SpeciMan

Hi BK Christchurch Bay is the nearest venue for a number of us. Richi fishes the ledge quite a lot, I also fish the bay and ledge preferring to get out a mile or so when I do. We usually hook up to a pot buoy when we fish there and the same spot is not always fished. The ledge dropoff is an area I'll often try when I'm fishing the bay.If you haven't already worth buying a marine chart for the bay so you can see where some features are. Are you Barton based? Must try along Barton for the sole down there. Worth registering on the AnglersAfloat forum, http://anglersafloat.proboards107.com/ , details of meets are often posted here.

You could use a Portland Rig on the drift & off the bottom which has a long flowing trace with a redgill or some other item (eg a sandeel if after bass). Tried that on the St Albans trip but got too engrossed in the scenery and stopped fishing! Saw some photos of cracking pollack caught at the Needles last winter, each one was caught when the anchor slipped and they went on a fast drift.

The little plastimo one from Knoydart is a gem. For it size its enough to reduce the kayak to a reasonable drift and takes up hardly any storage space. Has come in handy when the winds picked up and I'm drifting for plaice and feathering for mackeral (I find I catch more when the kayak is moving).

Blaze its only a matter of time before someone catches one. My recent St Albans trip was in part a recce to determine whether its worth me putting time in for one down there. Lack of fresh bait (mackeral) has put me off planning multi day trips. Realistically there are 3 main species to catch, porbeagle, blue shark and the more scarce thresher. I figure it will be sometime before all 3 are caught. I agree with your thoughts that the ultimate way is unassisted and a porgie (perhaps from Cornwall) will probably be the first species caught this way.

Hi Rob I use Klamptite rivets. The holes on my cleats were a bit small so I just bored them out with a drill to fit the rivets. I would have recommended buying them from http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/ but they don't seem to have them for sale anymore.

May be of interest...

I think a lot of us use the 1.5kg grapnel anchor. You may be able to get away with a tiny .75kg anchor if you let out more line.

Nice one Richi. Will have to keep an eye for the Dolphin. Read on another forum a sighting of a seal at Lepe. Martin, you should be in with a chance of smoothound - used to see quite a few weighed in during September matches along the Milford shingle bank not too far from Christchurch - however the big females will probably have gone by then. Richi had a reasonable sized one in Dec or Jan when we fished the Needles (not the norm for that time of year though).

I think condensation on the screen is quite common on fishfinders. I sent my Raymarine back to the manufacturers who applied an anti-condensation mod to it (whatever that is) so it must be an known issue.

Great report Mark. Thanks for the reminder to get my licence this season.

Nice report. Given the strong tides, as well as anchoring from the bow & if you haven't already worth using a quick release setup with your anchor. Could be very dodgy trying to retrieve a stuck anchor which can put the kayak side on to the tide.

Thanks for the comments everyone. A recent podcast of this coastline is available here. Devon Exile - I've launched from Lulworth and headed up to Durdle Door but haven't made the full trip up to Ringstead and onto Weymouth - I'm sure I will at some point although would like to fish Lulworth Banks first.

