Excel London Boat Show January 2008

This is not my favourite show, I think has lost its magic by moving to Docklands, but at least it is a boaty place to go in the middle of winter. More of a show for bigger boats; there is more choice at the cheaper end of the market at the Southampton Boat Show but you've missed that until next September. The point of this message is (finally) - if you want a dirt cheap ticket, raid your Tesco vouchers, you can get in for £3.25 if you book through http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/product.aspx?R=583 but you have to do it before 11th January.

Queen Victoria

Yet another weekend of gales and rain, so I wasn't too upset to spent part of it doing Christmas shopping. We went to West Quay in Southampton, and surprise surprise (because I had not been following the local news), Cunard's newest cruise liner Queen Victoria is moored next to Mayflower Park, right across from the shopping centre. She is a fabulous sight, I expect we will see her along with the other two Queens, heading past us when we are fishing the Nab area. She will be named on Monday 10th December.

Portsmouth Harbour Notices

Many moons ago I registered on http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/ which is the official Portsmouth Harbour web site. It was supposed to email Notices to Mariners that affected boaters in the Harbours and Solent. Nothing happened, and I put it down to a rubbish web site design. Perhaps it was and perhaps they have fixed it because now it's working! You can get emails telling you about events, major ship movements, dredging and other useful things to know about if you plan a trip in the area.

River Cottage Fish Book Review

This is my review on Amazon.

The best fish cookery books are written by fishermen and fishmongers. My favourite fish cookery books so far have been from Sophie Grigson and William Black, Philip Diamond, Mitchell Tonks and Alan Davidson. All really know their fish because they get out there and catch them, or deal with fresh fish for a living. Now Hugh and Nick join that select band of my favourite fishy authors for the same reason - they know and love fish, from the bottom of the sea to the plate. They write informatively, humorously and passionately, and the reader can't help wanting to pick up a rod or net and get involved. Don't expect fussy recipes: these are best cooked in a farmhouse kitchen or a fishing boat galley, and eaten with your fingers. But they will taste fabulous. Don't expect too many recipes for boring old cod or salmon either, as Hugh and Nick explore nearly all British edible species that swim or crawl. This is a big book, and hugely readable. The authors are both very passionate about sustainable fishing, and offer useful tips to help conserve the more pressurised species, and provide every reason to try alternatives that are right on our doorstep. Buy this book, you will not regret it. (Click here, even!)

Cheap bait and more...

Saturday and Sunday promised more wind so Salar stayed in the marina while I built up brownie points (aka fishing vouchers) at home, turning the kids old play-room into a teenager's den. Much shelving and trendy furniture from Ikea was involved. Where is the connection to cheap bait, you are wondering. Here it is. Just down the A23 south of Ikea, Croydon is a branch of Wing Yip, the Chinese food superstore - and what an adventure that is. If you like cooking Chinese food, this place is heaven. If you like saving a lot of money compared to buying from Sainsbury's, you will be in double heaven. Get On With The Bait Story. OK here goes: Wing Yip sell 5lb boxes of frozen squid, just like the ones in the tackle shops, for £6.20 a box and 1lb boxes for £1.30. Compare that with your local tackle shop! Huge frozen prawns, cooked or raw, from £5.75 a Kilo. I kid you not - these are unlikely to make it as far as a fishing trip, I feel a delicious prawn curry calling to me.

River Cottage Fish Book

Published on 19th November, my copy arrived on 20th. It is BIG, plenty of material and some really useful looking sections. I noticed Amazon is selling it for half the published price of £30. I'll do a proper review when I have read more of it but from first impressions, it is a superb buy.

River Cottage Catch and Cook e-Course

I confess, I enjoy cooking. Particularly when the ingredients are fresh and free, and don't involve a lot of fuss and bother. My ideal meal would be fish I'd caught; veggies from the garden; cooked and eaten al fresco. So Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a man I can relate to (in a heterosexual way of course). I have enjoyed his Channel 4 programs and bought the original River Cottage Cookbook, so when he announced he was combining his interest in fishing with cooking, producing a TV series and a book, I was first in the queue. I bought the book from the River Cottage web site and they threw in a free on-line "Catch and Cook" course. Although there was nothing new in the "catch" part - in fact I disagree with some of his ideas - the preparation and cooking content is excellent. I wouldn't pay the £20 list price for the course, but as it is free, and the book is discounted by a fiver too, then go for it! My next project, when the weather improves, is to build a Hugh F-W Cold Smoker....

Weird Weather

Friday was perfect fishing weather, Saturday was deteriorating and Sunday would be gales so an early start on Saturday (6am out of the marina) was the only chance we had. It all looked good - glassy calm, no fog, a box of squid from Solent Angling and I was set to go. I even had a bunch of new Rapala lures - another birthday present this time from from sis-in-law. Heading out of Langstone it still looked good, and a fleet of other anglers were on their way out too. At the entrance there seemed to be slightly more of a swell than I was expecting, but I put that down to the strong ebb. But it didn't flatten out further out , it got steadily worse. I saw a yacht under power in the distance, with a mast gyrating wildly. The further out I went, the higher the waves, but strangest of all there was no wind at all. The wave surface was like glass, but the wave height was enough to make me throttle right back. As I neared Medmery Bank, it was starting to look decidedly worrying. In the distance, the waves were starting the break and at that moment the phone rang. It was Arron, out on Buccaneer south of the Nab advising me not to go there! I wasn't. Bit by bit the VHF chat indicated more and more boats heading back, some sheltered in the Solent rather that give up entirely so I headed back via Hayling Bay to try trolling the new lures. After half a mile of trolling at 2 knots my stomach started to rebel and I called it quits. Unfortunately even with a leisurely tour of Langstone Harbour at low water (glassy calm again) didn't occupy the time until the cill opened for the marina, so I tied up on the holding pontoon and spent a couple of pleasant hours eating my lunch and doing some much-needed tidying. From what I heard on Ch. 10 the Solent fleet caught doggies and not much else.

A day spent fixing

For my 50th birthday my dear wife bought me a very special present, probably one not many 50 year olds get even if they are passionate boat anglers - a sand eel trawl. Saturday was the first chance to try it out, because Mick, our local source of all knowledge, said an hour before High Water and an hour after was best. But it was not to be. Although the day way bright, the wind was howling - the forecast was for winds but this seemed a lot more than the Met Office had promised.

I met Arron down at the boat and after looking at a couple of small boats disappearing in their own spray in the harbour, we decided that trawling was out of the question. So we sheltered in the boat, munched hot sausage rolls supplied by Arron and wired up my new cockpit flood light. It beat painting walls anyway (the job that was waiting at home).