solent fisher

On Friday I decided to give Chalk springs another go. I went there a couple of months ago but it was really hard and I only managed a small rainbow. Having gained more experience I felt I was ready to go back and try for one of its big browns. I called them up and booked a place for the next day. On Saturday I arrived later than planned, around 10:45 and bought myself a 3fish ticket feeling fairly optimistic. I had a quick look through the log book and was surprised to see that most of the recent entries were just rainbows in the 2-3lb range. I told my girlfriend Jana, as we walked past the stock pools, that I'm going to spend all my time stalking the browns and don't care if I blank. We found a quiet area, away from other rods but casting was difficult with little room for the back cast. I spotted a nice looking fish and going by its behaviour, it wasn't spooked or totally switched off, as most of them seem to be. It quietly cruised around in a small area of water which I proceeded to cover with a small goldhead black tadpole. My third cast and the fly landed within 2 feet of the fish and I let it drop down to the browns level and then gently twitched it back past it. The fish, as most do, completely ignored the fly, but then as I began to pull it back more quickly for a re-cast, the fish turned its attention. By this time the fly was only 6-7 feet from the bank so I had to walk back to keep the fly moving. The fish then darted forward and snatched the fly, which was now on the surface, turned to swim back and I quickly set the hook. I cannot describe the feeling as the water then erupted and my rod bent double!! I let out a cheer and called Jana over who was sat behind me reading a book! She was already up out of the chair and stood behind me after hearing the splash. I played the fish out for a good 5 mins before it finally slipped over the net. Jana couldn't believe how heavy it was as she lifted the net over the bank side vegetation. http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/sol.../Picture002.jpg My first 'proper' brown trout, a PB and a memory which will probably last a life time! Hope to be back soon with another report!! James

The cod are coming

Nasty!!. I've had a few doggies do that before I got a T Bar but no where near as bad! I've got a scar from last year when a baby topelet turned and bit be on the arm, lucky for me i was wearing a thick shirt!

Well done Rob, nice report mate.

Hi Guys, Anyone with this months mag please take a look at the two tope on page 105. The fish on the top of the page is huge!! 72lb in weight. The lower picture shows what looks like a much much smaller fish but the bloke claims it to be 60lb. Now I haven't caught that many tope (yet) and photos can be diseptive but in my opinion either the bigger fish is heavier or the smaller fish must have swallowed the boats anchor to pull the scales down that far! What do you think guys??

Fishing the read sea is actually illegal or so I thought. Been there a few times on holiday and i was told by a number of different people i.e local authorities, lifeguards, police etc that rod and line fishing was a big no no as this sea is highly protected. I was told that it was possible to hire a boat but its a black market type of affair and i would risk imprisonment if i got caught! I'm confused now can someone clear this up!

Hi guys, tried again today but didnt have the same luck as yesterday. I lost my best lucky lure after the second cast to a snag - gutted as it cost 10 quid!! Tried for another 3/4 hour but nothing. I'll buy a couple more lures at the weekend and hopefully catch again over the weekend. Cheers, James

Hi Dan, Caught both on an Rapala X-Rap

Hi guys, I've recently started to do a bit of lure fishing for bass and caught two this morning at first light before work! Only second time out and caught both within an hour session from a hampshire beach. Not massive at approximately 2-3lb each but great fun on my light spinning rod and 8lb braid!! Both neatly unhooked in water and went straight back. Tried a few different plugs until I found the one which worked. Up early again tomorrow to give it another bash

--> QUOTE(Norm B @ Mar 13 2006, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Flying gaffs are very useful for big flying fish. I'm buying a flying gaff for the next time a yachty cuts right across my stern. They've been as close as 5ft in the past and with miles of open water around me it leaves me stunned. The posh toffy nosed arses with their fancy waterproofs and deck shoes wont look so smug next time they sail passed and I snag 'em-up. Actually I might bend and straighten the hook out to create a flying spear!

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Norm B @ Mar 6 2006, 06:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Eastney is best fished at anchor because the plaice are so localised. The area just to the east of the blocks is best. You could get lucky on the drift but there's more chance of them coming to your bait at anchor. Hi Norm, had any Plaice from here yourself? I know it use to fish well but times change. I'm always finding that when people think an area is good more people try it and therefore the odds of fish being caught in that area obviously increases. What caught is then spread through word of mouth and then more people fish that area so the cycle goes on. I counted 5 boats anchored east of the blocks but absolutely no where else. Read the catch reports next month in the mags at will say, "plaice being had at the blocks at southsea" but of course with at least 10 rods out there every weekend sooner or later one or two will be caught there. The reason you've heard that 'east of the blocks' is best is because you are not allowed to fish the other side. Anchoring and fishing of any kind on the west side is strictly prohibited. Regards to method, many more people anchor than try drifting so again odds on more fish are caught at anchor. More often than not its because they don't know how to or have no confidence with this technique rather than knowing which would be the best under the conditions. James

Hi Guys, Just to close this thread down and let you know that i've just bought 2 x D shape potts and 1 x Round prawn pott for this company. http://www.panelpot.com/ Haven't received them yet but they look very good. Cheers, James

