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DECEMBER 2011

Plymouth, United Kingdom



BCC NEWS MENU

1. 2011 DECEMBER.
2. CARPET SEA SQUIRT INVADES UK WATERS.
3. FISH OF THE MONTH-RED SEA BREAM.
4. DECEMBER BRITISH CONGER CLUB NEWS.
5. CANARY ISLAND VOLCANO: A NEW ISLAND IN THE MAKING?
6. AUSTRALIA PLANS HUGE MARINE RESERVE IN CORAL SEA.
7. FISHING AROUND THE WORLD.
8. BUYING FISH FOR CHRISTMAS?--BUYERS GUIDE
9. YOUR STORY HERE
10. BCC JUNIOR ANGLERS
11. TRY CARBONITE FOR FREE!-PC BACK UP.
12. MY BLACKBERRY IS NOT WORKING.
13. HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH SOME ELECTRONIC GADGET?
14. FISHING REEL REPAIRS.
15. COMPUTER TIPS.



1. 2011 DECEMBER WEBSITE LATEST NEWS

Regrettably there has not been any new news or photographs forwarded to me over the last 8 weeks. This year has been the worst ever for NEWS ITEMS and PICTURES from MEMBERS. In fact I have had more information and pictures from NON MEMBERS which is really a sad affair. What I do not understand is that with the advent of the digital camera I would have expected many more pictures. You can take hundreds of pictures at really no cost and forwarded them by email, also at no cost. Yet I have received just a handful in a year and usually from the same anglers.

In October I placed an article on the website called YOUR STORY HERE, but no one has bothered to offer an article for print. Come on guys put your pen to paper and lets make this website work.

On a website a PICTURE says a THOUSAND WORDS and I would rather have a thousand pictures rather than a thousand words!

 WEBSITE PICTURES  - When submitting pictures for the BCC WEBSITE it would be a great help to the webmaster if you can name your picture file as shown in the example: john_doe_57lb_5oz.jpg  This ensures that I get the name of the captor and the weight correct. Often I get a file name like IMG_123_7678.jpg which means nothing and with no further information. Thank you!

Any questions please email me at webmaster@britishcongerclub.org.uk

PLEASE NOTE: The BCC MESSAGE BOARD will now be FREE for anyone to use from the 1st September 2010. However content will still be monitored by the webmaster. Uploads are now immediate. Profane or content not in the interests of the BCC will be removed immediately. Please respect this Code of Conduct.

The MEMBERS ONLY PAGE will still be PASSWORD PROTECTED at the request of the BCC COMMITTEE.

The MEMBERS ONLY pages now requires the BCC webmaster to approve your registration for use. Please carefully follow the instructions which are simple. You will need to register for the MEMBERS ONLY page to receive a PASSWORD. Please follow the instructions on the MEMBERS ONLY PAGE.

Should you have any difficulties with the MEMBERS ONLY page, please email the webmaster at webmaster@britishcongerclub.org.uk

The WEATHER page has also been updated. Should anyone find something not function please advise me as these websites constantly change their URL's.

The British Conger Club Website reports on conger fishing news in the UK and other fishing and marine news worldwide. Please note that some months we do not have many new Conger pictures due to poor weather or I have not received any? I am always grateful for conger pictures, or pictures from any of your trips. Many anglers think the pictures need to be of eels of monster proportions to be published, this is not the case.

When the weather is inclement and you have a trip booked always phone the Skipper for a weather check the day before your trip as the weather at your fishing location may be very different from your home location. He will then advise what to do.

If you quickly want to hear the BCC WEATHER  - THE SHIPPING & INSHORE WATER FORECAST can now be heard by clicking on the LINK below or on our weather page. You need REAL PLAYER installed on your PC for this to function.

May also wish everyone a Happy Christmas.


webmaster@britishcongerclub.org.uk
  1st DECEMBER 2011.

2. CARPET SEA QUIRT INVADES UK WATERS.


 

An underwater alien that smothers marine life to death has invaded the Solent. Scientists discovered colonies of the carpet sea squirt in marinas in Gosport, Lymington and Cowes. It is the first time the highly invasive species has ever been found in English waters.

Marine experts last night warned the creature could decimate native shellfish stocks by suffocating them. Stopping its spread has been made a top priority. Local anglers and sailors were called on to report any sightings.

The spongy invader, which probably arrived by attaching itself to the hulls of yachts, spreads rapidly by squirting tiny, tadpole-like larvae. Originally from Japan, it has caused major economic and environmental problems in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and on the continent.

Dr Antony Jensen, a coastal marine ecologist at the National Oceanography Centre, said: “If this particular one (species) does get going, and is able to survive, then I think it’s going to cause a lot of problems and it could be quite nasty.  It has a distinctive orangey yellow or mustard colour, is leathery to touch and often appears as pale flat patches.

