Dover Prince of Wales Pier 19th March. 2000

Paul Davies came over at 6am, by the time we'd packed the gear and stopped off for petrol etc, we arrived in Dover around 8am ... stopped off at Bills Bait and Tackle and collected our Lug, and few bits and bobs, inc., another horizontal pier rest as I'd forgotten to pack either of the 2 that I already have!!! .. We then moved down to Channel Angling and collected some maddies.

We had come down to meet people from the Sea Angling News Group, and have a chat ... so we had decided not to fish the mini comp that was arranged, and use it simply as a social instead.....

Parked the car in the Hover Port car park, and walked to the POW ... shelled out £3 for each of the rods, and proceeded to walk towards the end.... there were already a few people fishing, so we set up towards the Cafe.

The weather forecast was for a NE wind of force 4, dropping to force 2 later ... although as it turned out, the force 4 persisted for most of the day, which was a little unpleasant as it was straight in ones face!!!! HW was due around 10.30am

Set up two rods ....
First with a set of 3 french booms and size 2 hooks loaded with Maddies .. this was to be fished down the wall, about 8 turns off the bottom for pollack .. we'd been told in Channel Angling that a chap had fished a comp on the previous Wednesday and had caught 28 .. most undersized, but a couple had come in at over 2lb.... The other advantage of this rig is that with a slight modification of adding a second weight to the top of the rig after being cast out could be used as a rolling flounder rig...
The second set-up was a 3 snood clip up with 1/0 hooks baited with lug or lug maddies as the mood took me, as a general fishing rig.

Started fishing around 9am, and managed to get snagged with the general rig first cast .. despite my best efforts managed to loose the tackle..... :-(

The christmas tree rig with the maddies sprang into life almost from the off....

9.35am .... pulled up a 28cm pollack .... undersize but still a fish.... :-)

9.45am ... another 28cm pollack

9.55am ... double shot of pollack .. both 27cm.... I was having trouble baiting up, bringing in fish and trying to restring the other rod all at the same time .. much to Pauls amusement!!!

10.05am .... yet another 28cm pollack......

10.08am .... guess what? .. yup a pollack of 28cm!!!!! Woman fishing next to me, asked if I was just pulling up the same fish each time!!!!

Second cast with the other rod.. closer in this time .. got snagged again, and another trace lost...

We noticed that Tom, the Breakwater marshal was fishing some way down from us, so I decided to go down and have a chat .... told me that work should start soon on the Breakwater, but that as yet, no news on how soon it will be reopened :-) .... Tom also said that a number of smoothies were being caught off the Ad Pier ... which just highlighted the loss of the Breakwater!!!!!!

Went back to the rods ..... another 28cm pollack.....

10.41am ... double shot of pollack ..... each 28cm!!!!

Decided to go off and photograph Mick Pilchers charter boat "Hurricane" for a web page

Met up with some of the NG chaps .. turned out that Dave Benson and Mark Bennett had set up right next to us!!!!
Paul Compton and the two Bobs were right down the other end of the pier.... but seemed quite happy...

Returned around 11.30am ... had 3 pollack on the christmas tree, although one fell off!!!

11.40am ... change of fish ... 8" pout

11.50am ... back to the pollack .. double shot, one of which was 30cm!!!

12.10pm ... triple shot ..... 7"codling, don't think it could be any smaller if it had tried .. 7" pout, and you guessed it a pollack...

12.25pm ... 30cm pollack.....

12.50pm .... really annoyed .. managed to drop a decent sized lobster :-(

1.20pm .. 6" pouting......

1.25pm .... 28cm pollack.....

1.35pm ..... Yet another pollack.....

Caught Mark Bennett applying his secret bait formula .. obviously forgot the WD40!!!

1.50pm .... had a decent bite on the out rig.... 26cm whiting.....

Things then went very quiet.....

2.40pm ... 28cm whiting......

Last fish of the day .... 2.55pm 6" pout....

By the time 4pm came around we'd all had enough and decided to call it a day....

It was really nice to be able to put faces to names, and with luck we'll do it again sometime ... soon???

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