Adam F

It's a tough one isnt it? Trying to please all of the readers 100% of the time. I have every back issue of BFM (I like reading and I keep them as a resource libary) and I think you will find that the ratio of overseas articles, adverts, home seas fishing etc has remained pretty much the same since day one. Now, I must admit that the overseas stuff has held little interest in past issues, but now as I am sheduled to be doing a bit over the next few years - these articles hold more interest that the ones at home - so they will appeal to some people. Same with the adverts - sure they take up space and are pretty generic - but of you are looking for an item, they can be dead handy - I like to keep up to date with new products and prices and the adverts are an idea medium for this. Finally, yes I know gallaries of anlgers can seem boring, but again its a method of seing what is being caught, by whom and where - I dont mind it at all. To sum up - I think BFM has a good balance of articles, you certianyl dont get the obgligatory aricle in April - 'How to catch Spring Plaice!' or the one in Nov - 'bag a PB cod' that you do in some publications.... Rant over! Soon the fishign will be so hot, that we wont have time to read anyway!

Well done that man! Sam - that was a truely 1st class piece of work IMHO and you deserve that! What college you going to?

Gordon's beautiful 17lb spring cod

My Pollock - 12lb.

Forecast looked good, so days of confirmed, Gordon and I slipped BW at 6.45am into a still Weymouth harbour. Poking our nose out of the entrance we were greeted by a nasty chilly easterly, with a short sharp 3/4' chop... and only managing about 8 knots max - 'wouldnt have taken the day off if we'd known about this we said'.... On reaching the banks it had mellowed a little, but still grey and chilly. The first wreck held lots of promise from previous weeks, and after a few plucks on the first drift I hit a reasonable pollock, 2nd time around. It was then hard going - with the odd tentative knock and bite - the fish were very hard to hit - and it stayed like this all day - we put it down to the easterly wind and / or the tiny tides? The took 6 fish in total, before it became really crap - we then shot off to the banks to drown the fresh fat rag we had. The radio was very quiet and from what we did hear - the bank is still fishing terrible After an hour of drifting in the small tide our worms remained untouched We had a decision to make - and luckily it turned out to be the correct one! Bows pointed south, plenty of fuel in the tanks and off we went - sea now flattened, wind and what was left of the tide up our chuff and a nice 18 knot cruise - soon found us hunting a new lump of steel. It wasnt too hard to find, but somewhat off the numbers I had. A real beast of a wreck - I reckon on 200' long and at least 80' - excluding the bits at the edges - in deep water too - 290'!! First two drifts - nowt, so changed to a stormy. Next drift a few plucks, but no contact - then third time lucky - bang!! and what a bang it was - streaming line back to the depths I had a real fight on my hands - confirmed when a cracking pollock hit the surface - 12lb!! Beauty!! The tide now slackened - but we continued to fish - hard work, still the odd pluck but no connections, and then bang - in again, good fight, could be a cod - then the hook falls out! Gutted. The shad had been torn in two - maybe the cod's teeth? The tide was now down to just 0.5 knots and I was knackered from the morning gilling, so wound in and put the kettle on. Gordon continued to fish - determined as ever - still fishless on wreck no.2. Then it happened - a good fish was on and a lively fight ensued - deep down 30' under the boat we saw a huge shape appear - a massive pollcok maybe?? but no! This one was sandu coloured! A bloody massive cod!!! What a result for Gordon - he deserved it! 17lb was the lowest scales weight on the boat - a lovely spring cod! Unfortunalty the sport was even harder on the ebb, and despite the odd pluck and pull that was it. A smooth, fast steam home in the lovely warm weather saw us back on the drive for 5pm! Phew! Another good day all in! Hope it's as good sunday..... Adam

Maybe it's a new cod attractor - find out tommorow!!

You should be Ok - I have two batts, but run the 110 AH 99% of the time and have no problem - ideally I would always advise 2 batts (maybe the next job 4 u??) Try it and see how you get on? Adam

Wow! Rich - are these for a 1000 Charter Special? If so can I have 1 set please? Ta Adam

??? Confused? The nylon keel band is 1.) Screwed to the gel, no the bare glass, and 2.) Spends all of its oving life under water - therefore wont it earth out? Whats the potential hazard of having a nylon keel band? I know some manufacturers even fit them as Std, so they cant be dangerous?

