Sinbad

Thanks Rob Very interesting! - we were only doing 20mph on the basic Yam instruments (battery problem wouldnt run the plotter...) But I was looking at Alfresco and commenting to richard on how 50% of Alfrescos hull length was out of the water (i.e planing) and how I wish we had an extra bit of water line length - at the same speed Alfresco was planing with her bow clear, we were slamming occaisonally, but it looks more stable than it felt. However it was a great run in, smooth sea. I wanted to trim the bow down a bit, but there wasnt enought alernator/battery power left to operate the trim tabs..

Very Nicely Done Good result - most would be happy with that amount of action for a short-ish session - confidence pays off!! It seems dropped fish are in-evitable -for every one landed.... Regards Paul

Some of you may know I had been experiencing an annoying intermittent loss of GPS signal on my Navman 5600 plotter - it was getting so frustrating, that in the end I stripped the whole lot out and took it into Chris at Greenham Regis in Poole. The help and service I received has been excellent, and through these pages - I just want to record my thanks and let others know. Chris maintained excellent contact with Navman and myself, and after informing me that it had been traced to a faulty aerial cable, but Navman couldnt replace this particular antenna until the new year, offered to lend me a brand new surface mount antenna which had the right patch connection to get me going again until the new one arrived. Chris also seemed to understand the importance to me of having my plotter available over the holiday period, and I found this so refreshing compared to most retailers only interested in you when buying the latest new kit So I picked this up Saturday, and had the Plotter back in operation within half an hour. Very happy once again This experience has been quite useful also and taught me a few key safety lessons: 1. How to plot a position using chart and handheld compass (and how in-accurate this can be !!) 2. How to use my standby Garmin GPS - which I had never mastered or managed to set up properly, as I had always used the plotter for preference. Paul

Having made a decision to delay Mondays trip with a work buddy 24 hours - weather now looks much better than earlier forecast - but Tue/Wed still looks good... Hope you get some good fishing in Alun... Paul

Very very nice! - well done chaps.... Alun tells me that the trim is self adjusting once the fuel tanks are filled up. Certainly will be with you and bob standing at the stern hauling conger.. be nice if you could sneak out to join us at the Needles tuesday???? Promise to take some good photos..... Anyway, nice to know its safely afloat and just round the corner from Alfresco and Imagine... much better location IMHO, than other side of the bridge... Bet the first fish aboard is a Whiting! Regards Paul

Im just looking at the changing window - Mon looks a bit breezy - have had two days with winds arround F3-4 Westerly - and now with the ebb tide - not for me. Tuesday or Wednesday looks better at the mo... Paul

Keep in touch on Ch.6 - a few of us should be in the bay - Imagine / Gastronought ? And let us know if you get that Lunker... Paul

Thanks for the report Alun, always a pleasure to fish with you.... and thanks for the able crewing also. having had 2 hours sleep the previous night, I was expecting to be a bit jaded but its amazing how the opportunity of a fishing trip puts everything in the shade... it was a good call today, such a change from the wind over tide of last Friday - it was like a millpond by comparison. Also good to experiment with a few of the old marks. It was a pretty impressive sight with the sky black with seagulls as you cleaned the fish on the way in - we must have rounded up every gull from Christchurch to Poole Lets hope for some more action next week....

Keen weather watchers also with a last days annual leave not interested in xmas shopping also keen... Going out Monday on Imagine.... will either have you in visual Alun, or on Ch6. Should have plotter repaired and back in service by then Paul

Absolutely cracking fish PJ - nice photo as well. (martin? ) wish I'd been there.... Paul

Adam and Bob, Looks Lovely!! - both of you must be really proud parents.... Any sign of a Name yet, as theres only a few days left until the Xmas week ? Paul.

In the past, Ive anchored the swivel in the vice, and pulled on the other end with the spring balance - not very scientific. Any thoughts on how to do this better / or safer? Paul

It would be interesting to see who could tie the strongest knot at the next club meeting, using the same swivels etc - and set up a test rig... Any takers ? I've just learnt a few new ones for leader to braid, but would like to know which one is the best. Also how you do the turns and pull them up sometimes has alot to do with the strength, so a few of us would introduce the variation of the test. Paul

We've currenty got visitors for the day, so I'm out of the comp, unless a miracle happens Paul

Dan Sounds a pretty reasonable day... pout on 8oz leads, is better than two doggies on 1 1/2lb - soon wears a bit thin, when you are re-baiting every 15mins... keep at it - maybe with the number of baits on the ground from other boats, it reduces the chances of them (cod) being under your boat. Paul

Just to use these pages to thank Trev, for all his hard work sweating away with the smoker (hope this doesnt spoil the flavour!!), and preparing the fish for us. The effort was very much appreciated by me, and I didnt get a chance to say thanks properly. Well Done, and no doubt some more feedback will come from the others at the meeting, once they trim off a few slivvers for tasting... Regards Paul

