Cogden
Cogden is one of the places that will see the first run of spring Plaice along Chesil beach and with the right settled conditions these fish can be targeted as early as February and will run right through to late autumn. Sole will make an appearance from mid summer through to autumn as will the Bass. Codling can be taken in the autumn months along with whiting, pouting and the ever present dogfish although this area is not a noted hotspot for the cod fishing. To target the Plaice, Sole and dabs two or three hook clipped down, or loop rigs will be the way to go rigged up with hooks ranging between size 2 up to size 6 and baited with worm baits of rag, lug or black lugworm, a favoured bait is black lug tipped with the head section of a ragworm. One of the nice things about Cogden is the fact that the flatfish holding clay/sand beds are at a much more closer range in comparison to some of the other chesil beach marks and in general a comfortable 50-60yrd cast and beyond should put you in amongst the fish, like all of the big beach if you are targeting the Plaice you will definitely want to visit during a settled period where the sea has had a chance to clear, the sole fishing can be done with coloured water and if the water is clear you will benefit from fishing dusk into darkness for them.
Cogden has a reputation of producing some very special bass at times and it is very much worthwhile visiting during a bit of a blow in the late summer/autumn time to specifically target them, best tactics are generally keeping things very simple with running ledger rigs baited with whole squid, fresh mackerel head and guts or whole sardines flicked close in between 20-40yds max and left with the ratchet on ready for the fireworks. If conditions are calm you can use this tactic during the darkness to good effect also, remember using bigger baits you will want to match with a bigger sized hook so size 4/0 up to 6/0s will be the way to go. It is possible to pick up the odd Ray along this stretch with most Ray species possible aside from the blonde Rays which generally don’t seem to show along the shallower eastern end of chesil, pulley or puller dropper rigs baited with fishy baits like sandeel, squid, mackerel, sardine and bluey will put you in with a good chance of picking up a ray or two. In the late summer through to winter there is always the chance of a codling if the conditions are right although mostly these are taken by general fishing rather than people going out of their way to visit to target them owing to some of the more popular cod marks further east along Chesil. Tackle doesn’t need to be excessive at Cogden with 5oz- 6oz leads and standard beach casting rods, reels and lines.
This can be said for ALL of Chesil beach but Cogden can be particularly dangerous during a blow with big swells and unstable footing, NEVER take any undue risks when landing fish, ALWAYS keep your eyes on the sea as big swells can literally come from nowhere a wipe you out! Think carefully where you set your gear up giving that sea plenty of respect and space. The best wind directions for this whole area to flatten the sea state will be from the North or North west, winds from these directions will see it coming from over your shoulders and will aid with distance in the cast also. All of Chesil beach is a place where you really do need to plan your trips with a close eye on conditions both whilst you intend to fish but also in the days leading to your session, if you’re unsure or it looks iffy just give it a miss as the chances are aside from being dangerous the huge rolling waves will make the fishing practically impossible.