Fishing on and around Hayling Island

Sea fishing, shore fishing and harbour angling

Fishing from Hayling Island and its surrounding waters is a popular pursuit for residents and visitors. The island's position between Chichester Harbour and Langstone Harbour, with the open Solent to the south, provides access to a variety of fishing environments and a wide range of species throughout the year.

Shore fishing from the south-facing beach produces bass, sole, plaice, dab, flounder, smoothhound and rays depending on the season. The sandy beach offers clean ground for distance casting, and the gullies and sandbanks that form along the shoreline concentrate fish during certain states of the tide. Bass fishing from the beach is best in the warmer months, with dawn and dusk sessions often producing the best results.

The harbour mouths at Langstone and Chichester provide excellent fishing on the tidal flows. The strong currents that run through the harbour entrances carry baitfish and crustaceans, attracting predatory species including bass, mullet and pollack. Fishing from the harbour walls, jetties and slipways is accessible and productive, though anglers must be aware of boat traffic and the strength of the tidal currents.

Flounder fishing in the harbours is a winter speciality. The sheltered channels of Langstone and Chichester Harbours hold good numbers of flounder from autumn through to spring, and the fishing can be productive on light tackle from the shore or from small boats. Peeler crab and ragworm are the standard baits.

Boat fishing from Hayling provides access to deeper water and to species that are not reachable from the shore. Charter boats and private craft launch from slipways on the island and fish the Solent, the harbour channels and the offshore marks. Species taken from boats include bass, bream, cod, whiting, tope, smoothhound and various ray species. Wreck fishing further offshore produces pollack, cod and ling.

Crab and lobster potting is carried out commercially and recreationally in the waters around the island. The rocky and weedy ground in the harbours and along the Solent coast holds populations of brown crab, spider crab and lobster.

Fishing tackle and bait are available from shops in Havant and the surrounding area. Live and frozen bait, including ragworm, lugworm, mackerel, squid and peeler crab, can be obtained locally. The tackle shops also provide advice on marks, methods and the species that are currently feeding.