Seamouse

Hi Guys, If you are thinking of Africa, try Jeri and Sue Drake. They've just set up a business that includes guiding fishing tours in Namibia. Http://www.excalibur-tackle.com/, or [sue-jeri@iway.na]. Steve

If you want to fish further east Swanwick is free and available three hours either side or so, access to the Hamble and Southampton Water. For Portsmouth and the Solent, there's supposed to be a good slip at Gilkicker but I've not tried it yet. There are slips into Langstone Water from both the Eastney and the Hayling Island sides. Launch is about

Jack, There's a Camping and Caravan Club site in Norman's Bay (nr Hastings?) that backs onto the beach and has a small slip. Never been as the slip looked too small for my floating palace, won't be cheap as its C&C and its open sea not estuary. If you are happy to go just a little way, the Fishery Creek site on Hayling Island is OK, that's where we'll be this weekend (02392 462164). Nice site, small slip that lets into Chichester for about two hours either side of high. There's rumours of giltheads in Chichester Steve

Hi folks, OK, now I'm confused. I thought a corkwing was this: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/corkwingwrasse.html I've had fish just like that and when you see them, they really don't look like a ballan but they're MUCH bigger than goldsinnys. On the other hand, Adam's site's corkwing pic is most definitely not a goldsinny, the tail spot is indeed central. To make it worse, I called a fish a ballan the other day that had a very blurry tailspot but markings more suggestive of a young ballan than the purer 'gold' of a goldsinny and now I think I probably missed out on a species . Perhaps the corkwing has high sexual dimorphism and I've been lumping both goldsinny and female corkwings together. Bah, Humbug. ...and to make it even more complicated, take a look at a Rock Cook!!! Aaaagghhh! Steve

Can't beat the humble carrier bag for smaller fish. For those big beasts, contact the UK shark tagging program at ukshark.co.uk. They do a superb pair of weigh slings, not cheap but the business and the money's going to a good cause. They're also plugging the proper handling of sharks. We're not supposed to wave them at the camera using the convenient handle at the top and the tail to hold them (Guilty, m'Lud ). Correct technique is cradling the shark with its nose (and teeth ) by your elbow and your arm running down under the gut to support the internal organs. The other arm holds the tail and it's step, step, twirl, step and curtsey. Or is that the 'other' website? I confess, personally I haven't got past the 'sweaty scrambling panic with tape measure whilst my crewman screams 'cos I've tagged his foot' stage. In my limited experience tope and hounds fight all the way back to the water, beats me how ANYONE manages to get a relaxed-looking photo Steve

For the 60hp bigfoot, consumption is on or around 4mpg. Keep the boat on the plane and it won't change much from that. Steve

Hi Charlie, Right at the moment, Poole seems on better form. That was a brilliant tope catch reported whereas we were struggling for just a couple of runs through the weed. Likewise the bream on Selsey are still patchy and the hounds were simply not there inshore. That's the first time I've not had a smoothy off Brake By the beginning of June though, we could well be weed-free and rolling. The IAC have their Fish-in over the Bank Holiday weekend, so I'll be able to offer some up-to-date info. As for charter tips, you guys know a damn sight more than I. Steve

Hi Charlie, Right at the moment, Poole seems on better form. That was a brilliant tope catch reported whereas we were struggling for just a handful of runs through the weed. Likewise the bream on Selsey are still patchy and the hounds were simply not there inshore. That's the first time I've not had a smoothy off Brake

Hi Duncan, I like to keep them alive, alive-oh. Hook in through the back leg socket and out either same route on the other side or through the rear shell edge, depending on size. Push them up the shank to keep the hook gape nice and clear, then hang a little squid flag off it. I think the hounds may well home in on the sound of a hardback, hence the booby bead. I was worried that the crabs would just drag me under a rock but it doesn't seem a problem. As for size, bigger it is the bigger the hound has to be to get hooked up. I like the smaller guys about 2" across the shell but I've seen some real monster crabs take (large) hounds. Steve

Things have changed a little Charlie, they've apparently dug up your roundabout! The turn off for Southsea is the A2030(?) and is the first slip off after the M27 becomes the A27. Down Eastern Road until you come to a big set of lights with a yellow storage warehouse opposite, take the left signposted Seafront. Through 1 set of lights, past a big white chandlers on the left and next set of lights by the park go left, brown sign for marina. That road doglegs right,left,right then you need to fork left, again brown signpost for marina. Straight down there, past the marina and slip etc as Charlie said

Sam, For traces, I find a simple 3ft flowing trace works fine. Use 40-50lb line to resist the jaws, strong 3/0 hook and maybe a booby bead a foot up from the hook. Hardbacks do work and seem to pick out the bigger fish, hermits work well but also pick up dogs and pout, peelers are probably best but way too expensive for those who can't collect their own Don't discount squid either, as a bait on its own or as a cocktail with crab. We've seen days when they only want squid. Steve

