Donegal Bay, 14/15th July 2024

Finally, two decent days and I was free to avail of them!
Sunday 14th. Tides weren’t perfect, a short day to allow launch and retrieve at a tidal slipway and neap tides with light winds . But beggars can’t be choosers so the car and boat were loaded with breakdown kit, fishing gear and a change of clothing for the two days. An uneventful run to the slip, comfortable launch, car and trailer parked up nicely and off I went. I passed a couple of small boats jigging for mackerel and was encouraged to see them succeed. First drop down and I was into fish, two small tub gurnards on the feathers though one slipped the hook as I was about to lift them into the boat. Fortunately I soon gathered about 10 smallish mackerel, more than enough when added to the box of frozen squid I had. With bait secured, I headed for my chosen mark to try for rays and possibly a smooth hound, if they are as fond of squid as I have been told. The drift was very slow, too slow to cover the ground effectively. There’s a lot of seabed down there for the fish to choose from! The fishing was slow but eventually I ended up with 5 thornbacks, best going 4lb 9oz, and two small spotted rays to 2lb. 3 doggies added to the tally but no sign of smoothies. I made it back to the slip with just enough water to get the boat back on the trailer; it’s amazing how much entertainment an eejit winching a boat onto a trailer provides to the public!

Monday 15th. I left today’s choice of slipway in glorious sunshine and using a few of the mackerel from yesterday, I started fishing straight away, I could top up the mackerel supply later….if needed! Again, the drift was almost non-existent and the fishing was very slow. My first mark produced only a small grey gurnard and one other bite which failed to develop, disappointing as this mark in previous years provided lots of activity with plenty of dabs, reasonable numbers of turbot, gurnard, spotty rays and doggies. As I headed to the next mark I was entertained by a pod of dolphins travelling in the same direction as myself. I got to the mark and was soon rewarded by a small thorny followed by a doggie and a small spotty ray. A drop of baited feathers turned up a double of red gurnard and mackerel. After another couple of doggies, things ground to a halt. I moved to a new spot, a rocky mark, and switched to a shad and was easily able to keep close to the bottom in the very slow drift. Something half decent (at least by today’s standards) hit the shad and put a satisfying bend in the rod. It gave a series of thumps but let go about half way up, probably a cod? Sadly the shad snagged on the next drift, it was my last of that colour. Next stop was a fairly deep mark, a ridge of rock in about 200ft depth. It produced plenty of bites but most seemed to be from poorcod with a couple of cuckoo wrasse and one whiting for variety. There were signs of a change in the weather, the breeze was building and the sky was grey so, overwhelmed by mediocrity, I called it a day. I was soon about 99% ready for the drive home, of course I thought I was 100% ready. But barely 1 mile along the road I thought the car behind was flashing his lights at me; first instinct was " I'm going as fast as I can, there's no room to pull over to let you pass, just wait your turn etc" But as he got past me he was displaying hazard lights, then left indicator and the passenger had his arm out the window waving me over. I pulled onto the hard shoulder to find the lighting board trailing behind, flex broken and half the light assemblies gone. I did what I could and got back on the move again. About an hour and a half later, with the light starting to fade and everyone with their lights on, an unmarked police car passed me and suddenly the red and blue lights start flashing and the siren blares. Fortunately they weren't after me but the motorbike that had whizzed past a few moments ago. Sure enough, a mile up the road, they were pulled over having a nice little chat...which seemed to involve some paperwork! Have you seen the price of lighting boards, a speeding ticket might be cheaper.

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The customary extra pics;

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as he got past me he was displaying hazard lights, then left indicator and the passenger had his arm out the window waving me over. I pulled onto the hard shoulder to find the lighting board trailing behind, flex broken and half the light assemblies gone

Ah crap

nice pics of the dolphins all the same..

Great pic of the dolphins alright and the fishorish all sorts