Latest Fishing Reports: Just Mary
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09/08/2020
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
9 Aug 2020 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, it's been a frustrating Spring and Summer so far, with Covid 19 and the inability to work, the lack of real guidance and information from any of the Authorities that we deal with and an unusually unseasonal windy few months. In May having consulted my Surveyor I was one of the first Skippers to resume work after Boris said we could all go back Fishing and Boating. I started back with just two Anglers on board the huge deck area on 'Just Mary'. In June I spoke to my Surveyor again and stepped it up to just four Anglers on 'Just Mary', in July we moved to six Anglers and that looks to be our maximum for this year of 2020. I have encouraged Anglers to come as 'buddy pairs' or as a group of close family, close friends, close work colleagues when booking 'Just Mary' for a day's Angling. It has worked but often to the detriment of the financial situation of the Business. This year of 2020 will be a 'write off' for many Angling Charter Boat Skippers and I can see plenty of casualties in our Industry. However we go on, finding fish for Anglers and Hire rod participants alike because that is what we do on every trip aboard 'Just Mary' from Christchurch. It is frustrating for me and for the Anglers when the windy weather just adds to our current problems under Covid 19 and trips are cancelled for safety reasons. My boat will take any amount of bad weather with just me onboard and believe me she has proven herself time and time again but I would never intentionally put my passengers in any danger or take a risk, it is never worth it. So we pick our days, we catch decent fish and after almost twenty years we carry on doing what we do best, we go fishing ! Ta Malc and 'Just Mary' from Christchurch in Dorset.
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18/06/2020
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
18 Jun 2020 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, the trips continue aboard 'Just Mary' from Christchurch with a visit from well known South Coast Angler Steve Preddy being joined onboard by his two sons. We fished a local well known Bream holding reef in Poole Bay and really had to work hard for the fish. Initially we couldn't get through the Pouting for the Black Bream but perseverance and a bit of staying power paid off and so did retaining some of the Pouting for bait in the absence of any Mackerel. We landed some nice 'Blue Boys' Male Black Bream on the ebb before the slack water came. Over slack before the flood started Kiran Preddy hooked and landed a 4lb Turbot, perfect eating size at 45cm, on Bream gear of size 2 hook to paternoster trace on Pouting strip. This fish was quickly followed by a Female Undulate Ray of 15lb2oz by his Father Steve Preddy again on Bream gear and a size no.2 hook with Pouting strip as bait. The Undulate was a welcome bonus on light gear and a classic Daiwa Sea Hunter rod, quickly unhooked, weighed in a net bag on my new scales, photographed and released unharmed as these big Undulates are the breeding stock of future generations. A couple of personal best fish for the Anglers and a sign of things to come onboard for 'Just Mary', now we need the fresh Mackerel in decent numbers and we can target these fish rather than them being 'accidental' catches. We also landed our first red gurnard of the season just to prove that Summer is here. Now we need the weather to settle down and behave after the coming four days of blow and we can get going again for more of the same, thanks, Malc.
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06/2020
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
Jun 2020 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, working to strict self imposed guidelines of Risk Assessment, Limited numbers to comply with Social distancing on the huge deck area of 'Just Mary' from Christchurch, PPE by way of Facemasks, a wash station and personal hygiene measures onboard and priority given to regular and previous customers who I know and who are local as Dorset has been the lowest infected Covid 19 County in the UK. Catching Black Bream and other species on local reefs and rocky areas. Good fish on good days with good friends, thanks to all of you who have fished with me this year together we will make 2020 a successful year despite the current difficulties, all the best to all of you, thanks, Malc.
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28/05/2020
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
28 May 2020 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, we are working under strict rules, Risk Assessment and PPE, but we are working, maximum two onboard, but the possibility of four now since June 1st and Boris' speech, same household, close family, close friends, work colleagues, just £50 each own tackle, bait, etc or extra £10 for hire gear and bait at cost or bring your own. Now seven glorious days on the water in bright sunshine and flat calm seas and plenty of fish....as always with me ! Nice Bream and good numbers, some bonus Bass plus lots of other species off the reefs. Pics to follow or go to my FB pages, ta Malc. PS. RING TO BOOK...Really busy so book soon.....!
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19/05/2020
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
19 May 2020 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, an old man once told me, 'Son there's no point getting older unless you get wiser...', never a truer phrase in these troubled times. If any local Angler wishes to go fishing then ring me, ta Malc.
