New Boat

[Paddy.W.]

HI John.

Sorry for the delay in replying to your post, have only just got to see the pictures.

Some great ideas on the deck design and layout, for instance, what a great idea to fit a ramp astern so that better fish instead of being gaffed can be slid up the ramp into a waiting fish box.

This should not only speed up turn round time but do away with the odd marked fillet.

 

Are you fully booked or are there any vacant dates left for this season!!!

On a serious note, It looks to be a fabulious, well designed craft.

Good luck to you and the rest of the crew.

Stay safe. Charles.

[Guest challenge]

HI John.

Sorry for the delay in replying to your post, have only just got to see the pictures.

Some great ideas on the deck design and layout, for instance, what a great idea to fit a ramp astern so that better fish instead of being gaffed can be slid up the ramp into a waiting fish box.

This should not only speed up turn round time but do away with the odd marked fillet.

 

Are you fully booked or are there any vacant dates left for this season!!!

On a serious note, It looks to be a fabulious, well designed craft.

Good luck to you and the rest of the crew.

Stay safe. Charles.

http://www.nautilusuk.org/docimages/1246.pdf

Hi Charles.

yes she is a little faster than the ship we where use to, then again I did like those long steams on a lovely summers evening, when we got away from port the smell of those delicious curry’s that you use to dish up always meant the start of another voyage and another exciting trip.

The ramp (on the new vessel) does help with the gaffing of fish. We actually let the angler land the fish onto the bottom of the ramp as if he (or she) was landing it on o beach.

The accommodation is slightly more modern than our old accommodation and the horsepower is a slight up grade to the old lister but we don’t have that old beat of the engine that soothed you to sleep after a busy day out on deck.

I often read through my diaries that I kept and have to smile as peoples faces come back with every turning of a page. Great times we had old mate. Ones I know I will never forget, simply because I think we where very fortunate to of witnessed something very special.

Regards.

[Paddy.W.]

http://www.nautilusuk.org/docimages/1246.pdf

Hi Charles.

yes she is a little faster than the ship we where use to, then again I did like those long steams on a lovely summers evening, when we got away from port the smell of those delicious curry’s that you use to dish up always meant the start of another voyage and another exciting trip.

The ramp (on the new vessel) does help with the gaffing of fish. We actually let the angler land the fish onto the bottom of the ramp as if he (or she) was landing it on o beach.

The accommodation is slightly more modern than our old accommodation and the horsepower is a slight up grade to the old lister but we don’t have that old beat of the engine that soothed you to sleep after a busy day out on deck.

I often read through my diaries that I kept and have to smile as peoples faces come back with every turning of a page. Great times we had old mate. Ones I know I will never forget, simply because I think we where very fortunate to of witnessed something very special.

Regards.

Hi John

TRUE WORDS.

I also sit and reflect sun sets, air craft carriers, dolphins, fish charmers who find standing and fishing no challange but insist on sitting at the gate looking after the angler to the left and right of them selves, at the same time catching at least twice as much fish as the two put together ,ferries from T/side to Scandinavier, rigs, the odd anchor basher, bell bouys in the middle of know where, the odd scrob (very odd), giving the odd bloke a lift after a wedding, all these things plus a few fish and hundreds of like minded souls all constitute thoughts and memories of great times, along with varying weather from hot enough to stop an engine to shabby enough to dislodge an un suspecting bird from It's perch.

 

All of this and lots more make up the times we had, which are re visited on numerious occasions, both in quiet private moments and over many a sherbert.

Sorry John, I'm just getting my hanky out to dry my tears before Charles gives me any more dictations to you!!!

 

OK. BACK ON TRACK.

We will both along with probably hundreds of others tell our grand children of these times (sob sob )

 

John, do you remember the new system for sychronising tubs and boxes where by the tubs had a number also did the boxes, upon relating this to Dave, his reply was, I have spent my working life responding to a number, I left all that behind, to which the answer came, Is your knife sharp!!.

 

Quick as a flash he asked (what did you say the number was) .

Good old tales.

 

Take care old mate, keep the best sid out, look forward to seeing you later in the year.

Charles. (not forgetting the typist)

[Guest challenge]

Yes Charlie we had many great times trying to catch fish. I find it hard to some things up really. But this is one report that I put on this and other forums a few years ago regarding one memorable trip among many

An Anglers story.

 

This is a true account of what happened on board ‘Chieftain’ a couple of years ago.