Didemnum vexillum, the alien’s scientific name, was spotted late last year during a Government-commissioned survey of the coastline. As well as the Solent, populations were also found in Devon’s Dart Estuary. It comes 18 months after the first colony in British waters was discovered at Holyhead harbour, north Wales.

A spokesman for the Department for environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said a plan to eradicate the creature was being drawn up. “At the end of last year, Defra commissioned work to survey the presence of the sea squirt in England and as a result, identified populations in the Dart estuary, Lymington, Cowes and Gosport,” the spokesman said. “We are now looking how to control and manage sea squirts, drawing on the experience from the Welsh eradication programme. Decisions on the appropriate level of control of the sea squirt will be made once the report is complete.”

The sea squirt grows in either thin strips or long rope-like growths that cover underwater structures such as hulls, buoys, pontoons and rock outcrops. It grows over mussel, clam and oyster beds and has also been known to clog up fish farming equipment.

People were warned not to try scraping the creatures off themselves as tiny fragments can break off and spread the infection far and wide.

In Holyhead, it is being tackled by fixing massive plastic bags around the affected underwater structures to suffocate the sea squirt.

Boat owners are also being asked to make extra efforts to keep boat hulls clean and free of fouling to help prevent its spread.

Chris McMullon, Natural England’s senior coastal specialist in the south east, added: “Tackling this problem is an urgent priority for marine teams if valuable habitats are going to be protected, but we know this will not be easy. Vigilance on the part of boat owners is critical if efforts are going to be effective.”

Ben Lippiett, who manages Gosport’s Haslar Marina, confirmed the creature had been found attached to a couple of local yachts. “They have been here for some time. When you try scrapping them off they can squirt you in the face,”

In January, a small colony was found at a marina in Largs, Scotland, which is owned by the Lymington-based firm Yacht Haven Marinas. The company’s managing director, Dylan Kalis, was yesterday unaware of the local discovery and said they’d been given no advice on how to deal with the problem. “We have not been asked to do anything and it’s news to me that it’s now in Lymington,” Mr Kalis said.

● Any sightings should be reported to the Non-native Species Hotline on 0845 600 3078

3. FISH OF THE MONTH-THE RED SEA BREAM


Fish of the Month: RED SEA BREAM

The RED BREAM belongs to the class Sparidae and is a family of fish, included in the order Perciformes. The fish of the family are commonly called sea breams and porgies (North America). The sheepshead, scup, and red sea bream are species in this family. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores. Most species possess grinding, molar-like teeth. Some of the species, such as Polysteganus undulosus, have been subject to overfishing, or exploitation beyond sustainable recovery. The family Sparidae contains 125 species in 37 genera.

Identification:
Deep laterally flattened body, with large scales, that are also present upon the head. Single long dorsal fin, who's anterior portion is composed of 12 spines, with the posterior formed of 12 to 13 soft branched rays. The anal fin is approximately half the length of the dorsal fin, and has 3 spines at it's anterior that is then composed of 12 to 13 branched rays.
The top half of the head and body, along with the fins, has a reddish orange colouration. This blends into a rose tinged silver of the sides and belly. The lateral line is distinct, and is accompanied in the adults by a black to blackish red spot, just behind the gill cover. The gill cover has no spines and is untoothed.
The eyes are large and are further back than the low set mouth. The front teeth are small and sharp, with 2 to 3 sets of small rounded blunt teeth towards the rear.

Breeding:
Spawning occurs in deep water, during the late summer and autumn

Habitat:
Rocks and seaweed's of shallow waters, down to depths of 250M or more. This tends to be a shoal fish, although the size of the shoals decreases with age of the fish. Red Bream have a summer inshore migration, and is the commonest of the sea breams in the UK.

Food:
Diet normally consists of small fish, long with crustaceans, and the occasional squid.

Range:
Most often seen at the Western end of the Channel, and South West Ireland. Summer migration however, results in wide spread distribution including the North Sea and even up to Norway.

4. BRITISH CONGER CLUB NEWS   

ADVANCE NOTICE

GOLDEN JUBILEE
BCC 50th ANNIVERSARY CHAMPIONSHIPS & AGM 2012

The Championships and AGM will be held over the weekend of 16th/17th June 2012 from Plymouth. The Headquarters will be the Crown and Anchor pub on the Barbican which has a function room upstairs.

The AGM will be held on the Friday evening (15th June)

There will be a free buffet on the Saturday evening in order to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary and this will be free.

We will be keeping the cost of fishing that weekend down to just the cost of the boats. We will be donating £250 per day towards the prize money of the pool which will still cost £5 a day to enter. If the monies are not won on any day the proceeds will be donated to the RNLI.


