No swarms at Hive - Burton Bradstock 28/08/10

[BaggieRich]

The original plan for Saturday night was to pitch up on Chesil and try and pick up a Gurnard for the species hunt. To be honest, we should've known better. With it being the Saturday of a bank holiday weekend and having already driven past a full car park at Cogden it shouldn't have taken a genius to figure out what was likely to greet us when we pulled into the car park at West Bex.

Finding a parking space was tricky and a quick look down the beach told us this was not a great idea - Shelters stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions. There were even anglers setting up camp behind others already fishing, I guess with the intention of waiting for them to finish before starting to fish themselves!

Dave and I took one look at this scene of chaos and got straight back in the car. Where to fish though? Abbotsbury was likely to be the same and I didn't even want to consider what it would've been like at Ferrybridge, so we decided to head back west and have a look at Burton Bradstock.

I've never fished Hive beach before and whilst there were a few family groups around, there weren't actually that many fishing so we yomped down the beach a little a set up in a fairly strong SW wind. N.B. Parking = £5 all day or free for NT badge holders.

View East


View West

First order of the day was a mackie for bait, so I clipped a set of feathers on and eventually managed to pull a small one out, so out back out with the bottom rigs with rag tipped with mackerel hoping for a gurnard. To cut a long shorty short, the next 4 hours produced a few pout, a silver eel and a couple of dogs. Not exactly the most exciting session we've ever had, but a new venue and not a blank. At least we got a nice sunset to look at!

Another stunning Chesil sunset

Lessons Learnt
***********

1. Chesil beach on a Bank holiday weekend - Don't even think it unless you want to walk for miles!
2. Hive beach somehow seems to avoid the masses when other beaches are rammed.
3. Take less bait!

[Baz T]

Nice report Rich, - Seems like you had a nice trip, once you found somewhere to actually park n fish. Great pics too, especially the sunset.

[nickthenovice]

Yeah nice one Rich! Off down that way soon myself, hopefuly Ferrybridge for a tub gurnard. Are there any hounds showing Devon/Dorset way?

[pingu]

after leaving west bex( which as rich said looked more like a tented village[glastonbury even]) it was a really pleasent session in the end,
not the most exciteing on the fish, but a new venue and one that i think will produce if researched better


dave

ps made that honiton kebab again ;-)

[Spahill]

Well done on finding somewhere & catching.

Yomping any distance on that shingle is a killer - the only thing I can think of that is worse are sand dunes
isn't it uphill to the car park when you have finished?

[nickthenovice]

Only a short way unless you park at the top of the car park.