Adam F

What did we all buy today them?? Me: A fancy yachty type grab bag (Martin gave me the idea) Bargin at

12 of them on Ebay at the moment. Various prices - from

Billy: I have deleted your details now that Martin has paased them to Bob. Probably best not to have your personal details on such a public place as this. Welcome to the club!

Guys - See the latest post on Alderney for up to date details.

You dont need a Game licence for Fly fishing for Mullet - If a Sea Trout happens to come along - then thats just tough luck Id say - or course Id always return it! Fly fishing for mackeral is also worth trying! With the demise of so much of the 'big' fish in our waters, trying something differnet can be very rewarding! - Catching a 1.5lb mackeral on a fly, can give you just as good a fight as a 30lb eel, its all relative to the tackle you use. Graeme Pullen has written an article in this months BFM on this very subject. Fish lighter - have more fun! - Tope on carp rods, Bass on spinning rods, mackeral / gar on the fly!

Ordered my new plotter last week - from Denmark! Turned up yesterday - the wrong model! - They have sent the std 182 mono!! Now I have to send it all the way back to Denmark, and await the replacement! Adam

Alun: When little or no tide, obviously no need to drag a weight. As the tide strengths - then is the time to use it. We find that drfiting unaided to about 1.5 knots is fine, once the tide reaches 2 knts - then over goes the weight - control the spped of your dift by the amout of rope you let out. Tackle: Either an uptider, or a 12lb downtider is best. Traces need be no heavier than 25lb - can go lighter. Hooks - well, Plaice I use about a 2/0 - 3/0 - for the turbot 4/0. Weights. Dependant on tide anything from 3/4oz to 8oz. Braided mainline is helpful. Beads, spoons, boobies ets - all personal pref - do they make any diff??? The trick is to establish the direction of drift, then set your boat at the top of the tide - drifting with the tide back along the banks. The turbot often hit the baits on the top if the edge of the bank - beware!. Baits: Rag with mackeral/squid for the plaice. Turbot - stinky mackeral. Decent sized fillet. Hope the weather is fine for you. PS: Finish the day with half an hour drifting the Hood. Great fun! - Mark B will direct you to it. Adam

The key is power and height. If you dont have enough power the signal will not reach, if you cannot 'see' the ariel, it doesnt matter how much power you have! Ever wondered why when listening to an emergancy call on Ch16 - you can always hear Portland Coastguard - but often not the other vessel? Portland Costguard are loacted some 500ft up on the cliff face! If anyone wants to know more - I have a very basical - but informative book on VHF you are welcome to borrow - handy if you have a VHF, but not yet a licence! Adam

Bit hectic for the next 2 weeks, Alderney etc. 2nd week in May - 1 eve - its a date! Paul J and I may even take you for a spot of Mullet fishing if you get the hang of it! Adam

Newboy. We had the same situation last year when kitting out our small 15' dingey. We asked all these questions, and in the end settled on a budget handheld - an XM model from memory costing about 90 quid. Basically it was crap! - The batteries (6xAA) lasted about 5 hours, even when just listening (nb. you use miuch more battery power when transmitting as opposed to monitoring) its range was useless (VHF works on line of sight - if you ariel cannot 'see' the boat you are talking to it wont work - hence the low ariel of a HH, and the mast height of a fixed unit) and it fell overboard!!!! Next we tried a more expensive HH - and ICOM, costing 200 quid. This wasnt much better. It was very waterproof, and the batteries were rechargeable, but still no good for regular use during the day. Would have made a good back-up unit though. Finally we spend 200 quid on an ICOM M104 Euro. It is the most reliable piece of kit on the boat, and it does everything I want from it apart from DSC. My reccomendations to you: 1.) Fixed unit, 2.) Go for DSC. Nowadays you can pick up a cracking unit with all the toys for around 150. XM do one, Silva are about 165. If I was in your boat (xcuse the pun!) I would look at the new Navman model - nice piece of kit. Hope this helps.

