alun j.

Hi enjoy your crabs !! Nothing is 'poisonous'!! I make a wonderful crab 'bisque' from little shorecrabs ...... boiled, chopped up whole; recooked with tomato garlic and herbs, strained and pressed through a seive. Back to big crabs ....... boil [ in salty water] , leave to cool, open and remove 'feathers' [gills] from the body/leg section and from the top shell push out the jaws and the stomach sac comes with it ....... all the rest is the yummy brown meat. Alun.

We had pollack yesterday and ray [aka skate ] tonight ........... .....nearest and dearest said how much she enjoyed the thick, white flakey pollack [very cod - like]........... the big ones seem better eating than the more usual 3 lb-ers. ..... the ray is still too fresh.......... and undulate not as tastey as thornback.... but a lot less slimey and prickley !! Bon Apetite....!! Alun.

Hi Terry, Do you always pick the windiest days ?? .......... Sat. was much nicer [ after a bumpy start on our trip to the Rips........ wouldn't have fancied it on Sun.]. What did you do with that crab? Big spiders are good to eat; the best meat on them is in the legs......... and the smaller one are often too thin. Alun.

Like Adam, I really enjoyed the trip to the Rips ; the experience and the learning curve with Duncan made me want to go again....... .......and this coming weekend looks promising !!! My brother is trailing his Boston Whaler down and seems confident of the range for a trip out there , on a calm sea. [ and Metcheck is guessing 0 mph , early in the morning ....... I wish !!] If anyone else might be going , then 'safety in numbers' is a big boost to confidence. Could someone PM the numbers to me , for where we were on the Rips ?? I only noted how far South we were , not the Latitude. We kept drifting the same spot; would it be worth drifting further ....... don't the Rips go a few miles ?? Anyone able to recommend where [ locally to Bournemouth / Christchurch ] I can pick up a few packs of those orange , weighted shads ...... they seemed to outfish others on Sat. ?? Cheers, Alun.

I think my memory of weights taken at sea is as wobbly as those digital scales numbers......... my excuse is they not going to be significant in comp. stakes , so filed in different bit of brain !! I will agree with Duncan's tally.......... esp. as he was so good with all the numbers , marks and skipper and seamanship skills. Alun.

First a big 'thank you' to Duncan for inviting me for two long sessions on Phaeton with him and Dave. A superb boat for fishing and travelling in style and comfort ; good company and a huge help on the learning curve fishing new grounds and methods new to me. Fri evening on a flat sea and in warm sunshine held lots of promise ....... but we struggled to find the mackerel in all the expected places. We then steamed [zoomed!!] out to a wreck [ which wasn't there !!] , then on to a huge one even further out [easier to find] where I tried leadheads and shads for the first time and we got some pollock to about 8 lbs. A return to Dancing Ledge area as the sun was going down didn't find the bream but a freshening Easterly against the flood making fishing uncomfortable even on Phaeton. So a cruise back to Rockley to prepare for an early start on Sat. .........which dawned sunny with just a touch of that easterly left........ but enough to push up a swell to give a bumpy ride out to the Rips [ as others have commented] ......... it reminded me a bit of the Shambles, seeing a tight group of boats drifting and making ground ...... and the presence of Sundance, there from Lymington, seemed a good omen. Fast learning , fishing for the first time in 80 metres of water drifting at over 2 kts. One eye on the sounder to watch the bottom coming up and the instant response through braid with these solid carbon rods saved a lot of hang ups and I only lost one shad. I found the bites unusual, with fish hitting the retrieve; and alot of winding to do. Fishing was impressive, with good looking fish; Dave started with a brill of 3.5, Duncan had a cod of just under 7 to go with the pollack and I just got pollack , but the best one, at about 8. [ difficult using digital scales on a swaying deck]. Fishing died with the tide, so we started back and stopped on a gulley 2/3 the way; magnet brought a few mackerel and a feisty spurdog for Dave [ over 11 lbs]. For the evening, Duncan brought us back to a mark near St. Aldhams and we were soon into rays on the last of the ebb. All undulate rays, the biggest went 12lbs.10....... a nice fish but not a 'specimen' for this comp. The flooding tide 'killed' the action and a try out on Peveral Ledge couldn't raise any bream or bass. Thanks again to Duncan for a marvelous experience I'd love to repeat sometime. Cheers, Alun.

Kam, Thanks for the offer but it looks like I'll be with Duncan this weekend, but the 18 -19 is still a possibility. Alun.

Hi Kam, Either or both ! Two separate trips were in the offing from previous threads. Alun.

Hi there , If anyone wants crew; I'm available anytime over the weekend. I'll be at the meeting thurs. Cheers, Alun.

Just looked at Metcheck......as far they want to call, and that weekend is looking quiet......... fingers crossed. Are boats still thinking of a trip to the Rips ?? As posted before, I'd love to come along for a different type of fishing for me, to crew and share cost of fuel I'm free all weekend and it would make a great birthday present for me! If anyone wants to talk to me...... see you at the meeting thurs. Cheers, Alun.

Reminds me of those flags on the beach ....... is it swimming not recommended or no lifeguards on duty or something close to ..... ' don't go in the water'....... ......... a bit ominous !!! ....... for fishing ?? Alun.

