PH

Have to say I agree with all said. Mackerel were the first fish I caught as a young fella back home on the west coast of Ireland. A group of us used to down to the pier to do a spot of mackerel fishing on most summer evening - a good healthy activity. Most evening we would catch absolutly nothing, but we enjoyed it all the same. Other nights the water would just boil below our feet and you couldn't miss. We had smaller rods and 5lb line then and those fish put up a great fight. Great fun. Great memories. Recently I paid another vist to the same pier on a fine summers evening. And a shoal was in providing plenty of sport. I walked down to the pier hoping to relive those fond memories of my youth, but when I got to the end things weren't as I would have remembered. It was an ugly sight. Fish were being taken from the water for the pure greed of it. I had about 10 casts and I had enough for my family for the weekend, and enough bait for a couple of trips, so I stopped. There were others there who were bordering on the insane. One guy using feathers was pulling out 5 at a time and dropping his catch at his feet. I asked if he was going to eat all of those fish. He said no and that others would pick them up he was sure. Some of the pier walkers did indeed help themselves, but he was still pulling them in 5 at a time. There were kids there too fishing I was glad to see initially. But they too quickly showed an ugly side. One young fella began to swing his catch around his head and let it go towards his mates to howles of laughter. Then on one of his swings he wrapped his catch, line and hooks around the head of one of his friends. I roared at his to stop and I lost my temper a little bit, for he nearly took the guys eyes out. Things calmed down after that as I watch the sun set over the bay. Mackerel are a great fish. For sport, bait and to eat we're very lucky to have them around. Lets not abuse them.

Here's what the UK Euro might look like...

The cartoon says a lot. The Republicans might have won big this time but hopefully they'll get their comeuppance in 2004.

In Ireland our registration plates would be considered boring when compared to those in the UK. It's a simple system, Year, County and Number. So the only 'fun' you could have is around the number, like if you bought a Rover 75 you might try to get a reg with 75 e.g. '01 D 75' - WOW! Though I did see a reg one time on a black BMW with tinted windows owned by a priest that made me worry a little - the reg was 89 SO 666

Aren't personalised number plates a bit naff? What next? Furry dice? Go-fast stripes? Fake spoilers? And worse still, fake alloys!

Speaking of Rugby songs, heard this in Dublin when the Scots were over earlier this year but I only go the first line. Anyone know the rest? I sing it to my wife all the time The first line goes... "I know a lassie with a big hairy assie, Naa naa na naa naa na naa naa naa naa,"

WOW do you reckon that it was a Bass that was doing the damage !? Yeah they did look knocked out alright. Pitty I didn't have a rod, but I didn't have much time as I had to catch the ferry - caught loads of wine though

Have any of you seen this before and what is the likely cause? Was passing through Cherbourg last weekend and I went down to the harbour wall to see what the locals were fishing for. Looking into the clearish water I could see plenty of sprats being forced to the surface by some predators - likely to be mackerel or the like. Then all of a sudden 20 or so fish, scad (horse mackerel) I think, floated to the surface! Still alive and drifted with the tide. Then after a couple of minutes floating some of them revived themselves an swam away. I didn't stick around to see what they're fate was. Still it looked pretty strange all the same. Does anyone have an explanation?

This can't be for real! VW's new city 4X4 is called a "Tourag" See -> http://cars.msn.co.uk/paris/galleries/#11

quote: No not at the moment,We did not consider seeking any, and it is part of the site, ie the large triangle.I know. It might be possible to get PP for the 1.2 acre field. Should be big enough for a septic tank and percolation area and then have room left over for your pond. Access to this site would be via the same access for the cottage. Make a trip into Sligo to see the Planning Authority to see what they think - ask to speak to the person who oversee that part of Sligo. Eitherway I reckon it's worth more that 100,000 yooyoos.

This is a joke right? As most men don't use electric shavers.

Looks good. Any planning permission on the land opposite the house?

An American was telling one of his favorite jokes to a group of friends. "Hell is a place where the cooks are British, the waiters are French, the policemen are Germans, and the trains are run by Italians." The lone European in the group pondered all this for a second and responded, "I can't say about the police and the trains, but you're probably right about going out to eat. A restaurant in Hell would be one where the cooks are British and the waiters are French - and the customers are all Americans."

http://www.lemonbovril.co.uk/bushspeech/

Don't know that Zappa tune, and it's been a while since I've listened to the great man (as some w*nker nicked all my tapes a couple of years ago). Mub Shark? What are the lyrics btw?

Singin da Blues and Fishing? Easy! The first line goes... "I woke up this morning..."

Just passed our 6th anni. Don't think I'll ever for get that date for it's the day after her b'day and gawd-forbid if I ever forget that!!!

How is that fishing for free? Free as long you don't go for any trout or salmon?

Brilliant! Never heard anything like that before.

For a second there I though you meant something else. Bait pumps, judging by the pictures, are for boats. You attach them to your chum bucket and it pumps the stuff under the water through a special opening in the bottom of the boat. or is that the other way around? Might it be used to pump fresh sea water into live fish bait tank while on the boat?

quote: Depends on where they are! Nope, not for me. I don't care where they're located it's bad news. quote: 3 weeks after it was completed she ran of with my best mate,See what I mean? Women with tattoos - bad news!

quote: 28. You burn an American flag in our state - you get beat up. Which American flag might that be then? That Yankee rag or the Southern Cross?

quote: You're building the 1000's of overpriced houses Jayssus! You'd wanna come to Ireland for overpriced houses! In England, you have it easy. I hear that you can still buy houses for next to nothing, well in the north of England you can anyway. quote: The A level fixing scam also smells of corruption at the top, Estelle Morris is accused of affecting the results and now I hear on the radio this morning the gov't has failed to reach it's targets for 11 year olds. Something in there smells alright.

Gals with tattoos are a real turn-off. Anyone agree?

quote: At least now I can afford to start fishing again, if only i can find the time You'll have plenty of time for fishing when you retire with a BIG fat pension!