SEA-ANGLING-IRELAND.ORG

everything you need to know, all on one site...

Saleens, Tramore, Co. Waterford.  As you head south on the main road from Waterford to Tramore, the R675, just short of the village itselt, there is a turn up a steep hill and to the left, makred with the "Coastal Route" sig.  Follow your nose to a pub and at that junction stick to the seaward (right) side. Continue driving south and you will come to another junction, this time leading up a hill.  Turn off to the right, taking care that you do not intercept oncoming traffic coming down the hill!  Another kilometre down this road and a sign points the way to Saleens, also referred to locally as "the river".  There is a small car park, which can get busy in the summer especially if the Bass are "in" - more anon...  If you are wondering where the anglers are, we were up behind the rods, sheltering from a force eight (8) north easterly gale!

What about the fishing?

There are three marks.  The first mark, pictured above, is the foreshore to the right of the car park.  It faces a shallow series of ever moving sand banks, ridges and gullies.  These channels are heavily weeded and a mix of rocks, shingle and sand.  Flounder country.  In summer vast shoals of mullet will turn the millpond surface into a swirling mass of fins.  The odd sea trout will plop past in the evening, and if there is a big tide and dirty water, especially if it coincides with dusk or dawn, the Bass can be found patrolling the area seeking out crabs.  This is a bait area, with crab traps plentiful the further you travel inland, and lugworm available in patches.  Respect other people's crab traps!

The second mark is the channel itself, known locally as "the river".  This channel displays exceptionally strong currents, both on the flooding and ebbing tide.  It is deep, weedy and snaggy.  Even a 175 gram grip lead will not keep even small baits on the bottom during the flood or ebb.  Most people spin here for Bass using small silver lures.  White eddystone plugs and eels seem to be the most popular choice.  If you could hold bottom, clearly you could contact the rafts of Flounder that migrate in and out of the backstrand area... and the Mullet and Sea Trout.  Some Coalfish have also been taken in the winter, and incredibly small Pollack will wander in after dark.

The final mark is on the "point", a fair walk up from the car park, and east along the beach.  This can be a very hit and miss affair as the sandbanks offshore change every winter.  Bass is the primary quarry, either to spinners or ideally sand eels.  Flounder will fall, as will the odd Plaice and Dab.  Codling are taken alongside Coalfish in the winter, and occassionally on the smaller tides you will pick up Whiting.  Strangely I have heard of no reports of Dogfish from this mark, ever!  This flounder was c. 1 kilo / 2 lbs.

In Tramore the newsagent on the western edge of the village has a limited supply of fishing tackle but for proper kit and baits try John O'Briens in Waterford City on (051) 844314.  There is another store, of the Army surplus variety, with an excellent tackle section and frozen bait on New Street opposite the new car park.

Probabilities: Bass, Flounder (resident); Mullet (summer).

Possibilities: Sea-trout (summer); Coalfish, Codling (winter).

Rare Exceptions: Plaice, Dab (resident);Whiting (winter).