#ThreeTenners Isle of Purbeck Sept 2017

It has been a while since the "Three Tenners" ( me and my two brothers - Rob and Mike) got our act together for a weekend away. Last weekend we headed for the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset to do some sea fishing and coastal walking. The Isle of Purbeck is designated an AONB - (area of outstanding natural beauty). It is also the start (or finish) of the South West Coastal Footpath - and part of the Jurassic Coast (dinosaur fossils) which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a beautiful area.

We arrived Friday lunchtime and set up camp in Tom's Field at Langton Matravers. It is a small perfectly formed camp site with a really solid vibe. Pretty much everyone who uses the site seem to be walkers or kayakers/divers/rock climbers - certainly outdoor people. Everyone seemed to be there for a purpose with a quiet buzz of activity in the mornings and evenings.. We chose a great weather weekend as it turned out. Sat there early morning looking out over distant Swanage and the sea beyond was really lovely thing to do.

Anyway - fishing. Our dear late dad introduced us to it as boys. We have all fished at various times and I have certainly done a lot of boat fishing in the Solent. However this is different - beach casting off the shore. When we planned the weekend and mentioned sea fishing a fishing "competition" was inevitable. The time table was fishing Friday afternoon - a decent coastal walk Saturday and fishing Sunday until it was time to head home.

In preparation for the weekend Rob particularly invested in some new gear and new techniques. Mike had a shiny new reel. I had what I needed and tried and tested methods! I bought squid and mackerel for bait for us. For the first leg of the comp we fished off the lovely Victorian built pier at Swanage. It was an amusing afternoon - not least because promenaders thought we might be experts. Alas - we caught nothing - ha!

As usual the Three Tenners went to the pub - the wonderful old Square and Compass at Worth Matravers then back to the camp site to cook our respective dinners. This is always a laugh. A chef's nightmare!

Next day was a wonderful weather day. The plan was to walk from our camp site to the SW Coastal path (at Dancing Edge) and walk west to Kimmeridge - about 10 undulating miles. The issue with this is how to get back so we incorporated our usual ploy of taking one car to the finish and driving the other back to the start. 10 miles on this part of the coastal path is a tough 10 miles because it is up hill down hill for significant stretches. We walked for 6 1/2 hours with the odd stop! The scenery as you can see below is spectacular. One thing about this path is it is very hard to access by car and there is little in the way of mooring places for boats. Consequently the only activity is from walkers. It is very natural and unspoilt. Not a single café for 10 miles.

We really enjoyed the walk. It was good to get to the finish. Knees were aching certainly! We earned our beer and grub that followed. A memorable day indeed.

Sunday morning - an early but gentle start and pack up. There was some debate about where to fish. In the end we voted to go back to Kimmeridge because it is quiet and looked the sort of place fish would be. Alas again. Fishing conditions were tricky because of weed and a rocky bottom! No fish - so a hopeless draw!

Eventually we headed into Wareham for a roast dinner on the way home. We agreed we can do better with the fishing. We remain optimistic and enthused and will do it again. (it was the fishes fault not ours!).

The great thing about fishing is the anticipation. It can also take you to some lovely places. It really was a good weekend despite no fish for tea!