Ballingwilling and Ballycotton, Co Cork, 01/01/2008

People: Me, John Andrew and Donal Domeney for a while

Duration: 14.30 - 22:00

Tide: HW 11.45

Weather: Overcast, mild, southerly breeze

Bait: frozen razorfish, crab, mackerel and fresh lug

Rigs: 3 hook flappers, pennel pulley rig

Results: painted ray and a dogfish to me, whiting to John




Report: got the nod on a good days fishing from the missus, so I got myself sorted out in the morning (no hangover 8) mulled wine and miller??) and headed off to east Cork to see what was doing.
Did a bit of a recce of all the beaches on the way down, but opted for Ballingwilling and then maybe further east.
Picked up the ray (to sandeel) just as I was packing up on Ballingwilling to head off to dig some lug and meet John for a fish further up the coast.
I was delighted, brand new species for me, first fish of the year. (like to get at least one new one per year, so the pressure was off first fish!)
Next venue was weedy when myself and John got there so we headed back to Ballingwilling.
Donal appeared down after dark. Took a wander down the beach to chat to him and upon my return had a dogfish (to lug). Think I missed an earlier bite whilst chatting to John, as my rod was flat out on the beach and the weight unset and bait missing (another ray maybe????)
After that all our baits coming back untouched. (although truth be told most of mine were coming back untouched before this apart from when I had a fish).
Myself and John headed down to Ballycotton about 8ish to try to pick up some whiting/coalies/conger for the 2008 species hunt, but best spots taken when we got there. One whiting to John, but not much else happening, so headed home.

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Nice fishing. I tried Ballycrennane beach not so long ago looks great but could'nt fish it properly because of weed.

nice one Lee.... next time i'm down i'm fishing with you.. that petekd fella didnt put me onto enough fish the last time i as down :lol: :twisted: :twisted:

Thanks guys,

Mus, yes Ballycrenane can be good, check back over the shore reports from last year (couple of legs of Munster gold medal there in conjunction with Ballinwilling and Garryvoe). Can be weedy alright although fine when I have fished there (only twice).

No problem Steve anytime, but not sure it'll do you any more good :lol: - who do you think has been showing me where to go recently?
I haven't been doing much good fishing with Pete lately anyway, couple of blanks and a coalie - gone are the glorious summer/autumn days of bass at our favourite beach mark.
He had to leave the county before I caught the ray...I know he was getting closer back to Cork as the day wore on - wonder if that's why the fishing went off........? :wink:

Well done on the ray Lee and in daylight too. Fair play.

Cheers Seaniebo.
lol - not just daylight, but January as well. Donal was telling me they were usually gone by mid November in years gone by. I was just hoping for some flats tbh. Just goes to show you never know....

Happy days Lee man, lovely coloured fish.
New species, caught out of season and out of the blue on the first day of the new year? Hate that!! Where do you go from now? The rest of the season can only disappoint!! :lol:

Thanks Blaker, that about sums it up. I was taking it as a good omen for the year - really hope it isn't the highlight :(

Nah Lee only pulling your leg, horribly jealous. I played in a rugby game once against Belvo in a semi final we were supposed to lose well. Our scrumhalf caught the opening kick off without breaking stride and ran in unopposed for a try within the first 4 or 5 seconds. We all go bananas and have a wee celebratory huddle as the conversion is being lined up. The ould priest coach wombles over, barges into the middle of the huddle and berates Hughesie for scoring saying "F**ks sake Hughes, the gameplan was to defend for the first 60 minutes and you go and score in the first minute! What are we meant to do for the rest of the game would ya tell me!" :lol:
Nothing wrong with starting off well and improving as you go on!

Great fishing there Lee. I'm jealous as hell :D Only ever had a Thornie and that was from a boat in the summer. I definitely hope to improve on that this year.

Superb looking fish, respect.

Cracking Ray Scotsman well done...

Nice one. Have not had shore ray in over 20 years :shock: But then have not been fishing any were that you could catch one..

Cheers Seaniebo.
lol - not just daylight, but January as well. Donal was telling me they were usually gone by mid November in years gone by. I was just hoping for some flats tbh. Just goes to show you never know....

Climate change my a*s catching a fish in daylight on the garryvoe the beaches is rear enough but catching a painted ray in Janurary needs an answer.
I ended up after in that small east Cork beach. Fished for about an hour with only a few rattels.

"The wind from the East is a beast and it fishes the least"

thanks again to all for the congrats, not sure I deserve it - more luck than skill :oops:

Donal - met a few guys in Ballycotton who'd been down at your other beach and had left it as nothing doing, tried to ring you to alert you to the fact, but kept going through to some answering thing, so could have saved you a wasted trip.

Nice fishing scotsman well done