Adam F

Another early start saw me arriving at Baiter for 6.30am to help get set-up - it was cold, but with the mearest hint of a breeze had me hopeful for a nice day's weather. The sun soon started to appear along with the entrants - many thanks to the committe members who stayed to complete the registration. I was booked on Dawn Raider with Jimbo this year (his turn!) and the plan was to head to a wreck for an eel or two, logic being that the 40lb 100% target weight wouldnt be too hard to hit. Flying up the swash channel we were greated by even flatter conditions in Swange bay, and at 27 knots we were soon rounding the Anvil heading west. The sea got a little rougher for the last 5 miles, but no to cause any concern and we kept up a 14 knot cruise. On arriving at said mark an awkward wind over tide / diagional situation made calculating the anchor drop tricky but 2nd time we were there and the wreck showed nicely on the plotter - but would the snakes feed given the bright conditions? First cast and I'm in - but the excitement was short lived as a fat pout made its way to the surface...false alarm! But not more than 10 minutes later the the aggresive tugs of an eel were met with a pleasing bend in the rod!! Fish on!! ....and that's how it continued for 6 hours until 3pm! We had a take on each rod every cast for the whole day - we used 5 boxes of squid, 4 cuttle, a dozen mackerel and 4 fresh pout. The fishing was hard as even though the tide was neaps, it still requires 2lb of lead at max tide, and a 30lb eel in the tide is tough going - we estimated to have lost as many eels as we landed in hook pulls and breakages. Most of the fish we like peas in a pod - 20-25lb....it seemed imposible to break the 30lb mark - James did twice with a brace of 31lbers, but I struggled. We had numerous double hook-ups and twice had 4 eels on at once. But, I left it until the end of the day and 10 minutes before the end to snare by best fish, a cracker of 38lb. We calculated over 40 eels boated throughout the day. The weather stayed OK as well - we heard on the VHF conditions further east were snotty, but where we were it stayed fine - strange.... The steam home was very pleasent with the wind now dropped, and in little under an hour we pulled up at baiter to the weigh-in. The big eel looked a good bet all the way and was confimed later at the mariner when it took 3rd in the round fish comp and the biggest round fish pools money - a good days work! Thanks must go the competiton comitte for organising another superb event, and we was supported by the numbers who turned out. Some great prizes and smooth running made it a memorable day! Also thanks to James for skippering DR. Cheers Adam

I think we would all be surprised...a weymouth skipper was telling me back in the autumn that a mate of his who spear fishes regularly bring back double figure plaice from inside the shambles - the skipper has spend days fishing the exact mark without anything near that size...the same goes for what I have heard coming up in nets from Poole Bay.... I guess thats why the fish are that size! But no matter how willey the fish is - they cant avoid a bloody great beam traweller!!

A contradiction terms?? I agree with the last bit, but as too its importance.... I could live with a rod I wasnt 100% happy with, line - as long as it didnt break and I could feel the bites, etc...but the reel...I personally feel this is the most imprtant part of the set up, how it loads the line, performs under pressure, the smoothness of the drag and the einching power of the gears. Having had countless dozens of reels in the past few years I ahve seen the good, the bad and the ugly... Off my soap box now!! Adam

The Infamous Dawn Raider will be out with 2004 National Boat Champion - James Parker as skipper and my good self as crew / angling. ....leaves me plenty of time to help organise in the morning and eve and more time to catch fish during the day....DR is also 5 knots quicker than BW, so well have even more fishing time....its a long way to Alderney you know!!

Id always go front drag when using it for sea fishing. The drags are more basic but stronger and more easily accesable in a rush. I'd also always go for a Shimano. Adam

Nice report Kam - well done. John sounds like the man - I know when I spoke to him during his brief stay in Poole this summer he was a top bloke. I have been tempted to take BW to Oban - it doesnt get better than catching a skate on your own boat - its a HELL of a long way to tow though. On a more serious note - I am considering changing Alderney 2007 to a Scotish skate trip after the poor take-up this year. Adam

Something Ive always wanted to do! Well done! How big? Was that on Oberon?