Hi Dan Bearing in mind I'm no expert - Possibly, James (Jimbob) would be able to comment, as he's had a few good ones on the boat... it was just a feeling we had, most of the time, the rod is in the holder, and you get a few small movements on the tip or drag alarm. When you pick up the rod the first thing we do is (almost simultaneously) put the reel in free spool, ie no clicker or clutch, and let some string out. a few seconds later you may feel a more positive 'clunk' and when you wind in, a solid resistance rather than a running fish, and a characteristic Nod Nod on the end of the rod tip. I suppose if you've left it in the holder, then the rod tip may eventually pull round, but if you wait until then, I expect most of the time you will be fishing with no bait on the hook, as the doggies and pout tend to rattle at the baits until they fall off. I might add, we werent using massive baits or chains of squid... Paul

I leapt at the chance to join Alun aboard Gastronought for another trip to the Needles - hoping to repeat last fridays visit with some more of the wonderful Cod! Every day is different, and this one was predictably cold, with a gentle offshore breeze setting in which at times topped a Force 4. However there was no ground swell, fortunately, although the wind over the flood tide was making it a bit lumpy close to the Needles channel. We elected to fish a spot to the north of most of the other boats, quite a number for mid week - with 10 or so others..including Jimbob.... Alun opened the score with a nice plump 6-7lber after half an hour or so. We were being kept busy with Dogfish and the occaisional Pout, so the baits didnt stay untouched for long, then up comes a smallish spotted ray to me just for a bit of variety. After a while, I'm commenting on how its easy to miss the initial take if you're not holding the rod, and sure enough, tap tap, and then a thump of something heavy. Not much of a fight, just felt heavy and stubborn, and its a nice Cod of 13 1/2 lbs.... Already I'm enjoying my day off.... Shortly afterwards, Will 'the squidman' arrived from Poole, and we had a quick chat, he then anchored a few hundred yards to the south, and so we found out proceeded to take all the fish with him!!! However he did bring the sunshine with him - which lasted all day, and when the wind eventually eased on the ebb, it actualy felt warm (ish). After this initial action on the Cod, it was all quiet up to high water - except for the relentless haul of doggies. Alun was trying hard to snare some whiting with a muppet rig and bait, and I joined in for a while - quiet a busy few hours was spent baiting up, unhooking yet more doggies, sorting out a number of braid tangles, until a humungeous mess of hojkkais, bait, braid of 3 colours put paid to our six rods fishing. Last Knockings and in the final minutes before we headed for home, the butt of the rod came up rather smartish in the rod rest, during a 'spot of housekeeping' and another Cod of 6-7lb was lifted aboard Gastronought. I had another great day.... thoroughly enjoyed the good company and excellent skippering. Alun proved yet again how good he is at picking the weather window. Thanks again for the invite. Much better than work !! Paul

Its me!

Thanks to Alun again for a great day on Gastro... Nope it wasnt that cold - its just the silly hat that gives it away! only an hour into the fishing proper, and I still hadnt warmed up from the wind chill from the 35mins or so steam out from Christchurch... A real Red Letter day for me, as previously I've only had the one IOW Cod... To get four in one session was fantastic..... One weighed on the kitched scales, cleaned, was 8 1/4 lbs. so a good year class of fish, and there were three more of those and two slightly smaller..... Cleaning the fish on the slipway later - a variety of stomach contents, squid (a massive brut probably not one of ours) , hard back crabs, small pout and .. a 18Ct Gold Rolex A variety of rigs were used to the same level of success for 6 Cod, ZIP sliders / 3"tubi booms / 6" tubi booms some with braid straight through some with a mono leader all to pennel and double squid. Aluns view is if the bait is down there on the bottom, then the Cod arent fussy. Only seemed put off by the strong ebb. Good luck to those trying this weekend.. Paul

Hi Jim Many Thanks - These are sometimes the 'sea dog' panel type switches- slightly rounded shape on the switch surround. If you are going to the next club meeting - could you bring one along ? - I only need one switch. If its not a match then I'll go the new route.. its not super urgent, just a pain to fix.. One of the winter projects.... Regards Paul

Also rear of panel

One of my switch lamps has stopped working. Normally, on these type of switches, when the lamp goes out - the fuse has blown - but this switch works fine but no lamp. Ive found one supplier of a replacement switch - index marine equipment - but the postage and packing (joke) would make the total over

Yes to both of those, Wed if I can get the holiday, and Friday for certain... At Last - some decent weather!!!! Paul

Does anyone know how the boys are getting on ? - I thought it was this week for the IOW boat comp ? Paul