First trip on my boat looked promising – absolutely flat calm steaming out of Langstone harbour. As it was a big tide headed towards one of the local reefs known to produce bream around its periphery. Well it usually does but not on that day. After two hours we had a small garfish and a nice thornback taken on an uptider cast to the side of the reef of about 10 lbs. Decided we would move to the next mark and there we were motoring along at thirty mph when the Teleflex steering cable parted. I ended up in the lap of my crewman – he is a big bloke so I had plenty of padding.
Tried steering back using the cowling of the 60 – no good to much torque at anything other than tickover – time to phone a friend and a tow home. See attached piccy. Got back and rustled up a marine mechanic and after a week and some cash back in business for the next spell of good weather.
The next trip was on a small tide and great weather so off to one of my favourite marks about 15 miles from Langstone harbour. Smooth hound alley so it was with the planned two rods each turning into one at a time due to the speed of the action had about 12 hounds from about 7 to 12 lbs and a nice ( well for down here ) tope of around 30 which was bizarrely hooked on a smoothie rig of 40lb snood length with a 4/0 but caught in the tail by the second hook. Once the tide stopped so did the fish. Thought I try and catch some dinner - so 4 hours produced a pout two small bream and a couple of garfish along with the ever present dogfish in vast numbers. Dinner came from Tescos that night......
