Adam F

What length and guage chain are you using Steve? As Im sure you are aware it is not the anchor its self that actually has the majority of the holding power - you could have a 10kg anchor but if you didtn have any chain this would break free - the chain holds the flukes parallel to the sea bed and creates the holding power. I often anchor is rough conditions in deep water and big tides and have never had the anchor slip more than a few feet when it settles? There must be a reason considering the matched set-ups we both have??

Try this: http://www.grogono.com/knot/bowlineboating/indexL.php

Friday: Had a corporate day booked with Chris Caines from Weymouth. Plan was to go bassing, but the wrong tides and lack of sandeels put the stops on this. Instead we had a good day on the black bream, the clients had a good day and I bagged a 7lb Bull Huss. Sat: Tired from the day before, but still on the hunt for this years double figure bass. Gordon and I left Wick early en-route to the island. A fresh F4 Easterly wind against tide meant a slow bumpy ride and a lost rod and hat for Gordon Struggled to find joeys, all big fish. Drift speed was a little too slow and wind pushed us across the tide and wind was in the dreaded east - thats my excuse anyway! Apart from the bacon and egg baps we had in Alum Bay the day was useless no takes at all! Sunday: As you have read we had the family day out behind Brownsea - great fun! Out again Weds to try again! Adam

Rach and I had a cracking time and as all above had said we really must do it more - a cruise around to the West would be nice next time? Bob had his collar felt for a second time on the way back towing the ringo across the harbour - the Harbour Patrol on Jetski caught up with him!! I took a few good piccies which Ill post later when I get home. Adam

Steve, I have seen you comments on the 7.5kg before - As I mentioned I have never had an issue with my 5kg. Considering the exact matching of our set-up I wonder whether the polyprop rope is a factor? Many of our 20' plus boats in the club run a 7.5kg - the 165's are only 16' so a 5kg should be ample. We regulary fish south of the island and over to the west in 3/4 knot tides and provided enough warp is let out then it holds fine. Adam

Islander - I have a 165, and would recommend a 5kg Bruce, 16' of chain and at least 300' of 12mm qoctoplat rope. Their are several very long threads on this forum re. anchor warps, use the search engine on the top toolbar. In 2 years of owning the boat I have never had the 5kg Bruce slip and it recovers everytime - it also stores neatly in the front anchor hatch. Adam

Poppers; The bass wouldnt count then - they are a banned substance!!! You would also have to question the sexuality of the bass!!

Rach and I are planning to come along. We will launch from Baiter and call you up when we are out - where are you planning to go?

If you loose a bit more weight - you might get 20 knots!!!! Well done on the bass - Im up at the ungodly hour to try a again - report later.

Just heard the first report of the first whiting of the year caught in the Eastern Solent!! - Whats going on, I had only just started the summer species! Cod in a few weeks? Last year it was second week in October.

Same here - nothing heard from there website - trying ringing them it provokes a better response!

Just underneath the mouth there is a thinnish membrane with no muscle, here is the safest place - but if youre not confident then go for the net everytime.

Kam, Most skippers these days carry a big net for eels - yes they make the net a little slimey, but if the fish is half decent ask the skipper - it would be unusual for any of them to refuse you a photo. They used to gaff them, but unless you are proficiant with a gaff (i.e able to neatly gaff it under the chin causing the fish little damage) then they are beastly tools which can easily kill an eel. The reason most are T-barred off if that it is the kindest to the fish causing it least stress. On BW - we T-bar most of them off at the side. If they are a decent size up to 40lb we net them, if they are over this then they are gaffed very carefully. Adam

HMmmm - this happned last year....about the time of the Ray comp if I remember correctly - bit fuzzy, but didnt a few boats get caught out at Kimmeridge when the back end of the storm reached UK shores??>...... Ill be staying home that weekend!

Mike is right - keeping th cost down is tricky for this type of item. Flexicovers in Poole are worth a try. www.flexicovers.co.uk AF

Nope, mine is with Haven Knox Johnston via Porthcawl.

James got them from a commercial skipper friend - the were dragged poole rag, but perfect sole baits - all about 2/3" long. We used 4 hook flowing rigs with size 6 fine wire aberdeens. A small 1oz ball weight to roll around in the tide completes the set up. 700 was excessive, but when they are

Standard practise in the insurance industry im afraid....mine was the same - BUT, a quick shop around and then a call to Porthcawl dropped it back down to similar rates again - as always, cheapest isnt always best - Porthcawl have a good name, so value for money needs to be considered also. Adam

Boat: Oberon Skipper: John Keggie - nice chap - have fun!

Yep! Making the most of the summer - off out again Friday - Bassing from Weymouth, and then again on Sunday!

First proper sole trip of the year last night with Jimbo on the good ship Dawn Raider. Settled in just before dark on a dropping wind and a flat sea. We had over 700 worms so it was going to be a long night! Slow to start, but a good sign really as the hoards of pesky bass and bream were no eveident, meaning longer for Mr Sole to find the bait! First blood to James and the best fish of the night at 1lb 4oz (I think?) we then had a steady run of fish for a few hours ending at two fish a piece - all peas in a pod at 1lb mark - 6 fish in total. Other species - smoothounds, doggies, bass and scad. Home asleep at 2am, so a late night but enjoyable all the same and made a nice change to skippering - cheers James. Suffering today though, up at 6.30am for work!

After being so windy all week - I had written off a trip this weekend, but to my surprise on Friday eve the forecast looked up at little, and had dropped to a SW2/3 on Sat. We had a slightly later start and Maverick and BW slipped away from Wick at about 7.30am - on leaving the run the sea was pretty smooth with a slight residual swell from the weeks strong winds - 20 mins and we were at the IOW. Mackeral were hard to find at first but with half a dozen in the tank we fished the last 1/2 hour of the ebb on the bridge. The tide was a little too slow though under 1.5 knots which seems to be the magic number and we had almost given up when I snagged a decent fish at only 0.9 knots! As has been the case so often this year, the first fish has been the best of the day and today was no exception - a cracking far 7lber came to the net. The last drift here also produced a fish - felt like a real heavyweight, but after about 30 seconds of struggling to gain any line the hook pulled - the hook has spun into the bait, giving me a poor hookhold - felt like a real biggy as well - but dont they always!! We then headed offshore to some banks - mackerel were a little more plentiful and were a bass anglers dream - every mackerel we had was under 6" - perfect bait size. The banks failed to produce for BW at anchor hoping for a tope or a blonde - but Maverick faired a little better taking a few of each. The tide then began to run slowly again so it was another move and after 30 mins we arrived at a previously unfished set of banks (for me) they looked fishy from the outset - and proved right - Dean and I taking a fish on the first 3 drifts! This is how it conitinued for the next few hours - either a fish, a take or a lost fish most drifts between the two boats, the wind was a mere breath and the sun shone down from blue skies! A long run back home - but well worth it! Thanks for the company Martin and Dean - will have to do it again shortly! AF

Nice shot Martin - thanks Dean....I think Gordon got a few of Maverick also. BW performed lovely yesterday we had 24 knots following Martin at one point in not a flat clam sea - she just bashed on through - great fun! ....but, we both noticed a sqeaking coming from the boat somewhere yesterday - may be nothing but things like that tend to worry - almost sounds like the deck has come away from one of the stringers slightly?? It only happends when we were giving it a bit of welly at hit a largish wave...

Gordon's best fish.....and what a day to be out!

Report to follow later as off out now - but heres two crackers from today. Mine - best of the day - 7lb