April sunshine, West Bay, Dorset
This site is built using a standard blogspot template, it is not ideal but it is easy to use and is free!
To navigate this site, please use the links to the right, scroll down for links to places to fish, listed under areas, tackle shop links etc. I am adding to the site on a regular basis.
To navigate this site, please use the links to the right, scroll down for links to places to fish, listed under areas, tackle shop links etc. I am adding to the site on a regular basis.
an alphabetical list of links to all fishing spots described in this blog is here
Update History
updated September making lead weights added
updated July/August 2011. Fish Identification pages added
Gobies, Blennies, Wrasse.
Added info and photo to West Bay Harbour
link changed for The Aquarium Project site,
an excellent resource for fish identification
updated September making lead weights added
updated July/August 2011. Fish Identification pages added
Gobies, Blennies, Wrasse.
Added info and photo to West Bay Harbour
link changed for The Aquarium Project site,
an excellent resource for fish identification
click for accessible venues 
48 comments:
beautiful mate - beach fisher me self - never got in a boat in my life. Catching lots of dabs at the moment.
Do you eat the fish you catch? I went mackerel fishing off Beer years ago - caught loads and was then attacked by seagulls after our catch.
Like many fishermen I do not eat the fish I catch. Mackerel and garfish are kept and frozen for bait, sometimes if I catch edible fish sometimes I give them to friends who like fish, sometimes I just put them back.
I eat them - what else would I survive on - esp. Dabs, Bass, Cod, plaice and of course mackerel caught much lately Captain H?
Funily enough Mr Mutley I've been catching dogs ! flounders, pout and bits and pieces, Been trying to catch a dab.... Where are they ?
Yikes - shall we try to use the word "Huss" in future!!
Great weblog, good to see some of the marks i used to fish back in the 60`s, I have started fishing again, mostly at Ilfracombe.
I mostly log onto the WSF site.
This is a delightful blog, well presented and top class.
Nice work
Thanks for your comments, pop back from time to time, I'm adding stuff quite regularly.
Have only recently found WSF but know a few of the posters there.
Brilliant site, very informative and leading the way in sea fishing reviews with the use of disabled access logo !
Ace, keep up the good work !
sallysludgebucket
Hi Haddock.
Nice Blog ! I'm just starting out sea angling after recently moving to the south west. Could you recommend a good tackle shop / online company that can supply complete sets of weights/swivels etc suitable for most beach/shore fishing situations ? I'm finding that most companies sell these items individualy and i'm buggered if i know what to order !!
Oh by the way i work with your brother Graham ! :-/
Many thanks and keep up the great Blog.
How do you get to so many different places and actually know these spots Captain H??
The south coast I fish regularly, 3 times a week usually. I have had quite a few holidays in Pembrokeshire over the years, I also used to live in Kent and in Lincolnshire where I used to fish the coast along the Humber.
I only report on places I have fished myself or a few where I have visited and spoken to locals who fish there. Photos are my own.
Giving up smoking and drinking and being single allows me to spend my money on something worthwhile !
I am off to freeload on a brother in Kent soon to do Sheppey (yeukk) round to Dungeness. And, if I can bear going to Lincs again, might do the Humber later in the year.
PS Mutley, The Mayor of Bridport really does go fishing !
Hi Keith,
We met at West bay. Thanks for the
tips and bait. Great session mate.
Wonderfull rescource mate - and much appreciated - know it must take a lot of time and effort to achieve.
Great to see some of those low tide shots too - very usefull.
Hopefully fishing Bracklesham Bay this Saturday, early evening.
any tips?
I have never fished there, for up to date info check the WSF forum link on the right. one member there, fargo, says
"Bracklesham is not that great - you are better off heading to Selsey, it has not been fishing that well recently (I live there), and I have been heading to other venues (Pagham is a good one as well). You could try Chichester harbour as some hounds have been caught there, but if you do want to try Bracklesham its not snaggy, its a flat sand and shingle beach, just watch the groynes and you will be fine. Rag is the best bait, you might get some schoolies, and there is a slim chance of a bigger bass. TBH there are better venues a short distance away."
hope this helps
You better put the Rag on the hook for me, like you did at West Bay a couple of weeks ago!
very intresrting site with good information
Hope you caught the Trigger or Gurnard you were looking for at the Mumbles Pier 20/8/07.
Great site, learnt more about what the fish look like here than from any book.
Good Luck with the 40+!
Hi, good to meet you there:
No trigger fish or gurnard today but took the species count up to 30 with a thin-lipped grey mullet. Also had a goby but differentiation between the goby species is a job for the experts.
Will try again on Saturday.
Well done on 30!
If its any help and your going back to the Mumbles pier the chap in the shop said that the Triggers were being caught at low water on rag on the end platform by facing back to the shore and dropping the line straight down the back,
I fished Ogmore beach today with no luck, i'll try the Mumbles again next week.
Hi Capt
Cheers for the bait and a good laugh at west bay "2 sept late afternnon" we caught another 13 thorrnback rays and a load of pollock / flattys / pout, we stayed until about 24.00 hours and not one doggy :(, we will be back in contact in about 2 weeks for intel update on fishing at west-bay if you are around there, how did you get on with your species match/hunt ?.
Cheers
Driftwood
Hi Driftwood,
good to meet you, fishing and laughing; a good combination.
