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Post by pilgrim17 on Dec 9, 2014 15:11:02 GMT 1
SATURDAY 13TH
Looks to be the only option weatherwise, strong winds from the SW before & after, so Saturday with a lighter NW looks to be the only option. After last Saturday's total lack of interest I wont be holding my breath waiting for the boat to fill. The boat is ready, I am prepared to take it out, its up to you to put bums on seats.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Dec 6, 2014 13:38:42 GMT 1
NO TAKERS!
That was a surprise, (& a bit of a kick in the teeth), a 9am - 3.30pm trip in good weather, on a Saturday, with dabs & whiting being caught in numbers, & no takers? (well one who had to cry off with good reason). Now we enter at least a week of winds too high for Belle to go out, so I am stuck, tied up alongside the pontoon doing maintenance & odd jobs, kicking my heels waiting for the weather to improve. When it does am I going to get more of the same? Arrange trips, watch the weather, keep the boat ready to go, buy the bread & sausages/bacon, milk, only for nobody to show any interest? Not good enough ladies, I am running on about 4/5 people who are interested, & 2 of them are fellow skippers/crew, even my wife is saying to me now "Why bother going down the marina so often, if nobody is interested?", & that is a good question?
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Post by pilgrim17 on Dec 3, 2014 17:13:54 GMT 1
Forget rummaging!
I cut 2 pieces of angle iron down with the angle grinder, & now they await No2 sons welding skills to complete the winch handle , should be ready for the trip on Saturday. I am taking advantage of every day the weather is suitable to get trips in, before Christmas, lock closure, bad weather, & whatever else rears its ugly head! Saturday looks good, light northerly wind early on, then it turns westerly & increases slightly as the tide starts to flood, so it should be fine we will have wind with tide flattening it off, & with wind & tide behind us we should break the 6 knot barrier coming home . Depending on the sea state it will either be the hole between SWIGG & the Strombus, or just outside the mooring in Mumbles where we have been getting some nice dabs, & a few whiting, then maybe off County Hall (where they have been catching codling), either way we will have a few fish, & as usual it will be slow but cheap! Lock out at 9am (plenty of time to buy bait) come back in at 3.30 "Gentlemans hours" as Ken Davison calls them, all I need is anglers, so don't be shy ladies
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Post by pilgrim17 on Dec 1, 2014 18:42:00 GMT 1
STILL LOOKING FOR
About 6" of 15mm x 15mm (5/8" x 5/8") steel box section to make a handle for the hand winch I have fitted onto Mumbles Belle, I have asked every likely person I know, my alternative would be to get 2 short sections of angle iron welded together, or 4 short lengths of flat stock welded up, but I am sure somebody has about 6" of box section lying about?
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 30, 2014 20:39:39 GMT 1
Not a bad day after all
Despite some late withdrawals through ill health, we managed to get afloat with just 3 of us aboard, & after getting a bollocking off the marina lock keeper for going into the lock without permission (I couldn't see there wasn't red over green with the sun that low), we eventually headed for Mumbles head & our "plaice mark". Well nobody told the plaices that we were coming, so they didn't turn up, a few dabs did, & a 2lb 13oz bass did, but no plaices, & we did have a few "Swansea Bay Tuna". We stuck it out until high water, then went around the corner to a spot outside the moorings where we sheltered 2 weeks ago & had a few dabs, well we had a few more today as well, in fact they were coming up 2 at a time sometimes, unfortunately for Richie he was catching little ones, & my "blinged up" size 1's were attracting the big ones, which p****d him off somewhat, we had quite a few small whiting too, just undersize unfortunately, but a change from the growlers, we stuck it out until 2.50pm then headed back to catch the 3.30 lock in as planned. So we had a few fish for the pan for a pleasant change, the boat went very well without any hitches, the new hand winch works a treat bringing the anchor up, but I still need a piece of 15mm x 15mm box section to make a new handle, & I need to fit another bow roller for the rope gypsy (because the existing one is lined up for the chain gypsy) but that is a minor problem now we have mechanical muscle to lift the anchor. On a culinary note, because only Richie & I like chili-dogs we had 2 rounds of buttered thick sliced toastie bread, with a thick layer of fried onions, then 3 chili dog sausages covered in English Mustard, with another slice of thick sliced & buttered bread on top, SUPERB is the only word to describe it, sat off Mumbles, catching dabs in the sunshine, eating red hot chili dogs with lashings of mustard swilled down with a nice mug of tea. Who said we don't know how to live?
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 28, 2014 18:22:45 GMT 1
Still 1 place left
Ken Ward has had to withdraw because of family illness, so there is 1 place left for Sunday's Belle trip. It wont be fast, & it wont be far, but hopefully we will get something for the pan. It seems that there is a concencus for the 9am lock out which will put us over Mumbles area about 9.45 which is perfect for what we have in mind (as long as the weather plays ball) worm bait & bling will be the order of the day I reckon The major attraction of the day will be chilli dogs, with fried onions, & English mustard, that should clear any long standing blockages, it might even drive the growlers away! Instead of "Let it Go" we could have "Let one Go" (if you are very brave)! I see "Oysterdog" has cancelled its trip, so we haven't got a lot to beat, so a golden opportunity to win well.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 27, 2014 10:59:14 GMT 1
Watch this space!
Since posting the intended Belle trip on Sunday 30th, the forecast wind has increased slightly, at the moment it is still ok (but it will be cold) & we will have wind over tide until HW at 1220 after that it should flatten somewhat. Keep an eye on the forecast before you buy/dig your bait, if it increases from the NE/E/SE then don't bother because there is no shelter from an easterly (unless we drop anchor in the river) Ring me if you are in doubt.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 26, 2014 18:22:34 GMT 1
Cowardice in the face of the enemy!
