Sea Angling Ireland

Fishing report 4:

Date: 22/3/11

Time started: 6pm

Weather: pretty sunny, no wind (warm 13C daytime)

Tide: low at about 6pm and incoming thereafter (obviously)

Mark: The wall at the end of the west pier and just inside the harbour

Rods: two (four in total)

Rigs: various ledger things, one with added float

Hook sizes: 1, 2/0, 4/0 with trace.

Bait: Mackerel and a nice wedge

Time finished: 1030pm

Results: A small cod and a whiting (both before nightfall).

Other comments: A lot of small tugs and bait going missing. A guy came up and started asking questions which usually gets me suspicious but it turns out he'd been fishing there all his life and said that the place 90 degrees to my right was good for conger, by the steps inside the lip of the west pier. Also said that the middle of the harbour channel is good for flatfish. We were probably a bit early for the tide seeing as it was at its lowest around sunset. I'm not sure if my mate's screeming girlfriends and ridiculous pop tunes on the mobile phone scared the fish away. The water and wind were very still. From first experience of night fishing by the Irish sea in spring, tea flask and headlight are essential. Will definately try again on the right night tides for conger. Is there an accepted best method for putting mackerel onto hooks? I was cutting strips from top to bottom of the mackerel and trying to get each strip on the hook at least twice. The problem is the little fish were each the flesh off and leaving the skin. Also found the trace getting wrapped around the main line. How do you stop this ? Have started using 60lb leader on the weight which is improving cast (although distance doesn't always matter). Huge currents and turbulence at harbour mouth mid-tide, drops to still off the inside of the lips. Tempted to try Sorrento Point and the 40 foot.