I've been wanting to fish St Albans Head and Chapmans Pool for some time now. Last Sunday I finally headed out for a few days fishing, camping and general R&R I launched from Kimmeridge at about noon in the midday heat. By chance, met Aidy (Shy Tangler) and his missus at the slipway, they were off 'west' for the day. My kayak was fully loaded and I wondered if I would fit everything in. 4 dry bags (albeit smallish ones), a C-tug trolley, 2 * 4litre water carriers (Ortleib - very good, recommended), food, bitter (Simon Everetts got me on the John Smiths!) & fishing gear came with me. Despite my best efforts the Scupper didn't sink and I left the busy slipway behind. The photo shows a quiet Kimmeridge although there were a number of boats waiting to launch with the incoming tide. I didn't take many pics on this trip relying on my cameras internal memory as my card is faulty Once out of Kimmeridge Bay I headed east staying close inshore so I could recce the coastline. As it was coming up to high tide there was no surf over the ledges, the tide was weak and wind very light making for an easy paddle despite a laden kayak. I found two sources of freshwater on the way up to Chapmans Pool which were noted for the future Being a sunny weekend, there were many boats at anchor in Chapmans Pool. I didn't stay long - I wanted to see if the source of freshwater I'd seen a few months back was still there & if the camping spots were being used - the water had dried up but the camp spots were free. I carried on up towards St Albans Head..... ...found a small beach just before the headland & decided I'd base myself there. On arrival a deer was on a ridge near the beach... ...who let me come quite close until I landed. There was a small stream trickling down some reeds onto the beach. It reminded me of a mangrove filtration system sometimes added to a marine aquarium. I shared this watering hole (for washing and cleaning) with the deer for the next two days. After resting (sunbathing) on the beach for a while & checking my tidal flow chart (more on this later), I tackled up & headed to St Albans Head for a spot of feathering. Mackeral was my target and I was soon into one once I hit the turbulent waters of the Head. By the time I had dispatched the mackeral and dropped the feathers back down again the current had taken me on a fast ride 400 yards towards Durlston Head....whooops Nae bother though - I ferryglided across the current & once inshore took the eddy back up to the Head. I did this a couple of times catching pollack on the next few drops - the largest being a good 2lbs & I lost a clunker of a fish. I also had a double shot. That was my fishing done for the day, I didn't plan to spend countless hours on the water so headed back to the beach and made camp. 3 kayakers passed me later that evening and headed to the camping spot at Chapmans Pool. I was pleased I didn't camp there as space is limited. Preferring to camp on the shore & hoping that an unpredicted swell wouldn't swamp the tent with the rising tide in the early hours of the morning I got away with it for the next two nights The following morning I called the coastguard to check the weather. With settled conditions forecast for the next 24 hours I decided to stay in this area. As its at least 4 miles either way to the nearest get out point it would be easy to become stranded down here if the weather turns nasty. I wasn't planning an extended stay! The flooding tide started early afternoon so a leisurely morning was spent reading, sunbathing and mooching around. I didn't see a human being all day, but did spot kestrels, a buzzard, raven and the deer (which sneaked past me at dawn to take a drink from the watering hole leaving fresh footprints in the mud). Early afternoon I was back on the water for a few hours. There were a few pot buoys in the area including some very close to the Head & a reasonable distance out. However, the current and short length of their attached rope meant the buoys were partially submerged - I didn't tie up to one and there was no way I would drop anchor here. A few more drifts in the eddy (now on the western side of the head) saw me into more pollack. I find the taste of pollack quite bland so kept only a few small ones for the evenings adventure. I found another pot buoy closer inshore, out of the main flow and hooked up to this for a while. I had a line out for the tope, and also had a good bite on the squid although got snagged on the retrieve which brought the session to an end. I paddled back to my spot and made camp. At about 11pm the double low tide had finished its business and I headed out on the yak to try for conger. My mark was only a few hundred yards out from the shore & there was little if no tide. However, mist descended from the nearby hills & I was quickly surrounded by sea fog. This made for a very eerie, albeit short session and I paddled back inshore. I didn't feel comfortable being out there on my own targetting conger, not being able to see camp with no one around for miles I had to turn the lights out on the paddle back as the bright light in the fog was blinding. Once near the shoreline the reflective tape on my tent helped me find it against the dark backdrop of the ridge I'd camped under. The following morning saw more R&R whilst waiting for the tide to turn I planned to take the flooding tide further east along the Jurassic coastline and up to Swanage. I caught glance of a twitcher who was perched on a ridge a few hundred yards above peering down through his binoculars. Later on that morning we got talking and he mentioned there were Peregrine Falcon chicks in the area and advised where to look as I rounded the Head later on that day. I didn't spot the nest. However I like to think I saw a Peregrine in flight but can't be sure Before launching I called the coast observation hut at St Albans Head to check that I had got the tide times right I also called the hut further along at Peveril Point to let them know I'd be passing through later that day. The tides in this area are complicated. Due to the geographical nature of this coastline, inshore west of St Albans there is a double low tide and east there is a double high tide. The plan was to drift the 4 mile section of coastline with a redgill on a Portland rig or to use feathers. However once round the headland & on the tidal conveyer belt I aborted fishing and just paddled down with the tide enjoying the unique coastline along there. A force 3-4 westerly wind was behind me and the swell and clapotis formed from the waves crashing against the nearby cliffs meant my cockpit got soaked on more than one occassion! This section was over before it had started and I was soon past Durlston Head (didn't see any dolpins unfortunately), Peveril Point (no overfalls at that stage) and into Swanage. After a tasty burger & chips from a seaside vendor I was back in the saddle and headed up towards Old Harry. The wind at this point had increased and the Scupper handled poorly - I'm sure a rudder would have helped - the extra weight in the hull was a factor and upon landing I found I had taken some water on board (not loads but enough to affect the handling I think). At Old Harry I stopped for a rest... ...and decided to push on with the flooding tide up to Poole Harbour. In the harbour I found a quiet spot to camp in lee of the wind and was greeted by another deer. After setting up the tent I called the coastguard for the weather forecast and Wednesday was thought to be unsettled. The morning certainly wasn't - I was woken about 6am by the heat of the sun on my tent and there was no wind outside. After breakfast I drifted the entrance to Poole Harbour for an hour or so and had no bites. By midday I was at the pickup point ready to come back. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Next time I go kayak camping there will be a few changes most to reduce weight. I won't take: - a trolley unless I really have to (at least 10lbs saved) - a 1.5kg anchor & will instead rely on pot buoys and drift chutes or if pushed a tiny .75kg anchor with no chain (at least 5lbs saved) - a fishfinder- becoming less useful for me as I have a detailed chartplotter a fraction of the weight & got by without it - at least 7lbs saved (including cabling and batteries) Thats a 22lbs weight saving already. ---------------------------------------------------------------- For anyone wanting to fish or paddle the St Alban's Head area (or Portland, Lulworth Banks, Adament Shoal etc) I recommend, 'Tidal Streams Between Portland Bill and St Alban's Head' by Peter Bruce. This thin booklet printed on waterproof tear resistant paper covers the areas from Portland Bill to St Albans Head. Despite the handwritten/sketched appearance the tidal data has been gathered from a number of reputable sources including BP who have shared their tidal data for this area. It's also used by the watchmen in the Observation Hut. I bought my copy from Piplers, near the lifting bridge at Poole. I now need to find something similar for the Isle of Wight.

