Dave now has his new toy , aka jet washer. Trial runs today and yesterday and its powerful, maybe hoses were old but some teething issues with hose bursts but, BOTH WALLS CLOSED TODAY with jet washing on main section of the west up to the toilet block with extension to do at a later date. East shut today for drain inspections.
Once the west is sorted I believe the plan is to do a rolling jet wash on the east likely starting at bay one , yea you know the drill, anything can happen so watch this space.
Weather looks a bit naff this week and homepage indicates closed for a full week at least but obviously if any reasonable clear days they may get utilised.
As far as im aware during the week the shop is still closing about 1pm but that most likely will slowly get extended thus returning as much as possible a normal status.
I’m lacking any real catch info to post up as a bit out of the loop this week with personal and health issues.

On that front I can post the following below.

Hospital visit went well, in short the plan was to use a guided needle process to burn away the tumour thus avoiding a more invasive kidney removal. While there I agreed to take part in a study program that form me meant an extra “trace” mri scan but for them allows them to improve scan processes and methods of treatment … it was a no brainer to say yes.
Four “After” scans were done yesterday, 2 were a newer type with a deeper scan ability, in short described as able to tell dead from living tissue with a few other refinements and I was informed that I was the very first to have this type of scan at St. Thomas’s hospital, the benefit of agreeing to take part in the new study.
Upshot of this all was they were able to give me the results fairly quickly rather than packing me home with a 4 week wait on imaging results.
Specialist visited late afternoon to say that ……
…… as far as they can see they have got all of the tumour.
Now while that meant he wouldn’t say i’m 100% cancer free its as good as it gets and I wouldn’t need to go back in a couple of weeks for an early follow up scan thanks to the ability of this new scan process, yes it’s that good.
For me now I will have a follow scan in 3 months to cover bases on if there is any regrowth or changes which is a longer time than the standard come back in a month. Yes they are that confident of this method.
While this doesn’t fix all of my health issues (im a walking disaster to most GP’s) it has for now removed my greatest health fear and the damage that hearing those 3 words of YOU HAVE CANCER does to a person and put the fear of god into me.

One thing I have learnt from this if anyone is diagnosed is to talk to someone close that will talk straight with you, no frills or fluffy chat just straight blunt as it is talk through. If that person has not personally dealt with cancer find a second chat partner as well who has been through everything cancer entails, they have been there so it feels like they could be inside your head, they have had the fear and felt the doom that a diagnosis often delivers.

I am thankful to a few people who especially helped me to keep my sanity over and on top of the well wishers and messages i have had over the last few months. I can’t emphasise enough about finding someone to talk with that will “give it to you straight” they have been where you are/maybe now.

So it is now back to the fishing reports at a random rate even when I’m rambling for the sake of padding out a report …
Tight lines folks and don’t forget to feed the seagull god before you cast out 🙂

F

unfortunately the late change in forecast meant that the call was made to keep the walls shut, facebook pages were updated but I will admit to leaving the homepage late on this website and as a result wasnt updated til about 8pm last night.
Dave hoping to get the new jet washer out on the walls weather permitting this week to start cutting into the algae on the walls.

F

Both walls will be open sat 2nd, forecasts give a poor reading for Sunday so will remain closed that day.
On the good news front , the jet washer that was ordered failed to materialise which meant that the company he ordered from sent an alternative machine, indications from how it looks say he has been given an upgrade or at least a bigger machine :). Work will begin as soon as there are a few clear calmish days to het cracking on things.
Fishy fronts are doing ok for plaice, whiting, rays and bass with early signs of mullet being reported in LEWIS and harbours in Sussex so there is stuff out there to target, not heard any gossip of herring this week but no reason why they wouldn’t be about.

It almost feels like spring out there while the sun is shining so expect mother nature to throw a paddy sometime this month and dump snow & hail on Sussex sometime soon 🙂
Fresh black came in today and there will be fresh ragworm in shop on Thursday im told.
till next time

F

A bit remiss of me this week not putting up at least one post here this week but, I will use the excuse of being a bit distracted with hospital visits for pre op tests in London :).

Catch report simply put is, the plaice are in … or at least seem to be in. Crystal clear water as some anglers have put it has seen a rapid pick up of plaice catches al along Brighton seafront as well as on the marina when open.

The latest update re opening on the walls are that Dave is adding days in when the walls are dry & he thinks there will be a reasonable footfall on the walls to help reduce the algae. Last info I had was that dave was awaiting the jet washer being delivered. At time of typing im not sure if it has or has not yet arrived.
The main issue is as said the algae that is ok to walk on while the dry weather without frosts hold. One the jet washer is inplace its expected that the west will ket knocked into shape up to the tower block the over to the west to hopefully do a rolling opening of some sorts. Of course the plans depend on the weather playing ball and dave having time to sort the jet washing which he prefers to do himself. While we always have many that offer to do the jet washing the insurances and conditions with them prevent him using walk on help (previous incidents meant a tight insurance policy).