Ken Davison has refused the chili-dogs for Sunday! So I shall bring some pink serviettes for his ordinary hot dogs Richie has reminded me that the tide time & height is perfect for the plaice spot we know, not far from our intended first mark, so depending on the sea conditions, we might go straight there, it does produce plaice but it also produces dabs, & codling if they are about, & of course the odd growler or 100 Ken has suggested that we have a try opposite County Hall, we drifted across there in the summer & the ground was perfect for codling, small stones & muddy sand, which must hold small crabs, shrimp etc which are what they are after. Seeing as they are catching a few codling off the steps at County Hall it might well be worth dropping the hook there for an hour & see what transpires, its on our way home anyway, & Belle is all about ringing the changes (Belle, Ring ) The winch is fitted so bringing the anchor up should no longer be a problem (famous last words), I will scout the ground at low water this week & identify a likely spot off County Hall, & lets hope we get a codling or two from there. Let me know if you want to go for an 8am or 9am lock? (Given that the bait shop doesn't open until 8 am), so if you want to go at 8 you have to get your bait on Saturday!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 25, 2014 20:04:56 GMT 1
Next Doghunt!
I have planned a trip on Belle for Sunday 30th Nov, I plan on a nice gentle run across to Mumbles & fish just off the pier where last time out we had 7 species &, it is a good spot for dabs, so its bits of frozen black lug, on size 1 or 2 hooks, with lots of "bling" (blue/yellow or black/yellow). The forecast is for very light & variable winds, so it should be ideal for light tackle, small weights, & lots of tea/coffee & chile-dogs. Lets see if somebody (or everybody) can bring home something to eat! HW is about 1220 so its a "gentleman's" lock out at 9am (If you are REALLY keen we could go at 8am ) & back in on the 3.30pm lock, very civilised trip I reckon, (& cheap)
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 24, 2014 11:50:15 GMT 1
Dog Day blues!
As foretold I went out on "Oysterdog" yesterday, but for some reason we never fished either of the spots we booked for (Aberafon/Morfa) we fished the Kenfig Dogpatches, Sker Dogpoint, SWIGG Dogbouy, Whiting Dogbank, it was cold & swelly, & then we came home. Highpoint of the day was the sausage sandwiches (although Richie forget to bring the butter!) & the chile-dogs (which made him fart all day!) Some people took their comfort seriously in the great doghunt, didn't they Ken.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 21, 2014 21:01:25 GMT 1
Day 7
And still the welding hasn't been done, because the guy who was going to do it, needed the gypsy removed from the winch for pre heating before he could weld it, that would have needed Sooty's Magic Wand, because it had been shrunk onto the shaft, & keyed with a big old external key! So Number 2 son has said that he will weld it in-situ & I will do a "belt & braces" repair by drilling & tapping the gypsy & bolting a metal disc to the outside of it. It wont look as pretty as it did before, but wire brushed & sanded down & given a coat of smooth silver hammerite it will look ok, & it will do the job it was bought to do! I am crewing on "Oysterdog" on Sunday, we are going across to Aberafan/Morfa to see if we can catch a few codling over that way, maybe get away from the Swansea Bay Tuna that are infesting us, I will let you know how we get on. News for the anglers, I have bought some "Olde Oak Chile Dogs" for Sunday, now Richie & I love them, as I am sure does Ken Davison, but for the uninitiated a warning, that they could cause a few choruses of "Ring of Fire" if you are delicate I will keep you posted on the progress, (or otherwise) of the winch, I will be sick to death of it before its fitted if I have any more trouble with it!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 18, 2014 15:18:18 GMT 1
Well today is supposed to be the day
When my "new" winch gets welded back together? I will no doubt find out later on how it went, I hope it was successful so that I can put my idea to the test & bring the anchor up mid tide! Went to my first club committee meeting last night, nothing changes, it was similar to the last one I went to 30yrs ago When asked for "Boat Reports" both "Oysterdog" & "Mumbles Dog" both had much the same to say, about the fishing, but "Oysterdog" was well ahead in the cost race This constant wind is a bigger menace from the east than Islamic State, & from the look of the forecast there will be an end to them before the weather improves. I have been asked to take a trip around to "Cod's Corner" off the East Breakwater in the shelter, but on a 40ft tide it dries out & I would have to anchor outside the structure out of the shelter, so defeating the object. I would like to take a run over to fish off Aberavon beach where they are having some nice codling, but in this weather its out of the question, it isn't comfortable to go out of the river (not at Mumbles Dog speed anyway ) All we can do is watch & wait, I keep the boat ready to go at 5 mins notice & I can do no more, we WILL see a break in the weather soon, & when we do I expect you lot to be queuing up to go out fishing, don't let me down! or else its
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 17, 2014 14:07:19 GMT 1
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 15, 2014 18:45:19 GMT 1
It's gone for welding
Found somebody who can weld cast iron (apparently you have to use nickel rods?) & so its gone to him to be done, it looks as though my (£25 inc p&p winch) is going to be much more expensive than that! Also the weather for Monday is very "marginal", & with the weather we have had I would think "no chance" is most likely, & the rest of the week looks bad until about next Sat/Sun. So its another week of pottering about finding things to do, (which is never difficult on "Mumbles Belle", so it looks like the kettle is going to get some use this week!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Nov 14, 2014 21:18:01 GMT 1
Absolute disaster!
The winch I bought has arrived & the chain gypsy is broken into 4 pieces, they must have hit it with a sledgehammer or taken it up 3 storeys & dropped it! I now have to find somebody who can weld cast iron to try to fix it! It was only insured for £20 because I only paid £19 for it on E-Bay it will cost a lot more than £20 to get it welded properly I know!!!!!!!
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