Reading fileFTPd from mainframe using VB

I am trying to read a file that has been FTPd from an IBM mainframe to my PC. The file on the mainframe has some text and some “packed” data. When this file is FTPd and converted from EBCDIC to ASCII, about 6 bytes of this “packed” data throughout the file are coverted to the ASCII equivalent code for the EOF (end of file). Therefore, when I try to read this file using VB, I prematurely encounter end of file due to these characters that have been converted. Is there anyway that I can read past these quasi end of file markers and reach the real end of file using VB.