Back to the fish front , anglers are reminded that bass throughout Jan & Feb should return all bass caught and the minimum size when allowed to take them is again 42cm and a max of 2 per 24hr session.
Water tems seem a couple of degrees higher than the norm for Jan and likely due to the mild winter this and last year tho many will point also at global warming, what ever the reasons it seems to have benefited anglers in making Jan less dull than usual.

Plenty of whiting still out there and as usual around the marina there are bass & mullet lurking, locally rays , dab & flounder are about and anglers are still finding small pockets of herring hitting the walls and shoreline briefly around the high water marks. Inshore boats are also picking up an occasional mackerel on baits and herring set ups. It wouldn’t surprise me to see squid or cuttle catches in this clear water period also.
Things are looking up rather oddly for what is normally a dull month of grinding for fish :).
F

Both walls to open again this weekend with an extended session on saturday on the east til 10pm.
Warden may chose to open beyond the gate if dry enough.

.
west expected to open sat & sun 8am til 4.30/5pm

fresh ragworm in for friday & frozen black

F

As title says , the walls will open this weekend aproximately 8-8.30am on the east wall followed by the west . East will open up to 26ish with west to the tower.

We are apble to open due to the decent dry weather and providing there are no heavy frosts to soak the algae wall will open this weekend daytime only.

Jet washer has been delayed until the 25th of jan !

As the title says,little to add and little change. Shop/Dave still waiting on the new (ordered) jet washer to be delivered. Both walls somewhat dangerous with algae build up ,that said some still try risking their necks by climbing closed gates to “have a go and then wonder why security escort them off while taking details of car reg and ID’s !.
Seems locally like a quiet start to the new year with little being reported catch wise. More colds and winter bugs than flounder and whiting.
Local angler group LISA (check the web page for links>> https://thetackleboxbrighton.com/l-i-s-a/) are planning some local meets for the year including hopefully the SQUID comp roughly end of April into May on the marina , details to be posted nearer the time. Also linked to LISA group is the line recycling project who are working now with many beach clean groups & getting Pipe bins for line collection located along many of the Sussex beaches(this has now spread to devon as well) and many inland venues are joining the scheme also. Please save any old line & discards, most tackle shops in Sussex have collection points and there are 3 on the marina as well.
Bass rules were confirmed in Dec for the UK to stay the same as in the EU so no change from last year and currently is catch and release.

WALL STATE AND UPDATE info

As most are aware now the marina walls are closed until we can get them into a safe fishable condition. The algae has run riot with the mild weather and while dave was jet washing in Oct/Nov the old jetwasher simply died of shock I am told.
A new machine(yes daves forked out! ) has been ordered and delivery expected within the next 10 days .. ETA was this weekend but usual “delivery” delay noises form the suppliers!.

Once we get the jet washer work will begin on the west first for a change , Why you ask? well, dave has been working last over there so the build up on some of it should be lese sever than the likes of the extension. Hopefully the end of Jan will be kind enough to allow work to progress quickly and one free of algae they can then fill the holes that get formed during the storms.

time estimates? dunno tbh but west should open first then the lower half of the east will begin most likely with a rolling opening as is often the way.

SHOP & flakey opening hours
While the walls are shut the footfall at the shop is low so most of the opening atm is 9-1pm during the week but if any boats are going out early and need bait arrangements can be made if someone gets the skippers to contact dave or anyone else linked with the shop.
Bait orders as always via phoning the shop. There is no set up in shop to take online ordering and emails from website I monitor at my home not in shop.

I guess thats it for now, loads of waffle typed out with little to say 🙂

’til next time

F

We wish all of our customers, old and new alike a brilliant Christmas and a fantastic new year

Everyone at or involved with the Tacklebox and the marina walls would like to wish friends and customers alike a very Happy Christmas and new year be they new or old we wish you all well.

The shop will after today (fri) at 1pm close until Friday new years eve when the shop will open at 8am.
Likewise Both walls will now close for at least a week what with dodgy weather and some general repairs to fit in if possible but further updates will happen next week as we see how things pan out
Happy christmas folks and heres hoping to next year being better than the last two !

F

Walls will be closed from thurs 23rd for at least a week unless weather changes and safe to open. Algae building and a new jetwasher is on order.
Shop will be open til 1pm on friday(Xmas eve 8-1pm)
Then closed until at least monday 27th , updates will be as I get any changes

The shop, all the staff, Dave and myself(frank) would like to wish everyone that visit here and the marina a fantastic Christmas. Lets face it things have been grim enough for many so i recon we all deserve a good un 🙂

Happy Christmas all & see you in the New year .

Here’s hoping 2022 will get better than the last 2 🙂
F