I'd say it gets easier the more you do it - however, I haven't made a reentry for some time now & need to practice again. Theres a knack to reentering the Scupper Pro (I think it was the Scupper on the video you are referring to) - different models may require a slightly different technique to get back on - the only real way of learning is to get out there and practice in a safe environment as you did. Although you were up to your neck if you had been out of depth you could have held onto the kayak whilst recovering for the next reentry attempt. Although my buoyancy aid has lots of pockets I try to keep their contents to a minimum for the same reason you mention, plus I like a clear cockpit too so any rod holders and gear is kept fore and aft. If you plan to fish near Hengistbury Head (the ledge) then worth buoying up and not anchoring there. The current can pull fast & there is often chop from the drop off and over the ledge. From the end of the groyne its best to get at least 1/3 mile out from the worst of it or fish just past the edge of the ledge in deeper water (thats what I do). Generally speaking I think theres at least a 20foot difference in depth between over the ledge and the deeper water to the west of it.

Hi YB I don't wish to disappoint but you may find the light is not that bright. I have a C-light, it looks the same as the Scotty one. I'd find it hard to spot a paddler 1/2mile away in pitch black with one of these! (http://www.bournemouthcanoes.co.uk/productpages/canoeing-equipment/sea-kayak-equipment.htm).

Agree with Paintfly, do bother. If you're fishing at night you need a light, preferably a fixed 360 degree white light on a pole along with a secondary light as backup (bright headtorch) which can come in handy for general fishing & surf landing at night. The coastguard, RNLI and other boat users wouldn't take too kindly to a kayaker with no lights at night. In quieter areas you can get away with just a headtorch although the ideal is a 360degree white light. For close in bass fishing I may turn off the main nav light and just use the headtorch. The bulbs in a standard nav light can look a bit weedy, however this can be upgraded to an ultrabright one. I think Overrun, Darnsarf & myself use the same bulb: a 24 led one from www.ultraleds.co.uk and its very bright.

That part of the Solent is fairly quiet. A bright headtorch should be ok - more so if you are fishing with others.

The material on some inflatables is quite thick.. I think there are a few members here who fish from them. In the picture gallery at Starvin's site, www.anglersafloat.co.uk there is a photo of an inflatable kayak with an outboard on the back - don't know which model it is though.

The Palm sidewinder combi dry pants have a relief zipper built in as do many dry suits. Palm Combi Dry Pants

I often use the EasyTide 7 day free service although never signed up with them. For predictions greater than one week I use the tide predictions which came with the marine charts for the area I fish: http://www.memory-map.co.uk/acatalog/maps_uk_atsea.html These electronic charts (for the PC) include a lite version of Chart Navigator which you use to view the charts and display tidal flow, times and notes on the area you're interested in. The tide predictions are mapped on a curve similar to Easytide. They seemed to have dropped their prices... the £99 charts are now £69.99 and the £49 are down to £45.

Huge clips aren't needed, but larger sized ones can aid quick release particulary if hands are cold or thick gloves are worn. Cam cleats help lock the anchor trolley in place. You may get away without using cam cleats, but they come into their own when fishing in stronger tide with cross wind where there is a tendancy for the anchor trolley to move. It is possible to just clip the anchor rope onto the trolley & with the SMB's its easier to do this now - the rope winders a number of us had used a cleat with the winder kept on board. However, as a safety measure a quick release system is better and a cleat is needed for this. Check the AnglersAfloat forum for pics of the quick release system I use.

My Scupper Pro sits better anchored from the bow. Instead of a cleat mid cockpit to hold the anchor line, I'd fit two cleats to keep rope away from the cockpit - I fit one near my flush mount rod holders (used when anchoring from the stern) and one up in front of my feet (used when anchoring from the bow). In strong tide or rough conditions advise anchoring from the bow.

Quite often a GPS or Chartplotter will have a low detail base map built in. If you opt to import from the US you may not get a UK or EU basemap. However, this won't be an issue if you plan to use a more detailed map cartridge with it.

I think someone posted a while ago that they used the Stanley Saw Horse as a kayak stand. Was wondering if they work out ok given they have a flat top - interested in buying a pair as they could come in handy for other diy jobs and the height of them seems ideal.

Wow great pics. Do you think the dolphins are becoming more friendly towards kayakers in that area. When I fished there a couple of years ago I couldn't get that close to the dolphins. Tope aside, its worth making the trip just to see them.