duncan

substituting little sticky fish pictures representing species caught in a year might make this a bit less contentious................ on the other hand simply having one sticker representing any fish exceeding 100% specimen might even make it workable! All we need is a sponsor............extension of the Shimano thingy maybe? Get them to issue the club with stickers for issue as and when appropriate?

OK guys which banks were yo fishing on our recent trip and for what? A quick glance at the chart of the area shows banks everywhere! Certainly South, SW and West.......... Anyone the slightest clue where they actually were? pms accepted!

Well the time has finally come to move to a DSC radio set, mainly I will admit to call up other boats I know to arrange which pub we are meeting at over the summer! The Simrad unit comes with both the standard gimbal mount and a nice facia / flush mount kit and, with the latter, it is rated as waterproof. Also comes with manual. BOught new in 2002. 80 if we can arrange a hand over, 85 if you want it posted. should be available from this weekend.

oh look - a calm sea!!!!!!!!!!! it's been many many months since I saw one of those - when can we expect them again?

details pm'd - have a great trip.

I can give you the numbers for the 2 specific areas commonly fished for bream - but they are in my plotter and I won't be able to access them until the weekend. Are you planning to head down before then? If so pm me and I will try and describe them in simple terms - 1 I can put you on very easily (but it's a little early for it to come on stream and there wasn't anything showing Saturday there but the other is the more general area populated by the charter comunity - it was fishing OK Sat from the fish we saw taken on board others and there were even 2 Weymouth boats on it! Difficult to pinpoint that one without the numbers I am afraid.

Why didn't I have a dad like you?

Damm photographic trickery to me - look how they are holding the fish! Bet that's 3 dabs from Eastborne pier...........

Nice Mike. You might like this one too - more fishing in florida

Thanks Kam - felt it was close at one stage and rembering back to my yonger days wondered if I would stay out until I caught something! What really frustrated me was nothing hitting beautiful hermit baits - no smothies anywhere (we put baits)

the forecast winds left us heading out on a late start (0830h) looking for shelter and fish - initially in that order! whilst bream were coming aboard off Ballard, and conditions were OK, we decided after a couple of quick drifts to head 'west'. joined a few other large boats off Dancing ledge, with winspit providing a cool breeze to spoil an otherwise sunny day. wind and tide continued their tussle and when the wind started to win we upped anchor and headed back to ballard for the flood. total tally to 2 rods - 4 bream (2 females returned) 2 mackeral and a wrasse.......not a lot for a lot of effort! back to berth at 2000h..............

fish finger it's a lot less scary than Poole Harbour on a summers weekend! The big ships do follow predictible courses in predictable areas at pretty predictible speeds. That said I wouldn't lead a group of small boats across in less than 400m visability with radar ie we would need to be able to stay visible to each other! Without radar you would want 5 miles vis to spot your gap at times. that said getting over is the easy bit - the trouble comes when the weather changes overnight for the trip back and everyone has gethomeitus. Normally a days contingincy would be good cover but with fishermen if day 2 was warm and sunny they would stay and fish if they could! I am certainly tempted to head over during the coming half term if a suitable window appears and I can get some sensible detailed fishing marks.

still down the pub?

Mike the slog bit is under 60 miles - the 85 includes getting out of Poole to off Swanage and allows 20% margin - ie plan on 85 n/miles. Reckon a 3-4 hour 'slog' if conditions waranted slowing down to 15 knots but with a couple of wrecks on the way............alternatively 2 1/2 at 25knots

something pretty funny about that forecast Kam waveheights and wind don't seem a match at all! theyr is giving 3-4 Friday 4-5 Saturday then 3-2 into Sunday morning (nothing beyond that yet) All between NW and West. I am starting to thing that Sunday may be a better trip than Saturday though - trouble is as it's my fist this season I will proabably go whatever.........

Jack, Glad you aren't serious about catching anything this season - had me worried there for a mo..........

nearly all marine engines will have been set up for wot = 1 hour rating and a seperate continuos rating will be advised in teh operation manual. Some smaller 4 strokes are set up to run all day at wot, most are not. few people will travel for more than 1 hour at a time in a small boat so they don't even need to consider the issue and consider instead fuel consumption! As an example my 4 stroke's (diesel) figures are: 2800 rpm - Fast cruise (still on the straight lline for consumption) 3100 rpm - Continuous rating 3300 rpm - Max power - 1 hour rating 3650 rpm - Governed max revs - only used when in danger of missing last orders or racing jet skis.

Say 70 miles plus 20% and you are planning an 85 mile trip (each way) plus fishing. I could carry spare fuel for someone if they fancied the trip - equally can lend 3 x 25ltr 'fuel container' too - which should be enough for most to make the trip on anything but full throttle

Fair amount of tide Charlie - will you drift for the tope? Was chatting to some divers about some rather large conger Monday........chat to you sometime! Numbers to rival that snakepit you fish too..........

Sounds good Charlie - over one morning, back the next day. Given teh seafaring adn competitive nature of the boys out there I trust they will have some idea where the general marks are they are fishing!

that would be what they call a controlled understatement maybe? I am already very envious - don't mind admitting it! Given that these are technically club waters I suppose a little trip over may be in order - who else has the range?

looks like a light NW on Saturday, cold but hopefully calm. Bit of tide there too. anyone else heading out if it all works out like this?

Thanks Kam but they won't help with lean - if anything they will actuall make it worse as, in a straight line, the lower side will have greater pressure / less lift and the raised side reduced water pressure / more lift! I am happy with the longtitudinal trim control already available to me throught the drive trim and I have plenty of spare power to get up and go.

JOhn, mince or mash the fish with some oil then stick into the onion sack reports of some really nice bream to the West - havn't heard much on Ballard lately although the charter fleet was all there on Sunday when I went past. have a good trip - I am hoping to get out for the first time (fishing) this season on Saturday and will be heading West.