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CHESIL REPORT
by Heggy
What a last few weeks, finally Chesil has
come alive with the best run of Cod that has been seen for many years,
plenty of fish in the 4-8lb range and a reasonable number over the 10lb
mark, best fish reported so far a fine specimen of 16lb 3oz to the rod
of local tackle shop owner, Paul Phillips, not a bad advert for the
Chesil Beach Angling Centre, on the same trip Paul also took a number of
Triggerfish and Bream, there cant be many places around the country that
can produce bags with such seasonal variety on the same day. Best
catches coming from Abbotsbury back to Portland and surprisingly on both
spring and neap tides, which is a good indication of how many fish there
are. Triggerfish from all the usual marks, some really excellent Bream
to nearly 3lb, Sole, Plaice and Dabs from Cogden and West Bexington,
although the nets at Cogden are becoming a real pain as they creep ever
closer to the beach. Still plenty of Gars and Mackerel and an unusual
number of Red Mullet. Dogs, Pout and the first Whiting after dark along
with a few large Conger that think nothing of taking a hooked Pout, not
normally landed but great fun for as long as you can hold on to them.
There has also been an extraordinary number of Bass taken with fish up
to 9lb falling to both bait and lures, how long this good spell will
last I don’t know so make the most of it. Finally I would just like to
say thanks to the morons who dumped a whole pile of Cod and Bass
carcasses and dead Dogfish in the grass at the bottom of Camp road
(Bridging camp). Why could you not have thrown the carcasses into the
fleet where the crabs would have made short work of them and let the
Dogs go if you did not want them? I was told that it was on one of the
internet angling forums within a matter of days, not exactly the
publicity angling wants, play the game guys.
Rocks producing plenty of Wrasse but not
much quality but that should start to change any time now, Conger and
Rockling after dark with a few Pollack. As I always say now right up to
Christmas is the time to visit the Island. The Giltheads seem to
disappeared from the harbour for this year but Bass, Flounders and Eels
continue to be caught. Weymouth harbour still holds some decent Mullet
and I would expect them to be around for a few more weeks yet.
Weymouth Report By
Paul Whithall
What a great month October has been!!
Calm seas, warm, sunny weather! And plenty of fish. (I am writing this
in the middle of October, so please may it continue). The bream are here
in abundance. After a very slow start, the bream arrived in mid
September and the fishing is currently superb with stacks of bream from
many of the marks around Portland and particularly south of the Shambles
Bank on the many rough ground marks. These last marks also produce a
terrific variety of species. Today, for example, on my own boat the
anglers caught plenty of bream, pout, dogfish, gurnard, a couple of
Pollack, an 8lb bass, a couple of undulate rays to 14lb and three
conger....all on bream tackle using size 1 hooks and small strips of
squid and mackerel. We even landed a decent sized squid which took the
bait. The bass are also here with excellent catches being achieved in
the Portland Race which the calm conditions have allowed us to fish in
relative comfort. Earlier in the month bass to 15lb were coming from the
front of the Race on live mackerel but lures and sand eels are also
catching the big fish. A surprising amount of cod are being taken on the
bass rigs and, when artificial lures are used, the cod catches increase.
The Shambles itself has fished very well for turbot. Today's brief
session resulted in most boats trying for them having between 3 and 6
turbot each. The general reef marks are all very lively with conger and
huss -along with bream as they are now everywhere-plus undulate rays and
the occasional cod. Cod catches have been good using Hopper Rigs on slow
drifts just south of the West Shambles buoy. Blonde ray fishing has been
the one disappointment with fishing slow. However a few good specimens
over the 25lb mark have been reported with the best weighing in from
Chris Caines' Tiger Lily at 34lb 10oz...an excellent fish. For the light
tackle enthusiast there are plenty of wrasse, garfish, mackerel and a
few trigger fish tight into Portland. Mullet specialists have reported
mullet in Portland Harbour. Wrecking has taken a backseat now with so
much action inshore but the lovely weather combined with the current run
of small tides has tempted a few groups to try conger sessions on the
wrecks and these have proved to be very lively with up to 50 conger per
boat with the best fish in the 60lb range. A few ling and the last of
the cod are also taking the mackerel flapper baits intended for the
eels. There is still a good supply of mackerel around which is helping
with the catch rate.
The final Weymouth to Alderney runs has
taken place with the bassing, breaming and turbot fishing very good.
Alderney's Harbour works should be completed by next May so that will
make life a lot easier for everyone trying to get ashore on the small
tides! November's fishing will of course be down to the weather. For the
past few years the bassing has got even better in November. The bream
tend to leave on the first storms of late October or early November but,
if the weather stays calm...who knows; maybe the bream could remain
longer this year. I hope you have been lucky enough to get out to sea
with the Weymouth fleet during this excellent spell of weather and have
enjoyed some of the cracking fishing currently on offer. Thanks to all
for coming to Weymouth!
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