alun j.

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.

Hi Terry, I'm going end July to mid - Aug. I know these fish are there but what sort of tackle / tactics ?? I 'm also keen to try the halibut fishing........ as another new species [and fine eating!]. Did you take tackle or hire / buy there ?? Alun.

I'm visiting family and friends on Vancouver Island at the end of July and plan to get a few days fishing. Problem is that no one is a fisherman ........ and my little bit of research points to the areas around Victoria having some excellent sport , esp. halibut and several sorts of salmon. Should I take some of my tackle or hire / buy there?? Are those multi- section travel rods any good ?? Are the charter trips there worthwhile [do I need to book in advance] ; I see many provide bait and tackle [ and protective / floatation clothing].?? At best I might get 3 or 4 days in Victoria ......... and a couple at Comox or Campbell Valley. Is the river fishing for salmon .... fly, bait or spinners ?? Any information or useful advice much appreciated ....... even if it only allows me to ask sensible / detailed questions for my contacts over there to ask for me. Cheers, Alun.

Mike, Orkney describe these boats as 'performance hulls'. I have a little 4 40 with a 15 hp. 4 - stroke Yam. On a calm sea, on my tod, it quickly whizzes up to 20 + mph. [sorry, gps gives mph]......... but speed drops quickly with load 2 up = 13 max.] Alun.

Paul, Is it just the weight that's the limiting factor? What about the forces on the transom?? A more powerful engine will produce a bigger 'kick'. Alun.

Paul, I thought you were thinking of going up to a 590; go the whole hog and trade in boat and engine ?? Whatever you do, the power lift is almost essential around Christchurch and its shallow waters ....... it was the best advice from bhm , where i got my boat, ..... Yamaha with power lft, very reliable. They have a showroom in Lymington and give a good package deal on Orkneys. Alun.

Sam, Try putting it on a beachcaster.......... 12 - 14 ft. 4 or 5 oz weight and even a pendulum cast will zoom out over 100m. Alun.

Sam, Your reel is an out and out caster !! Great for whizzing a bait 150 m. or more from the beach. It's fine for light boat fishing [ up to about 6 or 8 oz. weights ] but as you rewind check the lay of the line, you may need to thumb the line if the spool is full. Alun.

Bob, Nice little reels , but

I also noticed the swallows whilst drifting the Shambles on Sat. ones and twos flying very low, just over the water ...... but a steady stream of them all day. Alun.

Paul, Launce was a dead, frozen one from previous trip [one of the smaller ones] and a lump of mackeral on the other hook .......... that caught the turbot. ..........I was using a live one on a baited spoon rig .......... with no joy !! Amazing how robust those launce are......... still alive after an hour in a cool box; then an hour or two being whinched up and down through 20 m. several times and travelling several miles of drifts !!!......... and swam away at the end . ......... unlike those in turbot's tum ! Alun.

James, Well done.......with the plaice. Perhaps we were a bit late starting and missed the best flattie action. The turbot had 4 or 5 sandeels in its stomach......... much smaller than the launce. Alun.

...........with about 40 other boats !!! ........ sometimes well spread out, other times quite bunched up ......... and a few close encounters [of the careless kind!]. Shame about the Trailaway being postponed, pity they didn't move it to yesterday, then they could have met up again with the Burnham bunch who made over a dozen of the boats out there! I was really excited , looking forward to a good day's fishing after recent 'lean' trips. Conditions seemed ideal [ sun, calm sea, light winds north going round to west, small tide ........... and a bucket of Poole's best rag to load the baited spoons.]. Third trip there, now have the knack with the drag weight and adjustments...so soon got the drifting sorted...... but most boats were just 'free-drifting'. Saw a few boats bringing in a plaice or two ......but most seemed small to very small ............ but we hadn't had a bite !! Picked up a few launce ; so put one on as bait....... 20 mins later, our one and only bite of the day ......... a beautiful 5 lb. 2 oz. turbot....... for my mate Dave. ........not counting one other , a lonely dogfish. A lovely day to be out .......... and the turbot for supper was fantastic !! Cheers, Alun.

But............. ..................a 3 lb. bream produces a few lovely platefuls as well as the cracking good fishing ! ..........don't think tope rate on the culinary scale much above dogfish ! [ soup fish]. Going to try for the plaice tomorrow........... and outdo Rich's go today! Cheers, Alun.

Sam, Another advantage of the Ledge fishing is you might also hook into a decent bass or some of those hard-fighting triggers. Alun.

Having seen the forecast......... lots of rain coming........ I'm going to have a go on Sat. I have a friend living in Weymouth and hope to get out to the Shambles on his boat and do a bit better than the three plaice I had last time [in the fog]. Thanks for the comments posted re. speed of drift. My hand held gps doesn't register speeds below 2 mph; we were drifting at this or less but might have been going a bit too quickly........ and couldn't see any other boats for comparison! I suspect things could be much different Sat.; with sunshine and light winds, it'll probably be boat dodgems !! Good luck / tight lines ........... if you go Sun. Alun.

My second [only ] blank ........... ever !!!!!! Didn't seem too bad a day today......... lighter wind , sort of off shore [ NW.] Tried a few channels in the harbour on the fast flooding tide.....[ but only ravenous crabs].......... Drifted the Swash channell upto and over the top of the tide......... lots of slimy brown weed!! Ventured out to the Patch[es].......... masses of bouys around the Inner Patch [nets or pots??].........hooked onto one on the edge for a couple of bite free hours. Extended scope by exploring the rocks around the Outer Patch......... a few charter boats came and joined me........... drifting or anchoring produced the same fruitless result !! A nice bright and breezy day to enjoy on the water despite the lack of action........ .......perhaps I'll have to focus more on Weymouth for a few more weeks!!! ...or stick at home, around Christchurch for some rays. Cheers, Alun. ps. surprised how cold the water is barely 8C in the harbour and colder the further out you go !!

I've got a pair of oars.......... that worked well the one time I used them...... when I first launched, at Baiter, maiden trip, wind on - shore, so I rowed her out into deeper water to 'first start ' the engine. Yamaha never missed a beat since [ three years ago !!] Alun J. [ lives in a small world ].

Anyone who's interested.......... ....... I'm bringing a selection of Abu multipliers [ some new, some used] , various sizes.......... to the meeting tonight; some are spoken for but I've got a few others as well. Cheers, Alun.

Paul, Pollack on big Hokais and giant white feathers [ 7/0 ??] The herring we had for supper; didn't even think of them for bait. Sam, Hundreds of launce ...... the big white feathers outfished the Hokais 2 or 3 to one! but they didn't do any good as bait; only big , Poole rag caught fish. Swash Channel ?? ............ thinking of trying here later next week as tides build. I've only had a little success here in the past [ for plaice ] and often find the weed troublesome. Would the Shambles tactics of dragged weight to slow drift work here ?? Anyone tried ?? Alun.