Bass: The larger type pike flies. Basically trying to imitate a small sandeel / fry. I find white works well. Mullet: Can very much depend of the mood they are in - often they take the same fly as the bass, other days, imitating a maggot, bit of weed etc can work - others days their seems no rhyme nor reason, and they take something obscure! Great fun on a 4 weight though!! Adam

No probs - im sure you can crew for one of the many boats that wil come. Adam

Newboy, The trailer section will be down on the Solent in about 3/4 weeks time. Launching from Lymington - fishing the Solent for Ray and Smoothies. Would you like to have an assisted launch then? - Great slip at Lymington. There will also be plenty of hands on hand (so to speak?!?! ) Adam

Oh, oh oh oh!!!! Me, me me! what a great time of year it is when the mullet arrive in xchurch. Native bonefish exactly! Paul J - anytime this / next week you wanna have a crack again on the fly - give me a call! Adam

Hmmmm. I took the engine in to be serviced thats all. I did ask him to change the impeller - on the recommendation of the Mariner guy in Hayling. Ill try and run it an a barrell and see if it comes on that way - before making any decisions. Adam

I think most of you guys know the story behind the engine on BW - overheating alarm etc.... Anyway - I had the engine service - job done I hoped - new impeller etc. At weymouth last week the alarm came on again. Also 3 x today. It ONLY happens when at idle when she has been running for about 5 minutes and not moving - on it comes. The impeller seems to be pumping fine - good tell tale of cold water coming out. Any suggestions? My first thought is a stickly thermostat??? If poss would like to fix it myself before throwing loads of cash to a Marine mechanic. Oh, also it only happens when in the water - cant get the alarm to come on when running on muffs, Help!!

Yep - Jimbo said it all really. Wet, windy, rough, cold, no fish - makes me wonder why the hell we go! - must be mad - oh hang on a sec - I am!!! Still a little early I fear - although reading some of the other reports - I see the ledge fishing well already - well done Alan. Well be over there in the next few weeks! An enjoyable nay nonetheless - good to get out with Jimbo again! Bloody weekend workers! What's all this about being in love with BW!!!! She's only young - too young for an affair!! ...anyway she's agentle girl - too gentle for the roughness of Tara!!! .....I may let you pay for a few moments with her one eve james!!! - alone!!

Just not that nosey!!!!!

Cod/ Maverick: Do you have any problems with the fuel line becoming pinched or trapped anywhere along its route - (I suspect 'no' with martin as intergral tank) I have been experiancing a 'flat spot' in the engine when excelerating. Also the engine wouldnt start this afternoon. On closer inspection I discover that the fuel line was picnhed slighly - after realeasing it she started - but flat spot still remains - althoug fuel line isnt that free still. Would a restricted fuel line effect engine performace that much? Adam

fgagfaui;gfiwebguiWGFUIGWIH !!!! Thats what the last few posts sounded like to me!!! NMEASMME thingying!!! Ok, I sort of get the idea. Either Dave will very kindly weld me another plate - or I can use either my Furuno/Garmin ariel to run both sets, by connecting the 'slave ste' to the 'master set' - have I got that right???? re - threading cable - all the units on at present are threaded - surely their must be a way? re - space on the console - I have mounted my GPS 'under the cuddy - 'upsidedown. Just as a back-up unit. re - Garmin / Furuno using diff readings - what is that - why??????? Basically I like the idea of just 1 Beacon/antenna/ariel - running both sets. Is this easy to do? Adam

Dont know about Bone fishing - but do about fly. I suspect you will need a faily heavy set up - possibly a 6-7 weight? I have fly tackle you are welocme to borrow if you go - but to be honest the cost of it nowdays (20 quid for a travel fly rod) and the likely hood of me lending you one and it getting snapped in transit (airport) is highly likely. You really need to learn to cast first if you are thinking of having a go. Im happy to give you a few pointers when i bring my Aux over if you like? Adam

Billy, PM me your contact details - Ill call you anytime we have a Weymouth trip planned. We are looking at another trip later in the year - maybe for some of the Bass fishing - or having a go at the wrecks. You are more than welcome any time. Tight Lines. Adam F (Fishy Franklin)

True Blue is not the little Suffolk she once was - Steve now has a mother of a Cleopatra! - Beast of a boat!!

Dont see no seats on Crayside Mike?? Paul - Id strongly recommed the Warrior seats (OK, so I'm biased! ) Martin will back me up Id have thought - they really are the nutts, and at

HEY!!!! That Il have you know is my MKII Isle of Wight Plaice rig.!!! Worked wonders for me on Thurs! Mind you - how can you odds it? Mark B was using 50lb class rods, crude rigs, and not holding the rod. Could hardly see the bites, and was winding them up one after another. I was using the IOW rig, and a basic rig. Holding the rods - I managed 5 to marks 15. Bob F - well he's another story! He had all the bells, and whistles, rattles, tinsel, spoons - you name it he had it. Fished like a trooper all day - 1 Turbot. ......we didnt take the mickey - much!