Rich, Too slow !! I did have one, but Terry [aka Plaicemat] has snapped it up. After selling that reel to you, I missed that size reel in my tackle; it's such a nice reel I looked around and found a deal on two! Then I came to my senses and realized I didn't need two ........ hence the offer In the meantime, before I got the LDs, I got a 7000 [ normal , red one]; so that's spare, but Martin may be interested. I'll bring it to the meeting , thurs., If you are keen for another 7000 BG NLD........... I could try and find one for you for a few weeks time. Alun.

Did a daytrip to France yesterday to top up my wine racks and summer B-B-Q beers. Whizzing along on the Fastcraft I was amazed at the amount of weed floating about miles out at sea. First it was the little clumps that annoy us at anchor [ and can pull your rod over the side in a fair tide ]; but the further out we went the clumps got bigger and bigger........... some were the size of small islands and looked as if you could easily stand on......... we're talking car size and bigger!! I wonder how much is under the water ?? as with icebergs !! Is this much weed common at this time of year ?? I wouldn't fancy running into that in a small boat....... mine would surely come to a halt ! AND ......... I hope it doesn't blow inshore. Alun. PS. When I was out Tues, there was a fair bit of weed out on the Ledge; a few bits I pulled in had that distinctive pink / purple encrusting alga , on the bottom of the holdfast, that you find on the rocks at Kimmeridge. Could this have been ripped off by the recent windy weather and carried our way by the tides ?? So where will the mid-channel weed rafts end up ?? [in the Solent??]. A.

If anyone is interested in a new reel, I still have a few new and almost new Abu reels for sale....in both 5000, 6000 and 7000 size multipliers. Send me a PM with the size you might be interested in and I'll reply with what I have on offer. I could then bring it / them along to the meeting next week. Cheers, Alun.

Paul, My Orkney 4 40 has a Data Tag No. : AE 1798 rather than a name! Cheers, Alun.

Yep; lovely evening to start my week's holiday. Had to grap a couple of hours as weather forecasts hold little cheer for when I can next get out. Much calmer than I'd expected.... but I had trouble finding mackerel; I stayed mostly closer in, where the water was much warmer....... but only got three. Nearer the ledge I got a pollack about 3 lbs that hit my hokkais like a bass [ well, for a few seconds at least !!]..... but the weed was more abundent out here. So went and tried for a bream in the deep hole near the groyne as the tide was now running but only got doggie after doggie. Gorgeous orange/red sunset [well after 9 !], a final drift over the ledge and a whizz in on flat sea and rising tide..........still 17 C.....when packing up....and home before 10. Now look at the weather this morning!! Roll on summer! Alun.

I'm off to Vancouver Island in the summer for the best part of three weeks. I'm trying to arrange a charter trip or two....... halibut and about five or six types of salmon. All - in trips on a 25 ft. + boat arranged around party of four seem about $800 a day [ about

I'm getting twitchy with lack of fishing after the succession of windy weekends. It seems even worse when on Mon, Tues, and Wed forecasts look better and better for a calm Saturday........... and then today they all change their minds and decide Sat. will blow 16 - 19 mph southerlies !!!!!! Grrrrrr!! At least it looks calmer for you guys hosting the Burnham visitors on Sunday; I wish I could join you, but have family commitments and will be up in London. I have two new solid carbon rods and am desperate to try them out on the bream. I wonder what are the chances of any calm weather next week when I'm on holiday..........Metcheck doesn't look too promising; lets hope they change their minds again !! Tight lines for Sunday, Alun.

I've caught the odd gilthead just over the bar at the entrance to Christchurch, Sept. time; fight even better than black bream and 'tastier' from the pan... shame there aren,t more [ less common than triggers ]. But perhaps they are on the increase ??? Alun.

Hi there, June 18 is my birthday. Anyone feeling generous enough to invite me along as crew to offer me a new type of fishing and try out my new solid carbon rod?? Happy to contribute to fuel costs and tea-making. Fingers crossed, Alun.

My little boat is way too small but I would love to come along as crew and try out some completely different fishing........ and help out with the cost of fuel. Half term, any weekend or long summer hols. Cheers, Alun.

Rich, A string with 5 size 3/0 , the luminous greeny / yellow ones [ 'cause it was a very dull / foggy morning] ........... but no mackeral yet [ for me !!] Alun. PS. How are you finding the reel ?? I went and bought another for myself but haven't used it yet !

Hi BB, Have sent you a PM Alun.

Hi Paul and Paul, Saw you two whizzing out over the Ledge whilst I was fishing the drop-off near the top of the tide. Fishing was a bit slow if you discount the hundreds of doggies. I managed 4 bream early on [ in the fog !!]..... close in, near the groyne [ didn't realise how close until I checked my gps numbers on the chart, which explained why the breaking waves sounded so loud !!] Just cooked up the best fish....... 2lb. 9oz. ...... for supper [ much better fresh than frozen] Have another and a couple of big gars for a few more meals redolent of summer months to come. Gars caught on Hokais ........ right on top of the Ledge in about 5 m. of water A day of two halves........... the quiet , eerie fog ; cool, clamly and completely disorientating .............. then a blast of soporific sun, expect for the roar of hundreds of folk out on their boats... making waves and decibels !! I saw you crash into wash and temporarily come to a halt ! Roll on summer !!! Alun.

I still have a few reels for sale ; keen price for club members. If anyone is interested in 5000, 6000, or 7000 - size reels, send me a PM and I'll reply with what I have [and a price]. Most are brand new , or A1 used condition. I'm posting now so I could bring what you might be interested in to the next club meeting. Cheers, Alun.