grey point (below the gun emplacements) Co. Down 10/03/09

People: me and then dawsey for 2hrs

Duration: 5pm-1am

Tide: lw 5pm- hw 12.30am

Weather: excellent, no rain,wind and flat calm

Bait: rag and mack

Rigs: flappers

Results: a 5 bearded rockling




Report: i've been meaning to fish this mark for weeks and it's always fell through. so i checked the solunar tables and tides and everything looked perfect. i arrived and set up at what looked like the ideal location, it screamed fish at you. but my heart sank and hopes faded as the first 2 rods i cast out at distance had to be reeled in at speed as a trawler did a sweep through where i was cast out at it was insane, the tide was only starting to flood back in, so the bottom of the boat must have only had a couple of feet clearence from the sea bed i honestly felt like packing up and heading on round to donaghadee. but dawsey had promised to call down and dip a line after 9pm and i just thought i'd stick it out to see what happened. the first 4 hours produced no bites but many a hungry crab who wanted to avail of the free rag and mack buffet i was providing then about 10mins before dawsey arrived i got a defenite bite and struck into it and landed a wee 5 beardy rockling. happy days, blank saved . dawsey arrived and got set up and we both fished 2 rods each. 1 in close and 1 at distance. and i gotta say, dawsey managed to find every patch of kelp in the area . almost every cast ended in a snag and a lost trace and lead. i truely felt sorry for him. he got a few bites but unfortunately no hook up's. after 2 hours of constantly re-rigging his temper went and he headed on home. i've had sessions like that in the past and could sympathise with him. many lesser men would have chucked the rod and reel into the tide in frustration but hey, thats fishing. i stuck it out until 1am then admitted defeat and headed home. i know the mack bashers love this spot in the summer, but with the trawler and time of year it just was'nt ment to be , but god loves a tryer

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Was tough going even for my short 2hr session. Definitely frustrated me last night, about 7 or 8 casts resulted in 5 leads and 4 traces being lost and the text to say I had to start work at 7 this morning didn't do much to cheer me up

Looks a great spot to be honest, I am sure it will pick up, it is only the start of March all the same. If anyone has any advice on this mark I'd love to hear from them.

Thats a nice coloured rockling Al, well done. Good to see your over the flu. That place looks like a good spot for wrasse and pollock in summer,,as Dawsey said,,its only March after all. I'm surprised at you giving up after only 8 hours,,whats going on

If anyone has any advice on this mark I'd love to hear from them.

Dont fish it

Well done on saving the blank Al looks like a nice mark unlucky Dawsey!!

i wish i could get so much distance that a trawler could pass over my line looks like you have a great cast

well done on the rockling
nice to try out a new mark to see what its like even if you lose a lot of gear

cheers dave, he was almost a golden colour, just good to get out again it's been my longest break from fishing this year, now i'll have to make up for lost time. i see a few overnighters on the cards

Well done on saving the blank Al looks like a nice mark unlucky Dawsey!!

we'll just have to wait a couple of months and hit it again

If anyone has any advice on this mark I'd love to hear from them.

Dont fish it

let me re-phrase that, any constructive advice

i wish i could get so much distance that a trawler could pass over my line looks like you have a great cast well done on the rockling
nice to try out a new mark to see what its like even if you lose a lot of gear

sad thing was that he was no more than 140 yards from where i was set up at i've fished around that spot on the boat at high tide and even then it's not that deep and besides it could'nt have been furthur out as that's about the range of a good cast for me

nice wee rockling there Al, looks like a nice spot too,
hopeing to get back out myself ASAP for this crack of taking things easy and sitting about is doing my head in
when i do get out again, it will be with a vengenge, nothing will be safe
well done mate keep the reports coming i love reading them, cheer's...

Another 50 yards round to the right and you could have fished off the concrete platform and it is snag free, not meaning you would have caught more fish but would have saved tackle. I think its just a bad month lads.

unlucky lads. I agree its hard fishing this time of year. I've been in the same position dawsey trying to spots but only to lose a mountain of weights and rigs. but hey gota try those unknown marks to see if there is anything about. nice to see you got a fish for your efforts al.

nice wee rockling there Al, looks like a nice spot too,
hopeing to get back out myself ASAP for this crack of taking things easy and sitting about is doing my head in when i do get out again, it will be with a vengenge, nothing will be safe
well done mate keep the reports coming i love reading them, cheer's...

i know what you mean don. one week of laying about ill near sent me demented, and you can only watch so many fishing dvd's before the urge to get back out there takes over now i'll have to make up for lost time

Another 50 yards round to the right and you could have fished off the concrete platform and it is snag free, not meaning you would have caught more fish but would have saved tackle. I think its just a bad month lads.

that might have been where we were. when i scouted the mark out, the only flat surface i could see to fish from was the old disused waste pipe platform. there was a bit of alge on it, but it was'nt too slippy.

unlucky lads. I agree its hard fishing this time of year. I've been in the same position dawsey trying to spots but only to lose a mountain of weights and rigs. but hey gota try those unknown marks to see if there is anything about. nice to see you got a fish for your efforts al.

cheers stevie. i think i had the advantage of setting up there at low tide while it was still light. when the patches of rock covered kelp got submerged by the incomming tide i still had a rough idea in my head where they were and when to reel in fast to avoid them. it made all the difference as i only list 1 trace and a couple of snoods the whole session

Yes thats the platform alright, I've never lost much tackle there. You will catch alot of doggies from there, surprised the odd one wasn't about actually. As i've mentioned to Dawsey the place is very hit and miss, even in the summer months but there is decent fish to be had when its fishing well. As soon as its mackerel season the place will be hiving mate.

If anyone has any advice on this mark I'd love to hear from them.

Dont fish it

That's what I was thinking after that session colin, it did frustrate me mate. Aw well all part of the fun

Yes thats the platform alright, I've never lost much tackle there. You will catch alot of doggies from there, surprised the odd one wasn't about actually. As i've mentioned to Dawsey the place is very hit and miss, even in the summer months but there is decent fish to be had when its fishing well. As soon as its mackerel season the place will be hiving mate.

I was casting more towards the beach on the right hand side basically in the direction of the 1st pic, and looking at it now most of my retrieves would have been directly over that. But the rod I had at distance was also getting snagged up. Still looking for a dog for the l;ist so would be nice to get.

Suely thats only a Mussel Dredger and it wasn't fishing at the time? Didn't think they towed that close to Shore?

Antway, at least u didn't blank A&J, Livid and I are heading out on our first Sesh in ages on Friday, Can't wait.

Good on ye getting back out there Drew, looking forward to the report mate.

Suely thats only a Mussel Dredger and it wasn't fishing at the time? Didn't think they towed that close to Shore?Antway, at least u didn't blank A&J, Livid and I are heading out on our first Sesh in ages on Friday, Can't wait.

dunno man, all i know was that it was bloody close and had something in the water off the rigging over the side of the boat good to see you're getting back out again. when i saw some of your gear up for sale, i was thinking you were mabey packing it in good luck on friday where ever you end up fishing chum

Suely thats only a Mussel Dredger and it wasn't fishing at the time? Didn't think they towed that close to Shore?

Antway, at least u didn't blank A&J, Livid and I are heading out on our first Sesh in ages on Friday, Can't wait.

the dredger wouldnt have been fihing there they have mussel grounds in the sound or further up the lough