Dingle - Castle Gregory

This is my first post on this great forum, so be gentle with me :)

I am staying at Castle Grogory for a week as from Saturday, and I have been told this forum is one of the best places to get tips and info on the area.

We are planning to fish for Rays, Bullies, Bass and Flatties and as many different species as we can catch from the shore.

Is the area fishing ok at the moment and which marks could offer up lots of species?
We are not sure on what states of the tide are best on the marks near or around Castle Gregory.

Any help would be gratefully received.

A little early maybe for Castlegregory but you should still pull some rays in darkness from either pier. The plaice tend to come in July down there but that's not to say you won't pick one up. Other good marks for Ray include below Dingle light house, Tralee Bay and Fenit, Brandon and Stradbally. These are no more than 20 minutes drive from Castlegregory. I suggest you have a look at some of the shore angling reports for more up to date info.

For Mullet, Dingle Harbour and bay is by far the best spot. Tuck your self in behind the Skelligs Hotel at low water and there should be plenty of fish rising. Another good mark is behind the west pier. Also I would recommend a spot of Conger bashing from Dingle Harbour at night. There is a hot water outflow half way up the west pier and it holds plenty of them in darkness.

The only huss I have caught around the Dingle Penninsula have been in the boat but I am sure someone else may have a good mark for them. I know the rocky outcrop up past the far pier in Castlegregory holds them just we have never got any.

For flatties you can literally go anywhere sandy or muddy. Dingle harbour holds Flounders, all the surf beaches on the Brandon side will produce almost every type of flatfish available. Always try to dig lug locally from areas like Cloghane estuary, super bait down there when targetting Brill, Turbot, Bass etc.. Cloghane itself is possible a venue that you would be likely to pick up a flounder in excess of 2lb's.

Anyways that's a quick summary.

Tight Lines,
Rob.

Hi mullet man caught one small thornback ray off the beach near sandy bay caravan park on Saturday using mackeral on a paternoster rig fished in reasonably close (just lobbed it out )

was fishing on the bank of stones to the left of the beach, just beyond the buoy

mullet or something swimming within 10 feet of the shore (they jumped up right in front of me)

All on the rising tide

caught a flounder there on monday using lug, on the beach its self.

Mullet man,

Haven't had great success at Castlegregory yet. However one or two small painted are starting to make an appearance.

The best of the ray fishing In Tralee at the moment is around Fenit. Had thornies to 11, undulates to low doubles and a 40lb stinger last week. All fish fell to either mackerel or fresh launce. Lot's of gars have moved into the beaches also so keep an eye out for them.

Haven't done much bassing as of yet. My first plugging session just north of Tralee 2 weeks ago produced nothing. It should be picking up now though and I have heard reports of a 7lb+ fish taken near Inch popping not so long ago.

Try Deelis (a few miles towards Tralee from Castlegregory) for your best chance of a huss after dark.

Everywhere seems to be full of flatties at the moment with crab taking the vast majority of my fish. Inch has been stuffed with them in moderate surfs.

Check out my site, it hasn't been updated in months but I'm hoping to post up a big update (all the work is done) over the weekend.

Liam

Many thanks to you all. I can see that there is so much to choose from, we'll just have to stay another week to try and get around them..... :D

When you say around Fenit is that on the Viaduct? I have seen a report from one other poster to say the end of the pier was closed off. :cry:
Is that still the case?

I guess we need to narrow it down a bit for our best chances of success, so if the marks are on shore and not on the pier, maybe you could point us in the right direction :wink:

With the tides the way they are falling, I think we won't get much sleep :shock:

Again my thanks to all who have replied, much appreciated.

If you get down to the beaches over the next week and see two blokes looking horribly tired but very happy, it may be us!!

Cheers
Here's to big fish, whiskey and fishing :D

Hi,

As you head out from castlegregory towards the Maherees/Fahamore, you will come to an S bend (it’s a bridge in fact). Park your car just after/before the bridge (without blocking the road in any way – the old bill don’t take to kindly to it!), and walk onto the beach on the Tralee Bay side of the road. This spot produces Rays from mid tide up. You’ll know you’re in the right area if you are fishing near a small stream.

If things aren’t going well you can always head across the other side of the road and fish the back beach (i.e. Brandon Bay) for bass and flatties. Sandeel on a short snood paternoster is your best bet for bass, and the beach fishes best here either side of high water in a reasonable surf. Surfers can be a pain in the a** though. If they are out in force, just move left down the beach. There’s a decent chance of a sea trout here too.

Failing that try fishing Gawlaine or Kilcummin which are part of the Brandon beaches on the road to Dingle. Good chance of flounder, bass and painted rays here. Again sandeel is a good bait. Again don’t obscure the entrance to the beach or the farmer will go nuts! And don’t even think of driving on to the beach unless you have a 4x4.

Best of luck anyway, I’m green with envy!

Alternatively, go past the bridge and pass the two caravan parks on your left then as the road sweeps into a long left hand bend there is a big layby on your right looking back into Tralee Bay. Very comfortable fishing over high water for same species as the Trench. Need a big tide though 4 metres plus really.

Same can be said for the back beach on the opposite side. Fishing off the stones here over high water in a surf but you need bigger tides - maybe towards the end of your stay. Surfers here and at Gowlane are a real pain - chronic. Kilcummin either side of LW is lovely and that little bit quieter.

If you're looking for surf in Brandon Bay then the following rule generally applies it's smallest at Fermoyle and incresing through Kilcummin, Gowlane, Stradbally and onto the Back Beach. A good bend in the beach at Gowlane helps through up some surf in calmer conditions - which is why the feckin surfers love it so much. Kilcummin has a lovely stream and Stradbally has some deep holes and a good lateral tide run so watch out if you're deep wading. All in all, everything you could possibly want and all at different points on one length of strom beach :-)

Enjoy!
Liam