Adam F

I also find it frustrating Charlie - and having discussed it with James today,he also feels the same. We have less entering now than when I joined and the club is 30% bigger One idea we had, and may need discussing at the next comittee meeting is to mix the format between species and specimen on the monthly comps. I personally felt a little frustrated fishing the comp today for small but numbers of fish, when the conditions were perfect for big fish hunting - just an idea. Adam

Went out Friday eve after work for first shot at the bass this year. Gordon fishing the float, me on the lead, plan was to test the two methods against each other. 2nd drift we both hook up, Gordon lands his, I loose mine. 3d drift I snag his brother, 2 peas in a pod at 5lb a piece. We struggled like hell for joeys, or any macky for that matter! Twas only a short trip, but final tally was just 2 bass, 1 each, 4 fish lost each - not conclusive on the test, but a nice eve to be out. Pushing my luck it cost me a chinese t/a tonight to pay for my tokens! Out again today with Rach on board - macky aplenty - joeys as well! Short snorkell at 10am on the slack - good fun! Total taly - 5 bass, best 5lb (again!) and 5 fish lost all in 5 drifts. Phew!!!... Comp tomorrow.... Adam

Reg, Baiter Park Public slip is near enough to sandbanks for you. It is also good enough for you to launch.

Will keep a look out Coddy. I presume it was insured? Stolen boats like this must be hard to move on? Surely not like a car where you can disguise it easily. I guess you could split it up and mix and match the parts and accesories.....warrior also have the serial number in three places on the boat - all very hard to find. Adam

Mine were swimming anti-clockwise tonight.....

I see all of the threads below giving the new site sponsors....cant we have the links on the forum page, as well as the main site page. Personally I rarely look at the main site, just dip in and out of the forum. Yesterday I had to hunt down the Amazon link - just a thought?>...

Charlie, Did you get my PM - I have already sent through the catches? Adam, sorry, Tin Tin

Absolute quality!! I will suggest that Paul D cuts the three reports into one long story and then posts them perminently on the forum / front page. Here's to the next trip!.....now where did I put that blanket? Tin Tin

Nice one Dave, Read the review in BFM a few months back and wondered what they were like - a new conecpt is always interesting. Would you consdier the 230 if you were buying a 23 foot ish boat? Adam PS: If any of the members woud like to try this out, I am happy to organise a day down there?

Great news - will do (although not for a while, only just renewed...) Adam

Most GPS navigators have a trip function on them. Use as you would in a car - obviously they also take into account any driting, but they give a pretty good approximation.

Turn left out of lymington river and head along the coast for about 2 miles, look for the wooden stakes - this is sowley. Fish in about 25' of water on the drop off. Squid has been top bait last few years, and outfished crab. For hardbacks, just smash the shell slightly and bind them on with bait elastic.

You have a PM Charlie. Adam PS: species caught over the 3 days: Mackerel, garfish, gurnard, pollock, ling, cod, bass, turbot, brill, tope, weaver, launce....not bad!

....he has a way with words!! Superb reading and just as I remebered it, was one of the funniest trips Ive had for ages! Growler came from the noise emmited by Crazy after a few ales and once he had hit the bunks - it took 2 hours for me to go to sleep to first night - the growling even muted out the generator running on the boat moored next to us!!

Simon, I reckon that the 4400 would be ideal for bream. Im not that familier with the sizes of these reels, but I do know the bigger ones are massive, if only for bream then the 4400 should be ideal... Adam

Bargin Id say, Most of the reels mentioned above are coarse reels used for the sea - the penn is a dedicted sea reel. Crazy uses these for bass and swears by them. Simple, smooth and reliable. Adam

Growler, Lets have Pt. 2 - even I enjoyed reading the 1st bit!! Tin Tin PS: I was wondering what you were going to find to mock me about, and the blanket seemed such an innocent item.....

Im sure Crazy will post a slightly more colourful report than mine, but for the record here's what Crazy and I got up to this w/e.... With Rach on hols in Spain it gave me a whole week of fishing time (apart from work!) and with the weather so good, we decided that Alderney looked a good bet. With Friday secured as a day off, and early start was in store - 4am to be precise! Macky were a nightmare and it took 45 miles before we found them! Plan A executed, off to plan B.... Once I removed the blindfold, we settled in the tropical conditions for some codding over the secret wreck...I decided on my 25 grm spinning rod - crazy a little heavier on 12lb gear - cod hooked first drop, and what a fight on such light gear - unfortunatly mine become wrapped in crazy's and mine escaped..... By lunctime we were drifting the tide swept banks of Alderney. After how slow it was earlier in the year and by how few boats were over there I was worried about the fishing - but needent have been, as 2nd drift and I'm in....a superb 9lb 8oz Turbot! That was it for the day as it slowed, Crazy lost 2 fish and I another - and by 4pm we were shattered. Moored up, quick shower and into the Maris - 1/2 a cow and several guinesses latter we collapsed into the bunks with crazy earning his new nickname.....Growler!! The 2nd day went superb, glass like conditions and the flatties came out ot play with half a dozen or so landed - best fish to me, a brill of 6lb 8oz Spoke to a few other anglers on the eve, and it sounded like we did very well compared. Dinner tonight was fresh cod, mash and veg with cold stella's cooked by chef crazy, and eaten in the Cyclone resturant watching the footy! Superb! Day three and onto the banks again for some fresh 'larries' (Launce) for the pollock on the way home - a couple of sly flatty rods also wanged over....20 mins later and I have a screaming take - this is the mother of all turbot we both remark and a wicked fight of some 20 mins ensures - heart pounding, it with slightly mixed reactions when a big high 20lber hits the surface!!! - unfortunatly its a tope ...never mind a good fish none the less. Crazy then proceedes to show of and bangs 2 turbs on the same drift! We arrive late afternoon at a wreck off the french coast and proceed to haul pollock and ling into specimen sizes before we check the clock and its 6pm already! 50 miles from home Back in the dock at 9.30pm, shattered and struggling to stand but very happy. Struggling a little today, but a superb trip in good company - cheers Crazy. Adam

KK, I have never had this - I frequently fill up my two tanks with up to 50 ltrs and my local garage never bats and eyelid - however, officially I think she is correct. Somehting to do with explosive risks etc - apparently you can also only carry 10 ltrs spare in the boot of your car. Just find another garage....

Who's zat then?? Surely you cant still be talking about the one you had 4 years ago, that was 12lb...

DPB, Welcome to the forum. If you use the search function at the top of the page you will find plenty of info on this very subject. For the record I run mine on maximum angle and minimum thrust. Others get good results with a slightly less angle and slightly more pressure. They are great though once set-up. Good luck! Adam

Dom, Check the worm drive in the casing that guides the level wind - on my Abu 6500 they have both become worn where they cross to return the guide, and thus the line tends to build up on one side. I replaced these and they work fine. Adam

May be out in the PM - not sure yet. Church in the morning... things I do for a wedding!! Anyway - Rach is of to Spain for 7 days on Monday and I have most of the week off!! BRING ON THE FISHING!!!!

Seen it Trev - what a beauty! Was half tempted, a reasonable price and what a craft! Unfortunatly this year's share dividend is already allocated to the wedding Maybe next year My main consideration would be whether to trail or to moor - if I moor,