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Well... I had booked to bed on the Brittany coast for the past two weeks. Unfortunately the coronavirus went and scuppered those plans fairly sharpish. As a reaction a campsite was booked in fast fashion by my girlfriends parents and the invite extended. To say I was excited was an understatement... Quick scan on google maps gave way to many possibilities or so I thought.. I have done a fair bit of bass fishing and enjoyed some success. Mostly in Sussex where really you need a nice northerly wind of some description with good clarity and your away. The only other place where I have spent real time is on the northwales coast around the Llyn and done pretty well up there as well.
Back to the subject matter, Dorset. The anticipation had been mountings I tidied up the last few bits of work on Friday before the 3.5 hour drive down. Quick belt along the M25 and down past Stonehenge. Quick stop at McDonalds to fuel the last hours drive was bang on.
Set up the tent and the rods in tandem before sitting down for a well deserved beer. I was licking my lips at the thought of landing some fine Dorset bass...
I was unable to leave early sudnfay morning as I wasn't sure if the gates would have been locked at the site... this perhaps proved to be a mistake...
Instead the first sessions was met with high winds and lots and lots of weed and colour. I wasn't is Sussex! I didn't think this happened in the south west!?!?!
Mark had kindly given me a few pointers as to where may be best to try. Thanks again Mark, as per discussion breakfast will be on me at some point!
I licked my wounds for a few days whilst struggling to find time to head off whilst also spending time with my other half. (Whilst in Wales last week I may have been trying to make use of the extreme amounts of bait in the bay... few stern words).
Mark suggested I try along Chesil. Great I thought, A nice shingle beach with a small bit of surf slightly rougher than I was use to but happy for the challenge.
I stumbled along the beach lucky to not fall over.. I have to say what an incredible place! It is huge. Nothing but shingle for miles. The power of the Wave was emmence. I must have spent a good 5 minutes jaw dragging the pebbles looking at this thing. Thinking "How the F*** am I going to manage this???"
On went the Zonk and I just could not keep in contact with it. Now I am no surf expert let alone chisel expert, let alone any kind of bass expert! But the pebble bank was about the size of a small house.. 20/30ft high. and the waves coming in a similar size. I was lost! I tried walking a patch over the breakers whilst I could keep in contact this just attracted the seagulls... after accidentally hooking 2 the other day I really didn't want a repeat especially drowning them in the breaker... So I switched to the seeker this was better and I plodded along quite happily for a while then switched to a save gear sandal trying to buzz in about in the gutter after about a mile but I just didn't have the confidence to keep going with my passport about to expire so I trundled off home, broken but in time for dinner!
Dorset has given me a large dose of humble pie. I have to be honest, I'm a bit gutted. I don't like blanking!
But its a must if you want to succeed. Im determined to crack chesil. I will have to return at some point perhaps without the other half. Ive got a lot of learning to do. But attempting to become a more rounded angler can never be bad thing? Thats the great thing about lure fishing the learning curve continues to be properly steep!
So if anybody says Dorset is easy. Wait for the 25-50Mph gusts, they may change your mind...
Thanks again to Mark and ervybody else for their Lure recomendations. You are a bunch of gents!
Back to the subject matter, Dorset. The anticipation had been mountings I tidied up the last few bits of work on Friday before the 3.5 hour drive down. Quick belt along the M25 and down past Stonehenge. Quick stop at McDonalds to fuel the last hours drive was bang on.
Set up the tent and the rods in tandem before sitting down for a well deserved beer. I was licking my lips at the thought of landing some fine Dorset bass...
I was unable to leave early sudnfay morning as I wasn't sure if the gates would have been locked at the site... this perhaps proved to be a mistake...
Instead the first sessions was met with high winds and lots and lots of weed and colour. I wasn't is Sussex! I didn't think this happened in the south west!?!?!
Mark had kindly given me a few pointers as to where may be best to try. Thanks again Mark, as per discussion breakfast will be on me at some point!
I licked my wounds for a few days whilst struggling to find time to head off whilst also spending time with my other half. (Whilst in Wales last week I may have been trying to make use of the extreme amounts of bait in the bay... few stern words).
Mark suggested I try along Chesil. Great I thought, A nice shingle beach with a small bit of surf slightly rougher than I was use to but happy for the challenge.
I stumbled along the beach lucky to not fall over.. I have to say what an incredible place! It is huge. Nothing but shingle for miles. The power of the Wave was emmence. I must have spent a good 5 minutes jaw dragging the pebbles looking at this thing. Thinking "How the F*** am I going to manage this???"
On went the Zonk and I just could not keep in contact with it. Now I am no surf expert let alone chisel expert, let alone any kind of bass expert! But the pebble bank was about the size of a small house.. 20/30ft high. and the waves coming in a similar size. I was lost! I tried walking a patch over the breakers whilst I could keep in contact this just attracted the seagulls... after accidentally hooking 2 the other day I really didn't want a repeat especially drowning them in the breaker... So I switched to the seeker this was better and I plodded along quite happily for a while then switched to a save gear sandal trying to buzz in about in the gutter after about a mile but I just didn't have the confidence to keep going with my passport about to expire so I trundled off home, broken but in time for dinner!
Dorset has given me a large dose of humble pie. I have to be honest, I'm a bit gutted. I don't like blanking!
But its a must if you want to succeed. Im determined to crack chesil. I will have to return at some point perhaps without the other half. Ive got a lot of learning to do. But attempting to become a more rounded angler can never be bad thing? Thats the great thing about lure fishing the learning curve continues to be properly steep!
So if anybody says Dorset is easy. Wait for the 25-50Mph gusts, they may change your mind...
Thanks again to Mark and ervybody else for their Lure recomendations. You are a bunch of gents!
