Leicester Fisheagle

Sounds like it could well be worth coming along. Thanks for arranging it.

An alternative meaning to "tight lines." Having been out on "Warren", Rich's Orkney 520 last weekend for a rather fishless club contest, it was now his turn with me on Fisheagle, an identical boat. The weather and water were on our side as we launched from Baiters and headed out into the Bay. After a few minutes a flock of diving seagulls attracted out attention so we approached cautiously with Hokkais at the ready . After several casts our initial excitement became muted as the gulls moved away and what was attracting them disappeared. We waited several minutes but they did not return So it was onto our first mark which proved rather dispppointing with just a Gurnard , one ounce under a pound, to me and a bream of half a pound to Rich. A lot more drifts and several marks later and more small gurnard and bream. The highlight of the day was on our return leg. Having decided to anchor on the Patch we were soon getting bites and had a good hour's fun with both of us catching Scad with largest going to just a pound Our return and retrieve was uneventful, just ourselves and one other boat on the slip. As the other boat owner was on his own, he had anchored up and gone to fetch his 4 wheel drive so we came out first. We had started to wash down "Fisheagle" and were half aware of what was going on around us. The guy with the 4 wheel drive roped up his trailer and his vehicle had just gone on to the flat tarmac with the boat approahing the top of the slip. The next thing a cyclist coming from Poole as though completing the last lap of the Tour de France, pretending to be Lance Armstrong, arrived on the scene. Then suddenly a very tight line, the cyclist finishing up on the deck. Not a danger I had thought about before when at Baiters

After the last Club Meeting I decided to join the Angling Trust as an Individual Member. To put it simply, they are one of the few bodies that represent angling at a National Level. The idea of waiting to see how they get on and what they do does not appeal as I feel they need support now. From what I see they are certainly far more active in terms of their media profile than previous organisations. If I am wrong, I have lost a few gallons (litres) of fuel money. It's also pleasing to see that the Club intends to invite high level representation from the new Organisation which hopefully will persuade a few more to join. Things aren't perfect, people may still ask "What is in it for me or my branch of angling?" This is an appeal to open discussion and to give an embryonic organisation a chance of growing rather than dying in the early stages due to a lack of support and funding.

Hi Rich was aware of Wessex Trailors having been several times when I was in Weymouth. Wanted some bearings doing on my previos boat trailor but they would not touch it with the boat on the trailor despite the fact I was prepared to give them a written disclaimer. They are also the recommended local dealer for the 520 trailor-as you know my latest boat-turned up with previous boat on trailor having booked in and told them it was on the trailor and having booked in well in advance but they would not touch it. So I have issues with them. Other times when I have wanted hub caps, tie down strap, winch and other items they have been great so I may just give them a last chance.

Thanks for this one Coddy. Needed a few U bolts and will probably need new rims but not tyres next year. May well give them a try or even pop over unless there is something more local. Also understand that we now live not too far apart in Broadstone. Cannot make the next meeting as in Leicester, will say hello at the meeting after. Allan.

Brian will say hello next time. Have similar thoughts to yourself about Baiters and may well use Cobbs next season. Few points to think about Cobbs, had problems there in the past with the crane and boats being tied either side of the slip which made life difficult to get the family on board. Also, even if no boats, can be difficult to get down the sides on low tides then there is the extra distance. Think i've seen this discussion somewhere before! Regards Allan.

Saw your boat down Baiters just after 5 tonght looked really good. Will say hello when we are down there next. The graphics looked the part. Allan.

Probably the best site for reels I have come across if you don't have the diagrams and want to do your own maintenance.

Thanks Tom, like yourself , I am already missing the fishing around Portland, but there is much to discover locally. Keep the kettle on in your new home now you have moved from Salterns and we could well pop in one Friday.

Crew wanted weekends/weekdays for well equiped Orkney 520 launching mainly from Baiters, Poole. I have recently moved to Poole and am keen to improve my knowledge of the Club's fishing area. Please PM for more details.

Ditto Allan.

Thanks for the comments from everyone. Very helpful.

I will probably be putting Fisheagle into "winterisation mode" in November until March as circumstances this year are unlikely to allow me down again for any lenght of time. I still have a 25 litre spare tank of 4 stroke, 12 litres in the main tank and a small amount in the auxilliary engine tank. These are in tanks that are not that too easy to empty as the filler is towards the middle. I could put the fuel into my car ( its been on the boat for about two months) or I could leave it till next March. Is it true that the fuel will deteriorate if I leave it? Hoping that as winter approaches this question may be of interest to others.

Thanks for adding this one Rich. It appears that we are not the only ones.

Well done to you both. Will catch up with you for a pint sometime.

Ditto done.

Option 3 seems to be the only viable one.

Thanks for adding this link Paul. It explains the current situation very well.

I was a little concerned this morning to receive a letter from the NFSA indicating that its future could be in jeopardy due to its loosing a third of its funding, which currently, is supplied by Sport England. It would appear that this money is to allocated to a new Government Body called the Angling Development Board (ADB). Its aims seem to be far less involved with the wider issues of Sea Angling and the management of fish stocks as well as less concerned with recreational sea angling. Maybe I have missed something, but I know little about the new body and have always supported the NFSA as the best we currently have to represent us. Consequently, like others, I hold individual membership as well as affiliation through clubs including PBSBAC. I could at any time drop the individual membership, but its my choice and I consider it a small price to pay. If my good lady, who is working were here, I would ask her to post a copy of the NFSA letter on the site as I am not computer literate. This would explain things far more clearly and succinctly than I can in a short posting. It could be that other anglers are already aware of the proposed changes and again I may have missed somthing. If not, perhaps someone would be kind enough to post it in order to raise awareness and hopefully to stimulate some positve debate and discussion.

I will be returning to the same spot next time i'm down in August and if we are lucky enough to get another of the same size it will be be well photographed, measured and weighed. I will probably return it this time as I feel remorse about eating it even though it was delicious.

Would be interested in seeing what you come up with and the cost. Could prove useful for my 520. Just a thought would it cope with sandy beaches or would some sort of foot pad be needed?

Have just checked the NFSA site definately not a grey or tub. Hopefully will catch another and get it done properly next time-if there is a next time. Have just copied the NFSA specimen list and the Club list which will now be kept on the boat.

Just checked the record list. Could have dropped a clanger. Pretty sure it was a red this was also the opinion of a guy from Poole who was out with me who fishes for the Albion and crews for the charters that have the little hut that sells some fishing gear near Fishermans Warf in Poole. Should have taken pictures and checked more carefully but it was nice and tasty.

After four short visits down to Weymouth since March when we were beaten by the weather my last 10 days down there proved to be a lot more productive. Mainly inshore marks were fished due to the strong winds even on the calmer days and three trips undertaken. A good range of species were caught including mackeral, gars, several types of wrasse, pollack, bream, bass and red gurnard. In total well over a hundred fish nearly all of which were returned. Three were kept for the pot. These included a gurnard around 2lb, a bream around 2 1/2lb and a half decent pollack at 3 1/2 lb. The best fish was a ballan wrasse of just over three pounds. Nothing enormous but excellent sport on light tackle. Confidence has grown and we now await the time when some of the more off shore marks become available to the Orkney 520. Hopefully this will be during our next visit in August. My greatfull thanks must go to Billy Boy and Rich J.A.W. who really went out of their way to point us in the right direction given the poor weather.

A big thanks to every one who has helped out with this, especailly Mike Y who very kindly phoned through some information this morning about possible fishing marks. So subject to the weather this weekend I should be out there with a few others and will let you know how we get on.