Hi
To view the entry details for the Annual Cod Open Boat Competition please click on the image below.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Macmillan Cancer Support Charity Fishing Match.
This is an email from Hannah Powel regarding a charity competition that we sponsored earlier in the year.
Earlier this year Hannah Powel approached the lymington sea fishing clubs committee for help with running an open fishing competition for charity, namely Macmillan Cancer Support , it was successfully agreed and after a few meetings a format for the match was made and Hannah got to work approaching the local tackle shops for some prize donations of which all gave generously and thanks must go to Bells of Hythe, also thanks to all the people that helped out on the day of the match and the anglers turned out to support the event. Although the turnout was not as big as hoped Hannah made £285 pounds for her charity so THANKS again to you all.
The winner of the Event was MATT FINN in blue zone 15 fish all bass for a total score of 333cm
Blue Zone winner MATT FINN 333cm
2nd Callum Graham 177cm
Red zone Winner Chris Ellis 216cm
2nd Matt Brook 111cm
Yellow Zone winner Darren James 210cm
2nd Steve Deathe 196 cm
The biggest fish in blue zone was golden grey mullet of 37 cm caught by Nick Hayter ,Red zones biggest fish was a golden grey mullet also of 37 cm and Yellow zones biggest was also a golden grey mullet of 37 cm for Steve Deathe.
An unusually large number of Golden Grey Mullet were caught, 10 in total along with 3 Flounders, 4 Gilt Head Bream, 1 eel and 70 school Bass.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
New Ammo Baits - Bells Of Hythe.
Hi Folks
We have just received out first boxes of the new baits from Ammo.
First on our list is the new Dirty Squid. Also known as Unwashed Squid, this is net caught Squid that has not been treated for human consumption. Our normal squid undergoes a bleaching process that is designed to make the squid whiter than white and also removes and nasty bugs before they reach your plate. Unfortunately this process removes a lot of flavour that is naturally found in squid and makes them less attractive to fish.
This new Squid comes in a 1lb bag and you can see and smell the difference straight away and this huge difference in the bait is referred to as 'An Edge' and I think this bait will give you 'The Edge' over anybody else on the boat/beach. In short it really smells fishy and I for one cannot wait too try it for the Cod later this year.
Added Bonus!!! The plus side of this squid is that it does not cost a lot to process as it is natural so it hits our freezer with a great price of £2.50 per pound! Bargain!
Next on our list is the hugely anticipated Mini Mackerel.
This bait is simply going to be huge! Our first customer to take it said he can put it 20 yards further than a fillet due to its aerodynamic shape. He also showed me a picture of the 3lb Bass he caught on it.
The Mini Mackerel are sold in packs of 5 and when you see them you can only start to imagine the things you can apply them to in your baiting arsenal!
The Mini Mackerel are sold in packs of 5 and when you see them you can only start to imagine the things you can apply them to in your baiting arsenal!
The Pike anglers are also in love with this product as they are very tough and can be used like a lure for up to 2 hours.
These baits come in at £2.45 (the same price as all our other Mackerel products)
Enjoy.......
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Bells Of Hythe Finance Company Now In Place.
Hi Folks
These are exciting times at the moment, we have just enlisted the use of a company called Way 2 Pay to offer finance to all our customers.
In short you can now apply for credit via Way 2 Pay and get an instant answer the same day!
If you are considering a purchase of £500 or more in our store or on our website then you can apply through us and use any of the terms that suit you.
Our minimum payback time is 1 year and our maximum is 5 years. Way 2 Pay will score your credit and set your APR accordingly. They have APR's to suit all credit history's.
This chart below shows a typical pay back plan for 1 year.
Please click on the chart to enlarge it.
This chart below shows a typical pay back plan for 3 years.
Please click on the chart to enlarge it.
It is so simple to use and if you struggle in any way please come into the shop and I will personally call the company with you and together we can secure your finance. You will receive an answer instantly and have your new Rods, Reels, Kayak or Gun within approx 5 working days.
