Adam F

Can get you a cheap hire on a small tower if that would do it?

If the weather is too windy for chesil, anything over a 4 SW, I will probably have a bash either off Southborne, or more likey Evening Hill, tides depending.

I am sure that it will be Waterproof enough, hold a charge etc and basically do all that I need - it even comes with a drop in re-charger and a built in rechargable pack - something most of the cheap HH's dont have (you need normal AA's usually x6 or 8!) My main concern is the 2 watts...will this be enough?

Strange Kam - I can never get mine apart - it usually involves a hacksaw! I tighten it with a pair of grips so that the shackle starts to bend. A few hours in salt water sees a nice corrosive film set in and hey presto - stuck for good!

Duncan - your method sounds good - havent seen it before - kind of a seamless link? I have a teardrop eye spliced into my warp, I then use a small D shackle to attach to the chain - this doesnt catch on the ring and is OK on the hands - but yes, the splice is very hard - I got a chandlers to do mine. AF

May well get hold of that Peter - For those who dont know the Andrea Gail was the boat in the book The Perfect Storm, a true life story. The film is taky and a little far fetched, but the book is excellent - if The Hungry Ocean is anything similar it is well worth it. AF

Hi Alun, The pike we left for the foxes I regret to say. Killing fish, especially freshwater fish is not something I like doing. However this stretch is a premier trout fishery and the pike eat these - hence the need to remove them. We should have contacted you to arrange to drop the pike off. I havent ever tried eating freshwater fish, and to be honest I dont really fancy it - not at all fussy re. what I eat, have tried most things, but I view freshwater fish more as sport than food - a view I am begining to take with some sea fish. A good sized perch (over 2lb) is an extreme rarety, say like a 15lb bass, and the taking of freshwater fish is also viewed extremely dimly. Freshwater anglers are under much more pressure than us salties from the anti's - killing fish to eat them would be the final straw in their eyes. Indeed if one was caught removing and eating fish from a private fishery it would mean certian explusion and possible prosicution - dont forget many owner have to pay for their fish stocks. Not having a go at all, just expalining the majority view. If we go again and get a few pike - Ill bring them for you. AF

Been looking at getting a back-up Hand Held VHF for a while now. Little bit put off with the prices of the units, until I noticed one of these: http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/LWL003/ JG Technologies in Weymouth are doing them for 49 quid and free P+P, making it a good looking, compact HH VHF for under 50 squids!.... The only downside I can see and the reason for them being so chea compared to rivals is that they only pack 2 watts max power - other budget units give 4 watts (XM do one for about 99 squid) and the top spec HH's give 5 watts. IS 2 watts OK as a back-up? Is it worth spending the extra? All I want it for is for close range boat to boat comms and to contact the CC in an emergancy??

Never seen Felixstowe, but guess it is, just alot smaller. Give yourself at least an hour of tide either side of low as a minimum and you should be OK for depth. It is one of those places that once you have been shown what to look out for - youll be OK. In the summer with HW it is a lovely place to use. The Winter is just as good, just needs a little more care.

HMMM! I think Il stick to paying a fiver per splice!!

Ray, Happy to come out anytime and give a few pointers. I launch from Muddiford / Wick 90% of the time and often come in at night so am aware of the potential dangers. The harbour is very shallow, so moored boats are often only accesable at certian states of tide. Grounding therefore is a risk. The Run isnt as bad as many make out. Yeah you have 2 major rivers Avon and Stour emptying into the sea through a 30 yard wide channel, but if you use commonsense it neednt be dangerous. Firstly the run is deceptively shallow, it apperas deep. 15' in the deepest part, mostly 5/6 foot. At peak run off spring tide you may have 6/7 knots of tide to push against, but as long as you have a decent power reserve this should be OK. A SE wind blows into the run, and this can make it a little choppy. But in 3 years of using the harbour we have never had any difficulty gettign back in. It is also well protected from the prevailing SW winds. The Bar can be trickly. Winters especially. It is the shifting deposited sediment from the river. HW is OK and even the shallow parts have a few feet, but LW can be tricky. A plotter is of enourmous help. Given the cheaper mooring costs (than Poole) and the variety of ground avaiable, Muddiford / Xchurch harbour is a cracking place to base your boat IMHO. AF

And the Pike:

Yes, Cheers Rich - a cracking day that made a real treat/change from bobbing up and down on the briney! A super stretch of beautiful river. I had a very productive day with around a dozen out of season trout, 3 pike to about 10lb and almost a good perch of 2lb. ALL fish came to a 3" Wildeye Curl Tail Minnow. This outfished EVERYTHING on the day, and it was really amazing to watch the action of the lure and the fish in such shallow crystal clear water. These lures look SO much like the real thing. Even the standard Stormies look poor in comparison. I have ordered a few packets for the Weymouth Bass! Cheers Rich, look forward to doing it again soon! AF

Wow!! Ill give that a read later on tonight - sounds amazing. Who would have thought it was possible in a 'small' 20 foot boat?? AF

Good choice - I think youll be pleased with them - pretty good bullet proof reels. As you can see from the above postings - reels and all tackle for that matter is very much a personel thing, but thats what this forum is great for, getting others views and opinions. I see you have ordered them from the US? I am surprised you couldnt find them at a similar price in the UK??

Rich, Well up for that - sounds great. Ill call you later today to sort it out. AF

Shimano's would be my pref. I have 3 x LD's and cannot fault them. After a years use, a quick hose down after every trip and a blast of wd40 and they remain like new. The Abu's are alot smoother though - designed for casting as opposed to lowering down. AF

OK - we will give it a miss. Bloody weather!! Monday and most of next week looks just as bad! Paul J - Fancy chucking some fluff??

Yes, forecast is not good. If we do go it will be the harbour for flatties methinks. Anyone still up for it? Coddy? Rich? Paul J? If a few people want to go out, Ill go for it just to get a bit of fresh air. Adam

I agree, looks like 4-6 WSW all day. Any ideas? Weymouth is out unless we can get hold of some inshore marks out of the wind..could have our own species hunt?? Poole, would mean flatties in the harbour?? Christchurch would mean staying in the lea of Hengistbury, and the Solent is SW facing....? I am going to go regardless as staying at home for almost 2 weeks and not fishing is driving me mad!! Adam

Carp?? Youre in the sea matey - Carp are freshwater fish!! LOL!!

Rich - you know Im up for it....

OK - Ill keep an eye on the weather and we can make a decision nearer the time. Funny, not a breath of wind all day today, yet the forecast was for F4-5???? Id like to give Weymouth a go, fingers crossed for the weather. Anyone know if they are still getting the Bass??

Mine cost

I am looking at a trip out next Sunday....anyone fancy tagging along? Weather dependant it will either be for Cod out of Weymouth / Christchurch / Needles or if the weather is exeptionial - out of Weymouth for the Bass if they are still around..... Anyone fancy it? Adam