[Fishing report - Warbarrow...]

Phooey has summed the trip up pretty well, which was the climax to my first w/e of yak fishing. It was great to meet up with some of the regulars on this forum, such as Starvin and Richi, but for me, special mention has to go to 'team leader' Darnsarf for looking after us during last night's epic, which I have to admit, at times, was a bit outside my comfort zone. (must get some better wet kit! and learn how to catch fish!!) Hopefully Phooey will overcome his technical problems soon and post some pix (his fish, anyway - will you be Whiting home about the Pollack you caught then? ) Here's a shot of PH & DS landing at Kimmeridge today. It was a beautiful Bank Holiday morning at a very special stretch of coastline. Thanks guys.

[Anchor Line]

The white line you won't snap - I've tried. You will capsize first lol ... Congrats on picking her up - how did you manage getting her indoors ? Hurry up with the rigging and we can fish this weekend !

 

 

Getting her in was a piece of p*ss, think getting out might be harder, but I'm not too worried- and Yeah, I'd definitely be up for a trip, but I'm having trouble getting hold of the small anchor at the moment. I may have to get a 1.5kg to tide me over until they get them back in stock. Also, don't know if I can do the whole pulley system on my own, it says 2 man job for part of it. I'm sure it'd possible to rig up a temporary anchor system for one or two trips though. I'm less concerned about fishing than getting used to the yak. I'd be happy just to paddle around scaring the fish off for you.

 

Did you order direct from Scotty or did you mean you've got another source? If so could you let me have it. Ta.

[Anchor Line]

I've used both of those exact same lines ......

 

The thinner line is wound on a cardboard core.... it wont last long before it collapses.... but the line itself is fine. I used it on the plastic winder that the thicker line was on and used it in 300ft of water, 0.75kg anchor and 1m chain, no problem...... and I agree with the gloves.

 

Now I'm using kite line for my anchor, 65kg dacron, I use the B&Q thin line for ground baiting.

 

The thicker line is good stuff, just a little too short for me I use it in shallower water, as a throwline, and for tie-ing to mooring buoys etc.

 

Yeah I was wondering about the cardboard. Maybe I could source a a bit of plastic tube to replace it, or don't you think the winder was much good either?

[Anchor Line]

Yes, she's here, and we've been spending a bit of quality time together back at my gaff, I've been snappin her elastics and checkin out all her curvy bits. Mmmmmm.... smooooothy

 

Rest of the time has been spent lurking about in DIY stores and ship's chandlreries, so life doesn't really get much better.

 

First job on the list is the anchor pulley system and I found this rather handy-looking windy thing in B&Q with 65m. of 1.5mm nylon cord on it. I bought the 30m of 3mm as well, but before I start unravelling the thinner stuff, I was wondering if it would in fact be strong enough? (especially with the 0.7 kg anchor).

Any opinions?

[This weekend]

Just had an E-mail from Andy

Should have my new P15 this weekend

Thats handy as I am off Mon and Tues of next week.Looks like it will be Breakfast lunch and dinner in the Garage for those 2 days

Zzippy

 

 

Good news Zippy, fingers crossed that everything will be as it should be. You deserve a result with this one. I'm picking mine up on Monday, probably won't bother doing anything to it until I've had a paddle on the Thames. But I'm off all next week so i'll be looking for at least one trip to the salty stuff to christen it proper like.

[Friday, South Coast...]

Anyone here out fishing tomorrow ( besides me ) ?

 

 

Next week Phooey (see Big day tomorrow)

[Big day tomorrow]

Woo-Hoo!! Just got a call to say my yak is ready for collection

Wouldn't you know it, I'm busy until Monday

Oh well, weather doesn't look all that great this w/e anyway.

 

Q's. Where do I get Scotty rod holders from? cheapest/quickest delivery etc. I take it they are fairly obligatory.

 

What's the latest thinking on the best solution for crates - Tesco collapsible with zip up cold bag inside?

 

Also, I have a possible tip for roof rack bar padding, but I want to make sure it works before I post, hopefully as soon as I get home with the yellow one on Monday.

 

OK everybody don't go catching all the fish now, before I get there.

[mounting a garmin 140 on a P13.]

C:\Documents and Settings\Howard\My Documents\Picasa Web Exports\phooey's fishfinder installation\index.html

Did that work ?

 

 

Only on your computer mate

 

C:\Documents and Settings\Howard\My Documents\Picasa Web Exports\phooey's fishfinder installation\index.html

Did that work ?