Way to pay is as competitive as any credit card or independent loan and you can have your goods instantly.
Apply here by clicking this link or alternatively pop in and see us.
For An Instant Decision.
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Open Season Whackers - Hatchet Pond.
Here is a piece written for us by local angler Tom Pothercary on Hatchet Pond.
Name: Tom Pothecary
D.O.B: 22/11/1993
Occupation: Student/Model
D.O.B: 22/11/1993
Occupation: Student/Model
Open Season Whackers - Hatchet Pond.
After a season of struggling on the notorious Hatchet Pond, I was determined to be there, fishing, on the first day of the new season. The gear was packed in the car the night before and the alarm set nice and early.
I arrived at the lake early on the morning of the 16th June, opening day of the season. I didn’t hang around, I parked the car and the gear was on the barrow as I prepared to take on the trek round the back of Hatchet. I had a very specific idea of where I wanted fish because I had spent a lot time walking around the lake during the closed season. I had seen a lot of fish show in the upper part of the lake where it is slightly shallower.
On my way round the lake I passed angler upon angler but spotted that the area of the lake I had wanted to fish was vacant. I quickly got to the swim and started to set my rods up, whilst carefully watching the water for any show of carp. With my rods sorted and rigs baited I accurately cast my rigs into areas where I had seen fish during the closed season and onto a spot, made up of firm silt, that I knew was prolific and that was likely to produce a bite. I baited my chosen area with 20mm boilies. The boilie I am currently using is a fishmeal, and food based bait. I used a fair amount of boilies, around 80-100 baits, over the top of each rod because there are known to be large numbers of bream and tench in the lake. It doesn’t help that the swans are also big fans of my boilies.
As I was fishing three rods, I decided to fish my left-hand and middle rod fairly close together, within 20 yards of each other. I chose to do this because it was an area that I had seen fish show, before and during the closed season. These two rods were both armed with bottom bait rigs around 7-9 inches in length and a long hair. I had also made the mechanics of this rig very aggressive with the use of shrink tubing. This plays a key role when fishing a lake with a barbless rule because it helps to hook the fish and helps to hold the hook in. I was fishing a spot of firm silt with my right-hand rod. This rod consisted of a pop-up rig that I have had a lot of good results on and that I was very confident in using.
Now, my traps were set, I sat back under the brolly and watched the rain drops hit the surface of the water. I remember thinking- “The weather is spot on for a bite today”. With this, my left-hand rod burst into life, alarm screaming I struck the rod and began to play the fish. The fish rolled around 10 yards out and I saw then that it was a common. The mid-double common put up a fairly good scrap before going in the net. This fish went 18lb 4oz.
I arrived at the lake early on the morning of the 16th June, opening day of the season. I didn’t hang around, I parked the car and the gear was on the barrow as I prepared to take on the trek round the back of Hatchet. I had a very specific idea of where I wanted fish because I had spent a lot time walking around the lake during the closed season. I had seen a lot of fish show in the upper part of the lake where it is slightly shallower.
On my way round the lake I passed angler upon angler but spotted that the area of the lake I had wanted to fish was vacant. I quickly got to the swim and started to set my rods up, whilst carefully watching the water for any show of carp. With my rods sorted and rigs baited I accurately cast my rigs into areas where I had seen fish during the closed season and onto a spot, made up of firm silt, that I knew was prolific and that was likely to produce a bite. I baited my chosen area with 20mm boilies. The boilie I am currently using is a fishmeal, and food based bait. I used a fair amount of boilies, around 80-100 baits, over the top of each rod because there are known to be large numbers of bream and tench in the lake. It doesn’t help that the swans are also big fans of my boilies.
As I was fishing three rods, I decided to fish my left-hand and middle rod fairly close together, within 20 yards of each other. I chose to do this because it was an area that I had seen fish show, before and during the closed season. These two rods were both armed with bottom bait rigs around 7-9 inches in length and a long hair. I had also made the mechanics of this rig very aggressive with the use of shrink tubing. This plays a key role when fishing a lake with a barbless rule because it helps to hook the fish and helps to hold the hook in. I was fishing a spot of firm silt with my right-hand rod. This rod consisted of a pop-up rig that I have had a lot of good results on and that I was very confident in using.