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15/08/2019
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
15 Aug 2019 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, having moved 'Just Mary' from Poole to Christchurch late last year we are gradually settling in now with a new mooring and a new way of operating. Everyone in Christchurch has been very helpful and have welcomed a proper Angling Charter Boat to this my Home Port and birthplace. I was christened sixty years ago in the imposing Christchurch Priory near the Town Quay pick up point (BH23 1BY) where there is adequate parking in the nearby Priory Car Park at £6.00 all day. This is my home coming now and 'Just Mary' has attracted a lot of interest from the locals and visitors alike, it is a beautiful place to live and work. Due to lots of personal reasons it has taken time to get the Boat ready for work but she has now passed her new Five Year MCA Survey and the new loading test for passenger carrying. Many thanks to Matt Elkins at Elkins Boatyard in Christchurch and all his staff, plus the local Fishermen and others that I have recently met in and around the River. So now, when the weather improves and the strong winds abate, we will be up and running with trips from Christchurch Quay, out down the River, passing Mudeford Quay and out to Christchurch Ledge and the surrounding areas. Due to the sandbar at the Harbour Entrance our trips will be run and priced according to the tides, we won't have the luxury of going out at all or any times of the day. There are 'Green Zones' over and around the 1st and 2nd High Water times and 'Red Zones' when at or around Low Water times we are unable to get out or back in. This will make our trips interesting with different departure and return times according to the tides on the day, 4 hour, 6 hour, 8 hour, 10 hour and even 12 hour trips all priced differently and according to the conditions on the day. I fished out of Christchurch as a boy with my Dad who is sadly no longer with us, now I find myself fishing out of Christchurch again, new challenges and new experiences await along with new fishing grounds to explore with 'Just Mary'. I am reminded of something that my old friend and fellow Angling Charter Boat Skipper Mick Hannam on 'Due South' out of Lymington once said to me, 'If I could only fish just one place in our local waters, I would fish Christchurch Ledge, it has every fish you could wish to catch throughout the whole year'. So that's where we'll begin, ta Malc.
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04/04/2019
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
4 Apr 2019 by Malcolm Collins
As I sit at my desk in the Office looking out on a cold, wet and windy day here on the South Coast my thoughts turn to the coming season. 'Just Mary' is currently moored in the River Stour at Tuckton, birthplace of my paternal Grandfather and a man who unfortunately passed away before I was born. He had fought, as a very young man, in the First World War in Salonika against the 'Slavs' and in the Middle East against the 'Turks' whilst in the Royal Horse Artillery, he sent postcards back home from Jerusalem as a Sergeant in a truly local Regiment based in Christchurch. When the Second World War erupted in 1939 he tried desperately to enlist again but his age (43) and an injury from the Great War prevented him from doing so. Determined to 'do his bit' and get involved he joined the Volunteer Force which became the Home Guard known later as 'Dads Army'. At this time he lived with my Nan and his five children, with my Dad being the youngest at only 5 years old, in the Coastguard Cottages in Wick Lane at Christchurch. As he lived on the River Stour he was given the job of organising the defence of the Harbour, the Rivers and local beaches as the local Sergeant. On Tuckton Island, where I keep my dinghy to access 'Just Mary' there is a hidden pill box which my Grandfather used to man with his squad of mates, there is another one in Elkins Boatyard. The family named the Island at Tuckton as 'Ted's Island', the pill box was there to overlook the River and prevent German Commandos from coming up the River and blowing up Tuckton Bridge close nearby. Every time I use the dinghy on 'Ted's Island' to access 'Just Mary' I walk in the footsteps of my Grandfather, a man who I sadly never got to meet, but a great man nonetheless. We will be running trips from Christchurch this year, 2019, eighty years on from the outbreak of the Second World War, in honour of my Grandfather, Edwin 'Ted' George Collins, of the Royal Horse Artillery, Barrack Road, Christchurch. Ta Malc.....
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16/08/2018
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
16 Aug 2018 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All,
have arrived back in the UK after visiting my family that live abroad to find that the weather has changed very much since I left ! However we will not let this deter us from finding more good fish for our Anglers. August is a good month to begin Inshore fishing on the Spring Tides 'along the front' drifting for Plaice, Gurnard, Bream, etc and Offshore on the Neaps for Tope, Rays and Congers.....weather permitting obviously. So we will get going again and get out there amongst the fish.....thanks, Malc. -
09/07/2018
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
9 Jul 2018 by Malcolm Collins
Hi All, with the lovely calm and hot conditions continuing we are able to push offshore on the Neap tides and yesterday afternoon found us three miles South of the Jurassic Coast on the 32's. After Mackerel in the morning and a few Rays in close we pushed South for the afternoon. Using fresh mackerel and other frozen baits we landed Undulate Ray, Congers and Tope for a mixed group of 'own gear' and 'hire rod' Anglers. An enjoyable day in good company and in glorious weather with flat calm seas only interrupted by the Gin Palaces that seem to want to get as close to us as they can without paying whilst wasting enormous amounts of fuel ! Long may the weather continue.....and the fishing.....ta Malc
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25/06/2018
Fishing Report by Malcolm Collins
25 Jun 2018 by Malcolm Collins
Morning All,
we are still catching a wide variety of species locally with the Black Bream still prominent on the local reefs and more species now appearing consistently. The weather has turned for the better and the Customers are enjoying warm sunny and calm conditions afloat. The Sea is gin clear at present and we are fishing a few deeper marks for that reason. Anglers can expect Bream, Rays, Tope and increasing Mackerel catches soon. So get your bookings in now for when the Football World Cup ends and we can all get out afloat and enjoy the weather, ta Malc.
