Why is Chesil so good ???

[Bass Ass]

Reading through six months of Sea Angler magazine this evening and I can't believe just how many of the quality fish from the British Isles come from Chesil! Why is this? What are the reasons? Well maybe:

1) Water quality/cleaniless?

2) Water temperature - warm currents from the Gulf Stream?

3) Abundance of quality food?

4) Bloody good anglers live there :dance:

Unfortunately for me moving to the North West from the Solent :tear: , there's no where near the same media coverage up here...16lb Cod was taken near Fleetwood and not a mention anywhere! :cry:

[Portland Bill]

I put it down to the number of people that fish there. Take any other beach, pack it with anglers every day/night, and you'll have just as many good fish caught. Mind you, it might just be sour grapes cos i never get anything there!

[Jimbo]

it's not! everybody just say's it is!

It's no better or worse than a lot of venues I've fished - Deal beach, Kingsdown, Walmer Castle, Dungie, Brean, Dover breakwater, Plymouth etc etc all can fish just as well. There are FAR better venues 'up North' or even better still in Scotland or Wales.

Chesil is more myth than fact in my opinion - how many post do you see of people NOT catching anything as opposed to those who do, especially bearing in mind the number of people who fish the place.

How many times have you been yourself, froze your tits off in a howling wind, pi**ed wet through JUST IN CASE a fat cod gives itself up and caught SOD ALL?!?!?!?!? - Be honest now!

Now let's see if this doesn't generate some posts! :eek:

[Bass Ass]

Yeah that makes sense Jimbo...I'm only going on what the media say as I don't get a chance to fish the South coast these days - seems the hotspots up here are around Liverpool and North Wales, but I haven't fished them yet. Maybe I won't make the 600 round trip to Chesil then :roll: :wink:

[Wrasse Wrangler]

In my experience the only thing Chesils good for is Mackers - but then you can get those off Hengistbury head...

[flounder]

Does this mean you don't like boot lace eels then? :D

[Crack Off Colin]

My own view is that like most places these days you have to put the hours in on Chesil to catch. Also you are right loads of anglers fish it 24|7 so some great fish are taken.

However the beach has never been the same since the great storm of? when the beach was packed with lugworm washed out by the storm people where picking up Black Lug all along the bank. Since then dabs have all but gone before the storm you could get loads of um up to 1LB great fun to eat.

Also every day boats trawl up and down its length and take fish(Like most places these days) So its not suprising that the fishing has gone down hill and this is why the doggies rule at the moment as the boats dont want them!!!!

But the lure of chesil is not knowing what you will catch get it right and you will have a great session but they are few and far between. Having said that if the wind drops this weekend it should produce some nice fish.

[Lee]

I'm no expert, particularly on Chesil but I've fished Abbotsbury a few times and in between Ferrybridge and Bridging Camp where me and Chris had a fantastic session.

I've caught nothing but a couple of pouting at times and others bagged up on doggies to the point of getting fed up with 'em! The thing about that place is that there's always the chance of catching something 'worthwhile'. I don't know what popular opinion is but I think there's more chance of a decent fish off Chesil than say Southbourne in the main, although good fish are taken there as well (see Dabbies recent post). Not sure how many people fish Chesil daily but Southbourne sees its fair share of angler too

Also Chesil is not so easily accessible as some other places and whilst a lot of people might fish there I would guess that they congregate around those areas with easiest access eg Abbotsbury or Ferrybridge etc?

Further (I'll stop in a minute cos I'm getting out of breath!) the weather conditions have to be right and if you can time it properly then I suspect most beaches will produce. I certainly believe that after recent catches at Chesil and Avon Beach.

With Chesil though you're straight into 40 foot water only yards from the beach so that will help even in daylight whilst at other venues water is shallower keeping fish further out?

I,m willing to bet that those anglers who hit Chesil on the first flood tide (day or night) after this wind dies down (to a fishable level) will have a good session. That's my theory and I'll stick to it :!:

anyway more to say but fingers aching so I'll go now!!