Now, my traps were set, I sat back under the brolly and watched the rain drops hit the surface of the water. I remember thinking- “The weather is spot on for a bite today”. With this, my left-hand rod burst into life, alarm screaming I struck the rod and began to play the fish. The fish rolled around 10 yards out and I saw then that it was a common. The mid-double common put up a fairly good scrap before going in the net. This fish went 18lb 4oz.
After sorting the fish out and taking a few pictures it swam off and left me to get the rod back out on the spot, with a fresh baited rig and another 40-50 baits. After this I was confident of another bite and sat back and eagerly watched the water for showing fish. I saw two fish bosh right on my spot and 3 hours later I was starting to think that it wasn’t going to happen. Then I had a slow take off my middle rod. I struck the rod, it felt like a good fish as it was staying deep and felt heavy. After a short fight the fish came to the surface and went straight in the net. I looked into the net a saw a nice fat common that I recognised to be ‘The Big Common’. I unhooked the fish, zeroed the scales and held her up. The scales read 31lb on the dot.
After a few self-takes, it went back into the water. It recovered quickly and waddled off back into the middle of the lake.
I thought to myself as she swam off- “wow, what a fish and a new PB of 31lb”. I picked up my rod and lent it against my brolly and began to put a new rig on. Then, out of nowhere my right-hand rod peeled off, I struck the rod and the fish took a lot of line. I began to play the fish after its burst of energy. After a good fight it came over the top of the net and I scooped it up. This common went a respectable 27lb 4oz.
I thought to myself as she swam off- “wow, what a fish and a new PB of 31lb”. I picked up my rod and lent it against my brolly and began to put a new rig on. Then, out of nowhere my right-hand rod peeled off, I struck the rod and the fish took a lot of line. I began to play the fish after its burst of energy. After a good fight it came over the top of the net and I scooped it up. This common went a respectable 27lb 4oz.
What a great start to the season. I got my two, fish producing rods back out onto the spots with fresh rigs and another 40-50 baits. I then sat back to review the pictures I had taken.
An hour or so later, I was beginning to wonder if the fish were still in front of me or not. I hadn’t seen a carp show since before my last fish. All of a sudden, the bobbin on my right-hand rod pulled up tight and line slowly started to peel off the spool of my reel. I picked up the rod and the fish rolled on top of my spot then continued to take line. I could not stop this fish, it was very strong and would not give up. The fish then kited to my left and I followed it a good 30 yards or so down the bank with the net. I got into netting position as the fish came to the surface. The fish then turned and charged off taking a lot of line, I saw then that it was a mirror. I managed to get the fish back in close and she finally went in the net. I looked in the top of the net and a saw a lovely looking mirror carp but it wasn’t one of the big girls. Never the less, I was very pleased with this capture. I unhooked the fish and took a few pictures, it then swam off very confidently. This fish pulled the scales round to a very nice 28lb 6oz.
An hour or so later, I was beginning to wonder if the fish were still in front of me or not. I hadn’t seen a carp show since before my last fish. All of a sudden, the bobbin on my right-hand rod pulled up tight and line slowly started to peel off the spool of my reel. I picked up the rod and the fish rolled on top of my spot then continued to take line. I could not stop this fish, it was very strong and would not give up. The fish then kited to my left and I followed it a good 30 yards or so down the bank with the net. I got into netting position as the fish came to the surface. The fish then turned and charged off taking a lot of line, I saw then that it was a mirror. I managed to get the fish back in close and she finally went in the net. I looked in the top of the net and a saw a lovely looking mirror carp but it wasn’t one of the big girls. Never the less, I was very pleased with this capture. I unhooked the fish and took a few pictures, it then swam off very confidently. This fish pulled the scales round to a very nice 28lb 6oz.
