alun j.

Just a pointless enquiry....... ...... the little envelope symbols on the left hand side of forum items.... I get the different colours/ shades but why do some, like the topics I start, have a little black spot in the centre of the envelope symbol ?? Am I a 'marked man' ?? Alun.

Forgot to add about the quality of the flounders............. all fighting fit and really thick. No monsters......but most between 1 and 2and1/4 lbs. each. Best 'specimens' were the rockling ........ I see these aren't listed in the records list......... What is a good size?? Yesterday's fat, slippery ones were between 1/2 and 3/4 pound ....... the biggest I've seen! Cheers, Alun.

Hi Chas., I know Llangenith and, as a teenager, fished there and on Bury Holms, catching flatties and small bass using lugworm and/or cockles from Swansea. I've been back a few times , 25+ years on , and taken some of our chunky, king rag...... and had much more success with the bass on the big rag !! I found the same was true last summer/ autumn, fishing for sole ........ big rag on 1/0 or 2/0 hooks ....... sole were easily able to 'wolf' these down, despite their strange shaped......... but not so small mouths !!! Warmer the water...... bigger the bait ?? Tight lines, Alun.

The best bit of a day going downhill fast ...... weatherwise. Having got a bucketful of decent sized rag yesterday [ god knows how much that would cost, even if you could buy it ; all I see in the tackle shops are tiddlly little things..... that cost a tenner for a cupful !!] ,,,,,, went in search of the flounders in Poole. Paul [ Sinbad] needed little encouragement to join me and we dropped my little boat into Lake shore about 8.30 [ close to 1st. high] and motored against a fresh breeze up the Wareham channel and tied onto a post. Bottom gear versus float......... no contest........ only three on the bottom seven on float........... but depth critical...... just off bottom to reduce crab attack. Wind and tide action moving the baits about also helped. Fish came steadily through the couple of hours between the two highs. With the ebb and wind increasing to strong , we moved over to the other side nearer to Arne for some lee ...... and saw the charter boats over in the Wytch channel. Only a few small bass, a couple of big fat rockling , masses of crabs and lots of weed in a lumpy sea as the tide pushed into the wind. So we called it a day just as the rain arrived Quite a different sort of a day, good to using light gear again [ more like trotting for chub in the river] ...... and a supply of fish for the week as an alternative to whiting!! Thanks Paul for the refreshments and company ; hope others made the best of the weather. Cheers, Alun.

Hey Bob, Is this fishing deprived madness?? Chesil in a SW storm .....at night?? Have you seen those 'mini-tsunami' surges that move the pebbles from under your feet?? Put a big stake into the shingle, well up the beach ........ and tie yourself to it with some rope!! and hang on as you get tossed about !! I'd be surprised if any fishing would be possible ....... but good luck !! I'm going to be adventurous and try to dig some worms on Sat. afternoon. Cheers, Alun.

Looks like it might take till the end of Jan. for the wind to calm down ?? A.

Hi Ray, Sound comments from Adam; I'd just add one point......... does your engine have a 'power lift' to raise the prop when the water quickly shallows up ; I've found this the most useful aid as there's a lot of gravel in the Run and on the edges of the Bar. I'd also gladly give you a few pointers and places to catch a few fish ...... any time except Feb. + March ...... when the fishing's very quiet. Cheers, Alun.

Hi Adam, What did you do with the pike ?? This size of pike are the best to cook with , lovely firm flesh and big enough to deal with the forked bones. If you ever get a good sized perch........ I'm sure we could arrange some sort of favour / exchange [ perch are one of my favourites !!] ??? Glad you enjoyed your day; I'd love to see some of those lures..... a form of fishing I've not done for years. Cheers, Alun.

Hi Stuart, Mine and lots of visiting relatives. Still have a few bits in the freezer. Give us a ring if you'd like to share a bit , if there's any left when you've got a free date ? Cheers , Alun.

