Church Ope information provided by
Ultimate Fishing or Portland
Once a famous smuggling
beach on the East side of Portland, Church Ope Cove is now a
favourite spot for beach hut owners looking to escape from the
hustle and bustle of there everyday lives.
Park in the free car
park on the right, opposite Pennsylvania Castle just as you
drive out of Easton towards the Bill. Access to the Cove is
either down the public footpath next to Pennsylvania castle or
via Portland museum (which has a seasonal café nearby). Be
warned it is a steep path with a lot of steps, so keep your
tackle as light as possible. If you go down the path beside the
castle you will go through the old church of St Andrews and
graveyard. This path can be quite slippery so be careful.
Once down in the Cove
you have the choice of fishing the beach directly in front of
you or the rocks either side. Looking out to sea, the rocks to
the left provide one of the few marks on the Island that
regularly produce Cuckoo Wrasse.
The beach is made up of
clean sand with patches off rough ground. The rough ground is a
tackle graveyard so expect some tackle losses. The main species
from the Cove are Pollock, Wrasse, Bass, Garfish, Scad, Dab,
Sole, Pout and Dogfish.
The Cove is primarily a
summer venue with Sole fishing in the Autumn.
Sport can be very hectic
on a August or September evening with float fished Mackerel
producing a very mixed bag in a short time. Lure fishing can
also provide spectacular results, especially if there is a good
surf running. My favourite lure in those conditions is a large
Popper or Rapala X-Rap
After dark will see the usual Dogfish and Pout as well as the
odd Smoothound if conditions are right. A large bait fished
close in has taken a good number of sizeable Bass in the past.
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