Adam F

Well done!!! A major step in the project and one that signals nearing the end! Thought you'd have gone for a bigger prop though!

Good to be out again!! This morning broke clear and bright, and the journey down to Portsmouth uneventful. The plan B slipway that Gordon found was cracking and once again put Poole to shame. A wide, concrete slip, not too deep and with moorings available. We were all in the water by 8am and steaming across the Solent en-route to Utopia. Macky were scarce and with about 1/2 dozen in the bucket we had enough the start, so at 8.30am we were anchored and ready to go. I was kitted up for some arm aching action that I had heard the mark was famous for with 30lb rods, and 150lb traces loaded with macky flappers. After 30 mins a few smoothies had shown an interest but no tope, so I scaled down the heavy gear as it was an overkill for 10lb smoothies!! As the tide died so did the fishing, so into the galley and fresh mackerel with fried fresh tomato and homemade bread for breakfast!!! Mmmmmm, 2nd course was pan fried calamari!! and all topped of with BLT's and a cold Stella!! In danger of eating all the bait, the tide now turned and like a light switch the fishing improved - and in the course of an hour we had about 20 smoothies to 12lb and a handful of pack tope. Unfortunatly by 1pm, the breeze had increased to a f4-5 and the sea started to lump up, so a slow run struggling to keep 12 knots back into the lee of the IOW was called for. It really was a day of 2 halfs, as the afternoon drew a total blank. Thanks to Gordon for a smooth, well organised trail-away, but alas it was more No-topia, than Utopia!!

Kam is right. Wire straps go bang when they break and have a re-coil action - believe me, you dont want to be near this, a steel cable under tension snapping. Webbing is so much safter if it breaks they then to go slowely, so you can see the tear / damage, and even when they do go it is pretty unspectacular and it doesnt re-coil. Adam

Does anyone who is going to the meeting tonight have a spool of cheap or old 20-30lb mono I could have / swop for a beer? As we are now in rented, my 'man room' (aka garage) is full of boxes and my old spools of line are buried somewhere, I have 2 new reels to fill and need to back them. Anyone?

Dom, As Martin said - nearest to you is Ambrose on Barrack Road. I got one from there a few months back - about a tenner.

Nice report Duncan - made exciting reading, just wish I was out there with you!

I think Bob's new car is a Passat 4motion, so has 4wd, but isnt a roughty tuffty 4x4, which I think is required at Eastney.

Trying again!!! With this testing weather, the decision has been taken to re-schedule the species comp for the 2nd time - the date will be the 22nd July, usual rules apply. Adam

Well with a few drop outs we have four boats: OotB, Enticer, Neo and Camira. Trev, I think Simon has a Mitzubishi type thingy 4x4. Weather is looking good. I need crew now though - Al, do you want to crew if Paul is taking a work colleage?

Well, with all of the reports no summer and doom and gloom, Gordon and I decided that we would launch OotB at Mudeford and poke our nose out to see what it was like. We slipped her into the water at 5pm, and nosed down the run with an ominous F5 whilsting over the beach huts, the Run wasnt too bad, but outside we could see the white water on the ledge. We pushed out a little further, the plan being to feather just enough livebait for an hours drifting. 1st drop down whilst holding on to the rails and both of us load up ith full strings of joeys! Result! Into the live well and were off back inshore - and not too soon either, it was lumpy as hell!! Back inshore out of the worst of it, we busy ourselves tackling up and the windy seems to become just a background noise. 30 mins past and despite having super livey joeys, not a touch!! We were just begining to wonder if we had gone mad being out on an eve like this without even a bite when my little spinning rod whacks over line buzzing from the reel!! Gordon wound in the other three rods as what feels like a good fish plods the fight out away from the boat. By the time the bass is alongside the boat, we had drifted out from the lee of the shore into the gusting wind, first chance, Gordon does a 1st class effort with the net and in goes a beast of a bass! On the scales she went 12lb 4oz!!! The wind then got up and coupled with the hail thunderstorm that passed through we called it a day and headed home. A right result for a sneaky few hours after work!! .....and then the alarm clock went and it was time to get up for work!!!!

Which I suppose a 45' yacht would do without a keel?? Wonder how that happened? They were lucky with the time of year - 30 mins in winter would have been touch and go....

Sleepwalking???

I wasnt having a dig - I wondered where Gordon had got too???!?!?!

Any ideas? Ive tried a few places locally, including Pipe Center who I work for, and can only get 6m lengths. Anyone have a length in their garage?

The first link made the laugh... 'A slow 10 knots' Is this opposed to a 'fast 10 knots'.... Paul D - Didnt know you had taken the trail-away commadores role as well?!?!

Duncan, Also see here: http://www.hawkehouse.com/index.html They seem to do a fuller range of kit and are just as competitive. If it comes out well I might start making them!! Any 165 owners need a canopy!!

Between Mike and I we have made a decision to always aim to call the comps by 6pm on a Friday eve. It will be posted here. On the odd occasion that the weather looks marginal, we may decide to post here on Friday, but delay the final decision to Sat, with the very latest descision to be made by 5pm. Also - with regards to re-scheduling comps, a decision has been made to always choose the next suitable date, this avoids any backlogs of unfished comps at the end of the year. Adam

What are the tides, what time are we meeting at Rownhams?

FOR SALE: 2 x Abu 7000LD Big Game Reels - as new. These reels are only 2 months old. They have been used less than 4 times and are as brand new. I am only selling as I bought the wrong size by mistake and now have the size I wanted. I paid

Just thought I'd drop a note on here to recommend a local businesss - its not often we find a friendly helpful local business who are prepared to go the extra mile. I have been thinking of fitting a cuddy canopy to OotB as I had on BW before here, however the Warrior jobbie sets me back a whacking

Yes! Correct. This means 12 miles from nearest land, and I would suggest that 95% of the time this will be sufficiant for you. As I wanted to fish mid channel occastionally I phoned them and they asked me to confirm this in writing that I would be making the occasiona trip up to 30 miles offshore - and they ammended the policy with no extra charge. Adam

It has been decided to re-schedule the species competition from last weekend to this coming Sunday - 1st July. Please book in here, or with Paul D or myself. My number is 07957 829902. With regards to the weather, a decision will be made by Sat evening by Mike Fox as to the conditions on the day. I'll start the ball rolling by booking myself in on OotB - probably with Gordon M as crew. PS: Dont forget this is a Boat Fishing Monthly qualifier competition!

Rob, We will always try and re-organise any comps as soon as possible as to not clash with any other events and to try and give a reasonable gap between if possible. In this case, the long range forcast is OK at the moment and a slight majority verdict suggests that we try and schedule the comp for this coming Sunday - 1st July. Thanks for the feedback guys - all very helpful. I'll start a new thread to ascertian numbers. Adam

This was a good few years ago on Tara and BW. Yes youre right, like bream the big females come in early in the year. However I find the spawned leaner, and later fish fight harder?? Yes - the Starries do seem to be the most common around here.

All females. Not massively fat though, just well proportioned. These arnt the bigges that the mark can throw up though - Ive had them well over 15lb regular in the past on the boat, but much earlier in the year - April / May time. Yes Paul, all starries bar one tiddler that was a common.