FearTheHands

I think you spelt "cats" wrong in the post title ...

I just missed one of these near me, but they seem to roam the country & should have something near you within a reasonable travelling distance: http://www.boatjumbles.net

Elton, that'd be great to see it in the articles section! I have been promised some more photo's from someone else on the trip as well ..

Part Two We then headed back to Portland Bill for some feathering for Mackerel, by this time the weather had cleared & it was bright, sunny & nice & calm. Took a while for any action, but like waiting for a bus once they started to appear they all cam at once. We all had a good haul of mackerel, herring, sandeels & 1 Pollack. Gill one of the chef's from River Cottage then prepared some sashimi from a mackerel which I have to say was one of the nicest things I've tried in a long time! Raw mackerel, soy sauce, mustard - fandabidozey. Headed back in to Weymouth & on the way stopped to collect a few pots. Plenty of spider crab & one lobster, unfortunately all too small so they went back. Everyone then headed back to the River Cottage HQ near Bridport. Once there we had freedom to roam around the whole place & poke our noses into everything. We then sat down to some demonstrations on how to prepare the fish we'd caught & what do with them etc. It was very hands on & I was volunteered several times to help out (serves me right for asking questions!) The most interesting thing was preparing the Ling heads for slow roasting in the oven. We were then given a four course meal which included a stew of Ling & Chorizo sausage & the baked Ling heads. Which again I have to say were rather nice (apart from the eyeballs!) The 2 people on each boat that caught the biggest fish were given a signed book from Hugh as a prize. Hugh seems a very genuine chap who is happy to spend time talking to you & clearly has a passion for what he's doing. Considering we spent 13 hours (7:30am to 8:30pm) in their company I consider the entire day to be an absolute bargain & would highly recommend it to anyone considering it. It was not merely a boat fishing trip but an experience of a lifetime!

Sorry for the delay in posting chaps! What a fantastic day I had!! There were 2 boats that went out 'Cara Cara' & 'One For The Nob', I was on the latter & have to say the skipper Richard is a top bloke. Very patient & easy going. I'd definitely recommend going out with him & would do the same again. Hugh was on the Cara Cara with Pat, who from what everyone told me afterwards is also a great bloke to go out with. Not one single complaint was heard about either of the boats & quite rightly so. The day started of very misty but the sea was quite calm. We headed out past Portland & went out to a wreck 22 miles off the coast. This being my 1st time boat fishing, let alone wreck fishing it was different than I thought. I now understand the comment about dragging a fridge behind to slow down the drift! Other people were catching good sized Ling from the get go, around 10 or 12 pounds. A few had 3 good sized fish & our box was soon full to the top. One chap even managed to hook a queen scallop! After several drifts there were only 2 of us that hadn't managed to reel anything in. One being me. I'd had 2 or 3 bites but hadn't managed to catch anything. On the VERY final drift both of us hooked in. After a minute or two I lost the feeling in my left arm & felt like a right girl!! I wasn't giving up, after all who needs tendons ?? Finally got it to the surface & it was another Ling. When we got it on board & later weighed it turned out I had caught the biggest fish of both boats all day - a 17 pound Ling Had to split this post into 2 as it throws a wobbly if you post too many pics - continued below [ 28. April 2005, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: FearTheHands ]

Yes Hugh did get heavily criticised for the bass "episode" & quite rightly so. I was one of the 1st to criticise him via the forum on his website, which he duly apologised for. Doesn't make it right, but it's a step in the right direction & makes him realise he is publicly accountable. I shall give an honest report of my day out. For those veterans of boat fishing out of Weymouth, where can I expect to go & what are we likely to be targeting ? I expect to go wrecking(?), other than that I don't have a clue ...

