A double first at Wareham Quay

[bampah]

I was going to go on one of my club waters yesterday but had to call in to see Deano at Purbeck Angling so I parked on the quay.
The Frome looked so inviting that I changed my plan and fished there instead, just opposite the Priory gardens.
I was after the dace and roach but couldn't control the float well enough with my 'pin' so changed over to a maggot feeder and a couple of red & whites on a size 16 hook (I'd left the smaller hooks in the car, doh)!
I was catching steadily despite the very bright conditions and had a good few medium size dace in the metaphorical net when something obviously bigger bent the rod tip round.
Helluva scrap ensued and i thought I'd hooked up to a sea trout but when I netted it I found it was a Sea Bass about 12 - 14 inches. Now that was an unexpected bonus. My first ever Sea Bass.
I should have weighed it and taken a photo but I was so surprised and chuffed that I slipped him back straight away.
Some more dace and roach followed when the rod tip whacked round again and an even better fight started. As I only had a light rod and a centre pin with 2lb line, I was being very careful especially when I realised that I had a mullet onboard.
Finally got him to the net but this time I had a bit of a crowd watching so I got someone to photograph it on my mobile (I always forget that I can use it as a camera).
It weighed in at over 3½ lb so I was rightly chuffed.
A shoal of mullet had been cruising around for ages but whatever I threw in as freebies to tempt them, they just ignored and then one decided that he fancied two maggots in midstream. Funny old game!
So here's the piccy of me and my first ever Mullet.
Who says they're difficult to catch!
Apologies for the 'camo' shirt and the hat!

[IMG][/IMG]

[fullcreel]

That must of been fun. I used to fish at wareham went I was little, I mean that was in the 70's and early 80's, when the bank opposite the town was free. We used to cathc dace and the odd flouder. I guess its changed a bit since then. That mullet must of been good fun on a pin. Not seen one for donkies years.

[bampah]

You'll be pleased to know that it's still a free stretch with good shoals of Dace, some very large Roach, Carp allegedly but I haven't seen any.
Then there's Grayling and Sea Trout, lots of Salmon par at present.
Add that to the Sea Bass & Mullet and you'll see that the resident Pike have a varied diet.

[fullcreel]

Thats good to kow. How well do you know the area? There used to be a lovely lake known as Steptoes pool, just outside Corfe Castle, is it still there? Or have become a private lake, or worse gone altogether?

[bampah]

I'm a bit of a newcomer having only been down here about 13 years. I call myself a Dorsettler.
I've never heard of Steptoes pool though. Deano at Purbeck Tackle in Wareham will be the best person to ask.
There are a couple of ponds in Corfe Castle just out on the Studlands Road called Arfleet Mill Lakes and then there is a lovely lake called Breach pond at Creech. There's another lake near Breach Pond but as far as I know, it's not fished and access isn't easy. Don't know it's name though. A bit further on there's a caravan site which looks, on Google Earth, as if it has it's own lake.
Pitmans pond is the only other one that I know and that's out near Wytch Farm oil field.

[bampah]

I've been in to see Deano today and he's put me right about Steptoes Pool.
It still exists and until recently, it was run by the National Trust.
All the signs about permits have now been removed and Deano thinks that it's now free fishing.
I'll have to give it a try.
Had another first on the Frome today. Report & photos later.

[bampah]

I went to the free stretch of the Frome at Wareham again on Thursday, hoping for some more of the quality Roach & Dace and wasn't disappointed.
I got the tides wrong so the fishing wasn't as good as last week but it was still a day to remember.
I'd moved on from the 2lb line on the pin to 4lb on a fixed spool which gave me a bit more distance to cover more of the river but also a bit more beef in case anything unexpected came along.
I started off in the same swim as last week with the maggot feeder and was catching steadily but got broken a couple of times.
Although none of the fabled monster roach turned up (3lb 9oz record) I was still a pretty happy bunny as I got another first, this time a Sea trout which put up a helluva scrap.

I reckon that it was sea trout which had smashed me up twice earlier.
One of the locals came along and advised me that there was a better swim further on so I gave it a try for the rest of the evening without too much joy, finally ending up with an eel.
By this time the mullet were cruising all over the surface of my swim. I wished I'd had some doggie biscuits to see if they were tempted.
Even though it wasn't very productive, it was a really pretty swim.

What a wonderful way to spend a mid summers evening.

[pingu]

lovely looking spot

dave

[fishypaul]

two firsts in a week ? thats good angling there bampah , well done mate

lovely looking stretch of river