1. The Wreck Of ‘New Flame'
October 25, 2007


The Wreck Of ‘New Flame’ As someone whose career was in the shipping industry, I am always interested when something happens to a ship. So, when visiting Gibraltar recently (September 2007), I was fascinated by the wreck of New Flame which can be seen lying just a few hundred metres from the lighthouse at Europa Point, Gibraltar’s southernmost point. New Flame is (or, perhaps more accurately, was) a Panamanian-registered bulk carrier carrying scrap iron. With 23 crew members on board, she left Gibraltar on 13 August and sustained serious hull damage following a collision with th... (read more)

Author: Brian MacDonald | Article Views: 1914

2. Home Plywood Boat Building: Stitch and Glue or Ply on Frame?
October 08, 2007


There are two general modern techniques for building plywood boats at home: the traditional, Ply on Frame construction and the newer Stitch and Glue method. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Both methods of boat construction are capable of producing very functional, strong, and safe vessels. Which boat construction method a potential boat builder should select, depends as much on the skills, patience, and preferences of the builder as on the desired characteristics of the finished boat. Let’s begin by discussing the traditional ply on frame construction method. It's done by start... (read more)

Author: Jeff Spira | Article Views: 3767

3. CARP FISHING TACTICS FOR WARY FISH - Hiding Your Line!
October 04, 2007


On many carp waters the fish are well aware of fishermen’s lines passing through the water. This can impact so much on fish that in some swims fish will not feed until the swim appears safe and clear of lines. They have associated lines with danger often from many years of angling pressure. But what can you do about it? Seeing your line passing through water can really hit your confidence. If you can see it, the fish certainly can. Carp eyesight is not to be underestimated! How often have you observed fish heading for your swim, only to see your line and turn around? Heavy lines are often... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 815

4. MAKING CATFISH AND CARP GROUND BAITS - Fishing Secrets Of Nuts!
October 01, 2007


If you are looking for something different to boost your catches, you can never be stuck for choice and there are some very effective ones too. Nuts are one very special ingredient and bait that has caught fish reliably for ever. There are many reasons why such an often ‘foreign’ food item produces fish. But fish just love them! One important mention is nut preparation. Unless nuts are used as finely crushed or flour form, they need correctly soaking for at least 12 to 24 hours to ensure they have fully absorbed water. Many fish have died as a result of fish eating nuts thrown in as groun... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 1236

5. FISHING BAIT SECRETS FOR CARP AND CATFISH - Food Bait And ESP!
October 01, 2007


We often think we pretty much know enough to explain nearly everything; such has been the amazing speed of advances in scientific discovery. But when it comes to energy and matter even Einstein got many things wrong and even the greatest scientific minds ever still have not gotten what’s really happening with matter and energy explained, so why should natural carp food and it’s detection really be any different? Because we are evolving as humans we feel we are at our peak of knowledge and understanding. But the more we discover just shows what a tremendous amount there is yet to be learnt... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 768

6. CARP AND CATFISH FISHING BAIT FLAVOURS - Big Fish Attractors!
October 01, 2007


Everyone seems fixated by fishing flavours. The common question fishermen ask is “What flavour bait are you using?” For most fishermen, what matters is that they like their smell of their flavour, which is an interesting point for discussion... The fact is among the diverse multitude of flavours used in fishing baits are some which stand out as far more successful than others, but few fishermen know how or why this is the case... It is easy to buy a cheap flavour at Wal-Mart or Tescos and us it in your bait. However, what you are buying is very often inferior to more expensive flavours. F... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 1668

7. COMMON CARP FISHING BAIT - Powerful Bait Detection Secrets!
October 01, 2007


What about common carp? It does seem that if anyone had gotten their baits really right then many more of those ‘un-caught monsters’ in lakes etc would appear as if by magic instead of remaining un-caught for years. The full impact of DNA differences between many commons and mirror carp on catches are something that is mostly totally underestimated as well as the very subtle but potent effects of food item electrical fields which may or may not be present in fishing baits... Apparently human adults can detect 30,000 smells and a child 10,000, which shows this chemoreception changes even ... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 902

