alun j.

Appropriate Canadian adjective.............AWESOME !! Alun.

Just got back from visiting friends and relatives on Vancouver Island........ a little island [the size of England] off the coast of a HUGE country. I will post more details later.....but in five little trips I certainly experienced variety: * spinning off a breakwater into over 100 feet of freezing cold water, trying to avoid fronds of kelp like treetrunks .... hauled out the most fiercesome fish you'd ever seen , a LINGCOD about 10 -12 lbs....a huge head full of teeth like a baracuda .........but it had to go back as it was in a conservation zone [ but I could have kept it if I'd been a Native Indian !! { hunting rights}] * charter trip out to Swiftsure Bank ........22 miles out water comes up from 500 feet plus to about 300.......rods like poles , 2 lb leads, drifting with huge plugs or lure spoons on spreader boom........targetting HALIBUT....but.......rough conditions [ cross between perfct storm and our 'wind against tide'] what skipper called a 'snotty sea' only allowed sealegs to stand 30 mins. ...... but each drop produced a fish ........ lingcod [keepable,,,,over 70 cms.= about 10 lbs], seabass [not like ours; these look like the American freshwater bass [perch without stripes] and dark brown; some bright orange [ I mean fluorescent] rockfish and a cod [ like ours] but this got eaten!!; between hooking the bite and winding up from the depths......something had bitten great chunks out of it and there was little more than head,tail and bone in between!! Back close inshore we joined a fleet of boats trolling with downriggers, using a hure lead ball on a wire to hold your bait / lure at a fixed depth [ 40 - 60 feet down in about 80 -90 feet........just a few yards off the coast] Up and down, up and down at about 2 mph..........until BANG,,,,,,, a fish hits and pulls the line off the downrigger and you now have a salmon on basically a flyrod with a centrepin reel and no lead,,,,, and a lure with a single barbless hook [Canadian rules]. Most boats carry on , using the engine to help play the fish; but I asked him to stop,,,,,,,and 15 - 20 minutes of arm-aching fun got me a pb salmon of 24 lbs. I saw two other boats hook into fish in a 30 min. spell, then all was dead...wierd! * other new experience was fly fishing off the beach; swallow water , wading out in thermal waders at first light after pink salmon [ trout sized fish 2- 4 lbs] and wow! do they fight!..........but hard work to get just one fish!.....a lot get off those barbless hooks Fantastic place to go fishing........spectacular scenery keeps distracting you BUT fishing is not easy........there's lots of water and concerns over fish stocks, fish farms and conflicts of interests I'll post again in a different forum on the rules and regulations .......... I could see it coming our way in the not too distant future I will definitely be returning there to fish again.......armed with a little experience. Alun.

Mike, With bigger tides this weekend............ you'll find a variety of action [ and not too many LSD] along the stretch from Hengistbury Lookout along to the Groyne; not far out there's deep water but in my experience the tide needs to be flooding. Tight lines, Alun.

Keep us posted.........I'm hoping to go sole .....ing on Fri night , when wind should be lighter and more NW. Barton beckons?? Alun.

I've been out a few times recently for short trips.............. mainly taking visitors for quick mackerel bash for bbq. When I have had a chance to put a bait down........... I also have noticed the relative dearth of bream this year , but lots of tope [little ones] in with the usual dogfish [even more abundent than usual] Not had any triggers yet..........one more chance next weekend, before I'm off to Canada for holiday; so it might be the end of Aug. before I get a few !! Alun

Kam, Only Dover Sole................... and three days is probably not enough at fridge temp. Skinning......... yes, that's the method, but it's much easier many days later. Catch a couple of smaller ones and try experimenting with different days... ....any from the fishmongers could easily be well over a week old. Alun.

Hi Dan, Well done..............a smashing size fish; don't be in too much of a rush to eat it!! It will improve greatly if you leave it in the fridge......... 3 days at least! Unlike most other fish, its tissues produce a flavour enhancing compound over several days............. other fish lose the chemical as they age , in store. It is also easier to skin as the fibres soften after a few days [ and easily a week]. Enjoy your catch.......... I'll be chasing them soon. Alun.

Sounds like burning the candle both ends !!.......... Can he cope long - term?? Perhaps I'm envious, jealous [ not of little babies about], or just getting older and slower !!.....??? Great to hear of sole around.......... hope to manage a night session later this week, .......... just love those sole !! Alun.

I wish !!! Thanks for the offer.......... but my students [ and their ecology field course] would miss me!! ........ and even your super, big boat, couldn't take us all! Have a good , tope-tastic weekend Cheers, Alun.

.........and I'm working away, all weekend......... in/ around Swanage watching all you lot glide by on flat seas !! Hope it lasts for Tues , so I can get out ?? Alun.

I'm picking up a 20 - 50 lb class one this afternoon...... [ a lot less than the figures here]... Anyone wanting a look, I could bring them along to meeting thurs. I thought the shortish length a drawback.........but, in use , it actually helps! Pulling up weight [and/or fish] , the extra leverage of longer rods is very tiring; these are so light and easy to use all day......... they are ideal for lure fishing/ jigging..........BUT.......... I was pleasantly surprised how easy they cast the usual 3 - 5 ft baited trace. I still put an uptider in for lobbing out the whole, live mackerel. Alun.

