King ragworm

Hi Bigden, Tanglerat et al

With all the freshwater rivers and streams emptying into Clew Bay, you would imagine there would be loads of ragworm but they are simply not there. I've always associated them with sewage and rotting vegetation and the place is just too clean :D not that I am complaining you understand. There is one spot, a pier cum harbour in amongst the islands that I will try when I get time but I am not holding out much hope.

You get very small whites in the lugworm beds on occassion but that is about it. I've dug superb lugworm from afew inches down in the cockle strand (a shingle and rough shell bed) behind bertra beach that screams ragworm and yet there was not a single ragworm to the had at any depth, and I've been down a metre with a fork, just to be sure to be sure!

I like the idea of seeding a colony somewhere but since there are small isolated patches of them somwehere, one can only assume that they are where they are because these are the only locations where they can survive. After five years here I am still a blow-in and not priviledged to such highly valueable information :wink: Maybe on my death bed :roll:

I know there is a location somewhere near Achill but have not found it yet.

Any of the guests lurking out there who would like to help us in the quest for western ragworm can email or PM me, and I promise I will not publish the details here or anywhere else. In return I can give you directions to black lugworm beds that are accessible at everything but very high water.

Are yez going to make a grown man beg? :D ...

A couple of weeks back I found a few king rag in West Cork. Probably not the done thing to say exactly where, but if you were to take Union Hall as a starting point you wouldn't be too far out.

in my local shop its 5 yoyo 4 bout 25 / 30 depending on size is tat good or bad

reasonable enough these days. better off diggin them if you can. different size worms for different species/times of year/presentations...