Northern Clew Bay, 8th May 2005

northern shores Clew Bay 8th May NNW veering WNW force 4/5 dropping force 2, LW at 12 noon, 4.5 metre tide blustery sunshine

Brought six french anglers fishing on northern clew bay owing to the winds. Launched from Malranny with some difficulty as they have buggered up the harbour for boats from anything from mid water down. They only fish lures - mostly a brand called Illex (wow - would really love some please!) and they refusd to consider fishing anything other than lures all day...

Produced 1 sea trout, returned 23 cms, a load of pollack up to > 2 kilos, and about 10 mackerel, all in dribs and drabs, but to a very decent size, most > 500 grams. Also produced a solitary "vieux" or ballen wrasse of around 1 kilo on the very final cast. Brought them to several key marks, all marks I know produce pollack, and got absolutely nothing. The water was alive with echo soundings of small fish but could not locate any predators. Was trying to get out to rocks mid way to Clare Island but the waves were too big for the 5 metre centre console I was driving, nice boat.

Burnt to a crisp, by the wind, a very average day's fishing but they did insist on only using lures. Would have loved to be able to bottom fish...

Such is la vie etc. BTW, anyone find illex lures here, please pm me...

Kieran, great sight, very informative. I normaly fish mulagmore, sligo bay and killala but am hoping to try clew bay this year, any tips where to start? decent slip? what species?

cheers steve

Hi Steve

It very much depends on the size of boat and type of trailer. We were using a 5 metre Jenneau with a 60 hp and a breakback trailer. We launched at Mulranny at half water on a high tide and it was very difficult. Mulranny is now heavily silted up and only safe for an hour either side of high water now. There are slips on either side of Clew Bay but most are in poor condition. If you can launch off sand, then you have any number of car accessible beaches to choose from... for starters pick north or south. RSVP and I will pm you the options...

As for the fishing, only 40 species m8! Inshore around the islands you have several types of ray, bull huss, dogfish, three types of gurnard (small), flatfish, small pollack and wrasse, mackerel, scad at night in the deeper water and at the mouth of westport harbour and elsewhere you can have a go for MGH's pet skate. Sea trout on the beaches.

Coalfish and conger eels are resident all year round.

Further west, you get into deeper waters, with bigger pollack, codling/cod, haddock, ling, scad, cuckoo wrasse, ballen wrasse, octopus (seriously) all available over rough ground, all the flatfish including decent turbot (see the gallery pages), far bigger tub gurnard available of mixed and sandy ground, and exotics like john dory, triggerfish, and the odd bream later in the year. You can also pick up odd fish like megrim (over mud) and rumours of halibut - blue and porbeagle shark from June or July depending on the weather and there are blue fin tuna on the charters from October.

Clew Bay west of Achill is the Atlantic Ocean and demands respect. Clew Bay east of Achill is still a big wide open piece of water... Clew Bay in amongst the islands lets you fish in reasonable comfort (it cvan be very choppy in the shallower places) even in force 5 - not that I would, but it can be done. RSVP on your preferences...

Kieran
thanks for prompt reply, never launnched of beach before so not sure but i dont need much water , i was told rosmoney slip was ok, what do you think? it wouldnlt be as far to trail boat either. As for species would like to try for huss, ray, pollack,codling, ling and would love to try for turbot. Are these available east of clare island?
cheers
steve

Hi Steve

Rosmoney is okay but tidal. It can be a long "steam" however through the islands (a maze) from Rosmoney to get wherever you are going...

The ling are a deep and fast moving water species, and the turbot only like strongly tidal and not brackish water beaches - no chance of either in or around Rosmoney. I will check whether you can launch at Roonagh or Carrowmore, both west of Westport on the southern shore which will give you a chance at both. On the northern shore there are slipways at An Corraun (very tidal), and at both Cloughmore Harbour (tidal, onto sand) and Purteen Harbour on Achill island itself, all ideal for pollack and codling.

Ray and huss can be taken from several marks around Rosmoney from the shore so no bother in a boat. Small pollack and codling arer possible around the entrance to Westport Harbour (out in the islands, its a bit of a misnomer). The admiralty chart will be essential and you will also need to pay keen attention to tide tables etc.

Flatfish including flounder, the odd plaice, and dabs (not in June or July) are taken alongside gurnard, red and grey, and dogfish by the horde all in and around the islands, to which you can add mullet and an odd sea trout.

HTH...

Kieran,

What was so special about the Illex lures?

I found their website, they also have a .com address reserved so maybe it's a relatively new company:

http://www.illex.fr/

The lad I was fishing with owns the company (!) and had boxes and boxes of new lures, presumably samples, but they looked absolutely spectacular...

thanks for all that Kieran, all sounds good except dogfish in hoards!!! when i come down youre welcome to come along if you like
cheers
steve

just noticed Adrians a leitrim man, cant be to far from me, have you a boat? where do you fish?
cheers
steve

Hi Steve,

I don't have a sea going vessel, I do most fishing inland. I do most sea fishing when on hols or around Mullaghmore when I get a chance (which is rare enough at the moment) we just had our 3rd child 2 weeks ago and all 3 are under 4 so they're a full time job on their own.