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This maelstrom of water at Dungeness is a great winter choice, says Wesley Shrubsole
Great shore marks to try.
Amaelstrom of white water approximately 200 metres from the low-water mark and about the size of a football pitch, The Boil at Dungeness is quite a sight as you glimpse it for the first time. This phenomenon is caused by its proximity to the water intake for the nuclear power station located just behind it. When the facility was built, the inlet and outlet pipes both had large, heavyduty grills, but corrosion has set in, and now minced fish and shellfish are distributed into the sea at this point.
This free groundbait attracts fish and gulls every day, with seals also sharing the bounty. With a bit of thought, shore anglers can cash in on some good sport too.
The tide runs west to east on the flood and vice-versa on the ebb, so it is important to be on the correct side of The Boil so as to be able to take advantage of the free groundbait.
SPECIES AND TACKLE
At this time of year, the expected species will be bass, dabs, codling and whiting. The dabs run to very good weights, some over 1lb (500g), and if you get one you can expect more.
The venue will be on form during the winter for large dabs, while plaice move in afterwards and remain into late April. Bass are resident, and some anglers have had multiple catches on lures.
Yes, this venue is a long walk and it can be slow at times. Get everything right, though, and bumper catches can be yours. Due to the walking involved, it’s best to reduce your tackle load.
When I fish with a friend, we fish two rods. One angler distance casts to get as near to the boils as possible, while the other goes out to 50-80 metres for flatfish. On a neap tide, both will get away with a 150-170g Gemini sinker.
At distance, use a clipped-down rig with size 2/0 hooks baited with black lug and squid cocktails. The short-range choice should be a three-hook flapper baited with black lug, sprat or mackerel slivers for large dabs.
TYPICAL SESSION
During one of my January trips, I was greeted by calm seas and a light northerly wind. The Boil looked menacing in the calm sea, even though I had chosen a neap tide with high water around 8am.
My pal Shane Edwards, from Dover, fished at distance with a Pennell wishbone rig loaded with two black lugworms. This rig enabled him to put the baits out to more than 140 yards, while I fished very close with a big bait in the hope of getting a bass.
Shane started with a 22cm dab and then added small dabs on most casts, while the big baits were ignored. I changed to a threehook flapper rig with size 2 hooks and small offerings of frozen black lug, fresh lug and small strips of razorfish. Immediately, my rod tip was nodding with the tell-tale sign of dabs, two and three at a time, but small. My next cast produced a small school bass.
On the ebb it was noticeable that the dabs were not so keen to take a bait. Only rockling and whiting were feeding. I dropped one cast short at 40 yards to get out of the tide, and after about five minutes the rod gave a good pull down and held there. It was a typical bite from a good dab. It’s always best to give the fish time to take the bait, so don’t strike too quickly.
Yes, it is a long walk, and yes there are venues that are easier to access, but there is something enticing about The Boil. Once you have seen it you will know what I mean. ■