Catch report & fishing forecast for Dorset including Chesil Beach, Portland & Weymouth

I think this weekend has to have been one of the worst for fishing for a long time. It is pretty normal for the fishing to switch off during January and February. We have been pretty lucky this year that it has lasted so long. I think the best we can do now is spend some time maintaining our tackle and tying up some new rigs for the Plaice run that may come early again this year. There were very few decent fish caught over the weekend, with one strap Conger and a small Codling being landed by the guys fishing the Samalite league down at Checkpoint. Dogfish were present in large numbers at the Western end of the beach.

One of the reasons I like to target as many species as I can during the year, is that it fills the slow months trying to catch fish that are normally only around when it is cold and bleak. Species such as Rockling and Coalfish are a couple that you are more likely to catch at the moment than at other times of the year. It is also the time that I get out my LRF gear and target the mini species. So for those of you that are interested I will concentrate on some LRF techniques and tackle tips this week. but for the moment I will provide you a picture of the most exciting thing to happen this weekend, a decent Chesil sunset, the picture is courtesy of Leo from Poole.

Just in case you miss it, I have put up a post about my trip to River Cottage on Friday. You will find it below this post. All I am going to say is that it was a fantastic day out.

Sea Conditions:

Chesil Beach: A heavy swell and long surf run off, the water is  coloured.

Portland: Waves up to 1.5m and coloured water

Portland Harbour: Wavelets with slightly coloured water.

Weymouth Bay: Wavelets but the water has a bit of colour especially around the harbour entrance.

Chesil Beach forecast: Not the most comfortable conditions for fishing Chesil Beach and after the reports from the weekend, I am not sure I would bother fishing it. If you do decide to give it a go then the most likely species you will encounter are Dogfish, Dabs and Rockling.

Portland: The water has cleared slightly which will suite the Wrasse that are still around. Portland is a good mark for several of the Rockling species that I will be targeting in the next couple of weeks. East side marks will still be good for Bull Huss and Pollock.

Portland Harbour: Another area that has gone very quite. All you can really hope to catch from here are Flounder at the moment.

Weymouth Bay: The piers are fishing well for Whiting, both during the day and at night. Plenty of Pout are also being caught with the odd Flounder and Pollock. Rockling are showing up in decent numbers for those looking for different species. Preston is good for Flounder and Whiting.

Poole Harbour: A few Flounder are still coming from Poole and for those living in that area and not wanting to be battered on Chesil then it is worth a go.

Species Hunt: I think I will create an album to show the different species that I catch this year and see how many different ones I can catch. I know that species hunting is very popular on a number of forums. Why not join me and see what different fish you can catch over the year. I am going to set myself a target of 30 different species. Drop me an email and let me know your targets and how you get on throughout the year. I especially want to see your pictures of some of the more unusual species that you catch.

Guiding & Lessons: I know it is the heart of winter, but now is a good time to think about booking a 1 to 1 lesson or get on one of my fishing workshops. This will give you plenty of time to practice the techniques you learn before the fish turn up again in the spring. Have a look on the guiding link at the top of the page or drop me an email for more details to [email protected]