Glad you spelt the last word correctly, once slip to the right on the 'U' - it could have a whole new connotation otherwise!!

Rich - do you have the moulds back yet? Can I pop over one eve this week and collect my ones? Adam

Gordon and I decided to give the main comp a miss today and have another crack at the cod with the weather being so good. It was agreed an early start was needed to have a crack at the flood tide, so at 6.30 Gordon arrives - its blo%%dy freezing, at least -4c in Verwood....the boat is frozen solid, just a good job it was loaded the night before! We were on the water at 7.45am en-route to our chosen mark, and what a morning!!! The blood red sun just breaking the freezing early morning mist - who the hell wants to be in bed! 20 minutes later and we hit a think bank of freezing fog, luckily it soon lifted and we setteld on the mark. The first two hours were quite slow with the hot tea and egg and bacon rolls keeping morale high! Then, shortly after 10.30 my rod hoops over and I'm in!! This was on my 50lb class rod with a TLD20 and 65lb braid and for 5 minutes I could stop it! It just kept steaming off downtide....well, either a big blonde or a big cod as it was nodding and fighting well. After about 15 minutes we saw the leader....convinced it was a ray or a cod we were astonished when a big grey shape neared the boat! A blo%^dy big eel! Just as Gordon was about to net it his rod whacks over leaving me to solitare the beast! I slipped the gaff under his chin and heaved him aboard. As Gordon looked to have a decent fish on also I was in a rush to weigh him and get in back in, struggling to hold the fish off the deck (was longer than me - 6' 1") and also pretty heavy, I took the lowest reading from the scales - 42lb... Gordons fish however looked more like an eel, but we prayed for a golden bar....it was fighting deep leading us to think it was a cod, until it neared the boat and in typical eel fashion came high in the water....then a tail broke the surface and the cry went out - COD! To add to the mayhem, Gordy's rod then snapped just as the fish neared the net and the lead became tangled in the end it was a safe result and a superbly proportioned 17lb 10oz cod lay on the deck of BW! What a result! We moved on the ebb to a wreck 6 miles further East which produced a few modest eels to round the day off nicely! The wind dropped to nothing at 2pm and we had a glorious 15 mile run back home. Roll on next weekend!

You might like to add the size matey! 17lb 10oz Nice one!

Martin, Sorry so late - 4 boxes please. Adam

see my reply in Charlie's other post re. the Sunday comp!

James had great fun.....doggies, pout, doggies, pout....you get the picture! I have sent you a PM with info. AF

That makes me sooooo MAD!!!! Whilst we were out on Thursday the whole sodding bloody day was drowned out by the skippers from Lymington talking about everything from burning the toast to shopping....my thoughts on this are unprintable. As someone who regulary fishes the waters in and around the island I have to put up with this, as unfortuantly PBSBAC and the Lymington skippers use CH6 - I must stress this is not ALL the skippers, but a select few - you know who you are... Chatting on the radio IMHO is fine, but these guys seem to do it just for the heck of it, christ, either buy a boat together and chat, use a mobile or shut the hell up!!!! Off my soap box now... AF

Rich, Ill buzz over sunday eve. AF

Gordon's Ray, Thornback 11lb 12oz

First winter cod aboard BW:

