Garfish in the Shannon Estuary

I was wondering about targeting garfish in the Shannon Estuary. I don't know about using standard float fishing tactics with the tide being so strong. I know Glin has some but I've never targeted them. I thought about spinning but does it matter the water is so murky?
What lures should be used?
Whats the best way to setup flyer rigs?
What time of year do they get caught in the Estuary?
Do any marks besides glin in the Estuary produce them?

Donagh

Use a slider float rig, simple thing to use, old match fishing trick.

Cast out as per standard after the rays or whatever and ensure the rod is nice and steady. Clip on a small float rig trace and let it slide down the main line -- it will fish away from the main line but near the surface where the gars are likely to be. Thin strip of belly mackerel onto a size 1 is about right. To make sure it fishes well away from the main line, leave the float a few feet off from the clip or link swivel you use to attach to the main line. One important point is on the retrieve, to avoid tangles, put a bead as far up above the main line to trace connection as you dare - this will keep the float rig from tangling (too much) with the main trace rig...

HTH

There was a comp held on Glin back in 2002 where it was one with 30+ Gars. They caught them using spinning gear!.

We have caugtht them off Loop head and Tarbert. Off the boat there is nothing better than creating a slick of chop fish and casting out a float or shrimp trace with no lead, allowing it to flow in the tide. Glin from the Shore however I would try the slider option as Kieren points out or spin for them.

I did try out a flyer rig last season but sliding a float down the line in glin when fishing at any reasonable distance the flyer rig gets stuck before tuching the water. Its really more for fishing from piers or rock marks. I was thinking about a flyer rig thats cast out floats up the line but I'm not sure of the best way to set this up.

Donagh

Perhaps a stepladder would help Donagh :shock: :lol: .

A bubble float would be a good work around?

Hi Robert,

Do you mean that the bubble float would got down easier or would be easier to cast with end tackle?

I heard a story and I'm not sure how true it is about a big competition in glin run by the Limerick sac in Glinwhere the Tralee bay lads wiped the board catching gars there. Next Limerick AGM gars were made a no count species :lol:

Donagh

That story about the competition is true the tralee lads had fished the venues the week before and walked the competition, the venues where the gars were caught were Glin and barrett strand.
The clothes line rig is the best way to fish for gars and it can be used in a fast tide run, i use it in the estuary for gars with no problems.

Slide rig would be my choice, or, if there was no side pull on the tide a teaser rig with a plastic bottle pluged with a sinker and 3 booms trailing off is very effective too.

My slant on Gars being banned from matches is, I think its wrong, if an angler doesnt want to fish for them fine, if he moans on about being beaten by Gars, then he should learn how to fish for them, they're fish arent they. some give full length points, that makes them well worth while, if they wanted to give them standard points like they do with dogs, thats ok too.....but to ban them all together has to be wrong, could even be cowardly.

Tom.

If floats are allowed, you could try the Ventry rig. You will need some stiff anti tangle tubing (Anglers World in Navan sell it for carp rigs). You then need two floats that will slot into the anti tangle tubing and swivels that fit around the tubing to take the snoods. Two 30-90 cm snoods are attached above the floats but you should make sure that there is enough anti-tangle tubing to cover the length of the snoods. The lot is assembled above the trace knot and slides freely as one unit on the leader. A single hook clipped rig can be fished below. Cast out and the floats will take the two garfish snoods back as far as the leader knot or the surface. The baits will be fished in the top 30-90 cm of water. It you want to get really slick, you can PVA the sliding unit to make it more aerodynamic.

cooke, on the ventry rig etc is there any chance you could email me a photo of the set up? i dont have much need to fish gars etc much as the fishing up here is crap enough! but it would be a good addition to my knowledge to know how it works correctly plus how to tie it up with the aid of photos
thanks, phil

I'm bit confused as some of the terms are new to me like clothes line rig and teaser rig and I can't quite visualise the ventry rig. I'm sure they'll come up in angling mags so I'll keep my eyes open.

Thanks for your replies.

Donagh

Just go down the first day in August to Glin with a spinning rod suitable for trout and around 5lbs line using a small german sprat or trout meps fish till October and im sure you will hit them if they come in some time or other as they come in and usually stay till the water cools down and sprat shoals are depleted :idea:

I don't have a handy photo of the completed Ventry rig. I have posted a picture of the floats and tubing taken while I was experimenting. Add a swivel for the snood above the floats and tubing below the bottom float and you have the complete set up. I will scan in a sketch when I have an opportunity.

Donagh,

I still dont know how to post pictures on here....send me a PM and I will send you a few different diagrams I have for Garfish rigs.

Tom.

Thanks for the extra replies. I'll pm you Rockhopper.

Donagh