Will your favourite east coast beach be the same this season

In nearly every recent report people have been mentioning how far the waves have been coming up the east coast beaches, and all these easterly winds and rough seas must be making a permanent impact on the beach structure.

Will this have a significant affect on how the marks fish this year? Would this not completely negate any detailed catch reports that people have been logging for years?

Heres a perfect example of what i mean. both photos where taken within two weeks of each other. they are completely different beaches now

This is the before pic. You can clearly see its a nice sandy beach and the platform structures steps are about 2.5 feet from the top step to the sand



This was taken on Saturday from a different angle. The beach is now a boulder beach and the top step is nearly 6 foot to the sand.

That's nuts! I was speaking to my father this morning and he was down on Cahore south beach yesterday (below the castle) and he said I wouldn't recognise it. Alot of errosion in the last couple of months.

is that a box and a bag i see in the second pic????

is that a box and a bag i see in the second pic????

Ha ha yep, it was pretty heavy with all those extra leads. My god the walk back up to the car is a killer too

The same has happened on Roney point in Wexford it's completely changed

is that a box and a bag i see in the second pic????

Ha ha yep, it was pretty heavy with all those extra leads. My god the walk back up to the car is a killer too

Those steps are heart attack material with all the bait gear

Leaving aside coastal erosion east coast beaches have changed for the worst in terms of fishing, big time.

Back in the seventies I remember catching large wrasse in front of the concrete structure at Whiterock. Depending on the prevailing wind the beach would shallow or deepen accordingly. When the sand was washed out a line of rocks about 20 - 30 meters in width would be exposed from the Whiterock back towards the concrete platform.

When snorkaling one could observe pollack and bass swimming over these rocks at high tide and the sand outside was pock marked with big lugworm casts. Flatfish abounded, we used to catch great flounder off Whiterock and occasional large plaice, the latter of which were a common catch further around towards Killiney station, especially 100 meters north of the steps down fron the Holy Child convent.

Codling were a feature from August onwards especially over evening tides, as were coalfish. Dogfish were rare, that is unless an east wind blew, but became more common as the clean fish diminished through the late seventies and early eighties.

I'm not being nostalgic, the photos reminded me of what a great beach for fishing Whiterock was. In a seperate thread above a contributor wishes they had a particular fishing book so as to remind them what fishing was like. Me, I'd just like the fishing back thanks very much.

Interesting observation. I'm curious as to how these marks will fish when conditions have settled down a bit.

I was unfortunately not alive in the 60's and 70's and was too young to fish the 80's but from what i've read, the fishing looked amazing.

Being a fisherman of this generation, i'm trying to be as optimistic as i can with what i have. Whiterock still appeals to me. I haven't caught anything ther yet but it reminds me of a beach i read about in "hooked on bass". There is a boulder beach, which mike fishes at night, in pure darkness on bait while holding the rod old school like. the bass ambush small fish from behind the rocks and boulders and this is where he was catching them. this is something i'd love to replicate there. the low water spring tide photos will also assist when wading out to the south end in search of pollock or at least i'm hoping.

I know people on this site are not keen on sharing reports of when a mark is fishing well, but i think more people should share photos and info on the conditions of ur beaches. it would be great to see regular photo's going up so members can get a better idea of how a mark they are planning on visiting or trying out currently looks. The argument would that this is the point of a forum.

As for white rock, below are some low water photos and high waters photos taken in front of the cave. these may be useful if anyone is planning a trip down there.

first is the high water pic



next two are from the same spot when the tide was out







The next two are very interesting pics taken between 2012 and last weekend on Courtown north beach. Last year courtown north beach was a gently sloping beach, with a river adding in some salinity. sandy foreshore, would make one think the beach slopes gradually and there is no evidence of a sandbar.

here is the 2012 photo



In the more recent photo after the storms, the beach is now covered in shingle, evidence that the beach is now much steeper and deeper close in (slough) followed by a sandbar close in which you can clearly see in the photo. basically this is a completely different beach than it was 12 monthes ago

The last time that I fished Whiterock was mid summer 2002, successfully evening lure fishing for bass over high water.

The ground fishing had gone to pot then and judging by occasional reports posted on this site referencing Killiney it's no better.

That said, bass should be a fixture dependant on conditions whether ledgering a big dead bait or lure fishing.

"Being a fisherman of this generation, i'm trying to be as optimistic as i can with what i have". JHCabs, your optimism will only be rewarded by speaking out. There are beaches, rock marks, piers, et al, dotted around this country which look fishy but disappoint. Likewise there are a few beaches, rock marks, piers, et al that will give you early 1970's style fishing, however the operative word is few and you will have to travel.

By 1970's fishing I mean a range of species available from the one mark which reach a high average size, I'm not talking about targeting specimen flounder from a particular estuary or stingray's from a particular coastal bay. For example one such mark I can think of has yielded and continues to yield pollack (4.lb+), coalfish (2.lb+), wrasse (3.lb+), mackerel, scad, mullet (specimen size), codling (4.lb+), and dab (specimen size).

Once upon a time in the not to recent past Whiterock could certainly deliver six of the above with similar weight averages.

I do not have a negative bone in my body, I'm just a realist with 52 years under the belt. Since 2007 when I returned to the sea angling fold I've kept an angling diary www.anirishanglersworld.com and the fishing, even the good stuff, year on year has continued to disimprove. Only by speaking out will we safeguard what we have, and if we are lucky enable fish to return and populate obvious fish holding habitats like Whiterock.

Enjoy your fishing and keep the faith.......

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The last time that I fished Whiterock was mid summer 2002, successfully evening lure fishing for Bass over high water.

The ground fishing had gone to pot then and judging by occasional reports posted on this site referencing Killiney it's no better.

That said, Bass should be a fixture dependant on conditions whether ledgering a big dead bait or lure fishing.

"Being a fisherman of this generation, i'm trying to be as optimistic as i can with what i have". JHCabs, your optimism will only be rewarded by speaking out. There are beaches, rock marks, piers, et al, dotted around this country which look fishy but disappoint. Likewise there are a few beaches, rock marks, piers, et al that will give you early 1970's style fishing, however the operative word is few and you will have to travel.

By 1970's fishing I mean a range of species available from the one mark which reach a high average size, I'm not talking about targeting specimen flounder from a particular estuary or stingray's from a particular coastal bay. For example one such mark I can think of has yielded and continues to yield pollack (4.lb+), coalfish (2.lb+), wrasse (3.lb+), mackerel, scad, mullet (specimen size), codling (4.lb+), and dab (specimen size).

Once upon a time in the not to recent past Whiterock could certainly deliver six of the above with similar weight averages.

I do not have a negative bone in my body, I'm just a realist with 52 years under the belt. Since 2007 when I returned to the sea angling fold I've kept an angling diary http://www.anirishanglersworld.com and the fishing, even the good stuff, year on year has continued to disimprove. Only by speaking out will we safeguard what we have, and if we are lucky enable fish to return and populate obvious fish holding habitats like Whiterock.

Enjoy your fishing and keep the faith.......

Thanks Ashley,

I didn't realise http://www.anirishanglersworld.com was yourself. I'm a big fan

I would normally consider myself an optimist, but sometimes with angling i guess i can be slightly in denial.

I choose the glass half full approach to keep me motivated, but i also enjoy a challenge. I wouldn't want it to be too easy, or fruitless.

I totally agree though, that its up to us as the current sea angling community to speak out for the next generations sake.

As for Whiterock, It's just one of the many marks i want to explore this year. If i don't get anything at least its only a few minutes from my house and i got some practice