Anyone been out of Christchurch lately ???? Having gained a few brownie points over past few days and promised a day out before going back to work tomorrow......... it was disappointing to get the weather forecast of gales / storms and rain that precluded a trip out into the bay ..... so fall back to the harbour didn't seem so bad when the sun got up........ only I couldn't get any worms [ and the lack of tide seemed useless !!] .... so ended up doing a service to my daughter's car. Anyway........ I did manage a walk in the breezy sunshine down by Friar's Cliff, overlooking the Run........ but I just stood staring, trying to work out how to get in / out ............ because there were waves breaking EVERYWHERE !! Now , there were no big swells running, no big tide, no surge of river water coming down ........ and at two o'clock, the middle of a neap tide. The three yellow/green buoys were still there....... but waves [ little ones!! ] were breaking on either side of the outer two !! From what I could see / make out ..... the Bar has grown a bit since I was out last week ; the deepest water would seem to be further along the beach....... I would recommend coming down the Run, follow the first buoy...... but on reaching the second...... Keep left....parallel to the shore, about 100- 200 m. should clear the new end of the bar. And on return, reaching the outer buoy should make you go east to go round the lack of channel and in close to Avon beach, nearer the cans on the groynes looks deeper !! Proceed with caution !! and prop lifted !! Still hoping to get a couple of trips in this month ...... how long do you think the whiting will hang around [ I noticed last week, a few were filling with roe ]?. Happy New Year, Alun.

Hi Rich., What a great offer! I used to do a lot of coarse fishing but switched to sea fishing as my culinary interests / skills developed. I have caught, cooked, eaten and enjoyed chub, pike, perch and many other freshwater fish but often get strange looks from some fellow anglers by taking fish. In the fish kitchen one fish stands out above all the others..... the PERCH....... this has beautiful sweet white flakey flesh ......better than trout , salmon or eel. A shame they are often so small...... with thick skin and a big hollow body, you need one well over a pound to be a useful starting point! As a youngster, the second fish I ever caught was a two pounder.......... and was probably responsible for this lifelong interest...... and I've never caught a better one since. This opportunity could be something special !! Cheers, Alun.

Squid v. Mackeral ......... All my recent experience says squid,squid , squid !!! Mackeral did have the edge up till the end of november but not now. Squid is the bait for whiting and picked up my ray yesterday [ even though I was fishing mackeral as well] I think it may have something to do with what they are feeding on. Although the whiting are often full of food, the fish are pretty well digested....... so they haven't been eating sprats[ or similar] for several days or more [at these lower temps. it will take longer to break down]...... when mackeral was top bait many of them came up coughing up the sprats. Just a possible link ?? Alun.

........ Had a lovely sunny morning on X-ray; no wind , you hardly noticed the sub-zero temp. [ wondered what that tinkling noise was ... broken glass ??..... no, just water off my bags had frozen during the run out from Mudeford ] -2 C on the quay but it felt more like summer with all the clothes on. Fishing much as expected ........ a good smattering of whiting between all the dogfish ....... all sizes, with about 10 good ones up to two and a half pounds to bring back. No cod today but did pick up a blonde ray ....... plus several other slow solid pulls of bites that came away [ small rays perhaps ??]. Quite a few pout about....... put one out as livebait....... but it sat there untouched for over an hour, survived several casts and still managed to swim off when I put it back...... tough little things . Whiting fillets done in the style of my 'roast cod' went down a treat with my guests, it must be amazing how few people get to eat really fresh fish ! Hope others enjoyed the day .. weather now going downhill again !!! Tight lines, Alun.

X-Ray beckons........ ....... I've got a few hours between sets of visitors....... weather and tides favour a few casts over the x-ray area around late morning/ early afternoon. ..... the squid is softening in the fridge ........ hoping for afew big whiting to cook up for my dad......... or possibly another big cod [ but not banking on this !] .... ..... just spare me too many doggies. Anyone to join me ??? [on site] Tight lines, Alun.

