The Solent, Weston Shore.

Weston Shore, morning sunshine and a rising tide

Netley Abbey is fairly well signposted on brown signs from the M27 exit at Burseldon via the A3397;Travelling from Netley back towards Southampton you come onto Weston Parade, a road that runs alongside the shingle beach. There are free car parks and additional parking on the road. There are toilets at the far end where the road swings sharply inland. West of this bend is the area known as The Rolling Mills section, the mills are long gone, they used to roll brass for shell cases for WWI. The area is now a grassed public area leading around to Woolston.

About half tide, water has reached the shingle

This is a fairly shallow venue, there are extensive mudflats at low tide where worms can be dug. The venue becomes fishable when the water reaches the shingle at about half tide. Species caught here are flounder, eels and bass all of which are quite happy to hunt in shallow water. Fish can be caught very close to shore so it is worth a cast of a five or ten yards if you are not catching further out.
Light tackle such as a carp rod set-up will work well here as heavy weights are not required to hold in the tide. At my last visit two ounces was enough to hold.... and a fish came at five yards.
Best baits here are worms or shellfish such as slipper limpet, razorfish or mussel. larger flounder and school bass will readily take fish or squid bait.
There is a tackle shop in Bridge Road, Woolston and another, coincidentally, in Bridge Road, Burseldon on the A27. There are some shops in Netley. A fairly child friendly venue, there is a playground half way along the road where it is possible to fish and keep an eye on the kids.


OTHER LOCAL VENUES.... Netley.....Magazine Lane

Approximate Tide Times for the next seven days

A short distance across loose shingle to fish at high tide

updated 27 June 09 tide time link added
6th July note re. Rolling mills added

The Solent, Eastney Beach

Eastney Beach, looking west to Southsea.

Eastney Beach is in the Eastern Solent and lies to the east of the South Parade Pier at Southsea and is reached via The Esplanade. The mark is popular in the spring as plaice tend to come inshore to feed up after spawning. The favoured spot seems to be in front of the yellow bus shelter near the St Georges Road junction but fish are caught from the whole length of the beach. This spot is probably favoured as it is easily found and there are toilets across the road by the junction and there is a matted wheelchair access strip over the shingle which makes for easy walking onto the firm shingle and sand of the inter-tidal part of the beach. There is plenty of (expensive) roadside parking and a car park about three hundred yards to the east of the yellow shelter.

Eastney Beach, looking east, low tide.

This venue can be fished at any state of the tide.In addition to the plaice, other flat fish such as flounder and dabs are caught along with the usual small species with rarer species such as gurnard turning up in summer. The beach is gently sloping and you will be fishing into fairly shallow water. There is a small tackle and bait kiosk at the pier and several others nearby such as Allan's Marine and Lock, Stock and Tackle * in Portsmouth and Southsea.

for 'rough terrain' wheelchairs.

* website down Aug '08

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The Solent, Hurst Shingle Bank. Milford on Sea.

Hurst Shingle Bank. The white lighthouse is at the end of the spit.

Hurst Shingle Bank is a huge natural feature and runs from Milford on Sea towards the Isle of Wight. If you are approaching from Milford on Sea, take the road signed for Hurst Castle (brown sign) look out on you right for a small lane, it has a sign warning of narrow road, road liable to flooding etc. This road leads down to the shingle bank. Parking is free but on the roadside only, make sure you are behind the yellow line. If you park on the low piece of road past the footbridge there is a risk of flooding and saltwater damage to your car on spring tide highs. Cross over the footbridge onto the bank. In summer many children can be found crabbing in the small creek by the bridge.
The bank is about a mile and a half to the lighthouse at the end. There is a ferry from Keyhaven during the summer months, if you really must go out to the end, this is the way to go. Walking along the top is fairly easy going, the top is levelled and compacted and the shingle is angular and binds together unlike the rounded shingle at Chesil. Tide runs here are fierce, fishing is easiest on the ebb during neap tides. Weed in the water can be a real problem at times. Casting short will help by reducing the amount of line in the water for the weed to get on. There is little difference between one spot and another.... nearest to the car is probably best ! A large number of species can be caught here during the summer float fishing will get gar, mackerel scad, and if you get the depth right, black bream.

Hurst Shingle Bank, Low tide.

There are a few snags and weed patches along the bank, you will be lucky if you get through a session and not loose tackle. Best baits are ragworm, squid, mackeral and sandeel if you are targetting rays. Black Bream like ragworm tipped off with a piece of squid.

Hurst Shingle Bank, The Rocks

In the summer you will be lucky to get a place on the rocks here, it will be covered with people spinning or float fishing. Be careful, the rocks are slippery especially the rocks which are only exposed at low tide.
There are no facilities on the bank. Nearest shops are back in Milford on Sea. There is a tackle shop in New Milton. There used to be a shop in Milford on Sea but present situation unknown.
( please leave comment if you can advise on this)

The Solent, Hythe Reclaimed Land.

