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.