What's funny about "Hong Kong" ?!? :confused: :cool:

I am booked on a River Cottage "Catch & Cook" day out with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & cohorts on Monday 25th April. The itinerary is: Boat fishing from Weymouth early morning, then returning to River Cottage HQ in the afternoon to be shown how to prepare & cook our catch, then some fishy nosh afterwards. Also on hand on one of the boats is Nick Fisher who apparently presented the 'Screaming Reels' programmes & has written for Sea Angler magaine (?). I'll be taking my camera along & will post a 'report' on how the day went once I get back as I think some of you might be interested. It'll be my 1st time out boat fishing (other than on a mackerel boat) so that should be an experience as well! http://www.rivercottage.net

I survived without lacerations! Gave it plenty of respect (that & the use of a tea towel!) :cool:

ziggy - indeed the very same spot p.s. I heard you're returning to Grange Hill ? PhilC - West Bay Watersports carries lug & I'm certain Weymouth Angling Centre does as well

There ARE fish at west bexington after all!! http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/ubb/ultimatebb...ic;f=2;t=004631

I am extrememly chuffed to report I today caught my 1st ever Bass! Using lugworm & squid cocktail from West Bexington Was aprox 10 inches long, so it went back to fight another day ...

Well, being a nancy boy, I've only put it up in my living room so far... Do they not come with instructions ?

How the frig are you meant to erect one of these ?!? Just bought myself one & it had no instructions whatsoever. I've mackled it together & it's up but it just doesn't look right! It's a bit bagpuss "Baggy, and a bit loose at the seams" Help!!

I thought ziggy got his special brew from aldi ? You can change your avatar in "My Profile". Or if you want your own avatar, send an image to Elton who will upload it so you can choose it from the list in "My Profile" If you want to use your own photo John, send it to me & I will resize it & send it to Elton so you can use it ... (No self love photo's please! )

The nets are aprox 72 x 30 x 30 cm They collapse down flat. They are more the type of net you would keep an eye on rather than leaving for 24 hours. You have to figure out a way of weighing them down as they don't have anything built in for weights. They are worth having a go for the price. I also plan to use one in the local river to try & catch some crayfish & eels ...

Doubt it. Some of them would've had to reverse into their space!!

Yes I'll have a net off you zig - can catch 2 lobsters at a time then!

Pickled cockles will last quite a long time, particularly if they are in a sealed jar. Even longer if you can vacuum seal them. If cooking for pickling, cook them slightly longer than if eating fresh. Personally I prefer to slightly undercook them & eat immediately. White pepper, a splash of malt vinegar - spiffing! I ate all but 3 of the cockles I picked & I didn't get the squirts

Another session at Bexy. Today 3:30pm til 9pm. South south easterly wind changing to southerly during the course. Very calm, seaweed has disappeared! Blankety blank (apart from a Somerfield carrier bag) At least I'm not losing my rigs again. Went home with what I arrived with for a change!!

Hi FBN As a relative novice myself I would whole heartedly recommend the following book: The Sea Angler's Step-by-step Guide to Bait and Rigs This was recommended to me & really does take the confusion out of rig tying. I'm sure other people will point you in the right direction of websites for rigs etc, but that book is a worthwhile investment. I also found talking to people in tackle shops invaluable as they can pass on years of experience. I buy a new rig that I've not used before from a tackle shop, then take it home & see how it's made so I can then save money & make them myself in future.

Don't forget the 1cm & 2cm mussels we landed along with the 30lbs of seaweed zig!! So it wasn't a total waste

quote: us northern lads are too tough for a bivvy. a titan jacket and chesties are all we need. Jacket ?!?!?! Us southerners generally wear one sock & an elastic band!!

quote: Spelling and grammar are very important in your posts.A spelling or grammatical error can easily change the meaning of what you have typed. You mean like the non breaking space you failed to type in your reply, as posted above. People in glass houses ... demon demon :confused: Read my signature. "I cort an ellevun parnd bass yesturday" I may have spelt it incorrectly, but I still caught it. What did you catch, you stupid ****? [ 08. April 2005, 12:29 AM: Message edited by: FearTheHands ]