Gordon and I took the opportunity today to have a day off and make the most of this cold snap - high pressure = flat seas! It was bloody cold at 7AM this morning in Verwood, -4c! Loading the boat seemed hard work and it hadn't got much warmer by the time she was launched at Wick. On the way out the wind chill froze the water on the screen again and the blinding sun in the east made navigation uncomfortable.... Anyway, at 8.30AM we were at at our chosen mark with multiple squid baits in position - my comment to Gordon was 'if we get one it will be in the next hour, with the end of the flood'. The tide was predicted to slack at 11 AM ish and then ebb until 4PM. Shortly after 10.30AM a huge Armada or boats rounded the headland and headed to toward us! More boats appeared through the light mist from the West, and within an hour we had over 30 charter boats around us!! Of course...it was the 2nd day of the IOW cod comp! Apparently 13 fish were caught on day one, the best going 20lb 9oz. Anyway, as I was talking to James about 10.30AM my rod whacks over!....the the 'doggie' that was nibbling the end for the last 10 minutes has grown - I dropped the phone and latched into the beast....after 10 minutes of praying 'please be a cod' a golden bronzed flank breaks the surface! The FIRST winter fish of the year!! It looked HUGE when it went in the net, but after getting on deck it was a little out of proportion - a massive head and belly that tapered away to nothing - still she went 14lb 12oz on the flat calm sea! Well chuffed! Just as we came onto slack it was Gordon's turn! Another cod - what a day!! As she broke the surface it became apparent why the fight was a little lack lustre, it was a ray! a nice one at that, just a shade under 12lb....11lb 12oz Thornback. I followed this up an hour later with a 2lb Spotted Ray...and apart from a few doggies that was it. Conditions were superb, sun was out, bacon and fresh egg rolls with a hot kettle all day and a few decent fish - certainly beats work!! Photos to follow later just to really rub it in!! James is out tomorrow so watch out! Adam

Hi Harry, I too am a 165 owner...and launch mainly from Wick in Christchurch harbour. Use the search function on the top toolbar for 'slipways' etc and you will find plenty of past info on this subject. If you want more indepth info, send me a PM, and Ill call you to discuss. Adam

The Adjusta-mould, 2x 12oz bopedoes and the big bell mould are mine.... I need them back ASAP (this week?) as I am out of leads and the cod season is closing in. Who has them / will jhave them and when can I get them? AF

Trev, As Mike said - Ferraris on the Ferndown Ind. Est. are spot on - cheap as chips and will do any size you want - drilling the holes it another matter! Adam

Tom, 1.) Fish the Portland rig as a start - superb when fishing snagging ground on a fast drift - plus doesnt tangle even with a live bait. 2.) As Rich says keep the trace short when using Shads, as they are weighted the fall quickly. 3.) A decent braid helps bit detection and also to 'feel' the bottom - yes it doesn take lots of practise, but after a while you learn to just bump the reef and come away leaving it just long enough for mr bass! 3.) Make your own leads - its lots cheaper! - I reckon I have donated at least 30lb of lead to the needles reef this year! 4.) A long rof with a soft tip and plenty of backbone is a good help for the reasons above. Finally - if you fancy a trip before xmas (on BW or yours) let me know - work is a little hectic at the mo, but I can always find the odd day! AF

I havent heard of many cod so far this season, and looking back to last year we were in full swing by now....mind you the water temp on Sunday on the slates was 14c degs!! I feel we may have a late run this year lasting until after xmas...Ill be out Sunday - the weather is looking good! AF

As the forecast was all over the place, decided to try our luck that the wind might not get up and may be fishable. 8am at Baiter and all looked well with just a gentle NE breeze...heading out the harbour flat out ( ) Maverick came zooming past...met met up later out on the Spoils. Sea was OK, running across going out, so decent cruise speed. On the mark the anchor went in, and the sea became apparant - whilst fishable it was a little lumpy. 1st cast and Gordon is into an eel - nice fish about 20-25lb. Mine turn only moments later but the leader gives way. 10 mins later and Im away again, strangley the same fish as I just lost - a nice eels just over 30lb. After an hour or so I was struggling to keep the frying pan on the stove so we decided to head in as it was calling for over 2lb of lead to hold bottom. Closer in wasnt too much better, so opted for an hour in the harbour as the wind had got up a bit - no flounder action, so tried the castle, again wind with tide made the drift too fast so we packed up at 1pm and shot over for a late afternoon tour or Trev's trout farm and his new boat - cheers trev! Not a bad day all in, could have been better but nice to be out! Adam