Graham Nash

I am out Saturday .... not sure which way to head yet but might try Southbourne area or head out past the IOW. Depends on the sea state I suppose.

I am out Saturday but might be able to squeeze out for a few hours Friday afternoon too ..... weather (and work) permitting.

That would be very helpful Mike. We also need to get together sometime for my safety check. Rockley is open till 7 or 8 all summer so any early evening would be great. I can do any evening (normally).

Ha Ha Mike .... Were you speaking a foreign language there? Clan ? Xray ? I know Poole Bay I think I tried Dolphin Sands on the way back last Friday but it was full of nets!

Right!!!! Having spent a small fortune going mid channel last week and catching absolutely not a thing I am looking for some advice on where to go and what to use. I have had a couple of great bream trips recently but am looking for something a little different. The tides are big so The Shambles are a no no .... I prefer to anchor rather than drift and would love to catch a ray, tope, spur, pollock or anything a little bigger and different than the normal pout, bream, whiting and doggie that we normally catch. Any advice will be gratefully received

There are variables but the sea is worse if the wind is against the tide. I personally would NOT go out in anything 5 or above. Even with a 4 I would be looking at the sea conditions before venturing out. Having said that, I am sure my boat would take it, i just doubt my tummy would

Well done all for getting back safe and well. Cant wait for the reports and Pictures. Niggle ..... how did your trip on Shogun go?

They're all in peoples freezers!

This is the biggest game in my clubs history ..... I will be sat with my club shirt on, holding the emblem in one hand and a pint of lager in the other :-)

Put

Unfortunately I have to wait till the staff turn up at Rockley before getting afloat but that sounds like a plan .... So long as the water is not too lumpy, I will give you a shout as soon as I am afloat and see where you are.

all those miles on a rough sea would not have been my idea of fun either Greg ..... Last night I was regretting my call to cancel, but this morning I thought I had made the right shout. There's plenty of water out there without making myself too uncomfortable.

congratulations on your new toy ...... You are in good company with your warrior as there seem to be a few of them about :-)

The weather Gods have played up for the past couple of weeks but it looks like they have given us a window tomorrow (for the non superstitious among us). Is anyone else venturing out? I am thinking of getting up early and having a morning and early afternoon afloat.

I walked down to Baiter earlier and it looked a tad lumpy but I have just walked down there again and it is the flattest I have seen it for over 2 weeks. The flags are all hanging and even the sailing dinghy's are going slow so it looks like the wind Gods have come up trumps for you. Have a great trip, I am hoping I will be celebrating in my own way Saturday but I am sure I will still be thinking of you all. Tight lines.

In an attempt to cause less damage I use a wet towel when I handle the fish. One thing I am often unsure about is a completely swallowed hook .... is it better to struggle to get it out or do I cut the line and let the fish dislodge it its self? I must be honest (and I hope people will tell me this is the right course of action) I generally try to get it out but if I am failing I cut the line and release the fish along with my hook.

it has been quite breezy in Poole today too Adam. http://www.pooleyc.co.uk/cms/index.asp?dir...ge=Live+Weather

Mike, There is a large cheetah cat FPO boat tied up in Poole Harbour. I have no doubt it moves at some time or other but I have yet to see it anywhere other than its berth!

I have mentioned before that I cringe when I see a photograph of lots of smiling fishermen holding even more dead fish. I return ALL fish as soon as I unhook them, apart from a few weeks ago when we kept 24 mackerel (as future bait) out of a haul of about 80 in 10 minutes. In My Opinion, if people want to take them home for tonights tea then thats good, but to take them home to stock the freezer is risking future stocks and possibly limiting future catches. I am not a tree hugger nor a do gooder, I just dont see why we have to destroy everything then complain when its gone?

I see there was a fire at Sunseekers this morning.

Is the best chance we have of seeing him in the water

And you have obviously been doing a wind dance since you have been out of the water too Nigel, it has hardly stopped blowing!!

I may make it over one of the days to join you but doubt I would stay there overnight (is only hour and half from home for me). I have no marks over that way but the shambles is fairly obvious owing to the two large markers showing West & East limits (plus the 30 or so ather boats in the same spot ) I believe there is the lulworth banks over that side and there is a large deep gully off St Albans that I hear good reports about but I have yet to catch anything other than Mackerel from!

Could it be that we are always "in a hurry" Adam? Maybe we cruise too near to the maximum speed too often? I know I probably do.

I admire the fact you are still smiling and joking Nigel. I would have been right down in the dumps if it was me.