Another rough day on Chesil.

Where can I fish today, as it is a bit too rough on Chesil? This is a question I hear a lot when it gets as windy and rough as it is today, so I have decided to tweak a post I wrote last year.

When I got up yesterday I had a look down over Chesil from the West side of Portland and decided that the beach was pretty much unfishable. Although it is not so bad today it is certainly not very comfortable to fish.

I was scheduled to run the River Cottage Shoreline course yesterday, but there was no way that I could hold it on Chesil, so I decided that I would try Preston Beach on Weymouth Seafront, and what a change in conditions that was.

We managed some nice Bass with the best going just under 5lb.

At least you have plenty of other options. You could stay local to Weymouth and Portland and fish the East facing beaches that are much more sheltered. Portland Harbour offers Hamm Beach, Ferrybridge and Sandsfoot Castle that produce Bass and Flounder in regular numbers. You can also catch Mullet, Garfish, Mackerel, Pollock and Wrasse during the spring, summer and autumn. Preston beach is at the opposite end of Weymouth Bay from the Stone and Pleasure Piers can often produce some cracking fishing. Much under rated by locals, this beach regularly throws up Bass (as it did yesterday), Smoothound and Rays, as well as most of the smaller flatfish. The advantage of these marks is you can access them fairly easily.

For some of the other fishing marks you are going to have to get your walking boots on. Head further east and there is a mark that is rarely fished and I believe in these conditions could produce some cracking fishing. The beach between Redcliff point and Osmington Mills will offer some protection especially more towards Redcliff. You have to walk either from Ossmington, or Bowleaze Cove and go down the cliff path to the pillbox on the beach, then head right (looking out to sea).

Next on the list is Durdle Door. Here it is a steep walk down to the beach. In a SW you can tuck in to the shelter on the opposite side of the iconic Dorset landmark.

This can be a good mark, day or night. Wrasse and Pollock fishing can be prolific during the day when the weather is nice. In a gale it can produce Bass, Bull Huss and Conger.

One of the better marks in  SW gale is Winspit to the East of St Albans Head. It is a difficult mark to find and get too. You need to drive to Worth Matravers then find the footpath that will take you down to the cliffs. from there is about 3/4 of a mile. When you get to the cliff you need to head left, where you will find a number of ledges. They are a fair way above the water, but the fishing can be amazing. Rays, big Bass, Bream, Conger, Bull Huss are just some of the species that can be caught here

If you want to find some of your own marks I have found the book  Inshore Along the Dorset Coast
a great source.