alun j.

Me , too !!

Dom, I'm hoping to slip out Wed morning for a few hours.I'll report back. Anyone like to join me on Gastronaught ? {only provisional at the mo. .........too many variables!!!} Alun.

I wish I could.......... you lucky thing!!

Can you still open the lids at the back where fuel tank etc. are?

Lovely looking spot.........tide in or out ? ..........have you spilled gravy on your wiper motor ??

Rich, Good to hear you've got the new boat and all's well! Dispell your worries!! Handling the 520 is easier than the 440, thanks to the roller trailer; she rolls off in less water and is lighter on the arm to wind in single handed. More than happy to pass on any tips and come to help you get started. Have you got my number ? [ or just PM here ]. Be happy to creep off early one afternoon [ and perhaps combine with a bait dig!??] Alun.

water looked good yesterday in terms of colour....... just too bumpy and white on surface!!

What do you mean Kam? It was a cracking day's fishing; it was just the weather that was 'snotty' and stopped us gopng where we'd planned. We probably would have fared less well out [ judging on past results!]. So we were chuffed ! Alun.

Just recovered from the rediculously early start yesterday..... then a late night in the Gastronaught's kichen!! Many thanks to Adam and Gordon for taking their boats on a day that started as cold as only a few days this last winter.........and with bone penetrating NE wind. What a fantastic fishing boat Adam has sorted for himself....... it must be one of the best big boat/small boat compromises going.........and helped keep Adam smiling all day. The weather had me thinking the fishing was likely to be hard going; with the confused sea, uncertain tide flow, water temp of 7C ..........and NO WAY of going out to the Shambles........so we bashed our way over to Ringstead, then out a bit further under the cliffs ......and the sun came out! As Adam said................ fish from the first drop......... and one surprise after another ....... I think we counted 13 species .......plus a few Spider crabs that I'm just about to prepare for lunch. Great to see 3 bream......the biggest at 2 lb. 2oz was a nice blue male [ tonight's supper] and the other two girls went back. We both had a good Bass....... mine, a fat one ,weighed at home, went 5 lb. 6 oz. One measure of the action was that we were almost out of bait by noon...... and had to call up Enticer to help us stay another couple of hours! Of course the tide then changed and fishing slowed ............ or was it the arrival of the othe boat ?? Cracking day and what a start to OotB's catching log !! Thanks again Adam, super day, great company ...... and a fishbox full to supply the Gastronaught's kitchen for a week or so . Alun.

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!