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Kilkee, Co. Clare Kilkee is a traditional holiday village nestled into a bay facing the Atlantic Ocean.  About an hour from Limerick, but through Ennis (where the traffic can be awful!), Kilkee has a very well developed tourism infrastructure that offers entertainment, good food, accommodation and craic to suit all budgets.  A big swell and following wind produces a spectacular show off the rocks and sea cliffs down near the golf course, but this is not where the fishing is...

How is the fishing?

Bottom fishing from the rocks to the South of the little bay (pictured above, under the houses) will produce Bass and Flatfish all year round.  Flounder are the predominant species, usually taken off lugworm dug from around Quilty (further north).  Crab is a killing bait but you have to collect it yourself!  Dabs and the odd Plaice will be taken in the summer months using the same legering technique.  The Bass tend to be big solitary creatures - the current Irish record came from just up the coast last year.  They are there...  In summer these same rocks can produce Pollack and Mackerel to spinning techniques, with lots of Triggerfish reported in from late July or August onwards.and taken on float fished worm or mackerel strip along with Wrasse.  Very large Mullet have been reported swimming freely in the bay and they can be caught using ground baiting and float fished break flake.  Incidentally sweet corn is now considered an excellent Wrasse bait (!) and the Mullet will happily hoover it up as well - if you run out of bait, try pulling some of the larger mussels or limpets off the rocks and they will generate bites as well.  It is well worth noting that the bay funnels in the sea, generating massive swells on calm days - be careful!

The small harbour to the North is usually limited to small Pollack, Coalfish, Wrasse and Mackerel in season.  Conger Eels will come out at night, especially during the summer and in low water conditions.  Similar methods and baist to those described above will produce the results however this northern mini-mark seems to offer less but more popular fishing.

Bait in the form of lugworm and crabs can be found on the black shore under Quilty further north.  The nearest tackle shops are in Ennis and Limerick, although Patrick Cleary operates a small shop from Spanish Point on (065) 7084037.  Heading east, and a bit closer Michael O' Sullivan is based in Kilrush on Moore Street, on (065) 9051071.

Probabilities: Flounder, Coalfish, Conger Eels (resident)

Possibilities: Mackerel, Wrasse, Pollack, Mullet (summer) 

Rare Exceptions: Dabs, Plaice, Bull Huss, Mullet (summer)