I put a fresh rig on and cast it back out onto the spot that had now produced two fish. I put another 50-60 odd baits over the top of the rig and sat back under the brolly. I sat and watched the water waiting for another bite.
After half an hour of waiting, I was in again. My right-hand rod had peeled off and I was playing a fish that didn’t feel very big but was very welcome all the same. The fish, thought to be a crazy common, would not give in and took me from left to right for a good 5 minutes before going in net. I put the fish on the mat, unhooked it and weighed it. The scales read 15lb 6oz. I was about to prepare myself for some self-take photographs, but I looked up and saw my good mate George ‘Geoff’ West walking down the track towards my swim. He was happy to take a few shots of the fish for me.
After half an hour of waiting, I was in again. My right-hand rod had peeled off and I was playing a fish that didn’t feel very big but was very welcome all the same. The fish, thought to be a crazy common, would not give in and took me from left to right for a good 5 minutes before going in net. I put the fish on the mat, unhooked it and weighed it. The scales read 15lb 6oz. I was about to prepare myself for some self-take photographs, but I looked up and saw my good mate George ‘Geoff’ West walking down the track towards my swim. He was happy to take a few shots of the fish for me.
It was nice to show Geoff a fish and even nicer to give him a lesson on how to put a carp back into the lake without trying to savagely attack it, after his recent trip to Australia.
I got the rod back out on to the fish producing spot and topped it up with 50 or so baits. I sat back in the brolly with Geoff and started to discuss what a good start to the season I was having.
An hour later, my cousin, Matt Eldridge, turned up for a visit and to see how I was getting on. We sat a talked about the fish I had had so far and went through the pictures as the rain set in. The three of us were huddled under the brolly whilst the rain hammered the surface of the lake. “This weather is spot on!” said Geoff with excitement. Matt and I agreed before Matt stated- “As soon as it stops, you’ll get another bite”.
The pitter-patter of rain on my brolly became lighter and lighter before it eventually stopped. I ventured out of the brolly thinking about what Matt had said. With this thought, the spool on my right-hand rod went into meltdown, I had a savage take. I ran down to the rod, struck it and tightened the clutch as I commenced battle with a very heavy, strong fish. The fish boiled on the surface around 40 yards out. I could see from this that it was a good fish. Before either of the three of us had seen the fish, Geoff was wetting himself with excitement and exclaiming- “It’s The Orange! It’s The Orange!!”. I looked at him and smiled, thinking he was being ridiculous. I continued to play the fish, as I got closer in it demonstrated its power, taking line and lunging.
Matt readied himself with the net as the fish came to the surface. I saw it was a mirror when the fish stuck its shoulders out and put its dorsal fin up. At this point I started to feel anxious and just wanted the fish to go in the net.
After taking a couple of gulps of air she came over the net and hit the spreader block. Matt scooped her up and turned to me and laughed as he said- “Hello Mr Orange!”- Geoff danced up and down with excitement. I stayed quiet anticipating the weight of her. After unhooking the fish, which was nailed on a pop-up rig that has given me a lot of very good results, I prepared the scales and put the fish in the weigh sling. The chunky mirror, known as ‘The Orange’ tipped the scales at a whopping 40lb 2oz.
I got the rod back out on to the fish producing spot and topped it up with 50 or so baits. I sat back in the brolly with Geoff and started to discuss what a good start to the season I was having.
An hour later, my cousin, Matt Eldridge, turned up for a visit and to see how I was getting on. We sat a talked about the fish I had had so far and went through the pictures as the rain set in. The three of us were huddled under the brolly whilst the rain hammered the surface of the lake. “This weather is spot on!” said Geoff with excitement. Matt and I agreed before Matt stated- “As soon as it stops, you’ll get another bite”.