 

 

Try a bit more vaseline, that should do it

[Pics for Phooey]

Thanks DS

 

 

I see you've been indulging in a bit of retail therapy, Phooey, I 'll look forward seeing your choice of FF eventually(as well as taking advantage of it, hopefully, sometime soon )

 

Just a thought about the options for fixing transducers, I haven't paid that much close attention to this topic, as it is still some way off being relevant to me, but the choice appears to be between araldite/permanent and vaseline/non-permanent?

 

Well, you might want to consider another intermediate option before you go the araldite route: you can buy acrylic gel medium from any art shop, which dries to a clear, hard plastic that would certainly adhere to a clean inner hull; you wouldn't get any problems with air bubbles and if you eventually decided to sell your yak, but wanted to keep the transducer/FF, the plastic should peel off, both the hull and the transducer quite cleanly. If you want to give it a go, drop round on your way home from work and I'll let you have some to play with.

 

Cheers Kev

[Southampton water]

I still havnt got a yak.It maybe another 3 weeks yet.

 

Uh Oh!... don't like the sound of that... what have you heard? Does this have anything to do with the next shipment (bringing my P13) that was due at the end of the month?

[Could they be Scallies?]

Hi all

 

Just rememberd something i saw last year on a beach near me and i dont know much about it or whether its legal or not.

 

Low tide Putsborough, calm, just rowing the dinghy ashore after a loverrrly evening fishing. Dragging the boat up the sand i see these two dudes laying out a "long line" baited hooks every 2ft for about 100yds.

 

Obviously after bass on the incoming.

 

I said hello and what you up to with little response.

 

Whats this all about and is it legal? never seen them before and havent seen them since.

 

 

I'm sure I remember seeing Ray Mears extolling the virtues of this technique on one of his Bushtucker programmes once, but I think he was after flatties.

[VHF Radio Etiquette]

Toilettenpapier........muss ich toilettenpapier haben

 

 

Right then, I now know which ones of you lot are likely to have torpedoes fitted to yer yaks

(Ve don't vont cod!... Ve vant plaice!!)

[VHF Radio Etiquette]

Correct radio etiquette may not be sufficient in all circumstances. (Sorry if this isn't a direct link)

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6077326441742307086

[Rigging my New style Prowler 15]

That is very bad luck Zippy. Makes me wonder if I should ask the dealers I have ordered my P13 from to fill it up with water before I take it away? I wouldn't have the space to do this myself at home. Is this a reasonable request? They did say that mine would arrive at the end of the month and would probably be a NZ model, which tallies with the batch you were told were due in 2 weeks. Just have to keep my fingers crossed, I suppose.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

[New Fishing Kayak]

Paintfly - you should also notice that the sales line states:

Heritage Kayaks designed it's new Red Fish model for… you guessed it, redfishing.

Now, i don't know if you know, but Redfish are a quiet waters fish that they go for over grass beds in sheltered areas.

 

I don't think testing anything in these conditions is going to tell you a damned thing about how it will react on the sea proper. Thisis typical US sales garb - and it is meaningless. Even Doug can only say - I liked the rubber scupper bungs and the fact the rod jholders were nearby - whatever sort of testament is that? Where else would the rod holders be? And the best thing about the kayak was a plug hole stopper?

 

Read the piece again OBJECTIVELY and see if you can find any informatin which alludes to the kayaks ability - so it paddled easily. IN WHAT CONDITIONS? Carrying how much gear? And how much paddling has that particular tester done (I can tell you - Doug has done virtually none! He spends all his time on big Hatterases or Bertrams) That is no disrespect to Doug, who is a bloody good editor, but he is not a kayaker.

 

This is the type of editorial that you have to really read between the lines of and understand what is being said.

 

Your P13 will knoock spots of that 14 - just look at the plan view. That oval shaped hull is going to be a pig to keep on course. It might be 14 feet overall - but I would be more interested to know what the waterline length is - and to better judge the characteristics the waterline beam too. The wetted footprint looks to be very oval - hardly conducive to easy paddling. ESPECIALLY AT 66LBS!!!!

 

 

Simon, first of all let me say that I'm more than happy with my choice of the P13 and so I'm delighted to see your vehement defence of it. I would not hesitate to defer to your superior knowledge and experience in judging the merits of any yak. But I would just like to point out that I wasn't referring to the Red Fish, but to the Fisherman Pro 14 in the second link, which to my inexperienced eye looks rather a svelte little number in profile. Now, what was that you were saying about reading things carefully...?

 

But maybe your comments still apply, as it does look more like an ocean kayak and so, possibly unsuitable for UK waters? Be very interested to hear what you think of it.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

[New Fishing Kayak]

And another here:

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/News/fisherman_pro_14_kayak.html

 

 

Wow! that looks pretty nice. Shame about the colour If they did it in a 13, I'd be seriously tempted, not to mention p'd off as I only put in my order for a P13 yesterday. I wouldn't mind betting that this time next year there'll be a whole load of new designs that'll make the yaks we now consider reasonably fast look like floating bath tubs.

