Simon Everett

You have all missed the point entirely......the gear is aimed at AMERICANS. There are about 40,000,000 hunters in America - and if only 10% were rednecks that still leaves a maket of 4,000,000 potential customers who would not be bright enough to work out that there regualtion orange hi-viz (certain amount depending on county or state regs - some require a full jacket amount - sq. inches designated - others just a hat) in camo pattern wasn't any more camouflaged than a plain hi-viz orange. BUT the makers are still laughing all the way to the bank - because it gives these guys something new to spend their dough on. "You still wearing that old vest Simon - you been wearing that for the last 10 years..." "Yep. And I will still be wearing it for the next 10 ". - I have a plain orange shooting vest, and it does me. The camo thing has really taken off over there - like Realtree camo UNDERPANTS. Who the hell hunts in their grundies??? I can understand bra and knickers - i would go hunting in a camp that has women hunting in their realtree undies!!!! (But the kind of woman that wanted to might not be that far off hunting bear.)

Tub gurnards - great stuff. Nice day to be out too. Nice tip Lazy Hooker - yt to catch a trigger. been trying - can you get them on feathers or jigs at all? If so I will try for one on a fly!! After I have caught one on your squid tip. How big a hook and bait? Same as for bream?

A C-tug won't deal with what he describes!! I have one and they are brilliant - the only option is to launch on a more friendly location and paddle round. Stones the size of a melon you can just about deal with, proper broken stony ground is just a nightmare. Find a small spot somewhere round the corner and paddle in to the stony beach from seaward - then you have to paddle back round again to your car - a paddle in of 2 miles or so isn't out of the ordinary, and 5 miles is necessary to some marks - especially so as to not give them away - a car parked is like sticking a flag on a mark!!

That's cracked it now mate - no stopping you from now on.

So what is fsihing/angling? For me, it is the art of contemplation whilst not actually catching anything.......the thnking man's sport - whilst fishing you have time to contemplate and think. The act of angling is not necessarily about catching - whilst fishing is. By the way there are only 3 true sports: hunting, shooting and fishing. Everything else is just a game - football is a game, not a sport, same with rugby, cricket, tennis, NFL, F1 motor racing (definitely NOT a sport - a competition yes, but a sport, no.) I HATE it when the papers call all the other things sports - darts or snooker a sport???? Come on!

Jolly good - I have to confess it was I whoposted on Specimen's laptop.....stopped over you see. Very comfy their floor is on a thermorest mat! I can recommend the chillie!!!

Two on the water now

Stirring stuff - and what good old Blighty is reknowned for around the world - tough men and determination. Note how the drogue was used - to keep her head to sea (the clue here is that the bowman was put in charge of the drogue) it would have been used to keep her head to sea in the running surf, undermanned the oarsmen would have been tired from their ordeal already and so would struggle to prevent the boat from broaching even head to sea - as a wave hits it wants to trun the boat broadside, it is nly control from with the boat that prevents this natural reaction. The system is very similar to what I have suggested for someone not confident of their ability to cope with the surf on a landing. It is much easier to keep the head to sea, than the stern - if you can surf in, fine. If not come in head to sea and back her in. The drogue in this instance was to assist the oarsmen to keep the now heavier (4 more men aboard) boat head to sea and to back her onto the landing. The drogue in such circumstances takes a great deal of starin off the oarsmen - the waves take the boat in and the oars are merely used to keep the boat in line - the drogue also takes much of the sudden snatch out of a wave hitting the boat. I did whaler training when I was at sea - which is now lost on the new entry. My father was one of the last cadets to serve his time before the mast. I was taught the old way before I was let loose with modern contraptions..... A wonderful tale and a good outcome. The RNLI leads the world in lifeboatmanship. They deserve and should command our respect - joining OFFSHORE would not be a bad idea for any one of you. Costs £5 a month. How much do you value the service covering you????

Welshcaster - there aren't any kayak fishing clubs anywhere!!! These forums are the closest you'll get. We meet up, help each other, have a good time, some catch more than others. It is very friendly, very informal and very useful. Well done to yakity yak for getting Elton to give us the space to do all this. Talking of which - where is he? Gone quiet of late. Has been tied to the paint roller by his missus ?

We are ALL going to catch congers.......and the weather is going to be fantastic. The beer cold, the teperature warm, the food cooked by a naked nubian slave........ now you know why I never catch much!

You are welcome to try either th new Marlin or the Dorado - pictures in action on here somewhere if you look. I don't do computer wizardry!!!

Scotsgun - it isn't politic to discuss business on the open forum - but give me a ring and I'll answer quesions happily. Just trying to keep the forum for fishig natter. I'll send you a PM with my number.......or you could look in any number of telephone boxes!!!

Rough and tumble and feel together - you been playing with your missus again?

