Rock on!

Portland Pirate · #1 02-24-2011, 03:00 PM

After putting off a fishing session at the weekend as I knew fishing Chesil at this time of year is a waste of time, Chesil Chucker AKA Roger persuaded me that we needed to get out and add to our points tally.

So I decided that our best option was a Rockling from the shore at Portland.

We headed for Portland Bill and arrived just before the last of the light faded. I decided that there might just be enough light for a few casts on the plugs. Unfortunately I think a combination of too low water and too dark, prevented me from getting any interest.

Meanwhile Roger set up his rod and I forgot it was his first time fishing the rocks. He cast straight out over a low ledge and instantly got snagged up. My fault for not giving him direction. I was hoping that this was not to be the story of the night as my first cast with my trusty Greys Apollo, also came stuck.

We fished for about another hour with nothing happening except the fog returning. It was quite eerie fishing on the crane ledge with the beams of the lighthouse cutting into the gloom and the fog horn echoing along with the odd crash from a wave into the rock ledges below, sending shock waves through our feet.

I took an opportunity to try and capture the lighthouse beams on camera, (alas this did not work out). However as I was framing the rod tips in the picture mine shot round to the left. I was so out of the blue that I almost dropped my camera. I picked the rod up and waited for another bite. I was convinced that it was a Conger bight by the ferocity of the pull. After a couple of minutes the tip started nodding again. I left it for a little bit to develop in case it was a Conger, but a series of small pulls indicated that it was unlikely, so I struck and started winding fast to get my gear out of the rocks. I could tell I had something on even on the super stiff Apollo and as I wound in I was happy to see mission accomplished. A nice little 3 bearded Rockling.

Whilst at 7oz it's not a monster by any standard as there is no claim on the 3 bearded Rockling I will post it as the current record and hopefully claim the extra points.
It was almost as if he heralded the dinner bell for an onslaught of bites that followed. Roger was quickly into another little fellow.

Whilst I was getting a new trace ready, Roger alerted me to a bite on my rod. He was so busy watching mine that he failed to notice his rod bouncing in the rod rest. By the time he realised that I was getting excited about his rod and not mine, the fish had gone. I think it looked like a good Pollock bite.
We continued to have a constant run of bites for the next hour, before the tide started to get too high with the swell running forcing us to call it a night. We were after all "just going for a couple of hours Love".
All in all it was great to get out and get a load of bites at a time of year that is normally very slow.

I had spoken to another rock fishermen the day before in he informed that he had been catching Pollock, Coalfish and Bull Huss from the West side of the Island. I think we might have to give that a go in the very near future.

Quick ID check confirmed my suspicions these are Shore Rockling and not 3 bearded. Lack of blotches and or bars on the flanks.