Adam F

That is a very good point Craig - it's one of the few times extra weight can help - JV is always heavy on these trips, and whilst it was slow yesterday a few extra tonnes helps keep the boat planted. Anyway - great to have you along, we on JV really enjoyed listening to the Abode banter! The frech lessons were something else!

Well I was going to do my own report but as Rob has started this one, and done such a good job I'll just tag on. Well - what a trip in more ways than one - but again, always a pleasure! We fished hard, very hard - love the name for the new boat rob - 'First & Last'... The flattie fishing was the best Ive ever experianced, a true testiment to the larger increased 45cm limit most of us have been fishing to the last few years, great to see such numbers of fish, and again to see so many go back - we had 28 brill and turbot on JV and the majority of these went back with just a few each taken for the table. Once again the banter was fierce, but all good hearted! If Rob tells you about a 'Scoreboard' on the boat and me having a tantrum due to tangled rods - it's all lies! We had quite a musical theme on JV this year with mine and Rob's Ipod/Ipone onboard - I'm not too sure Al enjoyed all the music though! My favourite memory was fishing the Nannels for Pollock on Friday evening at about 7pm - the sun was dropping in the sky, the sea was smooth, cold Stella's in hand - we were fishing in about 50' of water with 15gm spinning rods and rubber lures and it was a pollock a chuck - superb sport, all the while we had the stereo turned up pretty loud in the wheelhouse - amazing! Once again JV did us proud - Ive had her out in some pretty serious weather, but this trip pushed those boundaries yet again - and not once did I feel nervous at the helm - Rob's video shows it pretty well, but you had to be there to see some of the conditions. Fuel consumption was up on previous trips but with the weather we had to push around hardly surprising! Al with the first fish of the trip - just love the sky in the background on this photo A lovely marked and marbled brill Best Turbot of the trip 10lb 5oz - shame about the body behind the fish! 1 drift = 3 fish!! Back in Braye Not the biggest fish, but pristine condition and they fight like fury in the shallow water Wight Magic over the infamous Blanchard Rock - on a good day!

I know what Martin means - cream crackered! A TOUGH return leg for all boats today F4/5 NW in the channel all day - not nice, but all boats back safe and sound. Plenty of wind, plenty of waves... and plenty of FISH!! Photo's and full trip report to follow tomorrow

Morning! Wish I hadnt checked the weather this morning - Sat is giving NW 5-6.... See you all in 4/5 days!

Can anyone help me work out how the tides in Alderney (Braye) correlate with Dover and Poole? I think I managed to Google that Braye is Dover -4hrs, so how does that correlate against Poole?

Latest forecast gives a fair dollop of wind on Sat... after the way it's changed over the past 5 days I'm sure we'll face something different again over the weekend. On the plus side, Fri looks stonking!

Thanks Rob - took me about 3 mins and cost

1.) Frisky Fox - with Carol, George and Mike This is going to be an easy one to win at the moment Mike! Forecast is now looking reasonable for Sun - Bob F will post on Sat morning to confirm if the comp is on. Good luck guys!

Well JV is fully loaded with all the really important things... beer, wine, food etc She's sat tied alongside in the marina awaiting me at 6am! Cant wait.....

Me too - up at 6 to check! I'll make and confirm my final call at lunchtime, but amn hopeful of going. My crew are meetign at 6am and we aim to be leaving the mooring around 6.30am for an RV around the fuel barge with Alfresco, Abode and WM. If those who cant get goign early want a weather report from the channel just shout us up on ch6.

Ditto here Charlie - count JV in too. Just need the weather to hold.

Not looking too good is it? The best I can see at the moment is Thurs, Fri, come home Sat - fish bream comp Sun! Same here, decision to be made tomorrow afternoon. Basically I'm happy to fish Thurs and Fri as long as I can get a window for the weather home on Sat / Sun / Mon. Its as simple as that for me, if I cant, I'll try again in 2 weeks. Off to have a scotch to calm my nerves!