Hythe Reclaimed Land, looking down-channel from the block. Mid tide

Hythe Reclaimed Land, looking up-channel from the block. Near high tide.

To find this venue take the Fawley road from Totton, at Dibden follow the brown local info signs into Hythe, Ferry and Waterfront. You will come to a mini roundabout at the end of Jones Lane, the town and ferry are to the right and the marina to the left. Go towards the marina, under the bridge then turn right ( permit holders only to the left) , follow it round to the old life boat and park there; pay or you will be clamped; £3 for 5hrs £5 for 12. Go over the lock gates, ahead yo will see a boatyard, and rock armour to the seaward side, near the entrance to the boatyard you will see a narrow path between the rocks and a chainlink fence. This path, where the first fifty yards are the worst, leads you out onto the reclaimed land. This is a shingle and shell beach sloping down onto mud,it is mainly clean ground with a few stones and snags. On the higher tides you will need to climb back onto the path at high tide. Past the bend there is a concrete block (an old jetty) which is a favoured place whilst further on there are some old sunken concrete barges which indicate another favourite. In fact fish can be caught anywhere along this shore and one spot is as good as any other. If you don't mind hard work and getting muddy you can dig bait here at low tide. Flounders, pouting, and bass can be caught with many other species putting in an occasional appearance. Ragworm is the favoured bait here. Distance casting not required when the tide is up to shingle and twenty or thirty yards will get fish. This is a child friendly venue once you get past the first part of the path. There is usually plenty of boat traffic and aircraft flying overhead. Have a look at low tide to see where the small rock groynes are so that you can avoid them.
The local tackle shop is Bells of Hythe which you can find by taking the right turn at the mini roundabout and following the road through the town, Bells is on the right, on a corner site, painted blue, just on the entrance to a car park.and opposite Barclays Bank. There are plenty of shops and toilets at the Pier Entrance on your left as you drive into the town.

The Solent, Magazine Lane.

Magazine Lane, Marchwood. Southampton Docks opposite.

The locals refer to this mark as Snag Alley, some parts are snaggy, some not so; if you loose too much tackle a short move may get you to a cleaner patch. Some use plastic lead lifts on their weights to reduce losses; generally a fast retrieve will clear the snags.The deep water channel runs close to this venue, a large variety of fish can be caught here but it is mainly used as a 'fall-back' mark when the weather is too bad to fish other marks. There is a stone apron area in front of the wall with stones and rocks beyond, this can make the retrieval of fish difficult at low water. The area attracts the chav element and litter and vandalism is rife here. The area is backed by an expensive estate and it is possible that the venue may be closed to angling because of the behaviour of the uncaring few. The venue is safe for children with a wall to keep them out of the water, don't be tempted to go over the wall onto the apron. it is very slippery.There are some lights along the paved section. There are no facilities nearby.
Nearest tackle shops, Bells of Hythe or Tightlines 1a Rumbridge Street, Totton.
The venue is reached via Normandy Way, Marchwood. Magazine Lane is immediately after Admiralty Way if approaching from the Totton direction. There is a small free car park at the end of the Lane, the venue is to the left, crossing over a boatyard to get to it.

The Solent, Netley

Netley Abbey, looking across to Fawley.

This is a shallow shingle beach with extensive mud flats exposed at low spring tides; it is fishable for a few hours either side of high tide. The beach faces south west and is east of Southampton, easiest approach is via Burseldon from the M27onto the B3397 or over the Itchen toll bridge from Southampton. Follow the brown signs for Netley Abbey. There is some free parking in Beach Lane off Victoria Road.
Target species here will be flounder and bass; both will take ragworm and slipper limpets can be found along the shore which make excelent bait. Eels are around in the summer months
There is a tackle shop in Bridge Road, Woolston and another, coincidentally, in Bridge Road, Burseldon on the A27. There are some shops a short walk away in Netley.

Netley, looking upriver towards Weston Shore.

A short distance across loose shingle to a firm beach.

The Solent, Hampshire

South Parade Pier, Southsea.

The waters between the Isle of Wight and the south coast from Portsmouth to Lymington are known as The Solent. The influence of the Isle of Wight makes for strange tides in this area, double tides or long 'stands' of high water.
Fishing marks in this area are, Eastney Beach, Magazine Lane (Marchwood), Hythe Reclaimed Land, Calshot, Lepe, Netley, Weston Shore, Hurst Shingle Bank ,etc Further west from Hurst but included here for convenience are Milford, Taddiford Gap, Hordle and other beaches along to Christchurch.