Hi Sam, X-ray area, the very first of the flood tide [ neap] , mid-day, just after the whiting vanished. Doesn't look possible to fish for a few days with these winds! Merry Christmas, Alun.

Sounds like a combination of luck and maintenance........ I've got two Abu 6600 LD s and love them .... the quick thumb release, easy casting and the ability to set the drag in gear with the 'clicker' on for those screaming bites ............... then just push the lever up to stick into that big one!! ......... worked a treat with the 25 lb cod yesterday....... even with light trace line of 18 lb test. I was them down with the boat after each trip [ just hose them over ] and a few spots of oil on the outside [ levelwind and handle] ........ and an internal clean and oil once a year. Similarly with my 7000 LD and Shimano TLD10 ....... though both of these had got a bit sticky..... through UNDERUSE........ an extra 'annual' clean and a few extra sessions at sea has them both back in top form. Get fishing more !!!!!!!! Christmas cheers, Alun.

If you've been looking at the weather prospects for this holiday break ...... then your heart would have been sinking like mine ........ wind , rain, gales, frost and more wind !! Having missed last Sunday's lull ...... today seemed the only prospect of getting afloat, albeit with a strong north to northwest forecast. So with the help of some de-icer at an 8-o'clock dawn, Sinbad and I slid out of Mudeford [ 2 C harbour water] on some brown water and fished around at X-ray in a fresh and chilly breeze but not too bumpy; where the ebb produced a few whiting [ not many big ones ] all pretty full of [ well-digested ] sprats ..... but , as predicted, gone by low water. One decent bite that seemed a better whiting turned out to be a frisky little bass that shook the hook free at the net ......... but ......... just when you think things have gone quiet......... along comes a slow steady pull....... feels like a good ray [this is X-RAY after all !!]......on the uptider....... but this 'ray' keeps taking as much line as I'm getting in....... but the little Abu Lever drag is set well and prevents any 'snap-offs'. Five or ten mins later ..... a shape surfaces from 17metres and it's not flat .......... but a great big , round white belly..... a cod that only just fitted into my seemingly small net by some expert netskills demonstrated by Paul [ honed during barbel fishing]....... but a lot of puffing to lift it aboard. On the scales...... big belly wobbled between 24 and 25 lbs. ........ so we''ll settle for 24 1/2 ..... a P B for me , and the biggest Paul had seen and got him reaching for his camera [ perhaps he'll post the shot ]. No more similar bites.......... just lots of dogfish. With the flood picking up and no whiting action [ I've noticed this every time at X-ray]........ we moved to the Ledge for the last couple of hours of the afternoon. Found an excellently steep spot [ 19 down to 12 metres or less in only a few boat lengths] but only managed a few big pout. Wind dropped completely, lovely sunset and icicles forming on our noses as we sped in before dark .......... another interesting day...... in good company. Merry Christmas [ or Festival of the Return of the Sun ........ as us pagans call this time of year ............ after today's Solstice] Alun.

Sorry........ crossed wires !! Must be a reaction to X- factor !! ....... give me X-ray any day! Alun.

PDSA .......... Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals. Would only exist in Britain......... where cruelty to chickens, turkeys, pigs and 'farmed' animals goes on to millions ....... but a few cats, dogs and donkeys get special treatment !! WIERD !!! A.

