CHESIL CHALLENGE
Darren Dixon tells how warm weather and chocolatecoloured water meant it was time to search for some cod
Four pages of catch stories from readers.
After big waves had been hitting the famous Chesil Beach for several weeks, it was time to get out in search of cod. Warm sunshine made for summer-like conditions, but the chocolate-coloured water told its own story and was the reason for the visit to Dorset. With my pal Graham Warren, I’d set off on a two-hour drive from Portsmouth to deepest Dorset to fish the venue of broken dreams, Chesil Beach, in search of cod.
This enormous shingle bank is the place to be following rough seas, and its 18 miles can be the Holy Grail for species and specimen hunters, like myself, because it features both UK and seemingly tropical species throughout the year.
Access to this beach is restricted to a handful of areas if you want nearby parking. From the Portland end, you have what’s know as Masonic, which has limited space for parking, so most stop at the Ferrybridge car park, located on the right-hand side of the road as soon as you have crossed the bridge on to Portland.
Another very popular section with a parking space is Abbotsbury. Due to the access along country lanes, it is advisable to take extreme care on the roads. Other car parks are available at West Bexington and Cogden, which is located towards the western end of the shingle bank.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
It wasn’t long before we were greeted by a stunning view of the mighty shingle bank and clear blue sky as we went across Portland bridge. On arrival at the Ferrybridge car park, and after paying for a parking ticket, we gathered our rods and backpacks and set off along the Fleet side of the shingle bank for a walk of at least 45 minutes.
After a sweaty walk we clambered up the steep shingle bank to find ourselves with plenty of room to fish, away from the long line of other hopeful anglers who were nearer the car park.
A few steep shelves of shingle down to the sea had been formed from the big waves that hammered the bank in the weeks leading up to our day. As we set up in a brisk offshore northerly wind, those daunting thoughts of the return trip soon turned into high expectations of a cod.
Bait for the day consisted of fresh black lugworms and a packet of frozen squid, each sourced from our local tackle shops in Portsmouth (Lock, Stock and Tackle and
Allan’s Marine). The bait would be fished on simple Pennell pulley rigs made with an 80lb Asso rig body and trace, with either Sakuma Manta Extra size 6/0 and 4/0 hooks backed with a size 3/0 Chinu. This was more than capable of handling any big fish.
With our baits cast out, the mayhem kicked off from the start. A steady flow of fish came through during our first three hours, including some fat pouting and the resident dogfish at first before Graham shouted: “This is a bigger fish!”
I made my way to the bank’s edge and looked down into the chocolate water being thrown on to the shoreline. In the next wave I spotted Graham’s shockleader followed by a large white-bellied lump, with a big mouth and eyes. With a quick reach for the line, I secured the trace tightly in one hand and grabbed the first cod by the gill. It was at this point that I saw my rod tip thump down and spring back up again.
Leaving Graham to unhook his first cod, I was retrieving a lump of my own. Graham noticed me struggling to get my fish up the bank and ran to my aid, and up he popped with a smaller cod in his arms. His fish was the biggest thought, at just shy of 10lb.
PUMPED UP
Soon we had fresh baits out again and my other rod started to bend over and didn’t look like stopping, so I grabbed it as line peeled off my Penn Fathom 15. I knew I had a big fish on as my Zziplex Dymic LT14 was bending well. After at least five minutes of battling it through the chocolate mixer, Graham pulled my line up over the bank. A nice size conger eel twisted on the end and did its best to escape capture.
As we looked closer it had taken a whiting that was hooked on my black lug bait. This fine eel was just shy of specimen size of 20lb and weighed in at 19lb 11oz, another great capture. After a few pictures, the slimy beast was released back into the water.
Now fully pumped up, we carried on pulling out fish, including a few more codling for Graham, more dogfish and jumbo pouting.
An hour before low tide, the fish stopped feeding and baits remained untouched. We battled on in the October sunshine for two hours before a few fish showed. Soon Graham was catching lots of pouting, while I landed big whiting and the occasional codling.