8. Easy Carp And Catfish Fishing Bait Methods To Catch You More Fish!
October 01, 2007


Most fishermen use a wide range of baits straight from the tub or bag and often miss out on improved results by not enhancing these baits in unusual ways before use! For example, the humble worm or maggot can be dipped in a variety of flavours. Many anglers might think of those based on solvents for example, but I’m talking more about using real worm juice to boost attraction. But commercially available bait sprays are excellent for boosting attraction of natural baits. Scopex or Tutti Fruitti flavour sprayed onto boilies can really boost results making them stand out. Hemp seed cooked wi... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 1045

9. Night Watch - Steering by the Stars
September 23, 2007


Night Watch – Steering by the Stars Extract from 'The Voyage of the Little Ship 'Tere Moana' All this starlore stuff is running around her captains head and he reckons he might try steering our little ship by the stars on his watch. He selects a group of stars close to her masthead, and that he can recognise easily. Studying his star chart, it turns out to be the planet Jupiter, with some other stars in the background, forming a pattern that he can identify instantly. The warm night breeze is well round on her port quarter, and she is gambolling along at an easy eight plus knots. All ... (read more)

Author: vincent bossley | Article Views: 2033

10. HOMEMADE CARP AND CATFISH BAITS - Making Special Halibut Pellet Baits!
September 18, 2007


Here’s an effective innovative method of how to ‘top’ halibut pellets or other fishmeal based pellets which can be adjusted and ‘personalised’ any way you wish with other ingredients like attractors, enhancers, stimulators, flavours, oils etc. This method works for any pellet you wish to exploit depending on the ingredients you wish to add to change your bait, and can out-perform original pellet baits. There are many waters where an adulterated pellet bait will truly work wonders. Many fishermen are aware of the success of fishmeal pellets like the famous marine halibut pellets. Where the... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 1025

11. CARP FISHING BAIT FLAVOURS - Natural and synthetic products for big fish!
September 18, 2007


Everyone seems fixated by fishing flavours. Commonly the question asked is “What flavour bait are you using?” For most fishermen, what matters is that they like their smell of their flavour, which is an interesting point for debate... The fact is among the diverse multitude of flavours used in fishing baits are some which stand out more than others, but few fishermen know how or why this is the case. It is easy to buy a cheap flavour at Wal-Mart or Tescos and us it in your bait. However, what you are buying is very often inferior to more expensive flavours. For example, vanilla flavour ha... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 1013

12. FISHING BAIT FLAVOURS - Is Natural or Synthetic Best?
September 18, 2007


Flavoured fishing baits from boilies to pellets, meats to ground baits, dough baits to pastes and seed and nut baits can all be enhanced or differentiated further by using flavours. But there's far more to flavours than meets the nose! The lines are definitely blurred with fishing flavours and these are now extremely complex with vast lists of components. Some synthetic flavours may have 100 individual components, while a natural flavour may have 50 or more compounds present, 25 volatile ones and even others which remain unidentified at the present time. If ‘authenticity’ is important to ... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 862

13. AUTUMN CATFISH AND CARP FISHING - Getting Biggest Catches By Exploiting Weather Changes!
September 18, 2007


This time of year can be a welcome relief after the hot summer temperatures. At this time many fish can become more interested in eating natural food than the baits you have been offering most especially in the case of carp! But now with cooling air and water temperatures, more winds and dropping air pressures, things can become far more productive. By applying lots more bait to your fishing situation can really pay-off now. At this time catfish and carp have ideal conditions in which to truly binge feed on your free baits and ground baits of all descriptions, and really supply you with c... (read more)

Author: Tim Richardson | Article Views: 736

14. The ‘Good Old' Days
September 16, 2007


The ‘Good Old’ Days Rummaging through some old books, I came across ‘Rhodes Steamship Guide And Holidays Afloat’. Published in 1889, and subtitled ‘A Complete Handbook Of Coasting Trips & Ocean Voyages’, this little pocket book gives a fascinating insight into life at sea at that time. Giving advice on clothing, Rhodes says that, ‘Flannel underclothing is always best; in hot climates it is well to even sleep in flannel.’ I’m not so sure about that advice in the days when cotton clothes were readily available and surely much lighter than flannel. Boots that required blacking were... (read more)

Author: Brian MacDonald | Article Views: 761