Co. Waterford

People: Me and Melissa

Duration: 3.00 - 8.00 pm

Tide: HW at 4.00 pm

Weather: Calm, mild, sunny, dry, light northwesterly breeze

Bait: Lug, razor, mackerel, squid, sandeel

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, three and two hook flappers

Results: 4 Five Bearded Rocklings




Report: After having a rather poor session on Saturday I was hopeful of a better session on Sunday and decided to head Waterford direction again. However, the sea was dead calm. I decided to try a mark I fished for the first time in early January. I thought it might have potential for a variety of species.

I set up three rods and then sat down to relax in the sunshine. The rod tips remained motionless, the bait was coming back untouched. But I reckoned that by dusk there should be something biting. Sure enough as the sun was beginning to set (lovely sunset by the way) I had a knock on the rod with the 4/0 pennel but nothing was hooked. A little later there was a knock on the rod with the three hook flapper. At first I thought there was nothing there as there was no further movement. Then about ten minutes later I retrieved the line to change the bait and found a small five bearded rockling only about 17 cm long on one of the hooks.

A little later there was a stronger knock on the rod with the two hook flapper (size 1/0 hooks) and I reeled in another five bearded rockling - although this one was a bit bigger at about 26 cm.

Two more small five bearded rocklings followed. All were caught on mackerel, and one on mackerel tipped with sandeel sliver.

I packed up after the fourth. I only caught one five bearded rockling during all of last year, but so far this year I have caught six So another rather poor session - but considering the calm conditions at least I didn't blank and I did get to see a nice sunset.

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Well done Frank,
Seems like there was a lot of rockling on the go last night as myself and Pete had three between us. I'd hazard a guess that at least one of those rockling was a shore rockling as myself and Pete were discussing (or rather he was telling me), the 5 beards are usually small and 26cm would be a pretty big one.
Mind you its hard to tell, just look at all the posts up about rockling at the moment.

That last Picture looks familiar, think I came across that mark a few of months while doing some Recon .

Nice session BTW

Thanks Lee,
I am fairly sure that all four were five bearded rocklings - they all had five beards including the biggest one although it is not too clear on the photo.
I took a photo up close of the bigger one - unfortunately it is blurred but you can see the five beards.

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welcome back frank and well done

nice session. have to get myself a 5 bearded rockling soon to get it ticked off the list for the year.

Thanks guys,
It was good to be back out fishing even if the result wasn't great.

Thanks Lee,
I am fairly sure that all four were five bearded rocklings - they all had five beards including the biggest one although it is not too clear on the photo.
I took a photo up close of the bigger one - unfortunately it is blurred but you can see the five beards.

My mistake on rockling ID. I was under the misapprehension that shore and 5 beards had 5 barbules and 3 beards had 3, rather than 3 and shore having 3 barbules which it turns out is the case.
What is interesting, is that as far as I can gather the 5 beards are supposed to be up to 25cm (i.e. that's a big one), so you got one at 26cm, Pete got one around the same and I got one which we're guesstimating was close to 30cm (not that you can tell from my photo that it was that size or that it even had 5 beards so you'll just have to trust me ). Did we all catch really big 5 beards all on the same night or have I more misinformation, or are 5 beards bigger than we think in general

thats a nice pic of the sunset, maybe you should enter it in the photo comp?? the colours are pretty cool.

lads i've replied to last cast lad's questions on how to id the rockling varieties in the Q&A forum. there are lots of pics to help you out. Al