It's an option if we couldnt get out... or add a species or three to the species list in the harbour - or a mini species comp.... plenty to do! I too am fed up with checking, Ive been in the office all day today and have met office, metcheck, windguru x 2, windfinder, XC weather and the synpotpic charts all open... desperatly looking for somthing to make this an easy decision! It doesnt help that the forecast for today in Poole is OK, yet it's blowing hard up here in Wallisdown!

This Sunday is our Bream Comp usual rules apply - best specimen per angler. There are plenty around at the moment so we should see some good fish recorded. Book in here please if you intend to fish. At the moment the weather for Sunday is looking pretty breezy - if we do go to Alderney Ive asked Bob Fuller to make the call on whether the comp goes ahead, if I dont go then I'll be around to make a call - we will try and make this decision by Sat morning latest. Sunday is also the Poole SAC Bream comp - this comp has prizes so you may want to fish both! 1.) Adam F - JV (only if Alderney is cancelled!)

Now if that High over the Bay of Biscay could move North a few miles we'd be in business!

All this discussion is only a good things and helps to keep the issues at the front of people's minds. As Pete says it's down to each individual to make the call, there is no 'right' number of fish to take - which is better / worse - the angler who goes fishing 3 times a week and takes 3 fish everytime or the angler that goes once a month and takes a dozen fish. Whilst we are all thinking about this issue and putting it into practise we all stand a chance of having fish to catch in years to come.

Looks marginally better this morning. Thurs and Friday OK with a bit of wind on Sat and Sun - dropping again Monday. It still remains 50/50, last night I was on the verge of no, this morning it's swung me back the other way! If it stays as is (fat chance of that!) I'll be looking to leave Poole early on Thurs, run the 80 odd miles straight down to the Shoale Bank for the day, same again on Fri and then see what Sat and Sun bring - if I have to play hide and seek with a bit of wind at least I'll have had a few days on the banks. As it seems not that many can make the next date in 2 weeks time I'll do my damndest to get over this week Lets see what the forecast brings today.... just need to concerntrate enough at work not to keep looking at the forecast every 30 mins!

Oli, As the first trip this week is looking a bit dodgy I'll be looking at this date to try again. Our plan however will be a 4 day trip so we will either aim to leave Thurs and back Sun or leave Fri and back Mon (using the bank holiday) So count JV and crew in if the wind doesnt let up! Adam

The forecasts seem to roughly agree but are still varible and have changed more than a few times today. I'd like to see at least a few knots off the forecasts to make it an easy decision. Lets see what the next few days bring - I'm happy to leave making a call until around Weds lunchtime if needed.

Agree 100% Peter. I opperate a Male only policy on JV for bream - as do most club members I think, at least this leaves the egg carrying females alone. We also had between 60 and 80 fish the day we were alongside you, and whilst we did keep more than you guys we took 8 fish each - all of which were eaten fresh. We agreed what we wanted and all fish went back after that. Re. WSF - agree, I very rarely get on there anymore, for that and other reasons.

Turn the wind down boys - it's very, very borderline at the moment. Most sites seem to agree on N / W winds F4 occasionally 5 - it's just about do-able, but will be bouncy... if it clams down a few knots it'll be quite nice. The upside is the sun is due to shine - but really we do need less wind.

Unless you go for the Shimano Antares, you'll find all Shimano boat rods with a soft through action. I agree a longer rod is an advantage for working lures. You really want a medium - fast action. Take a look at: Diawa Kenzaki or the Abu Conolon / Suveran. There are plenty of others but these will give you a feel for what I recommend. It also depends on your budget. Adam

a bottle more like!!

Linking into a few recent threads on here, who has or is planning to adopt the self imposed size limit alot of the charter skippers and a few individuals are now using for turbot of 18 inches or 450mm? I havent in the past as it's so rare that I fish or catch them, but it's somthing I'll be considering and discussing with the crew this year. Whilst in the short term I love catching, cooking and eating turbot - I also love going to Alderney to catch them and looking forward 5/10/15 years I hope to still be doing it and catching good fish... this may change my mind. Interested in others thoughts....

Nothing like cutting it fine Greg! Are you still coming down to Poole first, or are you leaving from Eastbourne?