IOW '09 - ESAA on tour.

[BaggieRich]

Went on the club trip to the Isle of White last week. 5 days of fishing, beer, fishing and more beer. Stayed at a caravan site in Sandown, which was perfect. Comfortable and 2 mins from the beach! What more can you ask for?

Weds night - Wall at Fort Victoria

Pretty much all of us went to the other side of the island and fished Fort Victoria. Setup on the wall (Right in front of a hotel with some, erm, interesting live entertainment!) and fished 20:00ish -23:30. Baits were rag, crab and Bluey, but bites were very hard to come by. By the time we'd left, I'd had one micro pout, others in the group had a few pout, bream and one 3lb ish smut, but on the whole it was slow, so we decided to up sticks early and head back to Sandown.

Having returned to the van, I decided that I hadn't quite finished yet so a couple of others and myself headed down to fish Sandown right in front of the Zoo/Dinosaur place. It looked nice and Bassy with a gentle surf running, but again no fish showed. I had a couple of cracking bites, but come 3am I had to call it a day. I made it to bed around 05:30 after one or two beers and having put the world to rights!

Thursday night - Whale Chine

After a good long lie in, it was late afternoon before we ventured out again. This time a good few of the lads ventured out past Ventnor and fish at a place called Whale Chine. WARNING, the climb down involves a couple of ropes in one place and is certainly not a family friendly venue, but it is pretty once you get down there. Reminds me a lot of Branscombe. We yomped for a good 10 mins down the beach and started fishing. I managed my first ever Turbot, only small at 14oz, but the damned thing took a bluey fillet on a 3/0 wide gape hook! That's one hell of a gob on them! Others did rather better, with Small eyed and spotted Rays, Bass, a 1lb 9oz Turbot plus more pout than you can shake a stick at. Beautiful spot and we were treated to glorious sunset. Fished until around 23:00 and started the long treck back.

Friday day - St Helens

We awoke the next morning to news that one of the group had caught a golden grey just up the coast at St Helens, so that afternoon we took the short drive up and set about trying to get a new species. Small hooks and small rag were the order of the day, but a full five hours later, I'd still not had a touch so we packed up and started getting read for the evenings fishing.

Friday night - Freshwater bay.

Well, not quite as far up Freshwater Bay, but a lovely looking beach which looks across to Freshwater. Car park is falling into the sea?? We started fishing at around 8ish into what looked a cracking surf beach. There was a nice surf and hopes were high, before the Pout made themselves know. Millions of them taking any bait on any size hook. We'd had enough by around 23:00, so decided to finished early and get up early the following morning to continue the Mullet hunt.

Saturday morning - St Helens

Managed to be out by 5:30am and got to the beach before six. Saw the most incredible Sunrise, but the fishing remained the same as the previous day. Had one or two knocks, but that was it. Worth it for the sunrise alone though.

Saturday night - Shanklin

The club grapevine had told of one or two sole the previous night, so we head down to Shanklin on the Saturday night. Walked down past the fishing club and fished near the end of the groynes. Pout city again for most of the ebb, but at the bottom of the tide the Sole came on and we managed one each. Nothing massive, but the first one for me this year and only my second ever!

Sunday day - Fort Victoria

Whilst most in the club were booked on the morning ferry, we were due late that afternoon, so we went fishing again! Fished for a couple of hours near an old jetty just up from the platforms for a few wrasse, then moved round the corner to fish a nice sandy beach, which I realised after an hour to be as shallow as hell. Did get one really nice bite which came to nothing, but that was that. Time to catch the ferry.

28 hours of fishing resulted in 1 turbot, 1 sole, a few wrasse and a stack of pouting. Not the return I was really hoping for but some really nice fishing, on a beautiful island meant it was a cracking holiday. Next time though, we're all going.

[barbelblanker]

That beach near freshwater was probably Compton , my wifes favourtie place. Turn left after them crazy steep steps (that'll tell you it is the right one) and at low tide there be dinosaur footprints and real bassy pluggy place. Alegedly

[cuckoo]

Cracking report baggie sounds like a perfect week , after reading that i fancy a week over there have to take the wife and kids though , i have fished a few places over there and chale , well im scared of heights

[pingu]

cracking pics mate, know it was a tough weekend fishing wise but guess the craic made up for that

I WILL NOT break my ankle before next trip

the team speckled hen away trip will happen in 2010

dave

[Spahill]

Great report rich - Got to love those fishing holidays.
More Tiring than work if you ask me .

[John Marshall]

Great reading,, and the pics are out standing.

[10lber]

Thanks baggierich
Beautiful pictures of a great venue. Shame about the lack of action, maybe the storms will come and blow up the water a bit before we go next week. Have looked at the forteen day forcast and does look a wee bit calm but its stormy right now and hopefully it'll all be churned up by then. Ive got a week down there with my family so i'll be fishing alot as we've hired a house right on the beach. I'll do a report once we get back.
Better luck next time.
10lber

[fishypaul]

lovely looking beaches baggie,shame about the lack of fish,bet there wasnt a lack of beer !!

[sole man]

nice one baggie great report and pics there buddy

[geejayy]

wot a marvelous week, well done on the turbo