Portland Fishing - Chesil Cove

Chesil Cove is situated at the southern end of Chesil Beach. Car parking is free but sometimes difficult to find in the summer. Park in the village of Chiswell, there are usually spaces on the road leading up to the promenade but please don't block the emergency access at the top. The southern end of the cove is very snaggy with kelp beds close in. My favourite spot is to ten yards to the left of the first slip way, there is a disused out flow pipe that holds fish. All species can be caught here including Cod, Wrasse, dog fish, whiting, pout Conger and Huss. A 20lb+ Cod was caught here during winter 2004/5 and the British record shore Rockling was caught here (1lb 9oz 12dr), was caught by Dave Lane of Weymouth A.S.

Chesil Cove is great for float fishing in the summer evenings for Scad, Mackerel and Garfish.

During a night session in January 2004 I caught a Conger that looked to be about 6' long while fishing with a standard two hook clipped down rig to 2/0 hooks. I unhooked the fish in the water so I didn't weigh it. Since then I always put out a Conger line when fishing there.

We fished Chesil Cove starting about 1830 until 0100. Tyler caught the Trigger Fish on his first cast, about 50yds out with Ragworm. We fished three rods, two with two hook flapper rigs and one rigged for Conger with 4/0 hooks to a wire trace and 35lb line. My first cast produced a nice Pollack of about 2lb. Ty had a succession of small Wrasse until sunset, then it all went quiet. I would usually expect hoards of Doggies after dark but they were nowhere to be seen.