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Well I was back down in Dorset again this month. I come down here at least once a year, sometimes two or three times, to fish Chesil Beach which is one of my favourite places to fish in the UK as there is always a good range of species to catch and a decent bag of fish at every session. This time of year is usually the start of the bass and mackerel season so I hoped to get my first of those species for this year. There had been reports of catches of both a few weeks prior to me going down so I was hoping for a canny week. Unfortunately the weather was against me so it didn't quite go to plan....
For those who don't know, Chesil Beach is a sixteen mile long ridge of shingle that stretches from West Bay (next to Bridport) to Portland and for most of it's length is separated from the mainland by a stretch of water called The Fleet. Chesil is attached to the mainland at both ends and this is where most of the shore fishing takes place since access is easier. A long walk along the shingle is not recommended as it's pretty knackering - two steps forward one step back type of thing. The shingle is pretty steep so there is deep water close in and there is no need to cast far to be into the fish. Bass patrol along the edge so you can catch them just a few yards out. Last May I caught one on a lure in the last wave just before it broke onto the beach so the fish could only have been about three feet out. Bass heaven. But not this time.
I like to fish Chesil with two rods - one close in with big baits for bass (half a mackerel, whole squid, sandeel etc). One at distance with a flapper rig for other species (worm baits, strips of bluey etc). If conditions are right then the lure rod comes out too.
Daytimes were spent out doing family holiday stuff with Mrs T and Thundernappy so my fishing was to be evenings/nights and early mornings. This is good anyway as the best times for bass are dawn and dusk. So I arrived on Friday 10th May full of excitement and headed down to the nearest mark "Hive Beach" for a short wind down session after the long drive at about 9.30pm in the dark. There was a very strong southerly wind blowing and the sea was massive. It was raining heavily and there was loads of weed in the water. I set up a good distance back for safety and every cast my gear was ending up in a massive tangle of line and weed. I was using braid on one rod and just had to cut loads of it away as there was no way I would be able to untangle that after it had all dug in and knotted. I gave it an hour but in the end I had to admit it was unfishable and pack up and leave it until another day. A bad start to the week.
So I had to sit it out and wait for the weather to improve. Saturday wasn't much better but it started to ease Saturday night so I decided to head out for an early morning session on Sunday at West Bay, the westernmost end of Chesil. Conditions were better, the sea was calmer and it was an altogether pleasant morning to be out. I set up straight down from the car park at the start of the cliffs. A very picturesque spot which some of you may recognise the photos if you have been watching "Broadchurch" on the TV as this is where it was filmed and my fishing spot was the spot where the body was found
I fished from 5am to 7.30am and caught my first fish of the trip. Only three fish and nothing exciting but some species points for me with two poor cod caught on rag and a dogfish caught on mackerel.
That same day we were out in Weymouth in the afternoon and Mrs Thunderpants wanted to take Thundernappy crabbing in the harbour. I always have my gear in the car on the off chance so I opted to try a short session on Weymouth Stone Pier while they were doing that. An interesting place to fish which is set up for anglers with stone bait tables between high backed concrete seats which provide good wind protection. The whole thing is overlooked by a big fort on the hill top. This is a venue I have never fished before but seemed like it might be worth a proper session sometime later in the week if the beach continued to be big seas and weed. So it was worth checking out. I just took one light rod and a packet of rag and in half an hour I caught two corkwing wrasse straight down the side of the wall. A species I've never caught before so I was well pleased with that. I liked the venue and decided to come back again for a proper session later in the week. Thundernappy blanked on the crabs bless him
That evening I went back out for a night session at the Hive Beach mark. I got there for 9pm - and once again it was very windy with a big sea on so had I had to stand well back but the weed was not too bad tonight and I managed to get two shore rocklings, a poor cod and an edible crab. Packing up about midnight.
The following evening (13th) I decided on a night session at Weymouth Stone Pier which had looked so promising the previous afternoon. It was a fifteen mile drive from the cottage but worth a chuck I thought and arrived about 9pm fishing until 12.30am. It was very windy on the pier but the high seats protected me and I could sit in comfort holding on to my light rod with a bait dropped just over the side. There were three lads on the pier when I arrived and as I was setting my gear up and baiting up I must have missed seeing them leave as I looked up to find myself the only one there! A bit weird that, liked they had just disappeared into thin air. Never mind I carried on anyway and ended up having my first busy session of the week. I was getting knocks every cast, sometimes after just a few seconds after putting the bait in. I caught lots of small pouting and poor cod, lost count how many. Also a shore rockling and a teeny tiny pollack. All caught on rag, nothing was interested in the fish baits.
Back to the Hive Beach on the 15th from 7pm until midnight through last light. There was a small amount of surf and a slight slight breeze. I tried for bass with bait and lures but had no luck. Pulled in five doggies and one small pouting.
Last session of the week was an early morning on the 17th starting at Abbotsbury in the dark and fishing through the sunrise into daylight. This is probably the most popular mark on Chesil Beach and it's not unusual to see mackie bashers as far as the eye can see on a sunny summers afternoon. At this time of the morning though I had the beach to myself and sadly no fish about too so after a couple of hours I moved a mile or so along to West Bexington. Again I was the only one there but after about half an hour a mackie basher turned up and set up right beside me. Sixteen miles of empty beach and he sets up ten yards from me! Oh well. Anyway this morning turned out to be my first blank ever on Chesil.
So ends my week in Dorset. Poor weather, some poor fishing though I did manage a few species points and one fun night on Weymouth Pier. No bass this time and only a few fish here and there so not as good as previous visits but hopefully next year will be better. So a couple of hours drive to Cornwall next and a good week of rock fishing in store.