Hi Guys, I went out on my boat yesterday in the hope to catch a few early plaice. We launched just before 10am from the public slipway next to the ferry bridge at Hayling Island. The original plan was 8am but when I got to my boat I found that one of my wheel hubs had seized solid having left the brakes on. The day started off beautiful. It was sunny and relatively warm with a only a very light breeze. After loading up and positioning the boat on the slip I gave it a slight shove and it slipped off the rollers into the clear shallow water and without waves or tide to contend with like I normally have to face at Gosport it was a real pleasure. It almost felt like summer! My mate (Girlfriend's dad) held the boat whilst i parked up. We took the boat out of the harbour and decided to drift for the plaice at hayling bay, just east of chichester harbour entrance. Once we got round past the huge winner bank which was totally dry and exposed we headed in our direction at a nice confortable 23 knots. The sea state was superb with barely a ripple. On arrival we baited our long flowing traces with beads, spoons, plenty of fresh rag and tipped the hooks with long thin strips of squid. With only 18-25 ft water we used our light spinning rods only needing 2oz leads to maintain contact with the bottom. We drifted the area a few times and after covering a reasonable amount of ground decided to move on having not had anything. It did not matter to us, the weather was so nice and the sea so flat it was just so good to be out there. Our next drift would be back at langstone harbour where we launched from. We tried drifting a mark called langstone ridges which is just a mile south of the Eastney outfall pipe. The tide had now turned so we drifted from East to west this time starting right on the top of the bank at 8ft down to 35ft and back up again to 18ft. The ebb tide, being stronger, increased our drift speed to 1.2kts and on the end of our first run we came within a hundred yards of a row of boats anchored up fishing just east of the 'Blocks' at southsea. We had another 4 long drifts, moving north each time to try and cover the ground and still nothing. The wind by this time, as forcast, had picked up to quite a stiff breeze which felt like a 5 but as it was coming from the north the sea whilst got a little choppy was by no means rough. We called it quits at about 16:00 and headed back to the slip. So nothing caught but had a great time none the less. Should be back out again in a couple of weeks when hopefully the sea temp would have risen a little. Which by the way I recorded at a very chilly 4.6 degrees C (surface) Brrrr. James

Hi Toerag, Just bought the coleman 45L combo. Nice size box and a bargin at only £30. Has a drain as well which is useful. https://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/acatalog/...mbo_Cooler.html James

how many times now have you plugged this company, got shares or something? Every tackle shop sells quality blast frozen mackeral which you can get "in nice fillets, 6 to a pack..." but without going to the trouble getting it posted to you?!. Frozen mackeral will catch fish but nothing compares with freshly caught.

Hi, Anyone tried rainbow trout as bait from the boat? I've just read an an article in Boat Fishing Monthly and Graham Pullen was bagging up on the stuff late in the year when fresh macky was unavailable. I'm sick of mushy washed out frozen mackeral, even the Ammo stuff and thought I might give it a try. Asda sell fresh whole trout for 98p each but I'll look out for a cheaper supply. I'm thinking a nice oily whole trout flapper might make a great tope bait! James P.S Anyone know where to buy onion bags/sacks without the onions??

My boat slams if you go to slow, get up on the plane and get the nose down no probs. Go on, give me a clue what it was you tested.

Hi Guys, thanks for your input. I heard that the 'Blocks' isn't as good at it used to be. I lot of people still think May to July is Plaice time but its much earlier locally here on the south coast (climate change, global warming?). I thought it didn't start till April but like you, my local tackle shop said March is when you want to go after them although again confirmed they are very thin on the ground. Squidlips said there being caught already?? I'd better get some more beads and spoons ordered from Veals! Good luck and Solar I'll let you know if I find any banks or patches or ground inshore which produce the goods! I'm studying the charts but just wish my fishfinder had a setting for detecting pea mussel beds then I'll be laughing

Hey, thanks Sandpiper! Being the inkwell type it may not suit the hermies but lobster and crab would be nice and theres no harm in having a couple of pots.

Using Dole Fins won't correct listing which is the main reason for fitting tabs also using these fins by using engine tilt to raise the stern is inefficient use of the thrust and leads to prop slip. Why do we think the boat is overpowered? It a planning hull similar to a warrier 165, not semi displacement and the boat cruises nicely at 4,000rpm. Yes a 40hp will get it up on the plane (just) but will be overworked and struggle when the boat is loaded.

Hi, I'm trying to source a crab pot for collecting hermit crabs for summer smut fishing in the solent. Does anyone know where you can buy them from? I've seen a few designs for lobster, prawn and crab pots etc but not sure what type would be best for the hermits? I used to go on a charter boat (Dave Adams, langstone) and the skip used to pick his catch up on the way out. I remember it being full of hermits and whelks but i was too young to remember the type he was using. Cheers, James

Hello. I own a small 16ft open cuddy fast fishing boat which has a hybrid planning hull. The boat has a deep vee bow section which tapers off to a mild catherdral at the stern. The boat gets on the plane very easiliy but when its there suffers from porpoising at speeds greater than 20 knots which can just be trimmed out with full engine tilt (down) and moving a little weight forward. The porposing even accurs when the water is perfectly flat and this is when it gets a bit hairy with no waves to drag the hull and cut the speed bringing back control. I also need to correct listing from beam/wind on seas and/or uneven weight distribution (worse when one of fuel tank runs dry and I then lose the movable ballast). I'm always on/off plane and ajusting speed for different sea conditions and weight is always moving - lots of fishing gear, 2 x 25 litres fuel tanks plus I'm a light weight and my fishing partner isn't! Boat is fitted with a Mercury 2 stroke 60hp which is the max HP for the boat.

Hi, I'm planning on going after the plaice next month, anyone know or can recommend marks in the solent which might be worth drifting? Heard that the 'blocks' of southsea can be good and Ryde sands? I say next month, is this a little early or is April the prime month? Cheers, James

Hi, can anyone recommend a set of trim tabs or has anyone got experience using them? My boat suffers from listing and porposing and i'm considering a set of Bennett http://www.magicmarine.co.uk/trimtabs/trim...xplanation.html but as they're quite expensive i want some advise and maybe look an alternative brand which may be cheaper or better. Cheers, James