Adam F

Squid seems to be in short supply at the moment, and this is pushing the price up somewhat.....a shop in Xhurch was reportedly selling 5lb boxes for 12 quid!! Neil at Bournemouth Fishing Lodge has just called me - he has just taken a large order of 5lb boxes - he will do them at

She'll come round to it - dont worry!!

Nuff' said!!! - Thanks Peter!

Cheers Guys - not how I thought it was tied. I was imagining more of a 'helicopter' rig. (Common rig used in carp fishing) This utilises far less swivels. Is basically a snap swivel at the bottom, a bead, a swivel, a bead and then a stopper. This enables the bait to swing 360 degs. but not up and down. Surely a 6-8' hook length would give the bit / lure all the action and freedom it requires - would all those swivels help that much?? To me they are just weak links in the set-up? Im off Bassing to Weymouth on Fri - hence to Q's, and the Portland rig has had good press this year??.......

The question is a little too general Kam. Do you mean main line to leader or main line to the hook length? If to the leader then either the SIG or the Albright knot are the best. If the main line to the hook length, as you would when tying a running ledger for example, then I use a swivel and attach using a grinner. Hope this helps

What is it? How do I rig it up? and Why is it considered better than a normal running ledger?

.....The scourage of the sea, the kennel club, the obligatory hound, - the only thing you catch when you have a 8 squid bait down for cod, but when you NEED to catch one for a comp - they vanish!... I am of course refering to scyliorhinus canicula, the lesser spotted dogfish.

The Navman VHF will connect to the Garmin - no probs. I was meant to be codding, but left for work yesterday at 4.00am and didnt get home until 9.00pm last night....little tired! Plus I have mountains of work to do today, and I'm out Friday anyway, so I took a rain check. They havent called me yet, so I guess no cod.....

Kam, I bought the Garmin 182C about 6 months ago from http://www.sportextreme.com/pz802x20281yUSD/ This was the cheapest place I could find on the net. They are based in Norway, Denamark or somewere like that. They are a cracking unit, and I would well recommend them. Check the site, but mine with ext. antena was -

Does indeed!...Interesting! - While they were catching flounder, we were hauling HUGE cod!!!!

....stream of consiousness???

We all know what the REAL solution should be - even those who rely on the sea, but their is still too much at stake 'in the wings' to ban fishing in certian areas. Whole industries, and the salaries of the 'fat cats' rest on these decisions. It is these 'fat cats' who are influential in the decison making process, and whether this is right or wrong, thats the way it is at present. It will take time, and defiantly more damage to eco systems, but things WILL change, that I am sure of. Adam

You must be a mind reader!

I think we are launching from Lymington and headed for the IOW area....no specific mark! !!!! Mark - I only live about 20 mins away from Lymington and 35 mins from Poole, so it makes sense for me to meet you at the slip. Im sure James will give you a hand? I reckon an early start - so meet at the slip for 6.30am??

As Mark says Kam - you have to give it a shot! Just follow a few of the other boats and have a crack. Flounder fishing is always done in the harbour this time of year, so it is usually calm, even on a windy day. You can usualy find shelter behind one of the headlands or islands and the fishing is pretty relaxing. Light weights and rods are the order of the day! Come on over!!!

Well done Alan! Sounds like you had a cracking day! - I cant believe the bass are still in and readily hitting the Storm lures! I may give it a crack on Fri??

Bob - Im on holiday again Friday....same time, ....same place??

Thanks Charlie - Ive got the PM, things are a little hectic at the moment. It is a very definate possibility - so maybe we will speak in the new year??

And finally - look at the size of the head!! The feet in the picture are Rachael's!!! A 2lb cuttle went in without touching the sides!

The cod in my right hand is 13lb!! Gives you a sense of how big the '31' was!!

Sorry to bore you all - but Paul D has only just fixed my computer so been unable to post any piccies of the beast! This was taken at 5pm when we got back and has come out a little better than the piccies on the boat.

Well, what can I say?....it doesnt happen very often, but when it does its one of those days that you remember for ages!!! Bob and I were both fed up with hearing James hauling, so with a superb forecast we both booked a day off and planned a trip today. Up at 4.30am, it was -5c outside, and pitch black - must be mad!!! I met bob at the slip at 6am, and we launched BW into a mirror like sea - 20 mins later and we are anchored S of the Needles.....ready for the flood tide at 8.00am The whiting were evident from the start, all between 1lb and 2lb! At about 9.00am Im sitting in the cabin cooking bacon for brecky when my triple squid rod slowly pulls over - rush out to it, and decent fish nods for the bottom - COD!!! we both shout. After a fantastic fight in a reasonable tide this MASSIVE shape appears!!! Bob struggled to get the whole fish in the net - and she went 31lb 12oz on the boat!!! WHAT A BEAST!!!!! 20 mins later and 'no cod fuller' starts to change his name! - a take that almost snapped the rod had him pulling in a beauty at just over 14lb!!!! AND he kissed me!!! (Mark B - I sympathise!!) Just as bob hools this cod, my rods off again and a 33lb Eel is the culprit!! Another 20 mins and Bob is in again!!!! This time a lovely clean 7lb fish!! About an hour later and Im off again - this time a lovely 13lber!!! WE ARE IN HEAVEN!!!! Bob finishes with a superb 9lb Pollock - at to this lot over 20 whiting to 2lb and a 3lb Spotted ray and we had a cracking day - RED LETTER!!! Had the biggie officially weighed at Loni's in Xchurch at 31lb dead - Chris Clarke turned up to do photos for the Echo etc.... Just finished filleting the beasts - had 10 plates of fish!!!! Photos to follow......

Bit like the idea for guys that sods the idea of making a noise - the objective is just to get it IN the pan!!!....a small spider sticker on the porcelin...focuses the mind, and men always like to have something to aim at! God - what DO we talk about on the forum!!!

Hmmm...what do others think? I am seriously considering one as a back up - for 50 quid cant be bad???

Some us have to work for a living Billy - the ones who dont catch beasts like that!!