Adam F

Good idea Duncan, that would free up a weekend and kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak. What do the tides and states look like?

Im taking the old man out for a birthday fishing trip, launching from Lymington, and planning to fish Sowley for the day. I dont have any room for crew, but would appreciate another boat for company if anyone fancies it?? Anyoen know how the Solent is fishing at the moment? Are the Smoothies showing? Adam

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4569633.stm

After the discusion taking place after Charlie's trip, I have moved the possibility of a trip to the Rips to here. The calander is very full. The weekend of the 18 & 19th June are the only free. What are the tides?

Seem to be going over familiar ground here! http://www.pbsbac.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=539&st=0

I spent the initial outlay on decent stuff and have never regreted it, it coils lovely, knots well and it a joy to use.... A comment I always remember from my time training for my current job to use with price consious cutomers, but will also apply to this - " Youll remember the quality long after you forget the price " And it is true, I try to apply it most things I buy ans you usually get what you pay for. Adam

Id have a crack if Bliss 2 was coming along. I could just carry enough fuel, and I would want a very good forecast - 1-2's, but yep Id be up for it. Maybe we could have a look at some dates and tides, then all we need it the weather and a few weeks to save up for the fuel!!

They decided to rotate it - pitty I know! Ill get them to move it to the main gallery for Alderney 2005.

I like the Arvor 250, it is a massive boat for a 25', if Charlie is looking then a trip on Pal-o-mine would be worthwile... But as Mark and Jack have said - whilst the finish looks lovely the workmanship is very poor, juts niggley things but irritating nonetheless.

Paul, Fantastic job matey! Well done. Is there a link from the main page? Adam

Wooah!!! Steady on Bob!....I bet spending all that made you have to sit down for a bit! Bout time - I think you should take the old unit to the antiques roadshow!!

Hmmm I wonder who this could be???!!

This is Peter Russell Jnr - or Stainless Pete in his Thai Pink Jim Jams! Photos was taken by Chris Caines in Alderney on the first night and he had to endue 3 days of ribbing by us lot! Fetching aint they!

Nearly Kam, not a CoreQueen (i expect Jack and Mike will give you an amusing explination of this)...but a Corkwing Wrasse. A small chappie, very colourful and quite rare compared to the Ballan Wrasse. The true identifier of a real corkwing is the black spot in the centre of the dorsal root. Very similar to a Goldsinney who has the spot on the top of the tail root. http://www.glaucus.org.uk/corkwing.htm

Camira, Most of us use the system without the triangle. This just stops the bouy from dissapreaing under the bow, but with a little manourvering this can be avoided anyway - shame you missed the boat training day, we covered this. My advice would be to go for one of the Stainless Steve / Pete or the DP Marine products. Buy a cheap buoy from a chandlers and away you go.

Pete from Burnham SAA called me last night. They want to know where there members can stay overnight and park their boats... Does anyone know of any guesthouses etc where they could do this? All I could think of is the Holiday Inn by the harbour, but I guess this would be around 50-70 squids per night, plenty of parking though! Any ideas guys?

Well done Matt, always nice to tick a species off the list. Tope can be very frustrating when they are not hitting the baits hard - for such large and seemingly agressive fish they can be very gentle. My advice would be to scale down - smaller hooks 6/0's and try either just a mackerel head, a single fillet, or even half a fillet - this usually works for me. Adam

James and I shot out (literally!) to the ledge last night for a few hours fishing. DR got us to the bream hole in under 4 mins on a flat calm sea! We arrived at 7.30pm and bites came straight away. I would love to tell you hoards for fat bream awaited us, but they didnt. Pout, poor cod, doggies and wrasse only. We packed up at 9pm and shot back home. Nice to be out, but dissapointed with the fishing. Adam

Done - Ill forgive you Mike!

OK - so nothing to worry about then! Just dont tell Rachael - she already thinks I go fishing too much!

Noticed on my outboard the other day that the sacrifical annode tab type thingy under the anti-cavitation plate was doing its job rather well - infact rather too well I think. I have only had the engine from new since Sept 04' and the tab has already lost maybe 3/4mm off the end and is well pitted?? The boat isnt on the water its on a trailer and it gets used about once a week. Is this normal or is something wrong?? Adam

....Mike, you know I still have my 2 metal tanks collecting dust. I think I sold them to Plaicemat, but now I hear he has a new boat. If he doesnt want them you can take them off my hands and out of my garage for

How to ruin your wreck fishing!

Caught Sunday 15th May

Decided to have a crack at the tope this weekend, esp. with the small tides and light winds. Leisurely cruise round to the west and stopped for plenty of fresh mackerel. The first mark didnt produce so we moved further out into 200'. Things were very slow, but then out of the blue and interupting me cooking the bacon sarnies and tea I got a cracking bite on my mackerel fillet. A fantastic fight lasting 10 mins or so ensued resulting in a new PB for me - a 34lb 10oz tope! What a fantastic fish, a lovely bronze hue to her back and full of muscle. We slipped her back after a few piccies and waited for the next one! Unfortunatly it didnt come, so at 2pm we moved out futher still to a wreck to have a bash at a few eels. On arriving we had a drift to establish the lie of the boat and as I came over the back of the wreck something slammed my feathers and headed for the bottom - I was on 30lb class gear and this fish was streaming line off the TLD15, then just as I though Id turned it, the hook pulled! - Gutted!...what was it? A big pollock or a bass maybe? We anchored the wreck and took a few eels to 30lb ish then a big yellow dive boat turned up from weymouth and proceeded to try and moor alongside me and charlie, at least thats what I thought he was doing, he was close enough! Dowbn went the shot followed by a dozen rubber suits and off went the fishing. No courtesy call on the VHF, no hand signals, hell he could have spoken to me on deck, nothing - just plain %^&&* rude. We moved again, to another lump of rust and had a nother few eels and called it a day at 6pm. Not a fantastic day, saved by the tope really, but nice to be out. Adam