Donegal Bay, The Apprentice Makes a Comeback, 3 Aug '20

The angler formerly known as The Apprentice hasn’t been out with me in years but had recently expressed an interest so twice as much tackle as usual was tossed into the car. I had forgotten about the bank holiday until I pulled up at Mooney’s in Killybegs for bait and a few other bits and pieces only to find it closed. I was pleasantly surprised to get some fresh mackerel fillets in a supermarket where we called to get some grub. I’m not sure how fresh it was on a bank holiday Monday morning but it could only be better than the (sh..) stuff I had last time out. The mark I had chosen was one where I had to be rescued by a large 4x4 tractor but the ground was much drier and I had brought a chainsaw to trim back the shrub which caused the problem last time so I thought I’d be ok. However, part way down the lane it was obvious that the lane was seriously eroded during the winter with deep ruts and gulleys where material had been washed away. I wonder how it compares to the infamous Kilmuckridge lane? There was nowhere to turn and rather than try to reverse back I continued on, plenty of time to worry later! Anyhow, we set up 4 rods, 2 x multipliers for me and 2 x grinders for The Apprentice. We both fished a 3 hook flapper and a single clipped rig; the latter loaded with a larger bait. The mackerel was reasonably firm but a bit of bait elastic did no harm. His lack of casting practice soon showed as he gained more vertical than horizontal but distance was irrelevant as none of the four rods at varying ranges registered a bite for the first three and a half hours, sorry Apprentice but sandstars and swimming crabs don’t count. Eventually one of my rods quivered and in came what looked like being a blank saving small coalfish. I noticed that scraps of bait thrown in close soon attracted hordes of small coalies so I kitted the Apprentice out with a couple of mini sabikis and he broke his duck with a few coalies. It was starting to look like it would be evening before any real activity started but then a stroke of luck; a mackerel took one of my flapper baits on the retrieve, my first shore mack of 2020. The mini sabikis were replaced by full size feathers and The Apprentice tried for mackerel. No luck but the casting practice was beneficial as his horizontal : vertical ratio increased steadily. Perhaps genuine fresh mackerel would bring a few bites, and the head and guts would make a nice conger bait. The conger bait was duly lowered into the water and the ratchet set on the free spool. Fresh mack strips were sent out on the other rods. Within minutes the ratchet buzzed and the rod tip bounced but by the time I was ready, the bait was dropped. On checking, the guts were gone but I lowered the head back down to no avail. After another 20 minutes there was no further interest so I replaced the head with a shop-bought fillet. While awaiting a bite we had a look at another shallower spot and spied a decent wrasse searching for a snack. The swimming crab from earlier was hooked and lowered down but the wrasse seemed to have moved on though we did see a sizeable mullet swim by. The buzz of the ratchet got our attention and this time I connected with something, a ballan wrasse on a large mackerel fillet on a 6/0 hook and 150lb trace! As I was busy unhooking, measuring and photographing it my other flapper rod was nodding away steadily. Just as I slipped the wrasse back in The Apprentice lifts my flapper rod and reels in a small conger. A wrasse on the conger rig, a conger on the flattie rig, what’s going on; don’t these fish read the angling literature? We then had a profound discussion on the morality and ethics of lifting another man’s rod, reeling in the fish and claiming it, needless to say The Apprentice claimed victory for that, case closed! “We” were actually very lucky to get the conger ashore as it bit through the 20lb trace as it landed on terra firma. That was about it for the day, an unexpected wrasse, a lucky mackerel, a poached conger and a few mini coalfish. We got back up the goat track without too much trouble though we did manually fill in some of the worst ruts with stones and The Apprentice was sent ahead to give me the nod for a clear run at the approach to the main road as a particularly deep hole puts the car temporarily into 3 x 3 mode! By chance we met the tractor owner who pulled me out last time here and he had pulled someone else out only last week. I don’t think I’ll chance it again until/unless repairs are carried out to the lane, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, “getting stuck once is unfortunate, getting stuck twice looks like carelessness!” As for The Apprentice, he enjoyed the day out, he’ll be back. Well, why wouldn’t he when he can let somebody else do all the work and he just reels in the fish!

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In my book if he reeled it in it is his but fair play to you john for letting him do it
mickser

Defo the apprentices' fish. No poaching here!


nice wrasse

that's gas the wrasse taking a shark bait and trace, nice fishing!

Great read, thanks Johnwest! Some nice fish too!

Lifting another mans rod is just not done JW

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Defo the apprentices' fish. No poaching here!


nice wrasse

You would say that! ("Your" specimen painted ray on my rod, I haven't forgotten)

Good read the apprentice is definitely with the dark side, taking your rod and claiming the fish, ruthless stuff sounds like a good session, we’ll done.

Deadly report. Well done.
I'm in kilmuckeridge at the moment. Where's the infamous lane

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