Graham went on to land two more codling, one on each rod, before I matched it. With six cod each, it was our last hope for one last possible lump on our last cast as the sun set. To top off a fantastic day’s fishing there was one more codling to give us 13. ■
Fishing is one of my passions, but I very rarely have the time to get out due to work and family commitments, but I had an amazing almost unbelievable experience on the River Hamble in September.
I was fishing at the Hamble River pontoon at Manor Farm Country Park, in Bursledon, Southampton. It was the last day of our family holidays. It was back to work or school the next day. However, we thought we would have a little outing to the country park to do a little spot of crabbing off the small pontoon on the River Hamble.
We arrived around 3pm, the tide was high and the jetty was packed with other families crabbing and magnet fishing. The only problem was that when we got there I realised I had forgotten to pack the crab line and bucket.
At this stage, as you can imagine my six-year-old daughter Freya and her friend Sophia were crying with disappointment over the mistake I had made.
However, I did have a cheap 6ft telescopic rod and a few bits of tackle. I thought
I could use this and an old spinner as a makeshift crab line, so I tackled up and then added a big rasher of bacon to the rusty treble. I didn't cast, but just simply dropped it down in to the murky water and handed the rod to Freya hoping a crab would take it.
Something happened that I can only describe as unbelievable – a monster from the deep pulled the line so hard it nearly pulled Freya in the water. Luckily, she let go, but the rod vanished into the deep.
A few seconds later the butt of the rod reappeared and we watched it being towed away into the distance. I was gutted – the classic story of the one that got away.
I thought all hope was gone, but as we were watching the rod vanish, some guys from the QE2 Activity Centre at Manor Farm were heading out from the pontoon on their kayaks. We shouted to ask if they could retrieve the rod that was now at least 100 metres away. After some banter suggesting the fish was the Loch Ness Monster or Jaws, they quickly paddled out and were able to grab the rod from the water. They started to bring it back to me and then I knew it was something big.
The kayaker was struggling to keep hold of the rod and it was bent double, I thought the line was going to snap, but it didn't and she handed me the rod and I was back in control and finally managed to land this lovely bass (above).
Having fished at Newton Point, Porthcawl, for at least seven years, I’d always failed to catch a smoothhound, but was determined to change this during 2019.
This rocky mark on the coast in South Wales has always been known as a great place to catch hounds, but while studying for my GCSEs earlier this year it meant I could get out only occasionally. When a day finally became available for me to fish, I was determined to make it count.
Newton Point is always fishable on any low tide, and very accessible due to a car park barely a two-minute walk from the fishing, making it ideal who like easy access. Even if you are starting out in fishing, there are always fish to catch. In one two-hour session I landed more than 40 dogfish.
Of course, it’s important to check the tide times because it is easy to get cut off by the incoming tide – fish up to three hours on the drop and two hours on the flood.
My hound rig is a short pulley and a weak link, with either a size 2/0 or 3/0 wide mouth Aberdeen hook. When people think of smoothhounds, they use crabs for bait, but hounds also have a soft spot for squid.
EXCITEMENT
The session lived up to all my expectations. When I hooked my first hound, I was shaking with excitement, my reel was screaming and so was I.
Ten minutes into the fight the fish surfaced and, thanks to some nearby anglers, I landed the fish, which tipped the scales 11lb 10oz. I added three more ranging from 5lb 6oz to 11lb, all in one hour. My baits were only in the water a few minutes before they were hit hard.
Since that memorable day, I’ve caught hound after hound, all thanks for help from other anglers and my local tackle shop. I’ve now caught 39 smoothhounds, eight of them doubles and my personal best stands at 12lb 2oz. I even tried using prawns for bait and caught four hounds.
As a young angler, I’d advise others like me to never give up, always believe in yourself and never be afraid to talk to other anglers who can give you some great knowledge.
After the success of my hound fishing, I also passed my GCSEs, so a good result. Now we’re into the autumn, I’ve started college and the hounds will have moved out to deeper water, but with winter just around the corner, I’ll be out in search of cod and conger eels.