I have a GPS card for the laptop this year - so can stream live online pictures straight from the Island onto here for you all to salivate over!!!!

OK.... So as you drift along you approach a sandbank, lets say coming from 180' to 60' (as they often do in the CI's) this is indicated by the 'rip' - the small (or big, ask Martin about 2004... ) overfalls created by the volume of water being squeezed through the shallowing water column. This indicates the top of the bank - when we see this we know the boat is going over the top of the bank - by 'spooling' the reel, i.e taking your thumb off while in free spool the bait remains in the kill zone for longer, if you spool for long enough and have the righ lead on, the bait 'flies' up slightly in the water column, enticing Mr Tubbs along! Hope this helps?? As for bait - killer last year was a fillet of macky, cut lengthways into two, most of the flesh scrapped away and a single nick with a sharp 6/0 fine wire through the little red ligament at the tail end - never comes off, remarkable actually.

What a great site - didnt even realise I had been in Cambs that day.... Worth checking though!

Spooling is a practise taught by CC the first trip we made in 2004. Basically the hot zone for the flatties is the downtide side of the bank - they seem to sit here waiting for food to wash over the bank before they rise up ans whack it. When the boat approaches the rip, we spool, or 'fly' the bait back over the ridge to tempt a take. Doesnt always work and thier are the expections to the rule, but the fishing is hard enough - so anything to make life easier is good in my book! Finally, the pratise Rich describes is also essential - just to make sure they get the bait in proper. Adam

Mines been fine so far....???? Why do they recommend not to use it?

Weve all got secrets Kam....some just more-so than others! Break out the cloaking devices!!

570x310mm - is this too small? - how big are yours Steve? They say that wil the door opening widened that crabs and lobsters will use it?

KK, Been discussed in much detail already see here: http://www.pbsbac.co.uk/forums/index.php?s...36&hl=keel+band http://www.pbsbac.co.uk/forums/index.php?s...41&hl=keel+band http://www.pbsbac.co.uk/forums/index.php?s...98&hl=keel+band Hope this helps. Main points are - 165's keel tapers, so make sure you band does too, dont drill in too near the back, or you will puncture the bilge well, use plenty of sikaflex and the right screws - or use nylon and make life easy like I did! Good luck.

Weather is looking so good that a day off has been secured and BW will be heading out at 7.00am from Weymouth - anyone else who fancies tagging along is more than welcome. Adam

Well chaps - to those who are going...not long now - hopefully this time in two weeks we will be drifting the banks for big flatties Have a look here: http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/14days.asp Not looking too bad long range (which of course means very little at the moment) but from the looks of it, bring your waterproofs - it looks pretty wet! Adam

More research shows that this is not cost effective, even me buying at cost, is more than a new traditional pot. Anyway - what do you think of these: http://www.panelpot.com/dp.html Plastic, so they wont damage the boat - worth a try?

Sorry Tom - busy until 12 midday.

Guys, In prep for Alderney at the weekend, my trusty Charter Special 1000 and my TLD15 came apart for a service. Both went back together fine, but the 1000 is a little 'graunchy' - I put this down to the rough bearing in the side plate that I put back in. Q's: 1.) Do I need to replace just this race or are their more - is so where are they? 2.) Where do I go to get them, and are there different qualities? Ta Adam

Tom, Just to let you know - I may now be struggling to help with this. I only have a few hours spare this week, next week is chocka and the week after we are in the Islands (hopefully). I will be free from the 3rd week in May, but I guess that will be too late. Cheers Adam

......urm...have you been spending too much time on that hippy conversion site!!!!

Dual Watch is juts that - it WATCHES another channel whilst you sit on your main one - so the only time you would need to turn it off is if you use 16 as your main channel and watch ch6. I use ch6 as my main one and dual watch 16 - that way when I press the PTT button I transmit on 6. Adam