Goateeblank
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
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- Location
- South Coast
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- Shore
The weather forecast was for a decent day on Friday, but the amount of fresh water being dumped was a big factor for my first session/species hunt. Not seen Haddock since last year and following messages to and fro, Weymouth Stone Pier was the selected venue.
On arrival at Knowle Fort car park, where winter rates apply of £6 for 10 hours, which covered me till 9 the next day, as its free after 6pm. I could see from the high vantage point, that the water coming out of the harbor was brown, with a big stain going out into Weymouth Bay. The sea side of the stone pier was - well the blue colour it should be, fishing that side would also put the wind on our backs which is always welcome.
I had it in mind to fish at the start of the pier where the big rocks are to see what was lurking. Set up 2 x 9ft spinning rods as usual with my species rigs consisting of a drop shot hook and running ledger off the bottom with small hooks and bits of rag worm. Bites came immediately, with first in being a lovely turquoise marked corkwing wrasse. I say first in, but that was after l was too slow and it had time to bury itself under tons of rock so I had to wait until it swam out of its own accord. Typical wrasse!
Next up was a ballan wrasse which set the tone for the rest of the session must have had 30 - 40 wrasse in different colours.
Good to have a few fish under my belt before Haddock arrived after a pretty unsuccessful visit to West Bay that morning. Exchanged new year pleasantries and such like! Moved along the pier a bit and carried on catching little wrasse. I set up a 10ft flattie rod with a float and wanged it out baited with strips of gar to see if there were any gar or mackerel about. Got chatting to a top LRF guy who ended up with 11 species that day, including a very rare connemara cling fish. Yeah I know, a connamara what! I had an lrf rod with me and set it up and went along the pier fishing the bays in the piling and caught fish in most of them. The next fish other than a wrasse was a rock goby. You can see its little cream coloured crown. Species 3 for the day.
I gave my float a cursory glance and noticed the float was laying flat on the surface. Better check that. There was weight there, but mostly because the line had sunk into the weed, so I knew l would be winding the float and hooks into it and run the risk of losing the lot. I need not have worried as the gar woke up and the tight line lifted up and clear. I had a 7 gar just before Christmas, and it was nice to feel that special fight they give you. Species 4.
Chucked the float out again and back on the lrf rod where l was rewarded with a tompot blenny. A fish that is as beautiful as it is ugly and it had a look of menace in its eye to it! Species 5.
Species 6 was a pout. You know what pout look like. Haddock had one when it was getting dark and it was squid scarred. I set up a starlight and squid jig and had a try for them till l got bored, which was not long. We moved to the harbour before going our separate ways, but it was dead.
I drove my van in the dark to a new spot on Portland for the night and it looked and felt great. The only thing to improve it would be battered sausage and chips, so off I went to get them. Sat in my quiet, warm van with the radio on and a cup of tea, bliss. Got into bed before the van got cold, looking forward to the views that I just knew were going to be there in the morning. I was not disappointed, not disappointed at all.
After taking pictures and chatting with local dog walkers, then sitting in the van drinking tea and listening to the radio. I was hungry. Breakfast was cooked in my toasted sarnie maker, steak slice and left over chips from the night before and more tea.
After a van tidy and its only a couple of miles to Portland bill, where it was beautiful, but half hearted fishing resulted in no fish and you know what, I did not care. My first little adventure of the year and it did me the power of good and gave me 6 species to start with and some new ideas to try, courtesy of inspiration from my new lrf mate!
Hopefully trying for a cod soon and bass, and flounder and rays and, etc, etc!
Good luck if you are out.
On arrival at Knowle Fort car park, where winter rates apply of £6 for 10 hours, which covered me till 9 the next day, as its free after 6pm. I could see from the high vantage point, that the water coming out of the harbor was brown, with a big stain going out into Weymouth Bay. The sea side of the stone pier was - well the blue colour it should be, fishing that side would also put the wind on our backs which is always welcome.
I had it in mind to fish at the start of the pier where the big rocks are to see what was lurking. Set up 2 x 9ft spinning rods as usual with my species rigs consisting of a drop shot hook and running ledger off the bottom with small hooks and bits of rag worm. Bites came immediately, with first in being a lovely turquoise marked corkwing wrasse. I say first in, but that was after l was too slow and it had time to bury itself under tons of rock so I had to wait until it swam out of its own accord. Typical wrasse!
Next up was a ballan wrasse which set the tone for the rest of the session must have had 30 - 40 wrasse in different colours.
Good to have a few fish under my belt before Haddock arrived after a pretty unsuccessful visit to West Bay that morning. Exchanged new year pleasantries and such like! Moved along the pier a bit and carried on catching little wrasse. I set up a 10ft flattie rod with a float and wanged it out baited with strips of gar to see if there were any gar or mackerel about. Got chatting to a top LRF guy who ended up with 11 species that day, including a very rare connemara cling fish. Yeah I know, a connamara what! I had an lrf rod with me and set it up and went along the pier fishing the bays in the piling and caught fish in most of them. The next fish other than a wrasse was a rock goby. You can see its little cream coloured crown. Species 3 for the day.
I gave my float a cursory glance and noticed the float was laying flat on the surface. Better check that. There was weight there, but mostly because the line had sunk into the weed, so I knew l would be winding the float and hooks into it and run the risk of losing the lot. I need not have worried as the gar woke up and the tight line lifted up and clear. I had a 7 gar just before Christmas, and it was nice to feel that special fight they give you. Species 4.
Chucked the float out again and back on the lrf rod where l was rewarded with a tompot blenny. A fish that is as beautiful as it is ugly and it had a look of menace in its eye to it! Species 5.
Species 6 was a pout. You know what pout look like. Haddock had one when it was getting dark and it was squid scarred. I set up a starlight and squid jig and had a try for them till l got bored, which was not long. We moved to the harbour before going our separate ways, but it was dead.
I drove my van in the dark to a new spot on Portland for the night and it looked and felt great. The only thing to improve it would be battered sausage and chips, so off I went to get them. Sat in my quiet, warm van with the radio on and a cup of tea, bliss. Got into bed before the van got cold, looking forward to the views that I just knew were going to be there in the morning. I was not disappointed, not disappointed at all.
After taking pictures and chatting with local dog walkers, then sitting in the van drinking tea and listening to the radio. I was hungry. Breakfast was cooked in my toasted sarnie maker, steak slice and left over chips from the night before and more tea.
After a van tidy and its only a couple of miles to Portland bill, where it was beautiful, but half hearted fishing resulted in no fish and you know what, I did not care. My first little adventure of the year and it did me the power of good and gave me 6 species to start with and some new ideas to try, courtesy of inspiration from my new lrf mate!
Hopefully trying for a cod soon and bass, and flounder and rays and, etc, etc!
Good luck if you are out.
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