Fahan 30-6-07
People:
The Kematche Clan (Me and 2 brothers)
Bait:
Rag, Mackerel, Sandeel, Peeler Crab
Rigs:
Pulley, Penhill, 3 hook clipped down and flappers
Results: Thornback Ray, Tub Gurnard, Dogfish and Huss
Catch and Release: Yes
Report:
Thinking that I was going to cancel this trip my brothers phoned me and asked if I was still going on the Saturday. We had arranged to leave my eldest brothers house around 6.30am and be in Fahan for 8am with him driving the A-Team bus. After leaving most of the bad weather in Belfast. We arrived in Donegal at 8am.
Both of my older brothers don’t fish and I had to supply all rods, tackle and bait. After setting up camp and erecting the beach buddy I got the bro’s set up with pennel pulley’s and bait up and sent out a 100 yards to ‘just’ at the boys. Not much happened for a good hour or so.
Returning to the camp I started making up bait cocktail with mackerel and squid. Peeler crab was wrapped up with mackerel also. All the cocktails were injected with bait additive.
After a shouting and roaring of a very excited set of brothers I could see all three rods had indicated some kind of bite, I ran towards them(heart pumping), As I lifted my rod and reeling in what seemed to be a mile of slack line I finally made contact with the fish. At first I thought the copious amount of weed had dragged my lead down the beach but low and behold a very cheeky ray had broke the surface. To say I was delighted would be an understatement. It was a small enough ray with an estimate of about 4lb’s.
Both the brothers reeled in a set of doggies each. After a set of pictures of each of the fish and it’s captures they were all returned.
Not much happened for the next hour or two with the odd dogfish showing up. The tide was really started to reseed by now which allowed me to wade right out to chest height and cast all the rods into the main channel. With the Polaroid’s trying to look for some dark deep gullies we seemed to find a real cracker because the next hour produced some truly amazing fish.
With an almighty thump on my eldest brother’s rod he lifted into the fish and it was the first time I have seen the fella struggle (6ft3 and built like a brick ??) me and the other brother were by this stage laughing like mad at him playing this fish with every turn of the handle the fish taking another two. (This is the same fella that caught a 20lb conger of Portstewart rocks when we were 16). Finally after about 20 mins he brought in a very angry Bull Huss. I would say it was about 11 lb maybe pushing 12 lb. I must say it took forever to get the hook out of this fella with him taking a really big dislike to my other brother. Lol, Returned safely he stayed around in the shallows for a while with him attacking my boots every time I entered the water.
In all the excitement me and the other brother didn’t realise we had very slack line. The other bro reeled in a chewed line with me reeling in another ray. This one was a bit more ‘weighty’ which I would estimate about 5lb maybe pushing 6lb. The biggest surprise of the day came with a tub gurnard taking a squid/mackerel cocktail and the furthest range I could cast into the Lough. This weighed in about 2 ½ lb. It was quickly released with a couple of photo’s taken.
It was a great day and a real surprise to get the brothers out fishing. Some real quality fish taken. The funniest quote of the day was ‘can you get ?????? sharks I here’. I think waders are an absolute must here to get some distance into the bay. I think we will be back. All photo’s our on my brothers phone so will have to get them off him first
[/u]
Last edited by round_ourway on Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.