We were steaming off on a 46-hour trip. It was a lovely evening and I was on deck having an evening cigarette and a mug of coffee while chatting away to one of our regular customers.

We were talking about fishing in general and the prospects of fishing the following day.

The angler, Ken, was telling me how he had been fishing for thirty years and had never caught a 20-pound cod. He said that he had caught plenty in the high teens but had never managed to get that elusive 20lb cod. He said that his father had first brought him fishing when he was 15 and that he had fished almost all the time in his presence. He remarked that his father had caught quite a few twenty pound fish and often teased him about never catching one. Sadly, his father had recently passed away.

 

Ken said to me that he thought that he had missed his chance, considering that if he was going to get one he would have done so years ago when there were plenty of them about.

He said that he was not bitter at all about not catching a cod that big because he had loved every fishing moment that he had experienced over the last 30 years, hoping to catch one. And of course, he had the pleasure of catching all the other fish that he had caught.

 

The next day, Ken was fishing by the gate. This is more or less where I spend most of my days as it is just across from where I do my filleting, etc. The day’s fishing was steady and Ken (who I must say is a very good and experienced angler) was having a productive day. I saw that he was into a decent fish (if it was only one) and I carried on filleting while listening to see if he wanted a hand. He calmly called, ‘I think this one may need the gaff, John.’ I got the gaff and went over to help. I saw that it was a decent fish and straight away the previous night’s conversation came back to me.

 

The fish was professionally gaffed (if I say so myself) and landed on the deck. I looked at Ken and he looked at me. “I think we should get the scales for that one, Ken”, I said. I got our scales and hung up the cod. “It’s no more and it’s no less than 20lb, Ken.” “You’re joking! Are you sure?” he asked. “Look for yourself!” I said. He was ecstatic but still not quite able to believe he had finally caught a 20-pound cod. He asked another angler if he could use his scales to make sure ours were accurate. They also showed 20lb. He then went on and tried a third set of scales. These showed it to be just over 20lb. In the meantime we had done another drift or two over the wreck and plenty of fish were being produced, but Ken wasn’t fishing. He seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around him.

 

Ken was beside himself. The joy and elation that was coming off that man! If you could have bottled it you would have made a fortune.

 

Ken gave me his camera and I took several photos of him with his fish. Michele, who was taking a stroll on deck, asked him how much it weighed. He said “Twenty pounds” and she replied, “Well done!”, as if he caught them every day. Of course, she was not to know the significance of this fish.

 

Eventually, John (the skipper) shouted for the lads to “Wind them up”, as he thought that we had got the best of that wreck and it was time to move on to another.

 

I carried on filleting everybody’s fish from that wreck while Ken talked to me. He seemed very reluctant to let his fish go under the knife, so I thought I would leave it ’til last so that he could savour the moment accompanied with his fish.

 

While we were steaming to the next wreck, and I continued filleting, he talked about the years he had fished with his father. He started to get a bit emotional; saying how much he wished his dad could have been there to witness his catch. I eventually got his fish off him and cleaned and filleted it and put it in the chiller.

 

Next wreck - and on Ken’s first drop, he caught a 24lb cod. He never said a word. I got the scales and told him the weight and still he did not reply. He carried on fishing that day and caught more fish but nothing in comparison with his two in the twenty pounds.

 

That evening, when we had finished fishing, had our shower and evening meal; I went aft for my after-dinner cigarette and coffee. Ken was sat there on his own, looking out at the setting sun, with a glass of wine in his hand. “Are you OK, Ken?” I asked. “What do you think?” he replied. “Tell me one thing, Ken” I said, “When you caught that 24lb cod why did you not say anything, or react like when you caught the first one?” “John,” he said, “I never believed that it could happen to me! But it did! I didn’t say anything because I was completely speechless!” “Well, that must be another bloody first in 30 years, then!” I teased.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” he said, “but if I never again catch another big fish, it will never dampen the memories of a few hours’ magic in a memorable lifetime’s worth of fishing.”

 

I know that people have their different views on angling, but that experience did it for me. Ken has been back with us many times. He has never caught another 20lb-plus cod… but is always the first to congratulate somebody else when they do.

[John E Ashford]

Fantastic, 20lb story.

[Guest challenge]

Fantastic, 20lb story.

Thanks John, it was a day that ken will remember with more clarity than I can.

Regards.