alun j.

........but will you go fishing Mike??

Simon, Good to hear Burnham is slotting into place.........let's kwwp our fingers crossed for good weather! April 29 th. ........ I think the Bank Hol.. weekend is the next one.... as Mon. will be be the 30th. .....but I'm sure we can get the best out of the weekend! Alun.

Anyone with a need for fresh air?? With a sense more of optimism than anticipation, I'm thinkinking of a couple of hours somewhere out of the wind tomorrow......... launching from Baiter about 8. Possibly a few drifts of the Swash over the top of the tides and finish early afternoon. If anyone would like to join me on Gastronaught.....post here or send me a PM. I hope to dig worms this afternoon.....if I can escape from work early enough! Alun.

Hi Mark, Sorry you're having to give up your nice boat......... I'd wondered why we hadn't heard much of Espadon! If / when you get the chance to get back down here........post up in the 'Buddies' section and come out on one of our boats ...... I owe you a trip , at least ! Good luck with your sale......it'll probably 'fly' at this time of year! Alun.

Well done Adam........ it's looking 'sorted'. Are you planning to wet a line on Sat? Deb's away for the day, so I was looking at options for fishing. Wind is forecast in the West and a bit fresh!........ I wonder if there's a chance of an early plaice in the Swash? Alun. PS. there'll be plenty of water at Baiter, with a morning HW. Would you like a hand with launch/retrieve?? ........have you got crew? I'll bring a camera for a few pics.

I'll be at tonight's meeting.........come and say'hello' if you're there. Alun.

They must be mad!!

Did you wet a line , Martin??........no catch report! It was a bit bumpy in the Solent and we saw the RNLI rib go rushing out about 4.30. Plenty of yachts out for a sail ......but all reefed in! I just love the way those boats come straight at you....when there's loads of room all about! Alun.

Having spent all day yesterday moving my daughter from one top floor flat in Brighton to another up even more stairs............I had to get a few hours 'headspace' today before the return to work tomorrow. With NW winds forecast and a gentle neap tide, the most sheltered place I could think of with any prospects of a catch was Lepe......... with deep water close inshore........ and over the 'magical' 8 C, bass possible! Mike Fox brought a box of squid and jopined Gastronaught for a leisurely start at 10.30 in sunshine and only slightly fresh westerly........ a cruise down tide and down wind to Lepe, on the drop off near the buoy .............and then past as struggled to get a grip!, just as the doggies came on the feed!! Repositioned; higher up the slope did the trick but bites were slow and hard to come by [ the hiatus of the year] and the wind steadily increased ....... from 3 through 4 and 5 and topped out at 6..........with more West than forecast gave a bumpy roll about and a slow trip back trying to'tuck' inshore [ but little different!]. Cobwebs completely blown away........a few doggies for a meal..and pretty relaxed to face the week. Interesting to watch lifeboat being launced at Lymington just after we got the boat out! Thanks Mike for the company and bringing the only successful bait!! Cheers, Alun.

That's why you're in sunny Florida !! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ......on a biggeeeeeeee one !!! Hope you're having a smashing time [ pb.' s.] and an excellent bithday holiday? All the best and many cheers, Alun.

Looking increasingly likely............anyone like to join me?? Alun.

Mine does Adam! Alun.

Toying with the idea of a trip out on Sun. I've one last box of squid in the freezer. With the westerly wind set to turn into the NW. and the 'gentle' neap tide, a trip to Lepe could be on .........if there's any chance of a catch [ other than dogfish!]. It wouldn't be early... I have a hire van to return to Boscombe about 8.30; so it would be about 9.30 from Lymington. With LW at just after 10, could be there for the first of the flood. I'm in Brighton all day tomorrow and not back till after 9 pm. If anyone wants to persuade me either way...............???? Alun.

Not the best time to start though!! 1] ..........worms are much harder to dig at this time of year 2] .........not many are going fishing, because..... 3] .........very few fish out there to be caught. BUT....... come April / Easter........ we'll all be keen again!! Did anything come of that offer from Tom to clean boats?? Alun.

You'd have to put the livebait tank where the girl is! Alun.

Couldn't see any Solid C rods! ..... not shiny enough!! Alun.

It would be an almost impossible task .........akin to building sandcastles between the tidelines. It's the Bar that's the problem.......the shallows beyond the Run. I went for a walk there at LW on Mon. afternoon; with these big Spring tides , you could walk right out beyond the last yellow buoy and see the 'Outer' red buoy splashing about in the shallow surf. The river now cuts a much straighter route to the sea, with a sharp right turn at the second yellow due to the new gravel piled up in front of Avon beach....but it's hardly a 'channel'. just a bit deeper. The whole area is mostly loose gravel and cobbles , with very little sand. Nothing to bind it together, it's quite soft to walk on ..... so must get pushed about by the waves. If a deeper channel was excavated, surely the gravel would slide back in the 'hole' and/or get filled in come the next blow. As for Southbourne losing its' new sand, it hasn't come east! Recent news showed the efforts Christchurch council were doing at Highcliffe to repair the beach near the groynes. Sand washed away had exposed the old wooden beach defenses from the '60s. Alun.

Rich, I've PM 'd you my home no.; give me a call. I tried your mob. no. I've got ...... but it's dead; have you got a new one? Alun.

Yes.......Wedger......I take it back! ......but they don't look very real........and there aren't many folk there! I scrolled across to the beach.........and only a few in the sun!! When was that image 'captured'??, Sept....mid-week, or 7 am ?? I then went across to Southampton High St., again only a few bods!...not shopping time methinks! Where I live, it's just a grey fuzz, you wouldn't see a tank parked outside! If you go west........there are clouds on the pics. and resolution is limited to fields. There's a long way to go before they can keep an eye on Jack! Alun.

The odd thing about Google Earth is that you never see any people, even in densely populated areas; parked cars, moving boats etc. but never any bodies. Is this done with computers, Tippex or via Duncan's photo system ?? So I can't see that you'd be able to keep an eye on anyone Alun.

Rich, You're welcome ! When will you know for def.? I'll be going about 7.30 from Lym [unless the forecast changes again????; at the mo, it could be anything from WSW through S to East ( BBC ) depending on site!!]. I've got freshly dug worms but only a bit of manky squid and mackeral [done a few trips im/out of the freezer! ] Alun.

Would anyone like to join me tomorrow?? Weather looks promising [a bit of sun ??] but , as usual, wind forecasts are all over the place. Lymington gives access to somewhere not too exposed and with water temp close to 9 C [ in Feb.!!] there is some chance of a bass. First spot also has some fair size conger [if you like] that I will try to avoid ! Alun.

I thought Duncan won the Jan prize rod for his big conger. .....mentioned at last club meeting. Alun.

I'm an 'Old One' here...... so am not worrying ......yet! Passed my test in 1970 ......... and am still on a tatty bit of paper [of various colours]. Similar thing happened at work a few years ago ........ re driving school minibus. Old gits OK ! ......... younger things disallowed! Alun.

Yeh!, We saw that swell up on the Shingles....... huge breaking waves , running miles..... from the Bridge almost to Hurst.......... and again around the Needles, filling the spaces between the white rocks with white surf !! Last time out we came back through that gap. Are the yellow buoys still on the deepest water over the Bar ?? Alun.