The pitter-patter of rain on my brolly became lighter and lighter before it eventually stopped. I ventured out of the brolly thinking about what Matt had said. With this thought, the spool on my right-hand rod went into meltdown, I had a savage take. I ran down to the rod, struck it and tightened the clutch as I commenced battle with a very heavy, strong fish. The fish boiled on the surface around 40 yards out. I could see from this that it was a good fish. Before either of the three of us had seen the fish, Geoff was wetting himself with excitement and exclaiming- “It’s The Orange! It’s The Orange!!”. I looked at him and smiled, thinking he was being ridiculous. I continued to play the fish, as I got closer in it demonstrated its power, taking line and lunging.
Matt readied himself with the net as the fish came to the surface. I saw it was a mirror when the fish stuck its shoulders out and put its dorsal fin up. At this point I started to feel anxious and just wanted the fish to go in the net.
After taking a couple of gulps of air she came over the net and hit the spreader block. Matt scooped her up and turned to me and laughed as he said- “Hello Mr Orange!”- Geoff danced up and down with excitement. I stayed quiet anticipating the weight of her. After unhooking the fish, which was nailed on a pop-up rig that has given me a lot of very good results, I prepared the scales and put the fish in the weigh sling. The chunky mirror, known as ‘The Orange’ tipped the scales at a whopping 40lb 2oz.
After a good few minutes of photos in and out of the water I waded the beautiful 40 pounder out and let her begin her recovery. She sat at my feet sulking after her capture for around 5 minutes before swimming off, back into the depths. I turned to Matt and Geoff with a huge smile on my face.
I got my rod back out on the spot that had now produced four fish. I put another 40-50 baits out over the rig and sat back in the brolly to let the days events sink in. I had didn’t have any more fish that day but I was there bright and early on the 17th June to try my luck again. I wasn’t as successful, however I did manage to winkle out this 16lb 12oz common.
Thanks for reading, I wish you success in the future.
Tom Pothecary.
Tom Pothecary.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Record Fish From Marchwood.
Here is Nick Croucher with a 5lb 7oz Golden Grey Mullet (Rowland Maximus Gluteus).
I have checked and the British Record is only 3lb 3ozs!!
Well done Nick, I knew you had it in you to redeem yourself after falling in off of your Kayak last year.
New For 2011 Jedi Conoflex Rods...
New Jedi Boat Rods.
I have just spent the last six months improving on a set of rods that I designed for ConoFlex. The rods were bought out originally to suit three styles of fishing,
1: Black Bream Fishing, This style of fishing can vary a little from mark to mark but in general you will be using 2-4oz leads and small hooks for these fish thus a long flexible slim lightweight rod will be in order. The mark 1 Jedi Black Bream Rod was in my view too short so the new version has been made a foot longer and given 3 more eyes to help with the spacing.
Also to make the rod more comfortable to handle we have made the butt full foam so it fits in rod holders better and does not roll around it also feels far better when you are holding it under your arm.
2: Bass Fishing, This style of fishing requires a bite sensitive rod that we play a fish and not be too stiff otherwise you can “pull” the hooks out of your prey.
These rods will also suit a variety of purposes from drifting a float to trolling a live Mackerel. Once again we have taken these popular rods and made them longer for a better feel and added a full foam handle for comfort. We also added 3 more eyes again to help with the spacing and eliminate any chance of any flat spots.
3: Cod Fishing, This is a very one dimensional style of fishing during the winter months in the Solent, it usually means the angler will use a lead from 8oz up to 1.5lb (tide dependant) and ledger a very large bait such as 4 squid or a huge Cuttlefish bait. The rod will obviously need to be able to cope with a large weight + bait so it needs to be fairly strong, before the invention of Braided line Cod rods were huge!! People would use really heavy gear to keep the bait on the bottom but with the new breed of ultra thin lines you can cut your weight in half so the rods do not need to be as strong. I have now thinned down the new Jedi Cod by 2mm and again added a foot to it plus eyes to give it better feel and really hit the spot with it. Once again the full foam handle has been introduced at no extra weight to the rod and this really does complete the feel of the rod.
If you would like to try one of the new ConoFlex Jedi rods they will be available to test with Skipper Rob Thompson on his boat Shogun from Lymington. Give us a call or call Rob direct to book your trip.
Many Thanks
Alan Shergold
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