Hi Duncan, Hope your 'unwanted' visitors didn't cause too much damage; it's so expletive-making upsetting when things like this happen........ to spoil your weekend. Well done on the fishing.......... sounds like some consolation, even though the weather doesn't look very 'summery'. Didn't Dave keep any of the fish............ I've never tried tope, but Rich has.... and you sometimes dee it in fishmongers. I'd probably prefer the mackerel and my fish cuisine books rate it well down........below dogfish!! Happy hols., Alun.

Ater a busy [ LIve 8 ] weekend........... a windy Sat. morning kept me at home.... lots of D.I.Y brownie points earnt......... I pointed to the drop in the wind at lunch time yesterday............. Do you want to go fishing , she asks !! Just a couple of hours; get a few mackerel for supper ??? And so it was.............. they are back !!......... in our neck of the woods. But within minutes of getting over the Ledge......... up comes a Southerly, of at least 4 !!.... soon followed by lumpy waves!! Good to see ol' stripey back in number.......and some big ones putting a bend in light feathering tackle......... But no action on the bait / live joey.............. Also made the mistake of trying on the Christchurch side [ to escape waves ]..... but this is weed collection HQ...even after 30 mins, the anchor had 1/2 ton attached. Light the BBQ, mackerel fillets and tomato with Balsamic ... xxxxx.. When will the triggers be next on the menu ??? Bon appetit !! Alun.

Hi Terry, I'm having fun this year with the solid carbon Maxximus rods from Fladden. They sre so thin.......and so light to hold; they have brilliant bite detection and tippy to start......... but up the wellie...... and they are solid !! The 10 - 20 is a fairy wand but still pulls up 8 oz plus weights ; 20 -40 sems the business for all the heavier action......... I used it on the Rips trip , fishing deep water with hefty weights and pollack and rays still gave a good show. I've now got a 20 - 50 on the way......... to cope with the biggest tides. I also have a few uptiders........... the length is good for casting and control of long traces......... but they can tire your arm if you are doing a lot of winding [ against that extra leverage]. If you get to thinking of an uptider........ give me a call.......... and I can lend you one or do you a good deal on one from my collection !! Have fun........and get fishing [ more often!!]. Cheers, Alun.

Can I change my mind?? After a bit of research, Duncan's right...... the spots to the edge = BLOND. Looking at the photos on various websites......... you can see the variability in colouration. Most blonds I,ve caught have been 'blond', with hardly any spots, just sand-coloured. AND.............. Duncan is the ray - specialist. Well done............both. Alun.

I agree with Adam......... never had a swivel break ........ nor had one that swivelled properly either!!........ Good for joining bits of end tackle but only 'spin' those twists out when you take the tension off the line. If you lose tackle, fishing rough ground, go for the 'cheap and cheerful'. buy in bulk on ebay and keep your tackle box topped up! The big chrome ones can be useful when lure fishing........ adding extra weight and flash in the water. Alun.

No , not blond. Would go with 'spotted'. A.

See their eyelids, the way they come up from below ......... weird!! Alun.

Well done Sam ! Do you think my trick of the snout grab / pinch would work with bigger fish for keeping them quiet / still when unhooking ?? Alun.

The fresh to strong East - N.east wind upset plans to go to the Rips on Sun. [ a bumpy ride up to the Ledge confirmed decision]. Another struggle to find mackerel........ 7 in an hour or so !!.....and wind getting up. Comfort suggested a trip across to Barton to get the shelter of the cliffs.... what a difference [ and warm sunshine to boot]. Geared up for 80m.+, we were fishing in about 3m. ........... but a good tide running.......... just the weed to deal with. A steady stream of fish; turbot, bream, small eye ray, bass, spider crabs [ kept for supper..... gorgeous!], dogfish. Weather calmed and tide eased, so went back out to the Ledge........ where it was dogfish central.......... but found a few bream, pout, poor cod, wrasse and a small tope [ just under 10 lbs.], a first for me .....don't they wriggle a lot on board when you unhook them?; I grabbed it firmly on the snout and it completely stopped! until it went back in the water. I think these tope must move about a bit! We first saw this fish follow a little hooked bream right to the side of the boat [Jaws - style], it then took Neils bait on the retrieve and snapped his light bream line. Within 3 mins I hooked it on the bottom , in 21m. and brought it in, wrapping itself in my 18 lbs. hook length. An early finish on a suuny afternoon on what seemed a very different day to the early morning.......... but too late to go Ripp...ing. Hope others enjoyed the Comp. and scored lots of points. Alun.

Hoping to get out to the Rips on Sophanna, with Neil, ...... if the promised calm weather holds. Anyone else fancy a buddy -up ?? Thanks to Duncan, Adam and Martin for numbers......... hope we can build on recent success. Alun

Tony, When / where are you doing the course?? Any room for another?? I should get a radio, esp. if I move up to a bigger boat. I'm at work till the end of July, so weekends or evenings would be only times I could do. Cheers, Alun.

And be careful using your carbon rods !!

Hi Mike, Southbourne Rough has a good variety of fish, though many seem to be small ones. Keeping on the move will increase variety, I went there both days last weekend, anchoring up produced but mostly the same in any one spot, Doggiesat one, pout at the next , bream at another. Both days saw the charter boats out there coming to join us ......... they anchored, but didn't stay that long before moving. Mackerel....... ???........ bit of a mystery........really struggled mto find a few! Alun.

Weather looks calm this coming weekend, especially Sunday, even if a bit dull and damp to start. If anyone would like crew, I'd be glad to join you, help with fuel costs etc. It would mean an early start, but that's good and often a flatter sea than later, but not necessary if this Metcheck is to be believed. Alun.