My favorite fish to target is the Dover Sole and over the past 10 years I have enjoyed a certain amount of success around the Kent Coast even winning the 1999 Sole Open match at Dungeness. I much prefer to fish for the Sole on purely pleasure sessions when I am able to experiment and also when I am alone, as this species requires both still and quiet conditions. Several scores of 6oz leads crashing into the sea do not help at all when targeting this species. So very often, competitions fished over venues noted for large numbers of sole do not produce and I believe therefore that noise is obviously a factor.
I find that still balmy nights or early morning sessions between July and October seem to produce best results but best of all are those times and tides that coincide with the still before a thunderstorm. The high pressure is perhaps a factor. However if you stay and fish through the storm is very careful as carbon-based fishing rods and lightning don't mix. I saw on man get struck twice in the same night on Deal Pier so the saying ' Lightning never strikes in the same place twice' is definitely wrong.
Lets look at where to fish for this now quite common species.
Living at Deal and within walking distance from the Pier makes a session easy and as long as I have bait I am able to pick a time and tide to suit at a moments notice. Deal Pier was opened in 1953 and is the only pier that I know that was built with the angler in mind. It has a long 'stem' from which angling is allowed on both sides and a Lower deck at the far end from which anglers can cast out into deeper water, but one of the best marks on the pier does not need a long walk. The stem has a section where the railings are painted yellow this denotes the area where boats are allowed to pass under the pier, and it is at the end of the yellow rails that you should set out to fish. The seats here are numbered and numbers 80 to 90 can produce good results.
Fish 2 hours either side of the high tide on the south side of the pier (facing Kingsdown.) You do not need to cast far, in fact dropping under the pier can often be the place to be but I have found that you may need to try to find the sole as I believe the sand banks around here move and the fish move with them. Swing your tackle into the water or drop it and try not to make too big a splash let the tackle drop to the bottom and let out some slack line. Fishing into the tide allows the flow to push the tackle down so that all the hooks are on the bottom to get best results.
The tackle I use here very often gets laughed at and seems to be 'old fashioned' but it gets results. I use very light rods usually a pair of Daiwa Bass rods but I have recently been trying Conoflex's Reflexor that was made for my daughter Emma for the World Championships last year in Portugal. It is ideal for fishing light for this species. I use a 3 or 4 oz breakaway lead and three metal French booms set about 1 foot apart. My hook length is made from 15lb Tritanium line to a size 6 kamasan B940 hook and is usually only 6 inches long. This set up looks strange but I can assure you, it gets results from the pier. As the tide eases I sometimes connect a small round lead between 1 and 3 oz. at the top of the trace. This helps to keep all three hooks in contact with the seabed. My bait here will vary and like the sand banks you may need to experiment to see what the fish are feeding on. I would always take ragworm but blow lug and wrapped yellow tails or combinations also work well. Keep the bait small and neat, half a worm will be enough to take fish up to 2lbs here.
The other noted place on Deal pier is the far front left or north corner facing Ramsgate. There is a sand bank 30 to 40 yards out and in line with Ramsgate Harbour. Similar tackle or a standard 3 hook flowing trace, again with light hook lengths and size 6 hooks cast out here can produce results best tide is often over the Low water This mark will also produce large numbers of Dabs in the spring.
My other favorite venues for sole are at Hythe behind the swimming pool and at Dungeness.
At Hythe the low tide is often best and darkness will always be the best time. Fish very light again and don't be frightened to cast your tackle into the water at just a rode length out. Again try to be quiet don't make too big a splash. I recently fished a species competition here and caught six sole. I was using the Conoflex Reflexor and I went down to size 10 hooks with small pieces of ragworm and bunches of maddies (Harbour rag) the fish were taken at about 15 feet in on a very calm night. I found here that if I cast further out I found rough ground for about 20 to 30 yards on the low tide but I did catch fish when I found the softer ground. On the High tide you therefore need to cast either in front of this rough ground or over it.
At Dungeness park your car near the gate to the road that goes around the back of the power station but be careful not to leave valuables in the car as there has been trouble with thieves. Walk to the end of the fence and turn around the back of the power station about 50 yards.
Here there is a hut on the beach. (I think bird watchers use it.) Fish anywhere here for excellent results. Use a 3-hook trace with one of the hooks dropping below the weight. The hook length again I prefer to be light and clear and about 21" long. I use a size 6 or 4 Kamasan B940, The size 4 hook is probably needed as here the fish can be up to 3lb and when they coil their body into the tide like a sail they can easily pull themselves off the hook. Here I have had best results with black lug and lug tipped with ragworm. Don't be afraid to fish close in here but be prepared to experiment and try again to find the distance at which the fish are feeding normally a cast of 40 to 50 yards will be sufficient but if you are fishing with two rods vary the distances. Best times to fish here is over the low tide up and nighttime and early mornings can produce large numbers of good fish.
The sole when feeding tends to settle over the bait and suck it into their very small mouth. Your rod tip may quiver and twitch but be patient as the fish needs time to get the bait into the mouth. When the bait is taken and the fish moves the rod tip may lurch forward as if taken by a cod and may drop back slack. You can reel in now and may be rewarded with two or three fish for your patience.
Don't forget be quiet. Cast your tackle into the sea with care. Don't make too much splash when casting your weight into the sea and be patient when you see the rod tip rattles.
I hope these tips will help you when it comes to catching sole. They are now common around the English coast and with a little thought can be easily caught. Use small hooks; light tackle and small ragworm or lug baits and your results should improve.