I thought as a blogger your profile link would come up here but it has not, and I, of course have forgotten what you said your site was called.
you can email at haddocksblog at yahoo do co dot uk
I caught 6 species.... the top guy caught 15....... I'll win it next year.
Come on, Haddock - when are you going to update this?
We need some more interesting reads!!!
What a load of rubbish
well Mr Anonymous, 11.24
point us all to your web pages so that we can see how it should be done. I'm sure we will all learn more about you..... we have already learned a lot by your comment
Very good effort Tiny!I wish I had the aptitude and patience.
Don`t suppose you have a picture of the harbour sometime in the 80`s when the inner basin was frozen over for several days?
ropeseller@btinternet.com
Eye eye captain! As a beginner your posts on WSF and your website are very helpful. I am starting to catch and really enjoy fishing. I think its one of the funniest hobbies around, plenty of opportunities for a good giggle. Caught 4 pout at sandbanks on sat night in about 6 hours which was acually very enjoyable! Then a few small wrasse at durston yesterday, think it might be worth heading to swanage pier. Might see you around sometime!
Mr.H.
I started sea fishing 57 years ago and am still at it. I now live in Greece which opened up a whole new bag of species but Bass is still my favorite for catching and eating.
Have to agree that the sliding float rig you show is excellent for mackerel and gar, especially off Swanage Pier. I use a sliding stopknot of thicker monofilament instead of a rubber band and agree about checking terminal tackle frequently.
Was your post on Praa Sands that caught my Googly eye - was there on Saturday for a kid's surf life saving event and was reading up on the beach for a post at my place.Glad I stumbled in here as my 11 yr old is dead set on starting fishing. Any suggestions for what kit he might use and prices for sea fishing off the rocks would be most appreciated!!
Excellent post on Porth Clais.
Great site - by complete fluke the family and I will be camping near swanage next week and then Porthclais in August. I am a novice looking to spin/plug for bass and mackerel in both spots. This is great. Thank you!
Hi Haddock
Great site, any news on how West bay is fishing? I'll be down there this weekend and fancy a spot of fishing if the weather is ok.
Hi, FishyFishy, Good to meet you at Baiter on the flounders match. Thank you for giving me the address of this site, which is excellent - lots to read and digest ! If you would like company when you go to Swanage Pier or elsewhere local - please give me a ring, you have my telephone number. Kind Regards = New Member of WB SAC
Hi Haddock, great site, came across it by chance. I generally fish at Dinas Dinlle near Caernarfon where the bass are being caught in large numbers right now but will be coming down south to Stackpole at the end of the month with 3 of my brothers and wondered if you could give some light on whatand where is likely to be fishing well then.
Much appreciated - Sea Scorpion
Thanks for the salting instructions - really useful.
Hi there man, not sure if you still update or not, but..
Looking to get into shore fishing. When I was a bit younger I fished off boats a fair bit, and have done a little (really I mean a little) coarse.
Basically my old boat set up was a 9ft rod with a 5-7oz casting weight, with a fixed spool reel. I used mainly spinners and feathers, got a lot of mackarel and a few gurnard that way.
What do I need to change about my set up for shore fishing? Do I need to use bait as opposed to lures? Will the rod be okay?
Cheers if you respond matey!
sorry tetcrh, I can't answer individual queries on this site... I suggest you join WSF forum, link on the right hand side.... you will get all the help you need there.
The set up you have will be OK from piers etc but will be a bit insensitive for catching small fish.... which is all most of us catch !
Great Blog mate really informative, Tightlines.
Hi
This was the only way I could contact you. I spent many years fishing many of the marks you mention. Westbay in Sept was one of the most productive and interesting marks!
I thought you might be interested in my info graphic I made about sea angling - http://www.fishing-blog.co.uk/sea-fishing-facts/
Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!
Nice colours in the photo!
Came across your blog while researching a couple of marks. Real shame you don't seem to be posting anymore as a really good read, especially seeing all the different species ID features.
It be a bugger ere' on Going Postal Cap'n!
Hello, It was nice to meet you on the Stone Pier last week. I've put Henderson's book on my birthday wish list. Afterwards I went to Chesil which was only moderately busy and walking S of the Ferrybridge car park provided a space of at least 100 yards to the the nearest person. However the fishing was very quiet with only one lost small garfish and little visible activity.
Hi I made a post asking for advice for fishing Amroth beach South Wales. I'm half way through the weeks holiday I first fished Pendine beach from low to high on a mid range tide, From day light into night. First put your running shoes on the tide comes in fast. The beach had some lug worm on it. It was a long session just two small flounder to show for it both caught at dusk. The next evening I fished from low to high day light into dark. 1.30 hour before high tide I started to get bites and catch fish. End of session I had 5 or 6 dog fish and one bass around 1lbs, all returned. Fished the last 2 hours of the tide the next morning blanked no bites. Baits used luge worm and king rag on a 1 up one down and a three hook flapper 2 13 foot rods. I did try a couple of bigger baits I was given 6 razor fish so a razor black lug and crab cart. That came back in untouched not even the crabs wanted it. Tonight I am going to fish Laugharne if I can get some mud rag. All in all a fairly disappointing trip fishing wise. I was hoping the fish would of all spawned and be numerous and hungry. May be next week.
A post about your fishing off Boscombe Pier would be good!
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