Cornwall report to follow.
For those who don't know, Chesil Beach is a sixteen mile long ridge of shingle that stretches from West Bay (next to Bridport) to Portland and for most of it's length is separated from the mainland by a stretch of water called The Fleet. Chesil is attached to the mainland at both ends and this is where most of the shore fishing takes place since access is easier. A long walk along the shingle is not recommended as it's pretty knackering - two steps forward one step back type of thing. The shingle is pretty steep so there is deep water close in and there is no need to cast far to be into the fish. Bass patrol along the edge so you can catch them just a few yards out. Last May I caught one on a lure in the last wave just before it broke onto the beach so the fish could only have been about three feet out. Bass heaven. But not this time.
I like to fish Chesil with two rods - one close in with big baits for bass (half a mackerel, whole squid, sandeel etc). One at distance with a flapper rig for other species (worm baits, strips of bluey etc). If conditions are right then the lure rod comes out too.
Daytimes were spent out doing family holiday stuff with Mrs T and Thundernappy so my fishing was to be evenings/nights and early mornings. This is good anyway as the best times for bass are dawn and dusk. So I arrived on Friday 10th May full of excitement and headed down to the nearest mark "Hive Beach" for a short wind down session after the long drive at about 9.30pm in the dark. There was a very strong southerly wind blowing and the sea was massive. It was raining heavily and there was loads of weed in the water. I set up a good distance back for safety and every cast my gear was ending up in a massive tangle of line and weed. I was using braid on one rod and just had to cut loads of it away as there was no way I would be able to untangle that after it had all dug in and knotted. I gave it an hour but in the end I had to admit it was unfishable and pack up and leave it until another day. A bad start to the week.
So I had to sit it out and wait for the weather to improve. Saturday wasn't much better but it started to ease Saturday night so I decided to head out for an early morning session on Sunday at West Bay, the westernmost end of Chesil. Conditions were better, the sea was calmer and it was an altogether pleasant morning to be out. I set up straight down from the car park at the start of the cliffs. A very picturesque spot which some of you may recognise the photos if you have been watching "Broadchurch" on the TV as this is where it was filmed and my fishing spot was the spot where the body was found
I fished from 5am to 7.30am and caught my first fish of the trip. Only three fish and nothing exciting but some species points for me with two poor cod caught on rag and a dogfish caught on mackerel.That same day we were out in Weymouth in the afternoon and Mrs Thunderpants wanted to take Thundernappy crabbing in the harbour. I always have my gear in the car on the off chance so I opted to try a short session on Weymouth Stone Pier while they were doing that. An interesting place to fish which is set up for anglers with stone bait tables between high backed concrete seats which provide good wind protection. The whole thing is overlooked by a big fort on the hill top. This is a venue I have never fished before but seemed like it might be worth a proper session sometime later in the week if the beach continued to be big seas and weed. So it was worth checking out. I just took one light rod and a packet of rag and in half an hour I caught two corkwing wrasse straight down the side of the wall. A species I've never caught before so I was well pleased with that. I liked the venue and decided to come back again for a proper session later in the week. Thundernappy blanked on the crabs bless him
That evening I went back out for a night session at the Hive Beach mark. I got there for 9pm - and once again it was very windy with a big sea on so had I had to stand well back but the weed was not too bad tonight and I managed to get two shore rocklings, a poor cod and an edible crab. Packing up about midnight.
The following evening (13th) I decided on a night session at Weymouth Stone Pier which had looked so promising the previous afternoon. It was a fifteen mile drive from the cottage but worth a chuck I thought and arrived about 9pm fishing until 12.30am. It was very windy on the pier but the high seats protected me and I could sit in comfort holding on to my light rod with a bait dropped just over the side. There were three lads on the pier when I arrived and as I was setting my gear up and baiting up I must have missed seeing them leave as I looked up to find myself the only one there! A bit weird that, liked they had just disappeared into thin air. Never mind I carried on anyway and ended up having my first busy session of the week. I was getting knocks every cast, sometimes after just a few seconds after putting the bait in. I caught lots of small pouting and poor cod, lost count how many. Also a shore rockling and a teeny tiny pollack. All caught on rag, nothing was interested in the fish baits.
Back to the Hive Beach on the 15th from 7pm until midnight through last light. There was a small amount of surf and a slight slight breeze. I tried for bass with bait and lures but had no luck. Pulled in five doggies and one small pouting.
Last session of the week was an early morning on the 17th starting at Abbotsbury in the dark and fishing through the sunrise into daylight. This is probably the most popular mark on Chesil Beach and it's not unusual to see mackie bashers as far as the eye can see on a sunny summers afternoon. At this time of the morning though I had the beach to myself and sadly no fish about too
so after a couple of hours I moved a mile or so along to West Bexington. Again I was the only one there but after about half an hour a mackie basher turned up and set up right beside me. Sixteen miles of empty beach and he sets up ten yards from me! Oh well. Anyway this morning turned out to be my first blank ever on Chesil.So ends my week in Dorset. Poor weather, some poor fishing though I did manage a few species points and one fun night on Weymouth Pier. No bass this time and only a few fish here and there so not as good as previous visits but hopefully next year will be better. So a couple of hours drive to Cornwall next and a good week of rock fishing in store.
Cornwall report to follow.
or making the killer trek along to the Bridging Camp. Tends to hoy out a bigger variety of species, though the west end is better for Raymonds and Plaice.
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