28th July - River Hamble

Jeff with typical Hamble schoolie

With this days action aboard "Moonshine" also confirmed cancelled due to the wind, fellow crew Jeff Smith suggested we take his 13 foot Orkney SPinner on a mullet hunt up the Hamble. He didnt need to ask twice!! We arrived and launched the craft without any bother. Jeff is a very practical guy, and a toeball on the front of his van ensured there were no issues. We mocched around, spotted a few fish, and found a comfortable combination of a few fish in a sheltered spot. Tantalysingly close to a pub, we resisted the temptation and focused on the fishng. Many of the fish were schoolies, but we spotted enough mullet to keep the feed going in. Eventually though, with Jeff having landed a few schoolies, we left the shelter and went looking further upstream

With lush trees and White Egrets fliting between them, it was more like a scene from the African Queen

At the first place we went to, I hooked the only mullet of the day. But it only stayed attached for ten seconds before the tip sprung back. It didnt matter though. The scenery was stunning, and the company excellent. The tea was brewed with perfect regularity as well. Pretty much paradise. We spent the next couple of hours trying our best on the upper reaches, but apart from more schoolies, not a lot was happening. As the water dropped, we came back down to the back of the marina, where we found some good mullet, and got them feeding no bother. We both certainly had our chances, but as is sometimes the case with mullet, they managed to avoid the net. With darkness, we retrieved the boat and reflected on an excellent day. The boat is a masterpiece of little touches that make it a pure fishing machine. On the strength of that, I am hoping you will be reading a report of the Orkney on the Cambridgeshire fens come late October.....!

Jeff and his wonderful Orkney Spinner