>>>>>>> but looks like the last settled weekend for a while ......... typical !!! Just as I've a holiday coming up when I'd be able to put in a few sessions...... the forecast is ..... downhill.......so it'll have to be Christmas cheer and flounder bashing !! ........ but that's to come.....and I'm still amazed by this year's whiting fishing. Another good session today in the X-ray area; went out mid morning in patchy thin fog [ wierdly surreal ....... must be that movie !!] ...... good ol' GPS pointing me the right way ........ calm and frosty cold; then the sun comes through and it's all toasty warm with layers on !! Steady tide and it's straight into a knock, knock, knock stream of bites..... whiting of all sizes [ coughing up sprats ] interspersed with plenty of doggies and a few junbo pout. No pattern...... fish here , there ......... everywhere!! [ tried a few spots ..... all the same] ....... except today they wanted squid and mackeral went ignored except by the pout and dogs! But mackeral did have the last shout ...... snaring a nice blonde ray in the last of the light. Despite a freshening easterly....... easily crept back into Mudeford on the first of the flood. Another boat in from fishing near the Needles had conger, ray smoothies but no cod. Could fewer cod be part of the reason for masses of whiting....... or am I being too simplistic / naieve ?? I like whiting...... and lots of fish cooks will rate fresh whiting above the bland and chewy cod !!! ........ but I like cod as well !! Lots of meals again this week, Cheers, Alun.

Rich, Please inform me ........... ' solent salmon ' ........???? ....... another name for what?? I've only lived here 30 years ....... it's a new one on me !! Cheers, Alun.

Hi Charlie, We were the smallest boat out there......... a little blue Orkney 4 40....... it was Sinbad who spotted you as you came by........... why did you carry on so close inshore ??? Not being greatly experienced out there.......... and arriving early, before all the charters..... we just aimed for a space as ther was little in the way of bottom features to go by......... we motored past a slightly deeper area close to the Needles then anchored on a gentle [ very gentle ] slope......... but couldn't see any pattern in position. It was just great to be able to get out to a spot my little trailaway would rarely be able to get a sniff at !!! .......... and we got a cod !! Alun.

Hi Paul, Sounds like you had a similar day to me and Sinbad yesterday.......... isn't this run of weather great...... and bound not to last !! Fishing such calm conditions combined with slack tides makes such a contrast with the battles against the elements on other days!! Shame you didn't get a fat cod !! I'm cooking up a bit of ours at the moment ... looking good! .......first of the winter for me ......... hoping there'll be a few more over the holiday break in a couple of weeks , when tides will be similar ! Enjoy the whiting ........ I spent this afternoon filletting !! Tight lines , Alun.

How many of you got dragged out shopping........ or doing chores on what was a lovely day for fishing ???? With only a little encouragement Sinbad joined me for a trip to the limits of my little boat. So calm, so mild, so little tide ........ we slid out from Mudeford at first light ......... and carried on past the Needles..... dropping anchor in 28 m. of water a couple of miles south ......... just as the tide [ what tide ? ] was turning. Fishing with only a couple of ounces in all that water was great for bite detection ...... shame it was endless pout and dog....... but not for long!! Next...... me into a conger, grabbing one of those pout..... then Paul stuck into something bigger pulling on his little wand of a rod ,,,,,, 5 mins later up comes the bulk of a cod...... which only just squeezed into my net..... but only weighed 12lbs. on his scales [ looked bigger !!!!]...... FINE FAT FISH !!!!..... worthy of photo. [sinbad to post?] Then......... a conger to the surface........ and lods more doggies. Should we move?? Increasing tide ...... so we stayed......and then started to get more and more whiting........ ace whiting !!! ...... lots of good sized ones, in such good condition......... and when we ran out of bait......... we still caught them on strips of pout [ a first for us both !!]. Lots of other boats about [ but none so small !!]...... counted about 25 in the circle of vision........ but well spread out....... no one on your warp !! Great White motored past........ and carried on in much closer to the cliffs... too far away to spot any action !!! With cool box bulging...... and cod on the deck ...... had the most picturesque trip back ......... a gorgeous sunset of colours to left, a misty calm of Christchurch Bay to right with no one save the odd oil tanker to avoid . Perfect chill to the working week!! Alun.

I think sometimes we have to wait until we can retire from work , go part-time, or can do short notice flexi-time ............ OK for some......... I'll have to wait a few years yet. Sympathies....... Alun.