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South Coast Swanage

Trev Fox

Trev Fox

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2021
Messages
8
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98
Points
13
Location
Bournemouth
Favourite Fishing
Shore
Been busting my nuts at work all week to be able to get finished early Friday and get to Swanage for low water, after some very early starts and long days I reached the point where I could justify an early finish but the forecast was trying to pee on my parade with storm Eunice passing through.
Being a stubborn old git I kept scouring the weather apps frequently and made the decision that I was still going as my planned mark would offer some shelter and the sea state should be calmer and fishable.
Upon arrival the ground swell was slightly more than I had hoped but by no means bad so loaded up my kit and began my hike to the desired spot,
Setting up well back I decided on just 1 rod to get the feel of the conditions and after 2 casts it was clear that my favoured150g pyramid lead on an up and over rig was not holding, quick change to a 150g gripper and it didn't take long for sandeel and squid bait to fall prey to smalled eyed ray of around 5lb.
Happy with my swift result I continued with 1 rod for a couple of hours landing a school bass of about 1lb on my next cast and decided to eventually set the second rod with a pulley pennel using sprat sandeel and squid as baits and was soon rewarded with another similar smalled eyed ray.
Around 7pm Pete joined me and we fished away at a leisurely pace with my only drama being a double hook up of dogs on a pennel rig tangling themselves in my other rig causing a bit of carnage to my end tackle but thankfully with Pete's assistance on my other rod we managed to retrieve the tangled double doggie mess.
After chopping all my rigs about and retieing hooklengths I soon had a bait back in the water and was so chilled chatting away with Pete I didn't bother with the second rod again, a few more doggies and 1 more ray before we decided to call it a night and head back.
Pete caught a few doggies and a small eyed in the short time he was with me and we had a bloody good catch up.
Really struggled getting up for work today but glad I made the right choice and wasn't bullied by Eunice.
Cheers Trev
 

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Trev Fox said:
Been busting my nuts at work all week to be able to get finished early Friday and get to Swanage for low water, after some very early starts and long days I reached the point where I could justify an early finish but the forecast was trying to pee on my parade with storm Eunice passing through.
Being a stubborn old git I kept scouring the weather apps frequently and made the decision that I was still going as my planned mark would offer some shelter and the sea state should be calmer and fishable.
Upon arrival the ground swell was slightly more than I had hoped but by no means bad so loaded up my kit and began my hike to the desired spot,
Setting up well back I decided on just 1 rod to get the feel of the conditions and after 2 casts it was clear that my favoured150g pyramid lead on an up and over rig was not holding, quick change to a 150g gripper and it didn't take long for sandeel and squid bait to fall prey to smalled eyed ray of around 5lb.
Happy with my swift result I continued with 1 rod for a couple of hours landing a school bass of about 1lb on my next cast and decided to eventually set the second rod with a pulley pennel using sprat sandeel and squid as baits and was soon rewarded with another similar smalled eyed ray.
Around 7pm Pete joined me and we fished away at a leisurely pace with my only drama being a double hook up of dogs on a pennel rig tangling themselves in my other rig causing a bit of carnage to my end tackle but thankfully with Pete's assistance on my other rod we managed to retrieve the tangled double doggie mess.
After chopping all my rigs about and retieing hooklengths I soon had a bait back in the water and was so chilled chatting away with Pete I didn't bother with the second rod again, a few more doggies and 1 more ray before we decided to call it a night and head back.
Pete caught a few doggies and a small eyed in the short time he was with me and we had a bloody good catch up.
Really struggled getting up for work today but glad I made the right choice and wasn't bullied by Eunice.
Cheers Trev
Click to expand...
Hiked to your spot???
The car park is on the pier.
If you can't get here the road parking is around the bay.
If you fish on the point, there's a car park very close, no need to hike ?
 
Landlocked Northants said:
Hiked to your spot???
The car park is on the pier.
If you can't get here the road parking is around the bay.
If you fish on the point, there's a car park very close, no need to hike ?
Click to expand...

If you walk the beach north east from the built up area you will notice changes to the geology, past the reefs under the hotel area then past the sand and clay cliffs, then greensand at Punfield Cove and then the chalk of Ballard Cliff.

The flints and chalk in the photo should tell you where the photo was taken/fish was caught.

It's quite a hike but it puts you onto the ray marks
 
Landlocked Northants said:
Hiked to your spot???
The car park is on the pier.
If you can't get here the road parking is around the bay.
If you fish on the point, there's a car park very close, no need to hike ?
Click to expand...
Why are you telling the OP he should have fished somewhere else on his catch report......??????
 
chesilpete said:
Why are you telling the OP he should have fished somewhere else on his catch report......??????
Click to expand...
You missed the point ????
He HIKED!!!!
The carparks are within walking distance of ALL the sea front in Swanage.
The only slight walk would be if you were fishing ? past the RNLI base towards the point on the rocks.
Hopefully this will help you understand what I was saying???
 
Landlocked Northants said:
You missed the point ????
He HIKED!!!!
The carparks are within walking distance of ALL the sea front in Swanage.
The only slight walk would be if you were fishing ? past the RNLI base towards the point on the rocks.
Hopefully this will help you understand what I was saying???
Click to expand...
Theres a clue in Trevs post ...... he hiked..... maybe you missed the point?. Maybe it would have been more friendly to have just said "well done on getting out and finding some decent rays" than suggesting he does not know where to fish in his own back yard.
 
Landlocked Northants said:
You missed the point ????
He HIKED!!!!
The carparks are within walking distance of ALL the sea front in Swanage.
The only slight walk would be if you were fishing ? past the RNLI base towards the point on the rocks.
Hopefully this will help you understand what I was saying???
Click to expand...

This is hard work,

You seem to be thinking there's only one way you can walk/hike, if you head the other way there is no car parking other than in the estate roads near Shep's Hollow, the red arrow, you then hike around to under Ballard Down, the white chalky bit.
Like the old 'spot the ball' competition I've used my skill and judgement to indicate where they fished.


swanage.jpg
 
chesilpete said:
Theres a clue in Trevs post ...... he hiked..... maybe you missed the point?. Maybe it would have been more friendly to have just said "well done on getting out and finding some decent rays" than suggesting he does not know where to fish in his own back yard.
Click to expand...
He doesn't do friendly, he just spreads the negative vibes.
 
Nice ray, well done ?
 
Evening fishing people, feel this thread is going on a bad tangent so wish to clarify my op a bit.
Firstly I was not trying to keep the mark secret as it is a known ray mark and people familiar with the bay would've figured easily where I was and believe me if you've parked close you've driven off a cliff.
Second reason for not being coordinates specific is the tides can and will cut you off and if you're a few hundred metres either side you are well and truly stuck between a rock and a very wet place.
I first fished Swanage Bay 34 years ago and in my eagerness I still made 1 mistake after triple checking wind speed and directions and tide heights I overlooked probably the most critical piece of information, and that was the ground swell, fortunately where I was I had plenty of room but it did mean I had to stay an hour later than planned which meant a very tired me at work next day.
Keep posting fishing reports because I appreciate them as work is hindering my attempts to fish as much as I would like,
Keep safe be nice and enjoy what we all love, fishing.
 

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