Pav, if you are paddling trolling, even with a heavy weight and feathers, if you snag up you will not be able to paddle against it......try tying some 6lb line to a post and paddling away from it - I bet you can't break the line by paddling. The knot might let go, but tie it off and then wrap the line around a couple oftimes to take the strain off the knot - and try again. Even a mackerl will move the kayak and let you know tyou have a fish. - As you paddle you will feel the fish take and the yak will move off line a bit. If you snag in the tide, 12lb line will anchor the kayak! You won't break the rod holder with a rod arched over on a snag - you should always fish with your drag set anyway - whatever you are doing - normally set to no more than 60% the line BS. I set mine so that the drag gives as the rod reaches half its arc. That way you have shock absorption for the line and hook hold and still plenty of power left in the rod - so you don't strain the rod either. To add more drag pressure form this you just have to change the angle of the rod - make the fish pull it round more, the extra friction of the line will add pressure before the drag gives - without actually altering the drag setting on the reel. You can also just put light pressure on the spool provided it isn't spinning wildly like with a fast running tope on the end - you'll burn your thumb otherwise!

What happened to your divers bag Richi - you've got a deck like a trawler!!! Last time I did that I lost 2 of the mackerel back overboard......and then I didn't zip the net bag up properly and lost the rest!!! There is a moral there somewhere. Do your zip up.

Anti - reverse first. If it is an expanding roller bearing type then that is simply a matter of buying a new bearing and swapping them over. If it is a dog engagement against teeth - like a watch - then it is most likely the spring that holds it in contact. Neither of these items are going to be very much. The other two I thought would be simple enough to take aprt and clean and do ourself - plenty of raining days to occupy yourself with them! Penn surely will still have a stock of parts - their multipliers have been around for years and if you think how many there are around the world they must make a spares supply. Good luck, let us all know how you get on.

Thanks Simon -my technologically challenged set up can't put pictures up because photbucket et al won't let me join now.....they say I already have a subscription - but it is on the other computer, which isn't on the net any more......? Anyway, what Simon hasn't said - is this was the chaps very first day out in a kayak of any type!! After a couple of hours he was confident enough to take on the tide race to see just how well the thing will handle big water. He is GB sized too - 6'4" and 19 stones. So you don't need a huge kayak if you are a second row forward, or a No. 8 for that matter! She will also fit a scrum half.

Paddled a bloody long way up the canal........! All for a good cause. BUT - then put it in perspective with the Devises - Westminster race (kennet & Avon canal and a bit of Thames) where the 130 mile trip is done in hours by the fastest - about 14 hours from start to finish. For a recreational paddler a 450 mile stint is a good stretch. If he wasn't paddle fit before - he is now!

You don't need a drogue when coming in through surf. If it is too big for you to handle coming in to the beach, turn before you get into the surf zone, face the waves, and come in stern first. just paddle astern between waves. Keep the bow to the sea and just back her in, in your own time. You want as little rigging as possible when coming in through surf - and mean surf, not a small breaking wave on the beach! A drogue is useful if you have to tow a casualty kayak though - it doesn't need much and a bight of rope will do the same thing - it stops the towed kayak from yawing about and also stops it from over running the towing kayak. That yacht coming under the Golden gate - he is coming in over the reef!! Look beyond at the next arch - there is deep water there and no breaking water!!!

2 spring to mind: Penn themselves - see ads in any of the magazines or go on Penn-fishing.co.uk The reel doctor - same thing. Website comes up if you put The Reel Doctor into the address search space. How old are they and what models? Bearings can be bought for a fraction of the price if you go to a specialist bearing supplier - micro bearings are what you want to search for. I have a telephone number someone - buy ABEC 5 bearings as they are much better than the originals.

Hi Chris - going with the flow will be a breeze! Rounding Hartland at or close to slac should be fine and Ok even during the main run of tide provided there isn't wind over tide. Going to try and make a couple of days out of it. i would go out to lundy, but i don't know how accomplished the others are....

Kevin - who did you send your cheque too for the tape? If it was John Halton (Treasurer) then he is on holiday - so he won't know you have sent it yet! I have 15 or 20 here ready to send straight out. Anyone who wants one, write cheque to "B.A.S.S." for £2.50 and send it to me with an address. I'll post your tape straight back out - unless I am away for a couple of days. Thanks for the positive feedback Specimen - i hope you need to use it soon! We would be grateful for any pictures of capturs with the tape measuring it too.....! Again, send to BASS - more details on www.UKBASS.com Thanks for all your support folks - the Society is doing what it can to preserve and improve the general fishing around our coast - but support is needed we can't do it all ourselves. Nobody gets paid for doing anything on this project, it is all voluntary, not even expenses get claimed by these good men working hard for our sport.

They nicked the idea from the Spanish Navy....... The modern Spanish Navy has had glass bottomed ships for years - it is so the crews can get a good look at the OLD Spanish Navy.

David - I have just got a Shakespeare SALT travl boat rod (20-30lb class). I needed a stronger outfit than my 15-20, they are well priced and superb. I was looking at the Penn, but the Shakespeare is a better rod - I got it for conger, skate, shark - and the yellowfin tuna when we go to Cape Town later this year. Worth a look.

Just seen the title of your photo album......BUG BITTEN Brilliant - very apt for Alaska. How much Deet did you take with you.....I hate mosquitoes.