; I have a bag of leeks for you if you would like some?? Hope you get a good day, Alun.

Adam, I haven't got tables for Weymouth, but Easter is always the first Sunday after a full moon [ Mon. 2nd.] and the last quarter is Tues after the Easter Mon. so..... .......tides will be bigger on Good Fri. and getting smaller over the weekend..... ...but how big ???? Alun. PS. I might just be able to 'do' Easter Mon.

Jack, I have nowhere to hoist one!.....on my low profile 'stealth' boat! Did you get to wet a line yesterday? Your reports show rapid progress in the fish catching dept. Alun.

Would love to , but looks like I'll have family commitments for most of the hol. w.end. Alun.

Much better to be out fishing than hunting around on the website .... but Well Done Paul for the imaginative comp. Thanks to Adam today, for holding the boat still in the waves as we launched and retrieved ......... and providing the bait. As he said, we sqeeked out a couple of flatties on these 'micro - worms'........and I think we might have had a few more if I'd been able to dig the snakes I usually use. I think, now, that I should have called my boat 'Blown away' , or something similar. Since I collected her at the end of last Aug., almost every trip has been one of being thrown about and being splashed on!!.....and today was as bad as most. At least the sun shone, it wasn't cold [ that's coming next week!], and I have not blanked.........even though I've kept going out all through the 'lean' spell. A bit ironic that, today, I get the flounder in the Swash....... and Adam gets the plaice inside the harbour. I mentioned to Adam that somewhere, I've got an old [ Betamax] video of Jack Hargreaves drift fishing this part of the harbour [ back in the 70's] and catching plaice [early summertime I think!]. We did pick up a lot of clumps of limpets off the bottom; could these provide the food for them?? Having read Tom's report, with interest ..........I'll be keen to try offshore for some big fresh fillets. Someone throw me a weather window ......please!! Alun.

Joke Kam !!............ sarcasm!

No !! I could never go that [Victorian work ethic or something that afflicts those of my age/ background!!]. Fingers crossed for an 'Early retirement' package.......esp. as am feeling increasingly redundant. Teaching has become very much a 'young person's 'career'. Alun.

I'll be there with Simon L. [ britboard] on his boat. We won't be in the convoy, I'm meeting him nearby the day before and camping overnight. I think Simon has some local knowledge as well as somewhere for us to stay. Alun.

Sorry Terry, small oversight........ in the PB dept. ! Are you getting a taste for 'conger-hauling'? Looks like it was a gorgeous day out there. I'm looking forward to being more of a 'free-agent' , to be able to sieze weather 'windows'...... sometime soon , I hope! Alun.

Good one Gordon; she looks longer than you!! .......another pb on Enticer... ..........but where's my pollack ?? !! Alun.

Just look at that oily, slick sea.............and blue sky !! ..........so envious!! Well done with those huge eels........and looks like you both enjoyed yourselves. A pity there were no pollack about........I thought this was the time for the big ones?? Looks like a windy weekend coming up..........typical !! Alun.

Sods Law !! As I look out at the perfect calm of a sunny morning and flip through websites, it looks depressingly familiar........... ........lovely all week......... then WIND sweeps in for the weekend. Adam .......... it's looking increasingly uncomfortable !! ?? Alun.

Antennae raised !! Starting blocks prepared! A.

.......as if it might stay nice.........well, ...for Sat . at least! ???? Anyone up for a trip?? I'm available to crew or be crewed ......just waiting to hear how Enticer gets on tomorrow. Alun.

Excellent picture Duncan........... reminds me of the type they turn into jigsaw puzzles [ lots of interest and colours]; perhaps one of them might be interested ?? Wow! 4 inches ?....Did you have to check the tide table before the run back down? ..........and was the beer worth the trip? Last time I went up there in the boat, I thought the food in the pub was most disappointing. Alun.