Calliso Bay, West Waterford - 7th September 2008

People: Me

Duration: 3.00 - 5.15 pm

Tide: LW at 5.00 pm

Weather: Dry, partly sunny, very calm

Bait: Rag, razor, mackerel, sandeel

Rigs: Two hook flappers (size 1/0 and 1)

Results: 1 sea scorpion, 2 corkwing wrasse




Report: I had to bring some people to Youghal hospital for visiting on Sunday afternoon. After dropping them off I headed down to the pier in Youghal - the previous Sunday the bay had been alive with mackerel - but all the rain over the preceeding few days had flushed them out. Althought there was still a few optimistic mack bashers wasting their time there. I contemplated some flounder fishing but reckoned there was too much fresh water flowing through the bay, plus I didn't have any peeler crab so without that all I would be doing would be feeding the crabs.

I decided to try Calliso Bay - the tides were not great and the sea was dead calm - like a lake - but I had a few hours pass so I gave it a go anyway although I was not hopeful of catching anything.

After about 20 minutes there was a slight quiver on the rod tip - I retrieved but thought there was nothing there, until I had the tackle out of the water and found there was a small sea scorpion on the hook - it must have been the smallest fish I ever caught, taken on rag.

So I was happy with that - I had been expecting to blank.

A little later there was a stronger knock on the rod - this time it was a small corkwing wrasse again taken on rag. I had a few missed bites after that - then got another Corkwing again on rag.

So while nothing to get excited about it was better than I was expecting. I will have to try that bay again on a good rising tide. Has anybody on the site any experience of fishing there?

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Have fished there a few times but have given up on the place. I always seem to loose a pile of tackle in this place, it seems that there is a shelf there. I have picked up a few fish along the way though, dogs, sea scorpions flounders. Also there seems to be unmarked pots in the area at times and have got caught on their linking ropes. As i said i have given up on the place.

Hope you have plenty of lead at your disposal rockhunter.fish the area now and then and it can throw up a decent fish,bass on the plug and on a large crab baits.walk to right of beach until you see ruins of a house behind you,ground cleanish directly out from it.mangans cove just around the corner can also throw up a good bass to plugging tactics.

Thanks guys,
I did get snagged a few times but as I was using 30 lb line and managed pull out without loosing any tackle, just straightened out a few hooks

Most of the time I was just casting very short as the beach shelves steeply you are into deepish water just a few meters from the waterline - the snags were further out.

It is very snaggy down there, but there are a couple of clear patches, one to your left after you've parked up ( about 30ft from the signs ) and then way off to your right.
Most of the people who hit calliso bay for bass either float fish or spin from the rocks on either side because the water gets fairly deep close to the shore because of the shelf.
Crab would be the best bait here for ground fishing and if you liked this beach then mangans cove is worth trying.

Thanks Tom,
I was fishing on the left side of the beach - but probably not as far left as you recommend.
I will definitely give it another shot someday soon on a rising tide.

Hi rockhunter you were saying there was too much fresh water in the bay for flounder fishing i dont think it would have any effect on it coz flounders actually like fresh water, like they can be caught way up the black water in fresh water, my uncle has often caught them while trout and salmon fishing

Hi Tom1,

I am sure you are right on the flounder - but on Sunday there was a swift flow of dark brown water past the pier - maybe a lot of bog water washed from the Knockmealdown Mountains? - I thought it might be rather acidic - it did not look very conducive to fishing.

However, the main reason I didn't fish for flounder off the pier was because I didn't have any peeler crab. In the past I have tried bottom fishing there with other baits but they only last minutes before they are devoured by the crabs.