Bob F

Me please! BF

Nice to have you aboard, Mike and Rose. BF

Happy birthday Ryan.

Hurrahhhh, famous again. Just making the most of it. Doesn't happen often. BF

"Get fishing more". That's my Xmas wish. BF

1.075 on my first go. Then 0.85 on my second go. What's holding you lot up???? Ok, so I did click the button. Saddoo's.

That would even put a smile on Scrouge's face.

Martin and Paul D were looking for crew. BF

Welcome aboard Neil. BF

Another great fish, Alun. It's been a good year. Good to hear that the Forum are getting into the bigger Cod at last. Merry Xmas. BF

Serviced the Abu 6600LD last night. The drag is now working smoothly, and the thumb bar spool release seems to be behaving itself now. Only trouble is that the spool isn't spinning very freely. Slackened off the spool adjust knob, etc, but still doesn't feel very smooth. Reckon I didn't oil the bearings adequately, so will redo this. BF

ooh errr misses!

Yep, not sure about "up North", Dave, but boats down 'ere work best in water. BF

Wow! That was quick. Cheers chaps. I'll let you know how I get on. BF

I've got a couple of Abu Lever Drag reels that need the clutch serviing. They are starting to stick. 6500 and a 7000. Any tips of serving lever Drag clutches? How do you clean them and is there anything you can put on to make the clutch operation smoother? I've had the reels from new, but the clutches have never run as smoothly as my second-hand Penn Lever Drag. This reel has an uprated clutch on it and it is really smooth to use. Also, the 6500 has a spool release thumb bar which is forever sticking and leaving the spool in free flow. I read recently that this is usually due to lack of lubrication on the lever mechanism when new. But what lubricant should I use, an oil or grease?? I guess a grease would be best since it has infrequent operation. What type of grease can I use? cheers BF

Parking fees at Wick for a car all day is normally

Oh, and he looks good in it, too!

The King is dead. Long live the King! BF

A "Marine" Battery is supposedly a combination of the starter and leisure battery (i.e. it has the punch to start an engine but will not be damaged if frequently run down). BF

In your dreams. BF

Did we miss an opportunity again??? Did anyone take a photo of John's cracking specimen flounder, and being presented with the terrific Xmas hamper??? Would've made a great photo for the front page and good PR for the club. BF

Oh, envy, envy, envy. Nice boat Sean. Welcome aboard. BF

I got chased off a river by Jack once. I was poaching at the time. Poor bugger was out of breath after 50 yds. Most have been all that pipe smoking. BF

Jack, I'm not very clued up on the Shetland versions, but yes, if it is a cream hull then it will probably be a Shetland. Not sure exactly when Arnie Holt bought the moulds from Shetland but I think it was the mid to late 90's. The reason I bought an Alaska instead of something like the Warrior was that the Alaska is rated to carry 6-8 persons versus 4 on a Warrior. I wouldn't want to have 8 people in an Alaska but she's easily managed 3 adults and 3 kids. I regularly fish with 3 adults onboard with no problems. In terms of handling, the Alaska has got a wide beam and so rolls less at anchor or when a person moves about when steaming. I like that!! On the down side, the wider bow can cause a little broaching in some seas (but rare) and can make it a slightly wetter ride at times, but that's usually a good signal to tell you you should be going a little slower in the conditions. What would I change on the boat? I prefer the new Alaska layout which has single swivel seats on both sides, and I'd like a folding canopy instead of the standard fixed version, although I have now found a way of folding it away. Not sure what bouncy was in the Shetland hull, but the Arnie Holt versions have terrific bouncy installed. Arnie showed me some impressive photos of the swamp test they did on the Alaska as part of the CE certification. The boat was diliberately flooded but was still floating with 4 or 5 people jumping up and down on the hull. Yes, weak floors were a problem on some of the Shetland versions and also heard about stress fractures around the transom area. Look for stress fractures in general, especially if it has been trailered on an old trailer which doesn't offer the support of the modern roller trailers. And if you buy a boat with an engine, check that it has a serial number. I know this is an obvious thing but it's easy to forget. If it doesn't have a s/n leave well alone. Even engineers forget to do this. You'll enjoy the Alaska, which ever version you get. BF