Post by richi on Sept 14, 2009 18:28:38 GMT
I had planned to do this trip with a group back in July and the weather let us down.
I had been studying the weather all week and it looked by Thursday that this weekend might just be possible,not ideal,but possible.
It would kill two birds with one stone as I've been inimpressed with my paddle fitness and needed a bit of training and had never done an overnight exped.
Saturday morning the decision was made barring any last minute changes with the weather to go ahead.They had forecast 9mph northerly swinging round to a 13mph north easterly.
Launched around 2030 from Keyhaven Yaucht Club( a couple with a canadian canoe asked me "are you going out fishing alone at night?" I replied "No,I'm fishing tomorrow,I'm just paddling to the Needles tonight",,,,,wish I'd took a pic of their faces
) paddled out of the harbour to an oily flat Solent.It was great to see the water so flat and gave me great confidence that I was going to have a successful trip.Target species were a late Tope or an early Cod.
I saw a few small boats fishing near Fort Albert but I was the only one on the move.
Out past Hurst and must have startled a few beach fishermen(can somebody tell me why they put their headlights on to try and see you when you're a mile offshore?
?)
It was almost pitch black when I approached the Needles and I was thinking "I hope I don't run aground like our James did",,,,,,,,,,yes you guessed it,,,,I did ;DALMOST ;D I could hear the hull scrape the rocks as I went through,,,,eerie :ahhh:
The Needles,taken not long after landing
Landed on Scratchells just before 1030,,,,,,immediately lit up the disposable barbie and went on the hunt for driftwood,,,,,,,,soon had plenty for my needs and sat there and chilled whilst dinner was cooking,,,,,after dinner was kind of wishing I'd brought a beer with me,it would have been ideal as I sat there relaxing by my fire
note the makeshift bivuac aka PA sail ;D
Next morning I was early on the water and was able to sail straight out to the mark,the mark I was fishing was further offshore from the Needles than I've been before but I had been assured it was well worth it.This mark probably couldn't be fished on a day paddle from the mainland because by the time you would get there you would have to turn round and head back because of the tides.
the view from the mark
Obviously being the Needles area I wasn't alone :catch:
Anyway,anchored up in 100 odd ft and began fishing,,,,,,,,,fish bait on one rod for the Tope,,triple Squid on the other for the Cod.
Squid was getting severely shredded by the dogs :bash: managed to hook a few,,then had a better bite on the fish bait rod,,,,,,couldn't think what it was when I was reeling in,didn't appear to be fighting too hard :confused: got it up to the surface and although I was targetting them I was still surprised to see this little fella,teeth as sharp as a razor,my first Needles Tope,smallest I've ever caught ;D
it didn't get any better than that and about 30 minutes before I was due to leave(because of tidal constrictions)the wind picked up.....
upped anchor and flipped up the sail,,,sailed for a mile or so but the direction I wanted to go was full upwind
now normally the Solent tide is a great aid coming home but yesterday the wind was over tide and the wind was winning,,ah well I needed a good workout 
)b*gger
wind beating tide in the Solent
Finally made it back to Keyhaven tired but elated,distance 21.3 miles,target species caught :cheers:
I had been studying the weather all week and it looked by Thursday that this weekend might just be possible,not ideal,but possible.
It would kill two birds with one stone as I've been inimpressed with my paddle fitness and needed a bit of training and had never done an overnight exped.
Saturday morning the decision was made barring any last minute changes with the weather to go ahead.They had forecast 9mph northerly swinging round to a 13mph north easterly.
Launched around 2030 from Keyhaven Yaucht Club( a couple with a canadian canoe asked me "are you going out fishing alone at night?" I replied "No,I'm fishing tomorrow,I'm just paddling to the Needles tonight",,,,,wish I'd took a pic of their faces
) paddled out of the harbour to an oily flat Solent.It was great to see the water so flat and gave me great confidence that I was going to have a successful trip.Target species were a late Tope or an early Cod.I saw a few small boats fishing near Fort Albert but I was the only one on the move.
Out past Hurst and must have startled a few beach fishermen(can somebody tell me why they put their headlights on to try and see you when you're a mile offshore?
?)It was almost pitch black when I approached the Needles and I was thinking "I hope I don't run aground like our James did",,,,,,,,,,yes you guessed it,,,,I did ;DALMOST ;D I could hear the hull scrape the rocks as I went through,,,,eerie :ahhh:
The Needles,taken not long after landing
Landed on Scratchells just before 1030,,,,,,immediately lit up the disposable barbie and went on the hunt for driftwood,,,,,,,,soon had plenty for my needs and sat there and chilled whilst dinner was cooking,,,,,after dinner was kind of wishing I'd brought a beer with me,it would have been ideal as I sat there relaxing by my fire
note the makeshift bivuac aka PA sail ;D
Next morning I was early on the water and was able to sail straight out to the mark,the mark I was fishing was further offshore from the Needles than I've been before but I had been assured it was well worth it.This mark probably couldn't be fished on a day paddle from the mainland because by the time you would get there you would have to turn round and head back because of the tides.
the view from the mark
Obviously being the Needles area I wasn't alone :catch:
Anyway,anchored up in 100 odd ft and began fishing,,,,,,,,,fish bait on one rod for the Tope,,triple Squid on the other for the Cod.
Squid was getting severely shredded by the dogs :bash: managed to hook a few,,then had a better bite on the fish bait rod,,,,,,couldn't think what it was when I was reeling in,didn't appear to be fighting too hard :confused: got it up to the surface and although I was targetting them I was still surprised to see this little fella,teeth as sharp as a razor,my first Needles Tope,smallest I've ever caught ;D
it didn't get any better than that and about 30 minutes before I was due to leave(because of tidal constrictions)the wind picked up.....
upped anchor and flipped up the sail,,,sailed for a mile or so but the direction I wanted to go was full upwind
now normally the Solent tide is a great aid coming home but yesterday the wind was over tide and the wind was winning,,ah well I needed a good workout )b*gger wind beating tide in the Solent
Finally made it back to Keyhaven tired but elated,distance 21.3 miles,target species caught :cheers:
