tips and tricks stuff

Guest

Don't know about salting lug but that septicaemia thing reminded me about whiting. Don't cut yourself on whiting teeth as the cut will almost always go septic.

If you are unlucky enough to land a weaver fish and get stung by those nasty pointy barbs on the head the only thing to do is a liberal rubbing of antihiastamine and bathe the affected area in water as hot as you can stand (it breaks down the venom). Believe me, it works-I trod on one once!!

For the newbies, watch out for spines on fish. Bass-dorsal fin is lethal (well, not literally but it hurts alot). wrap in a damp towel to unhook. Mackeral-small curved spine just behind the anal opening. Usual injury is puncture to small finger as hand slips down fish while unhooking. Not life threatening but bloody painful for days. There may well be others but I haven't injured myself on them yet!

Guest

We call the lugworm that MadKev is referring to "Blob heads". The only thing you can do with them is gut them as soon as you notice them going blobby. This toughens them up and maybe it might be worth salting them. I personally wouldn't salt any bait.

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:30 am

Thanks, Troops, this thread is developing nicely, I'm learning too.

Think we'll have Hypothermia next? Did we do this last week? No? OK then. More relevant on the beach, likely to be spotted by a skipper on charter boats, small boat folk generally know so much about what they're doing they've already minimised their risk.

* Folk worry about being sued for writing stuff like this, you'll always find the next person to shout you down as well. If it don't get read, none of it will make a difference. If it does get read, every situation is different but at least you'll have a bit of a head start. I have only done this twice: on Dartmoor & Chesil, both got up and walked away. If you're in the trade and have actually dealt with sufferers, I accept correction on major points, but not e-flames on minor detail or from course-attenders.

* Disclaimers ain't worth the pixels they're written on. Grow up and take some responsibility.

* Hypothermia - the 'umbles'. Can't spot it yourself very well, so always keep an eye on your mate, him on you. What you're looking for is mumbling, stumbling, grumbling and fumbling as early symptoms, but these are followed by the rapid onset of more serious stuff.

* Do not try the following steps for cr*ppy casting, on it's own it is not a recognised medical symptom.

* Some of us get through life 'umbling, I know, but at this stage it's easily remedied and in 30 minutes he'll be right as rain with mild after-effects, but entirely self-sufficient. Gotta get that core temperature up, the symptoms are showing their effect on his central nervous system, blood retreating to the core. Do this by:

* Stop him fishing, he'll be cr*p at it anyway.

* Wind chill - get him out of the wind first. Into a shelter, behind rocks, on barren beaches make a 'scrape' in shingle or sand as a windbreak. Look up wind chill effect anywhere on the web, see just how low the windspeed has to be to turn moderate conditions into risky.

* "You know it's minus seven degrees, when the hairs within your nose doth freeze"..................... Uh?

* Clothing - most of us are dressed sensibly on the beach, even if he's soaked through from rain there'll be good insulation value from his kit if he's out of the wind. Not many of us take a change of clothing, but if he's got unused waterproofs, chuck them on him, on top of wet kit. Put stuff you ain't wearing on/around him too. Use everything you've got, don't hold back on the basis he might need more later.

* Opinions vary on fluids, hot or cold. If he wants a drink, frankly, let him have one, but no booze.

* Out of the wind and wrapped as comfy you can make him, it's decision time. First though, look at your watch and say the time out loud. Next, pack everything up, or give him a little while and see if he gets better? If he is in the early stages of hypothermia, the decision is yours, not his. Will you get him and both sets of kit off the beach? Him and leave the kit? Leave him and go for help? See if he improves so he can actually help get himself off the beach?

* Your kit, and his as a memento of a fine bloke, is not the correct answer.

* Each of these options is time dependent, you're the guy on the spot, you've got about fifteen minutes to commit yourself once you notice the 'umbles and he accepts the wrapping-up process. Have a quick chat with definite and genuine questions asked of him every five minutes - what beach are we on? Annoying stuff like that. If he farts about with duff, slurred, answers he'll certainly enjoy the warm-water enema in casualty as a consequence.

* If his responses get worse over the fifteen minutes, or he don't answer (lights on, no-one home) the resources you've got ain't working, or ain't working quick enough. Time to get this bloke out of there, no more mucking about. You'll now be looking at symptoms virtually identical to drunkeness, without the smell of booze, and it's an ambulance for him with an overnighter at hospital.

* Ambulances don't do beaches very well. Ball's back in your court then.

* So, don't put your mate in the position of having to make this decision for you. If you've got a shelter, why not use it to reduce windchill while you're ok, not when you're too cold to put it up? Use waterproofs similarly, and as you get hot undo the fastenings (ventilate to regulate), sometimes when it's not even raining. It's certainly big and hard to brave the elements ill-clothed, but an hour's fishing later, will you feel the same when your mate is making these decisions about you? (Yes, you know who you are, Mr *, my inspiration for this message)

* With all this in mind, dress for the occasion with kit enough to cope with a substantial drop in temperature on the beach. Make use of shelter, keep your core temperature up by covering exposed skin (just do up the cuffs of your jacket, close pocket flaps, put your hat on and pull your hood up, etc), and keep an eye out for your mate.

