Portland Harbour and the Fleet Report

[jonnyboy]

Got out to Portland Harbour today. Intended to launch at Portland castle and the poke about near the mulberry harbour and breakwaters with rag and mackerel. There was not a breath of wind at my house (inland about 4 miles), but when i came down into Weymouth i could see things werent good, the wind was going s-SE and the bay was full of breakers, got to portland castle and it wasnt much better

 

the photo doesnt do it justice, but out where i was planning on going there were plenty of whitecaps, i went round to castle cove, and that was crap too, i thought i'd forgo the fishing and have a paddle in the fleet. This is the big bit of water behind the chesil bank and is a bass nursery area so you cant fish from a boat - pity, its stacked with mullet in the summer. launched here

 

 

Looks nice doesnt it, but i was about to get a serious lesson in tides and sandbars!

 

 

as i was taking this photo of one of the dozen or so little egrets down near the ferrybridge, i could suddenly hear this roar of water and as i looked at the pilings of the bridge i could see huge vortecies forming behind them and i was heading out under the bridge and into a really big tide rip, and i wasnt rigged to capsize, you can see the flow increasing in the botton of the picture. I have never witnessed anything like it. it all changed in a few seconds. I think that is was only the fact that i have been going to the gym a lot over the winter that enabled me to paddle out of it and get to smoother water. I have to say i was sh*tting myself for a bit.

 

Anyway, i ditched my gear back at the car and went for a poke about in this oyster farm that had been exposed by the low tide

 

 

Interesting. Then i called it a day because it was like someone had pulled the plug on the sea and the water was draining out of the fleet so fast i was worried i would have to walk back to the car. anyway i made it back and resorte to taking posy photos of my yak in the sun, sorry no fish, but it cant always happen, i'm just a bit narked that on the first trip out in ages, everything was against me, cant win em all

 

 

Jon

[SpeciMan]

Glad to hear you back safely. If I'm paddling that way I'll be cautious of the bridge. There is a similar bottleneck under the bridge by Lychetts Bay in Poole Harbour which can get turbulent on the ebb. Didn't realise all fishing was banned in the Fleet. In Poole Harbour we can fish in the bass nursery area but can't specifically target them from the boat or yak. Shows how rules vary from one area to the next and the importance of checking them first.

[jonnyboy]

Glad to hear you back safely. If I'm paddling that way I'll be cautious of the bridge. There is a similar bottleneck under the bridge by Lychetts Bay in Poole Harbour which can get turbulent on the ebb. Didn't realise all fishing was banned in the Fleet. In Poole Harbour we can fish in the bass nursery area but can't specifically target them from the boat or yak. Shows how rules vary from one area to the next and the importance of checking them first.

 

 

Know it well mate!

 

Yup there are signs up on all the moorings saying no fishing from boats, nothing to say you cant padle up and then go ashore and fish?!!!

[overrun]

Great report Jon, this Yak fishing mularkey can give you a few Brown Trouser moments, have made a mental note about the Fleet and Ferrybridge.

[Zzippy]

I know what you mean about the current under the bridge.It certainly rips through.

Glad you got out of it ok.We have been caught out a few times in Rips.The worst was Just off Swanage/Durlston Head.The other was Hurst Castle.It scares the C**p out of you the first time you go through them.But the Kayaks are so stable there is very little problem apart from getting a bit wet with Spray comming over the sides.

But as long as you know you cant be swept out to sea its ok.Dont think I would ever try one in an area I was unsure of though.

Jonnyboy.....Do you know if the Squid are still around in Portland?Or have they gone now.

[jonnyboy]

i dont think the squid are still around mate, but the sea is still sooooooooooooo warm. i was sweating my t*ts off spuddling around there today.

 

oh how i wish for some flat calm days!

[overrun]

i dont think the squid are still around mate, but the sea is still sooooooooooooo warm. i was sweating my t*ts off spuddling around there today.

 

oh how i wish for some flat calm days!

 

11C at Kimmeridge

[jonnyboy]

11C at Kimmeridge

 

 

mad, it could mean we get great early sport if it stays like this, but if i remember rightly it was like this last year then we got bit on the arse in March when it got real cold!