[And the good news is....]

Congratulations Paintfly.You'll be placing an order then!

 

 

Most definitely. Is there anything I should specify/look out for to make sure I get one without the older scupper holes, or are they all OK these days?

[And the good news is....]

THE P13 FITS IN MY HALL. YAAAAAAY!!!!

 

Met up with Phooey on the Thames yesterday morning near Richmond Bridge and had a quick paddle, not that I needed any convincing, then, in the evening , he very kindly came round with his yak to see if we could get it in through my front doors. It's as tight as a nun's...er...wimple (yes, I'm sure that's the word I was looking for ), and the slight curve was crucial.

 

We both agreed it's probably going to be a bit of a nightmare doing it on my own, but it goes in and that's good enough for me. I'll probably need to come up with some interesting manoevres and methods of protection to avoid damaging it, as I'll definitely have to do a bit of pushing and sliding from the back. First thought is to get a cheap sleeping back to slip over the prow end. But where's there's a will there's a way. Stand by for another addition to the fleet!

 

Big ups to Phooey for all his help.

[Any Maths Genius' Out There?]

Could you not slide it thru a window ?

 

 

Yeah, I've already been considering the options if nothing will fit through the front doors, but it will mean replacing a front window with one that actually opens (this is London, we're talking about, I'm afraid), so that will be my last choice. I'm quietly optimistic that at least a Caper will squeeze in, however, but would like the biggest yak that'll fit.

 

Thanks to everbody on the forum for all the helpful suggestions and info.

 

Kev

[Any Maths Genius' Out There?]

Hi paintfly.

Hungry Fisherman lives in London somewhere.But havnt seen him on this site for a while.Maybe on one of his exotic Holidays.He has the p13.

Well last time I saw him he did.

Zzippy

 

Good to know. Cheers Zzippy

 

Kev

[Any Maths Genius' Out There?]

Where in London ?

 

I'm in Epsom with a P13. If you are localish' I don't mind a stop off if its on the way to the Thames.

 

 

Hi Phooey, I'm in Tooting Bec SW17, so if you're launching at Wandsworth Bridge - it's perfect!

 

Anyway, I'd always be interested to come down and watch you launch and maybe have a chat about everything sometime. Where do you normally launch from? It's good to know there's at least one local-ish person who's into this. Let me know if you think it's doable . (Aren't you afraid pf catching summink 'orrible from the Thames? )

 

Cheers

 

Kev

[Any Maths Genius' Out There?]

Hi Kev

 

I had a similar problem when deciding on my choice of yak. I can just squeeze a Caper up two small flights of steps, round a corner and into my flat. Bournemouth Canoes where I bought it from would have given me a refund if it didn't fit in... fortunately it did with a couple of cm's spare.... its not the same thing but have you tried taking a pole(fishing rod?) of exactly the same length as your chosen yak through the front door and into the house. I did this first and just got it into the flat like the Caper. Considering the kayak is wider and deeper than a rod I was surprised I could get it in with pretty much the same spare distance.

 

 

Yes, thanks for the suggestion, Speciman, but I feel like I've already done something similar by being able to get a 16ft hanglider in, which are not bendy and about the size/length of a rolled up carpet.

 

What would help is knowing how deep these yaks are, the websites only give length and width.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

[Any Maths Genius' Out There?]

I am desperate to buy my first yak, but will be limited to whatever I can manage to get through the angle of the two front doors of my ground floor flat. I used to manage to squeeze 16ft hanglider in, but they are only 4ft in cicumference at their biggest end (bout the size of a golf bag). My initial thoughts were to go for a Caper, but having read this forum at length, this would now be my 3rd choice with a P13 1st and Scrambler XT 2nd, (apparently there is an XT angler version, but I don't know if it's available in the UK).

 

I went down to Brighton canoes recently to eyeball a Caper and told them about my problem; they said they would consider letting me buy one and bring it back for a refund if it didn't go in, which was decent of them. But now that I'd rather have a bigger yak, if possible, I've been trying to work it out on paper. Only trouble is, drawing a floor plan is about as far as I can manage.

 

From my very rough guesstimate, I reckon there's a channel of about 40 cms width, which the yak would have to pass through on its side. Can't see any depth measurements on the website and the curve might make a difference, for or against, as well. I've attached the plan in case anybody has the necessary brains to work this out? 'Cos I sure don't. Any advice would be much appreciated, as I'm gagging to put an order in.

 

Cheers

 

Kev

 

PS Alternatively, if there's anyone in the London area, who would be prepared to try and stick their yak through my front doors....