plaicemat

Do you have some impending news to share, Alun? Terry.

I think the pollock will be on the deeper water wrecks (hope!) but have not ventured in to the shallower ones yet. Next Friday will see. Terry.

Excuse me! Another TWO PB's on Enticer. Thank you! Terry.

Proof positive that men need their women for those 'little things'. Terry.

I haven't forgotten, Tom, and I'm grateful for your 'lost property' service. If I can make arrangements, I would like to get down for the AGM when I will, presumably, see you. Otherwise I may just take a cruise on the bike on a nice day and pop in for coffee. Terry.

Sorry about that, Gordon, I thought you had expired and gone to bed and I knew one or two people were waiting for a word. Didn't intend to pre-empt the Skippers report. Whatever, it was a jewel of a 'slack' season day. Terry.

And my poor effort! Terry.

For those that are awaiting news of the fishy kind, the pollock do not appear to here yet. Gordon and I went out in search of pollock on a selection of wrecks and failed miserably. BUT...........we did connect with some great conger during slack water. First I had a strap, probably around the 10lb mark and then exitingly followed it up with one of 30lb, a PB for me as I have never before been very keen on the things. It was a game of two halves, the first being to me as they wouldn't leave my bait alone. I lost one very good fish and then had a clonker attached until I felt the scraping of metalwork somewhere in the depths. Next, everything went slack. Immediately, Gordon declared he was into something good and proceeded to do battle with a beasty giving as good as it got. Eventually we boated a veritable monster with a girth that would have done credit to any beer drinker. On the scales....55lbs, I believe a PB for Gordon. I should say it was a shared fish because, there in it's jaws, was my hook and trace - no doubt! Oh what might have been. After this it was Gordons half and he continued to be blessed with the action. In all I suppose we had 6 good eels and lost 4 more. I learnt a bit about drifting and anchoring wrecks and having also learnt how to handle these things, may well be a convert. I think I'll be back. Thanks to Gordon for a day of excitement, perfect sunny weather, flat seas, bacon butties and good company. We must do lunch again, sometime. Hopefully I can include a couple of piccies. I know my catch looks fairly insignificant compared to Gordons, but I was pleased with it! Terry.

By the by, Tom, did Sam get my fly fishing video to you? Terry.

Shoe Box!...................................... Terry.

Classic! Terry

It was a long time ago, Kam, when I was but a callow youth. There are a couple of monochrome piccies about but I have no scanner. These days, of course, it would have been kitted out with rod holders, bait table, sat nav, etc. Terry.

Talking of which, it looks a damn sight safer that the tin bath with a Seagull on the back that I used for the Bampton raft race on the Thames. Now that was a masterpiece of nautical engineering! Terry.

Swine! I know the way to the bloody hospital, don't I? So it's all right. Terry.

I did send you an email, Gordon. Did you get it? Or are you waiting for a better offer? Terry.

Have a great day, Dean. Going out with your brothers? I hope no strong drink will be imbibed! Terry.

Not so much a joke but I didn't know where else to put it. It may be an urban myth but, I like it. Bill Gates This should be posted in all schools and work places... Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice. Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. If you agree, pass it on. If you can read this - Thank a teacher!

Compared to 16 tonnes of bream, that's very small beer. Terry.

I'm doing exactly the same job; I borrowed mine from my local friendly garage. Terry.

With mine, Adam, I undid the screw and use my airline with a standard trigger operated gun on the end and pushed that into the hole to make a seal. The air pressure is enough to open the valve and inflate it. You don't have to push anything through the valve. Terry.

I have to agree, Charlie, so am I. Terry.

Nice plaice Alun, well called. I wonder if they're on the Shambles yet. A bit early, I know, but you probably thought that about the Swash. What sort of condition was it in? Terry.

My word, thanks for all the input, chaps. Harry, yes I am unless I decide on a weekend in Poole; service Saturday, fish Sunday. Rich, don't make me invoke the Dark Forces; scoff at your peril! For the others, I'm not actually replacing the existing one, I'm fitting another one to accommodate the inlet pipe and cable from the exterior bilge pump to the bait tank. But I will remember the advice when I do have to. Terry.

That should be fairly difinitive then. Horses mouth and all that. Terry.

Thanks for that, Dave, just what I'm looking for. Terry.