Adam F

Alun - full sympathy!! I too have been through this - and I wasnt even fishing at the time! In the garage one wet sun morning, tidying up....I used to keep my pike snap tackles (2x trebles on a wire trace) hanging from the wooden shelves (dont any more!!). Anyway, was re-arranging some tins on the shelf with my hands in between the hanging traces, when someone called my name - turning around and starting to walk away I felt the sharp pain of a 1/0 treble in the side of my middle finger! Christ!...did I shout!!!! I tried all sorts - the vice, pliers, forceps, gently, hard - you name it, the beast wasnt moving! - then the addrenalin wore off, the pain started and I was off to A&E for 4 hours!! I think it is just an occupational hazard of fishing - and the law of avrages says that the more you go fishing, or at sometime in your life it is likely to happen to you. I crush the barbs when tope fishing, but personally I'd rather risk having a hook in my hand and not loosing that double figure bass!!!! - But maybe I'm mad!

I have had a mis-hap with my trailer-board, and now require a new one - problem is they are

Next Trail-a-way will be the weekend of the 21st Aug. Venue: Weymouth Target: Shambles bank - Bass I havent decided on a day yet, either is fine by me, by Ill go on the majority vote. As usual, the plan will be to meet on the slip at approx 7am. Launching by 7.30 and on our way out by 8am. The tides look to be a reasonable size - good for the bass, and we should be able to source live eels on the day. So! - who's coming, boats and crew all needed. Im aiming to get a few new faces to the event this time, so if youre a moored boat in Poole, and fancy a trip we will find you a place as a crew member, if you are a trail boat, and want to come along let me know! - Ill also be phoning members who dont use the forum. Ill start us off - BW will be there, plus 1 crew.

AH!! Case #3 - Paul J, your honour!!!

Need another boat then...I have james with me. Does Mark B or Martin fancy a bash?

Weather dependant - Jimbo and I are planning a mid-week trip from Weymouth out onto the Shambles in search of Bass. Anyone who fancies it is more than welcome. Adam

Just cleaned the boat up from last night, and smelt a few strnage odours coming from the transom, 20 mins of hunting later and I find 2 squid hard and baked by todays sun, encrusted up inside the transom!!!! - I struggled to reach them to get them out - god knows how rich got them there!!! I seem to remember Pete Russell Snr - suffering a similar fate!...Ill keep an eye on him in future!!

BW with Rich 'hide a mackerel' JAW and Tara with PJ, headed out last night for a bash at the eels on the ledge. Was a little choppy on leaving the harbour, but forecast was dropping to F1 at 9pm. Gave it a few hours on Xray, but v.poor - theory is that the trawlers have been hitting the area hard in the past few weeks, the ray and bass of last year seen very few and far between. As the sun dropped and the tide eased, we moved over into a deep hole off the back of the ledge. 30 mashed up macky went down as chum, as we awaited our first conger. 10 mins later and Im in to one - a small strap about 15lb. Now most of us know Rich as being an ex. copper and having spent time in the Falklands - so I presumed a small eels would pose no problem!! - Well as it hit the deck rich seemed less than pleased and did everything he could to distance himself from the eel! - Much P^&S taking then ensued!!!! I had a further 5 runs - all hooked and felt big fish, 1 hook pull and the other 4 parted the line on the jagged bottom....must now use 60lb rubbing leader. Tara had 3 runs and dropped them all. Came home in the moonlight at 23 knots and was in bed by 3am!

Where can I get new nipples from then??!!

How do I change the nipples then?

No!!...not what you were all thinking!... Grease nipples!! I have a grease gun which fits the nipples on 90% of my kit - trailer etc, but the hydralic rams on the engine which steer are now dry and sqeeky...so I need to grease them...but the nipples are too big for my gun! Does anyone have a gun I may borrow with a bigger attachment - or a solution to my problem?

Can you send me the details of the company who are doing it? Basically I need a shallow U S/S piece made up, similar to a handrail, about 600mm long, with a tube clamp on each end to enable it to be clamped to my radar arch....on this I will then mount 2 x spot lights for coming back in at night.

I have one fitted to the tonneau cover of BW. I out it one everytime I get home after a trip and basically it just trickle charges / stops the batts draining. Dont know how effective it is, but I have never charged the batts and I always have full power when I go out. Adam

Rich, Nice one..it is already 50/1. I cant make Thurs due to work, but when we go stinger fishing week after Ill bring it along, it is slightly less than 25l..about 15. Cheers

Whilst we are on the subject of fuel, and a comment Newboy made...I have a 25l tank which I aquired, however it is full of old 2 stroke mix, and therfore no good for my 4 stoke, how or can I get rid of this??

Well a few hours of hard work, plenty of cups of tea and a few bruised knuckles and shes done - both sides. The wheels now speen freely and the brakes grab perfectly!...surprisingly she is now much easier to move up and down the drive by hand than she was before. Also took the oppertunity to clean, strip and re-pack the bearings whilst we were at it. Although I will replace them at the end of the season.

However - quick call to indespension in Soton, very helpful....Im off in a mo to get the replacements.

Bournemouth Trailer Center has moved....its now Wessex Trailers and they are in Bridport!

Mike, I have heard it said on a number of occasions...See here paragrapgh 5 I think a use of another forum with the same boat as me has also mentioned it. Are they easy to change?

Anyone!!!.....?????

Newboy,....you may find the tanks closer to home...on the pbsbac stool even!!! I have 2 x 5G tanks Im flogging at the jumble....mind you they are in good nick, but are metal affairs - may not look slick enough on your new boat!..thats why i changed them to nice new plastic mariner ones.....

Right. Bought a pair of circlip pliers today - essential if you have to remove a circlip as i do...8 quid well spent! it seems one of those things that once you have done it once it is easy! Got the hub off in about 5 mins. then i could see the problem! ....the brake linings have become detached from the shoes and jammed causing them to rub severely! ...that explains why i can hardly move the trailer at the moment! A word of warning here to all trailer users: I have heard that if you reverse your trailer into the water too soon after towing the cold impact on the hot shoes can cause the linings to detach....I thought I was always really careful leaving at least 10 mins??? Anyway - hopefully Bmth Trailer Centre will have new shoes in stock???? and I can complete the job tomorrow. Adam

Thanks coddy - yours is the answer Ive been looking for!!!!! Ill try it tonight. I am now proposing that once the bearing savers are off, I can ger the hub nut off and take the whole hub off - will this then give me access to the drums so I can look at the shoes? Also - they are obviosuly binding, once I get to them, why would they be binding and how do I stop it?

I do as Mike suggested - I carry 2 x 5 gallon tanks, which get rotated as I use them - always fresh fuel. If Im going offshore or a long trip, I take another 5 as a researve. As an idea - Poole around to the tope grounds to the west and back home with plenty of re-anchoring and drifting in big tides will use my 10 gallons. I would suggest you need at least another 5g tank.

NO!! If you recall, we dont realease any info, you have to wait until the prize giving to see if you have won! Anyway - its no over until the fat boy sings. I'm defneding my titel until the very bitter end. When you start singing on the last match it will be over!!! PS: where's my bribe for letting you pip me on Sun??....should have wiped the floor with you and be done with it!