Beware the 'Bar'......

[alun j.]

Anyone been out of Christchurch lately ????

 

Having gained a few brownie points over past few days and promised a day out before going back to work tomorrow......... it was disappointing to get the weather forecast of gales / storms and rain that precluded a trip out into the bay ..... so fall back to the harbour didn't seem so bad when the sun got up........ only I couldn't get any worms [ and the lack of tide seemed useless !!] .... so ended up doing a service to my daughter's car.

 

Anyway........ I did manage a walk in the breezy sunshine down by Friar's Cliff, overlooking the Run........ but I just stood staring, trying to work out how to get in / out ............ because there were waves breaking EVERYWHERE !! Now , there were no big swells running, no big tide, no surge of river water coming down ........ and at two o'clock, the middle of a neap tide. The three yellow/green buoys were still there....... but waves [ little ones!! ] were breaking on either side of the outer two !!

 

From what I could see / make out ..... the Bar has grown a bit since I was out last week ; the deepest water would seem to be further along the beach....... I would recommend coming down the Run, follow the first buoy...... but on reaching the second...... Keep left....parallel to the shore, about 100- 200 m. should clear the new end of the bar. And on return, reaching the outer buoy should make you go east to go round the lack of channel and in close to Avon beach, nearer the cans on the groynes looks deeper !!

 

Proceed with caution !! and prop lifted !!

 

Still hoping to get a couple of trips in this month ...... how long do you think the whiting will hang around [ I noticed last week, a few were filling with roe ]?.

 

Happy New Year,

 

Alun.

[Bob F]

Thanks for the warning Alun.

 

It always seems to get a bit tricky to find the bar at this time of year, especially after a few storms.

 

Not sure how long the Whiting will stay. What does the Fish log say, Charlie?

 

BF

[great white]

Last season the last recorded whiting over 2.5lb was taken by me on Jan 25th . Fish of the month was a whiting of 3lb 11oz

 

if that helps.

 

All the Fish recorded in Feb were Flounders

 

except for 6 eels I had on a wreck when I went out alone to try the new plotter, best 36lb

 

Hope that renews the interest I will certainly be trying in Jan/Feb if the weather allows.

 

Charlie

[alun j.]

Looks like it might take till the end of Jan. for the wind to calm down ??

 

A.

[Sinbad]

Alun

A small window of opportunity next week, on Thursday perhaps, but sorry you've got to work !

 

We must have had similar thoughts re the bar, I towed over to the key, all set for an early start on Monday morning, but with rapidly flooding tide (LW+1.5 hours) and strong f4 Westerley, I just couldnt believe my eyes!

The sea state as predicted looked fishable, with a depressed swell/ chop due to the flood and wind direction, however....

 

The run was looking very lively, with a huge set of standing waves, and breaking all across the shingle bank / bar.

 

Seem to remember the last two yellow bouys were in a different position last time we fished they were much more over to the SW. Anyway, I just couldnt see any way through, and with little water under the hull, decided against it.

 

Still a pleasant and sheltered day spent in the Garden, had me wondering if I should have gone out after all.

 

Always next time. Better safe than sorry.

 

Paul