Dover Southern Breakwater
Well, what can I say! The fishing in general over the Christmas period was at best abysmal and at it's worst - well you just wouldn't want to know. Catches have been limited to the odd Pouting, loads of little Whiting, with a few decent ones thrown in, and masses of Dabs, both large and small. There are also a few school Bass around as well - In December and January!!!! With the exception of one lone Cod of 10.5lb landed last week, these fish are totally non-existent and even the Dogfish have disappeared. This has been a very strange Winter indeed.
Regular day tripper Martin Aitken experienced this for himself last week when a session in peg 184 resulted in a catch consisting of Dabs, Whiting and Pouting - what a surprise! Although this doesn't sound much, you've got to be happy with whatever you can get at the moment and besides, Dabs and Whiting do make a delicious meal.
The Admiralty Pier - Tel: +44(0)1304 225138.
The Mecca of the Cod Anglers also failed to produce over Christmas. In fact it was that bad, on an 8am neap tide, having fished it all the way down, yours truly actually blanked!!! I didn't even have a bite, not even from a Pouting. There weren't even any crabs or shrimps taking the bait off the hooks either - very strange!!! Flattie corner and the first half seems to be the only place producing any sort of fish and these are limited to Whiting, Dabs and small Bass. Just to redeem myself, I caught over 50 of these in one session but only 8 Dabs were of any size to take home.
The lack of bait available in the shops and the apparent lack of natural food in the water maybe a significant factor as to why there are no fish around.
The Cruise ships have now finished for the year and as a result the Admiralty Pier extension should be open at all times throughout the Winter.
Parking at the Admiralty Pier - The Harbour Board have now laid out the parking bays around the Lord Warden House and parking meters have been installed. The cost for 8 hours is £2.50 but you will quite often find that the meters are not working. Just leave a note in your window and you should be ok. The cheapest parking can currently be found at Adrian Street and is 55p for 5 hours, although it does involve a bit of a walk!!
The Prince of Wales Pier
Just when you thought it was not worth fishing, the P.O.W. has thrown up some surprises. It's been reported that a local Junior hooked a small Pouting while fishing, but left it where it was. Not long after a Cod of 13.5lb came along and took the Pouting, which does happen from time to time. Well done!
Simon Spore had a nice surprise when he had a session on this Pier. Using two rods and ragworm, all he could catch on one rod was little Whiting, while on the other he also attached an active Starlite just above his bait. You'll never believe it, but this tempted a 3lb Flounder. Simon is convinced that this made all the difference, but I'll let you make your own conclusions.
Boat Reports
The Boats are having a pretty grim time of it too. If there's no fish in the Boats, what sort of chance to the Pier anglers stand? The most recent Competition saw only two Cod caught, one of about 4lb while the other tipped the scales at 16lb 10oz.