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The Cat Rock, Balscadden, Howth, Co. Dublin.  You can just about make out the concrete forming an informal swimming pool at the Cat Rock - it lies at the base of the cliff above the word "Balscadden" in the picture above.  This is the rock before Ballscadden low rocks marked by "Dangerous Cliffs No Admittance".  The rock directly to the right is the Cat Rock, presumably so called because you will need feline reflexes to climb up and down it!  You have to walk out along the line of the concrete swimming pool, at low water, in order to access the rock itself.

Our thanks to George from the forum incidentally for collecting the information on this mark and bringing it to our attention.

Steve O'Hanlon reports "numerous dogfish, a rockling and a weaver... Having said that we have never blanked here in 3 (drinking!) sessions. I'm postive that wrasse could be taken here on the float, especially if you use small hardback crabs for bait. Try and fish the bait hard up against cat rock and you should have a fish or two. Pollack are a possibility if you can spin with sandeel. The beach close by was a bass mark in years gone by, and I did wonder if the rocky area to the left of cat rock could produce one when plugging. Peeler crab might be a good bet too... Every evening we spent there last summer huge shoals of sandeel could be seen on the surface beside the swimming pool, so I guess if there are large numbers of sandeel, predators are bound to follow. Sorry I can't be of more help, but as I said I've never really seriously fished this place. I would always consider Devils rock and the Bailey area to be far superior, and have concentrated my fishing there. We were using simple two hook (1/0) paternosters.  Bait was Ragworm tipped with Mackeral. As I recall the doggies all came to baits sprayed with WD40. There's no need to cast far, in fact it's best to stick to the rougher ground to the left of the rock, about 40-50 metres out. You may lose a few rigs but it's worth it to catch a few fish"  

Probabilities: Dogfish, Conger, Coalfish; (summer) Pollack, Mackerel; (winter) Whiting, Codling

Possibilities: Ballen Wrasse, Three Bearded Rockling, Lesser Weaverfish

Rare Exceptions: Red Gurnard, Flounder, Dab, Poor Cod