Floundering in Poole Harbour
During my holiday I had decided to try and catch a big flounder from Poole Harbour which is famous for specimen flounder producing fish to over 4lb most years. It is also possible to fish with carp tackle rather than traditional beachcasting gear which appeals to my sport-fishing tendencies. I fished two sessions, the first on a night tide and the second on a daytime tide and on both occasions my ragworm baits remained untouched.
It was not until I visited the Wessex Angling Centre later in my holiday that I found out that the flounders arrive in September, the fishing peaks in December and January and by mid February they migrate to deeper water to spawn. Not surprisingly I blanked both times!
I wouldn't have missed the first visit however as the night drive back along studland was a real wildlife safari, I saw a badger, a fox, a tawny owl, several groups of sika deer and loads of rabbits. Maybe it was the bright moonlight that brought them all out to play?
Stour ChubbingOnce the Dorset Stour had fined down and some clarity had returned to the river I decided to spend a day chubbing on a free stretch, not suprisingly I opted to fish the swim that produced my personal best of 7lb 1oz (see photo) this time last year. Several hours and pints of maggots later I had acounted for just a minnow and a bullhead!
Boat Fishing off Weymouth
The last day of my holiday saw me joining a party of 6 anglers on board Flamer III out of Weymouth. We fished five marks during the day (banks and reefs) with squid and mackerel cocktails on a pennell rig targetting Blonde Rays, Conger Eels, Bullhuss and other big fish. Colin Penny, the skipper is one of the UKs top charter skippers and in fifteen years has only ever experienced two completely blank days. This was almost the third the boat blank being saved by a single lesser spotted dogfish to one of the other anglers.
