Tides & Tribe Take on Abbotsbury: Beach of broken dreams
There are some places that stay with you, and for us, Chesil Beach is one of them. It’s where a father and son rediscovered their passion for fishing—a spark that grew into our Tides & Tribe adventure. We’d fished Ferry Bridge and West Bexington before, but there was one stretch of this 18-mile shingle monster we’d never stepped foot on: Abbotsbury.
So with a rare bit of free time, we decided to fix that.
The Long Road to a Legendary Beach
The trip started early with a detour to MM Richardsons at Dungeness, our go-to for top-quality freshly dug lugworm. Armed with the best bait we could get our hands on and a thermos full of optimism, we began the 5-hour drive toward Dorset.
By the time we rolled into Abbotsbury, night had fully settled in. And cold? It was the kind of cold that goes straight through your bones. But that never stops us—not when we’re stepping onto Chesil.
Mascot Penney trotted alongside us as we crunched across the shingle, headlamps dancing off the stones, excited to explore a part of the beach we’d only heard stories about.
Connor Starts Strong – Three Fish Before I Even Cast!
It was one of those moments that makes you laugh and curse at the same time. Before I even had a single rod in the water, Connor was already into fish.
His rod nodded, and up came a pouting. Nice start!
Two minutes later—another one.
And then another.
Meanwhile, I’m still tightening a knot.
Once I finally got my rigs out there, things settled into a rhythm. I managed a couple of pouting and a dogfish early on, which suggested maybe, just maybe, the night had potential. But as the hours ticked by, it became clear that the fish had developed a personal vendetta against me.
Connor, on the other hand, was absolutely flying.
The Big Moment – A 31” Conger Eel
Around mid-session, Connor’s rod arched down with real weight behind it. After a steady fight in the surf, he landed a beautiful 31-inch conger eel—easily the catch of the trip.
As always, I couldn’t have been more proud…
and maybe just a tiny bit jealous.
Trying Everything for a Cod… but the Unicorn Stayed Hidden
I’d come to Abbotsbury with one mission: find that winter cod.
I rotated through almost every setup in my arsenal:
14ft beach casters
3/0 pulley rig
2-up 1-down flappers
Clipped-down flappers for distance
Up-and-over rigs
I switched baits, tweaked traces, tried different ranges—but the cod didn’t show. Not for me, not for Connor, not for anyone within sight.
Chesil didn’t earn the nickname The Beach of Broken Dreams for nothing.
Watch the full Video below
The Sky Steals the Show
But while the fishing slowed, the night sky turned into something unforgettable.
Clear, crisp, and glowing with a thousand stars.
We counted around 10 shooting stars, each one streaking across the heavens like something from a movie.
Behind us, the distant sound of cows mooing added this surreal, peaceful soundtrack to the night. Sitting there with my boy, rods out, starlight above, waves rolling in… it was one of those moments where time feels slower, softer, better.
Even if the fish weren’t playing ball, the experience was worth every second.
Wrapping Up and Moving On
With a strong wind forecast to barrel in and the cold taking its toll, we eventually called it and decided to head closer to home for the next session. No cod this time—but plenty of memories.
Chesil beat me this round. I left with numb fingers and bruised pride…
but I’ll be back.
January is my next shot at that elusive unicorn cod—and I’m not giving up until I find it.
Final Catch Report
Connor:
12 pouting
31-inch conger eel ⭐ Catch of the trip
Dad:
2 pouting
1 dogfish
1 small eel
1 bruised ego
Even when the fishing is tough, being out there with Connor is everything this Tides & Tribe journey is about. Shared laughs, shared frustrations, shared dreams—and more adventures to come.
Chesil might chew you up some days, but it keeps calling you back.
And we’ll answer every single time.
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