plaicemat

Kam, the toxin comes from the resin present in softwoods. Not only puke making but also carcinergenic (cancer causing). Definitely a BAD THING!

You're not wrong about the pot noodles but so much better when you take along sun dried tomatoes and peperami to slice up into it to make a more balanced snack. And if you want a pud to fur your teeth up, how about Mars bar melted into a hot chocolate drink. That comes courtesy of Oxfordshire Duke of Edinburgh's Award kids. They really will eat anything if they're hungry enough!

Spag Bog, excellent choice; bags of carb for immediate enegy, i.e., warmth and protein from the bog sauce for longer lasting sustenance. Top up with tinned treacle sponge and you've cracked it. Sod weight watchers. Not so sure about the lashings of hot sea, though. I realise it's cheap but there must be limits to even your parsimony, Adam.

We always advocated natural fibres in the mountains years ago but the development of efficient thermal base layers has virtually rendered them redundant. We also used to wear tights as a lower body base layer and these were incredibly efficient. Not sure which denier. In the winter mountains, my usual is Helly Hansen base layers which are totally efficient and non constricting. On top of this, I wear Buffalo gear which is Pertex breathable outer and a fleecy inner. Nothing else needed down to about minus 20. The main difference, of course, is that one is normally on the move, which helps to keep the vital juices flowing to the outer limits. This is not an option on a small boat, unless someone can come up with some calisthenic exercises whilst tackling a large cod (I should be so lucky). Rich is quite correct when he says that if you are feeling cold, the first move should be to don a warm hat. The secret is not trying to generate heat within the body, this can only be done through food, but to preserve what you have got. This is why those awful silver thermal blankets are only of use to stop the loss of body heat. Put them on somebody who is already cold and they will stay that way! Sorry to go on, but this subject is one of my special interests when training mountain leaders. When working out your warmth producing tactics for the day's fishing, don't forget your choice of food; this is what produces the inner warmth. But that's another topic.

So, the answer is, forget the flotation suit and get a bigger boat with a fully fitted cabin and central heating. Would a jakuzzi be over the top?

I have to say that I'm very pleased with my Imax outfit but am now tempted with the idea of warmth which includes flotation. Terry B.

O/k, all you rufty-tufty winter sea dogs. I hear tell of cod and cold weather coming and wonder what is the best option for clothing. Is it to be a survival suit or another warming option and a lifejacket for safety? Are survial suits really warm? what layers does one need underneath? Are they sweaty? Currently I have a warm winter outfit (Imax) but am wondering whether to go the survival suit direction for added security. Discuss!

Many thanx, Martin, just what I needed.

I have been trying to send a pm to the above but get no reply. Perhaps he doesn't use a computer much? I understand he has a guest house and would like to contact him in this respect. Anybody got a 'phone number they can pm or email me? Terry B.

Thanx a lot, Martin, you're a star. As a matter of interest, how much does a prop cost new and, is there any advantage to the soopa-doopa quicksilver jobs?

Last time out from Christchurch I caught the bar and graunched my prop. This is on a Mariner 60hp bigfoot. It's not terminal as it worked for the rest of the night, but looks horrible. Anybody got experience of this (I bet yes)? Is it a new prop or a repair? Whichever, who is the best contact?

Quite!

How the other half live! Terry B.

You've forgotten the important ingredient in the permutation..........cost! Or is it a question of if you have to ask, you can't afford it!

As opposed to 'shoot thru hull', which is when it is fixed to the inside of the hull and..........shoots thru it! Then the temp doesn't work.

As usual, you have all added to my knowledge pot and given me more to think about than my brain can probably handle in one bite. I think I need to decide how much use I'm going to get from the combination as I need the confidence to try these more distant marks. However, I think the ideal for me would be a slightly beefier rod than the fladen (Abu conolon?) and the TLD20 which I have found for about

Just to clarify, I also have a fladen 20-40lb rod with which I use the Abu BG7000NLG. This is what I use for rays and will use for other open water species. The 20-50lb rod is for wrecking for the larger, rough boys of the fish world where a certain amount of initial power is needed to get things moving. Being a sporting rod, I am lothe to overpower it with a monstrous reel. Thanx for all the advise so far. I am now working my way through the online catalogues decyphering the various codes and hyroglyphs and seeing what pictures they match! I'm easily confused.

Right then, I've got a Fladen maxximus 20-50 rod which I hope will be suitable for conger etc, but I'm sure you will tell me if you disagree. The question is, what reel to match with it for conger etc. I think I would like a lever drag as I've been most impressed with this feature on my BG7000NLG. Do Abu make a suitable one? Another that has been suggested is the Penn Senator 45GLS. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Sounds good. Actually we didn't come in untill 06.30. When you come as far as we do, you have to make the most of it. The 2 hour drive home was a killer, though.

Well, Pete and I arrived at Wick in time to launch and make it over the bar (just - only a minor scrape). We tried for some mackerel first off Hengitsbury but my private larder was empty. Do macky feed after dark? We then made a cautious way to Barton and got ourselves into position just off the beach. There were three other boats on station when we got there, all fishing from anchor. Is this normal or should we have been drifting? Mission was accomplished but not in spectacular fashion. The night was calm and warm, a real pleasure to be out, with darkness adding an interesting bit of spice to the venture. We each caught a sole; not large ones but quite acceptable from a culinary point of view! I also claim a personal best smallest speciman for a thornback that I thought was a sole at first! also there were bream, scad and pout. About 2.30ish, the wind got up from the east and everything seemed to go dead, at least where we were. At 4.30, we made a slightly nervous passage to xray, where the sea was decidedly lumpy, where we fished on till dawn. This added a few more pout and doggies to the list. A final stop at Hengitsbury for some fresh mackerel to take home for smoking and that was it. It seemed very strange to be pulling the boat out and going home, just as everybody else was arriving. We will be repeating the exercise in the very near future to hone our skills, weather and tides permitting. How long are the sole here for? Hope you all had a good day for the comp. I don't think your weather will be as good as ours was.

Thanx for that good advise, Adam. It is never wasted and always appreciated. I have fitted a spotlight to the top of the cabin for navigation, a flourescent camping lamp connected to the battery with crocodile clips which will suspend from the roof and a L.E.D. torch that clips to the peak of my cap. Very good thought about the Coastguard, I will definitely be doing that. I am looking at Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea as a venue. Anything I ought to know?

O/k, Pete and I are going to give this night fishing a try on Sat/Sun for the sole, launching from Wick. Where do we want to be, how far off shore and what rig? Any advise appreciated.

Kam, a sea trout is just a brown trout that has migrated to sea, like an American steelhead is a rainbow trout that has done the same. River brown trout are just lazy sea trout!

Thanx for that, Alun, but a bit late this time as I have already ordered. Maybe next time. Sorry this is a bit delayed but I've been partridge shooting and salmon fishing in Scotland this week. Paul D, if you want to go Alun's route, that's fine, I can have the 20-50 that's coming for you. Otherwise, it's coming direct to you.

I am just ordering some Fladen Maxximus solid C rods at