Chris Clark and friends show what this popular Dorset beach can produce in early autumn when the crowds are thinning out and the anglers can reclaim the shoreline!
Nestling along the Jurassic coastline the long shallow rocky scars within Kimmeridge Bay are well documented for producing bass and mullet to lures and the fly. But what other options does the bay have to offer? I teamed up with Scott Titt and Will Chellingworth, who are both members of the Swanage Angling club, one September evening to find out.
WHEN
Early morning or late evening sessions are always recommended along this patch, especially during the summer months when the whole area gets extremely busy. There is plenty of shoreline for lure anglers to roam well away from the majority of folk but it is extremely shallow. For those wanting to fish with baits hard on the bottom there are far fewer opportunities when the beach is busy. Picking the correct tidal conditions and time of year is crucial if you are to put a bend in your rod.
The actual slipway area can produce but it is often busy with boats launching and recovering.
Some of the deeper gullies running between the rocky scars in the centre of the bay offer a far better option and are well worth checking out once the day trippers have headed for home.
On this occasion I arrived around 5pm just as the last of the day trippers were heading for home with Scott and Will joining me around 30 minutes later. From the far right hand corner of the car park it is just a five minute walk down a few steps to reach the beach. Arriving at midtide all the gullies were still clearly visible. I opted to fish directly in front of the access point next to the old wartime pill box where there looked to be a decent gully running between two rocky scars, although it was very shallow – just a couple of feet some 100 yards from the shoreline.
Hoping for some heavyweights as soon as the light disappeared I had brought plenty of frozen mackerel while Scott was bringing some freshly caught stuff from the boats. With an hour of daylight remaining I had a few score of ragworm. To be honest, any wrasse lurking in the shallow water were expected to be pretty small. As it turned out I was in for a real shock.
SPECIES
Putting out a two hook trace around a hundred metres with the 1/0 short shank Kamasan B940s hooks baited with large ragworm I was not expecting a great deal of action; maybe the odd nibble from a corkwing, if I was lucky.
Much to my surprise, just as I was assembling my second rod, I caught a glimpse of my first rod tip arching over as something on the other end was trying to make a dash fo