* In summary: the 'umbles first. An argument (grumbles) when you try to get him to accept the point. He gives up, you wrap him up and check the time. Questions every five minutes for fifteen minutes, if he ain't improving or gets worse (or farts about), time to get him out of there. If he is improving, he'll need a minimum of thirty minutes before getting back on his feet.

There, that's depressed everybody, would you like to hear some of my Viking war poetry as well? MK

Guest

Nice piesc MK.

As far as fluids are concerned, DO NOT GIVE HOT DRINKS!! This will not raise the core temperature but will contribute to an even faster core temperature drop. The body will sense more internal heat than it thinks it should have and open blood vessels called shunts which lie just underneath the skin. This it what it does in the summer when its hot. Blood nearer the surface, faster cooling! Luke warm (about normal body temp) will help but not very quickly.

I passed my mountain leader exams and I have been out on recovery operations up mountains to rescue people who are in the more developed stages of Hypo. As the condition worsens, watch out for sudden bursts of energy followed by lethargy and occasionally aggressiveness.

Blueness of the extrenities (lips, fingertips, toes) will indicate that you've really got a serious problem on your hands. In this case, you could be looking at an unconcious casualy in 30 minutes at most. Death can then occur in 2-8 hours depending on the fitness of your victim.

If you can, call the emergency services. Think about what you ask for here. Yes, you need medical help but if you are somewhere like Orford then what about either the air ambulance, coastguard, or lifeboat to get you off there. Time is your biggest enemy and its easy to forget the logistics.

While you wait, cuddle up! Sharing body heat has in some cases been the difference between life and death. Don't be embarrassed-it might just save your mates life.

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:01 pm

Death is sad, time to lighten up, methinks.

Strange but True? There must be a wealth of this out there, just a couple for now. 8O means number of witnesses.

* Scissors dropped overboard in boat comp. Next cast, bloke snags bottom, winds snagged thing in, takes a pollack on the way up. He'd snagged the scissors. 8O x 9

* I dropped a tail-less live mackerel on a 6/0 down. Didn't notice much difference, when I reeled in, it had shaken off and the plain shiny hook had been taken by another one with tail. "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy". 8O x 2

* Four of us trudge back to car park at Chesil 0100 hrs. Next to my motor is saloon car with interior light on, naked couple sharing tender moment in definite exhibitionist manner. All switch our headlights out, this must be that 'dogging' we've heard about. Bit embarrassed, (after a minute or two, of course) so make presence known by unlocking my motor to load up, couple continue unabashed.
Several 'Phoarrs' from us, changed slightly when realised it was two chaps.
"Assumption - the mother of all f***ups", as the Marines would have it. 8O x 4

* The man you love to hate. Under pressure from mates to do Sat night beach (probably pout & flattie) comp, can't really, on call and delay if called would be improper. Succumb to pressure, compromise and put absolute minimum kit on trail motorbike, ride almost to peg. Arrive late, pay in, can't stay to end. Everyone has already started, flotsam of their bait preparation drifiting past on tide. Lob in chunk of mack to this stream, 12lb bass straight away. Clap hands: "Right lads, shown you what to do, must be off now!". 8O x two dozen.

If, dear reader, you find entertainment or distraction from this site, why not join and add your own? Better still, bung a quid in the site fund? MK

Guest

DuncBooth5 wrote:

Nice piesc MK.

As far as fluids are concerned, DO NOT GIVE HOT DRINKS!! This will not raise the core temperature but will contribute to an even faster core temperature drop. The body will sense more internal heat than it thinks it should have and open blood vessels called shunts which lie just underneath the skin. This it what it does in the summer when its hot. Blood nearer the surface, faster cooling! Luke warm (about normal body temp) will help but not very quickly.

I passed my mountain leader exams and I have been out on recovery operations up mountains to rescue people who are in the more developed stages of Hypo. As the condition worsens, watch out for sudden bursts of energy followed by lethargy and occasionally aggressiveness.

Blueness of the extrenities (lips, fingertips, toes) will indicate that you've really got a serious problem on your hands. In this case, you could be looking at an unconcious casualy in 30 minutes at most. Death can then occur in 2-8 hours depending on the fitness of your victim.

If you can, call the emergency services. Think about what you ask for here. Yes, you need medical help but if you are somewhere like Orford then what about either the air ambulance, coastguard, or lifeboat to get you off there. Time is your biggest enemy and its easy to forget the logistics.

While you wait, cuddle up! Sharing body heat has in some cases been the difference between life and death. Don't be embarrassed-it might just save your mates life.

Also, do NOT let the GO TO SLEEP !!

I don't know if this was mentioned above, if so apologies in advance, I have itchy fingers (oo err) and a plane to catch.