Hi folks, We got out from Eastney yesterday into a nasty easterly chop. Basically, there was weed everywhere. Two dropped tope runs and 8 bream, no sign of the expected smoothies and hard work (but fun!). I guess there have to be hard days for there to be good days Steve

It used to happen. Commons approaching three figures were once resident off Weymouth and St. Catherines. Maybe one day they'll be back, if we ever get a decent grip on sustainable commercial fishing Steve

Hi Bob I don't have "HUNDREDS" but I do have quite a few. ...Will bring some along to the next meeting Dave, are you confusing my plastic moulds with your washing powder bags, by any chance? Either way, I'll chuck you some moulds for Bob at the end of the month. Want any cooler boxes as well? Steve

Hi folks, Got out in the fog on saturday and headed east for the tope grounds. We blanked, though one or two were caught on the day. Picked up a good range of consolation summer species, including two nice hounds. The weed has diminished a touch and some of the bream boats scored heavily so it looks like summer has arrived at last Steve

Hi folks, I think I'm sorted for crew on this one but if any of the trailer folk fancy an excursion you'd be welcome. With luck, the weed has gone and the tope have arrived! Steve

Just to add to the list of methods....... I freeze my mix in plastic moulds with a handful of gravel and a loop of garden wire. The frozen blocks get wrapped in clingfilm and shipped in polystyrene chiller boxes. At sea, unwrap the cling film and clip the loop to the boom on the same snap link as the lead. I do a small (shallow) and large (deepwater) block. Give it a few minutes to soften, strike hard and it will drop away. Or work it back downtide with the lead and it'll drop away when you hit a fish. This works really well for the bream if you keep dropping down a block when the bites slow down. The groundbait is right over the hookbait, there's no awkward swimfeeder or dropper to load and if the boat swings you don't find yourself off the hotspot for long. You do need to get the mix right though, if it won't drop away it ruins the 'feel' of the fishing. Blocks stay frozen all day, so I just take an excess and drop the unused ones back in the freezer. If anyone wants to play, we throw the moulds away at work as they're just packaging. I can send some down with Codfather at the end of May. Steve p.s Adam, thanks, cheque went in this morning's post

Hi folks, On wednesday, the Selsey reefs were covered in a slimy brown algae. There wasn't much up in the water table but the leads and baits on the bottom became covered in seconds, made the reefs unfishable. We do suffer from weed there but normally it is great rafts of solid stuff washing about. This is something different and local contacts say it has been cluttering the tide line for weeks and they've not seen it before. Are you guys getting any of this further west? With the density we saw on Brake Ledge, it could seriously muck up the bream spawning sites if these spring tides don't shift it Steve

Hi Adam, I get the same, but with Lookfar it is first time I touch the brakes after being standing for a few weeks (end of our road). It 'might' be the hydraulic ram mechanism that actuates the brakes unsticking itself, or maybe the brake cables themselves freeing off, but I'd tend to agree with the others and suggest it is the brakes grabbing due to a little rust on the drum surfaces. I always try to slow without brakes at the next junction to confirm that the brakes have freed back off. Once or twice they've dragged (that was rust!) until I've given the backplates some percussive adjustment. Easy to tell which side is dragging, its the one that burnt your finger Steve

Hi Charlie Sounds good by me. I'm down there with the IAC across the weekend of the late May Bank Holiday, so if half term is near that date Mrs M may cut up rough. Sure we can sort something on a weekend otherwise, especially if Dave is bringing Sammy up. Steve

Sue wanted Lookfar to be "Bucking Foat"

Sam, I'll be doing my best to get out whenever the three W's allow through May and June. If I've no crew, you and your Dad'd be welcome or maybe you could badger one of the Poole trailer guys into coming across. Steve

Hi folks, In the end, just one boat went out yesterday as we had a crew shortage. We couldn't find mackerel, although a few showed on the surface and even followed baits, so the tope were never more than a faint hope on frozen mackerel/squid. Hounds were in good form though, 7 between the two of us from 4 to 10lb. Even a small bream as well, though inshore was infishable with brown weed clogging the baits within seconds. If the average size of the hounds stays like this, should be a fun season in the East Steve

Hi folks, Work and weather have relented, I'm launching from Eastney tomorrow about 9am (ish). Anyone want to join us? We're heading across to utopia to see if the tope are showing yet, with maybe a run inshore at the height of the tide to check out the bream and hounds. Total distance covered maybe 25nm. There's two Warriors going, Codfather has already signed as crew but we've space for one more, possibly two if my other crewman evaporates. Can get me by PM through today or 01895 673909 after 6pm or so. Steve

I think the hounds do the same. While a hardback usually picks out the bigger hounds, some days they only seem to want squid. Tipping off a hardback with a strip of squid is a reasonable trick, plus it gives Mr Crab something to do while he's waiting. Their determination to keep eating even with a 3/0 through their nethers is well impressive. Steve