Fishing in Portchester

Leisure

Portchester's position on Portsmouth Harbour makes it a natural spot for fishing, and anglers have been casting lines here for as long as anyone can remember. Shore fishing from the harbour wall and the foreshore is popular with locals, and the variety of species available reflects the rich marine environment of the harbour and the eastern Solent.

The harbour wall near the castle is one of the most accessible fishing spots in the village. It is easy to reach on foot, there is no charge, and it provides a solid platform from which to fish into the deeper water of the harbour channel. Species caught from the wall and foreshore include bass, flounder, mullet, eels, whiting, dab, plaice and occasional sole. Bass are the most prized catch and are targeted by many local anglers, particularly during the warmer months when they move into the harbour to feed. Size limits and bag limits apply to bass under national regulations, and anglers should check the current rules before fishing, as they are updated regularly.

Flounder are abundant in the harbour and provide reliable sport through the autumn and winter months. They are caught on simple rigs with ragworm or lugworm bait, fished on the bottom in the muddy channels. Mullet can be seen in large shoals during the summer, cruising along the harbour wall and feeding in the shallows. They are notoriously difficult to hook, and catching a decent mullet on light tackle is considered a real achievement among local anglers.

Bait is available from tackle shops in the Fareham and Portsmouth area. Ragworm, lugworm, peeler crab and squid are the most commonly used baits for harbour fishing. Some anglers dig their own bait from the mudflats at low tide, though this requires knowledge of where to look and the right tidal conditions. Frozen bait is a convenient alternative and is stocked by most tackle shops.

For boat fishing, Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent offer excellent opportunities. Charter boats operate from various points around the harbour and from Langstone Harbour to the east, offering trips targeting bass, bream, cod, rays, smoothhound, tope and other species depending on the season. Wreck fishing further offshore can produce pollack, ling, conger eels and cod. Several charter skippers have decades of experience on the local waters and know the marks well.

A rod licence is required for freshwater fishing in England but not for sea fishing. However, bass fishing is subject to specific regulations set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and these must be followed. Catch-and-release is encouraged for bass, and some local anglers practise this voluntarily to help sustain the population.

Fishing from the harbour wall at Portchester is one of those quiet, contemplative pastimes that suits the character of the village. On a calm summer evening, with the sun low over the water and a rod resting on the wall, it is a fine way to spend a couple of hours, whether or not the fish are biting.