MEDAL WINNERS TO DATE
FINAL WIINERS WILL BE KNOWN AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2011


THOMPSON MEDAL WINNERS TO DATE

 GOLD

Andy Matthews           78-0     Boat

  SILVER

Kim Bowden   72-7     Boat

Steve Holyer   71-7     Boat

Jimmy Bond     71-3     Boat

Simon Gavey   38-8     Shore

Derek Spear    38-11   Shore

 BRONZE

Fred Hayward 60-9     Boat

Kevin Clark     55-7     Boat

Ray Dower     58-8     Boat

Nigel Davies   60-0     Boat

Neil Dingle     28-4     Shore

Gerald Gavey  30-4     Shore

Phill Allan        55-08   Boat

 JUNIOR

GOLD

Matthew Watson        83-0     Boat

 

FISH OF THE MONTH AWARDS 

Personal Members

Month Angler Weight Boat/Shore
June Kim Bowden 72lb-7oz Boat
July Jimmy Bond 71lb-3oz Boat
August Andy Matthews 78lb Boat
September Derek Spear 78lb Boat
October Simon Gavey 38lb-8oz Shore

Affiliated Clubs 

Month Angler Weight Boat/Shore Club
June Kim Bowden 72lb-7oz Boat EFSA
July Ray Dower 58lb-8oz Boat Kingfishers
August Phil Allan 55lb-8oz Boat North,South & Central SAC
October Mick Doody 48lb Boat Guildford SAC

 

INTERPORT COMPETITION

 No result

 

SHORE COMPETITION

 Simon Gavey               38-8 

JUNIOR AWARDS 

KD Trophy-Most species Matthew Watson - 3 species
Gold Medal Matthew Watson - 83lb Boat

 

 TROPHY WINNERS
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
TO BE CONFIRMED AFTER THE NEW YEAR

 Angling Magazine – Heaviest Eel by a Member

Kim Bowden   72lb-7oz     Wreck

 

Bill Shapland – Heaviest Eel by a Lady

Kath Lavis       33lb-4oz     Reef

 

Our Unity – Best Achievement by a Lady

Not won        

           

Solitaire Cup – Heaviest Single Handed

Not won        

           

Scampi Cup – Heaviest from Reef

Mick Doody    48-0     Reef

 

Shore Trophy – Heaviest from Shore

Derek Spear    38lb-11oz   Shore


 

Fuller Cup – Heaviest from Own Boat

Kath Lavis       33lb-4oz     Reef

 

Saltwind Cup – Heaviest by Life Member

Steve Holyer   71lb-7oz     Wreck

 

Moore Rosebowl – Heaviest by a Junior

Matthew Watson        83lb-0oz     Wreck

Associates Cup – Heaviest by an Associate Member

David Young   26lb-0oz     Shore

Ben Neville Cup – 50lb Test Line

Not Won

 

Clive Stone – 30lb Test Line

Fred Hayward 60lb-9oz     Boat               

 

Bob Bates – 20lb Test Line

                  Not Won                    

 

Eileen Hunkin Memorial Cup – Heaviest Qualifier - Boat

 Robert Easton            96lb-4oz     Boat

 

Ray Rush Memorial Cup – Heaviest Qualifier - Shore

                   Not Won                  

 

Sea Angler Trophy – Heaviest by Affiliated Club Member

Kim Bowden   72lb-7oz     EFSA

 

Top Boat – Heaviest Eel from a Member

Becca Marie – Dean Farrell    72lb-7oz    

 

Skippers Wheel – Most Qualifiers

 Richard Matthews – 3

 

Electric Blue – Heaviest Eel Weighed At Sea

Andy Matthews           78lb-0     Boat

 

Nikaria Trophy – Most Returned Eels by Skipper

              TBC                

 

Geoff Flores Trophy – Most Eels Returned by a Member

Paul Maris       42 eels

 

The BCC would like to thank the life members who have made a donation towards postage of the newsletter.  This has been gratefully received in this economic climate. 

Calendar of Events 2011 Date Location

Annual General Meeting

25th June 2011

Brixham Sea Angling Centre

Junior Boat Championships
For STRAPS Members & Junior Members of Affiliated Clubs

29th May 2011

Plymouth
 
Interport Two-Man Boat Competition 1st June to the 30th September 2011 Any Port
Members Boat Championships
Two Day Event
25th & 26th June 2011 Brixham
Affiliated Clubs Boat Championships
Two Day Event
17th & 18th September 2011 Looe
Shore Championships
Fish Anywhere
1st October to 
30th November 2011
Anywhere
Weymouth three day CONGER FESTIVAL 22nd , 23rd & 24th August 2011 Weymouth


THERE ARE NO EVENTS CURRENTLY IN OPERATION

email: secretary@britishcongerclub.org.uk

[HOME] [NEWS] [ABOUT THE BCC] [THE CONGER] [GALLERY] [WEATHER] [LINKS] [MESSAGE BOARD] [CONTACT US] [COMPETITIONS] [MEMBERS ONLY]

 
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Site updated -  1st December 2011 webmaster@british congerclub.org.uk