PORT SPOTLIGHT
These facilities provide charter boats and anglers with access to some of the best fishing the south coast has to offer
Focus on Portsmouth and Gosport.
Portsmouth habour is one of the few natural, large harbours in the UK, forged by a stream flowing from Portsdown into the Solent. At Portsmouth, you have the Royal Naval Base, while across the river at Gosport there is the Submarine Museum. The harbour is a busy one, being a major commercial ferry port with regular services to France and the Channel Islands.
The boats fishing out of Portsmouth Harbour and Gosport’s Haslar Marina have simple access to the open sea, via the harbour entrance, and from here there is a multitude of marks within easy reach. The fishing in this can be superb, pretty much all-year-round.
During the spring and summer, black bream and bass are the main quarry for many anglers. Fishing with strips of squid or with ragworms works well for the bream, while livebaits or lures are the preferred tactics for bass.
There’s some great smoothhound and tope sport to be had during the summer too, and the area is also noted for huge catches of plaice from the sandbanks and the famous ‘Blocks’ mark at the entrance to the harbour.
Other summer species include conger eels and blonde rays. More recently, there has been a huge surge in undulate ray catches, with many fish pushing the magic 20lb mark.
Boats also venture offshore throughout the year in search of big wreck cod and pollack, and in winter, the famous Needles and Nab Tower cod grounds are only a few miles away, as is the back-up plan for when the weather is foul - the Solent.
TACKLE TIPS
The fishing out of Portsmouth and Gosport is quite varied throughout the year, so you’ll need to contact your chosen skipper to discuss exactly what you’ll be fishing for.
As a general rule, a decent 10/20lb-class boat rod will cope with any downtide fishing at anchor for species like tope, cod and rays. Then you’ll need to go for either a spinning rod or a 12lb-class boat rod when drifting for the bass. This can also be used at anchor when targeting black bream.
The only other rod you’ll need is a 30lb-class rod to tackle the many conger eels that can be caught on the wrecks and reefs in the area.
With regard to terminal tackle, anything goes! Use light kit for the bream and bass, then step up a notch for the winter cod, rays and congers. I suggest you go for a standard flowing trace tied on 100lb mono with a size 9/0 hook on the end when searching out big conger eels and cod.
Whole cuttlefish and baby cuttle work well for the cod and congers, while squid and mackerel cocktails will sort out the big blonde and undulate rays.