Bray Harbour 29th May Is it a Flounder or a Plaice??

People:Me and stephen8wood

Venue: Bray Harbour

Duration: 8pm – 11.30pm

Tide: low tide on arrival rising throughout

Weather: Sunshine light wind

Bait: Rag, Mack, Sandeel

Rigs: Feathers, 3 hook flapper, Pulley

Results: Me: Dab (1) Whiting (!!!) (1) Flunder or Plaice (1), Pollack (10) Stephen: Dab (1) Whiting (6) Pollack (3)


Report: Had a hectic day yesterday minding the kids with the mrs. not well so the couple of hours fishing was well earned and much appreciated! Started off driving past Colimore, there weren’t too many there but there were plenty of rods set up so there wasn’t going to be much room. Went on to Sorrento point which was packed so I kept going on to Bray. I was delighted Idid because the end of the sunshine was glorious on Bray harbour and by the time I got there Dalkey head was covered in mist. Thought I might catch a few mack but no joy.

Stephen arrived and gave me a go on his light rod (it’s now my next purchase!) I had been using feather rigs with my 12 ft beach caster. It’s ok for 5 minutes but not much longer. I caught the flattie on the bigger rod further out. The more I look at him the more I think flounder although my initial reaction was Plaice. That said I couldn’t tell the difference between a Plaice and a Flounder even if they jumped out of the water and introduced themselves so why I’m offering opinion on it, your guess is as good as mine.

So, Flounder or Plaice? And how the hell are you supposed to tell the orange spotted flounders from the plaice in any case??

As it got dark I was about to pack away the light rod and thought, why not stick a 3 hood flapper on it and use up the bait. I then got the notion to keep it close so I literally lobbed it as gently as I could and it went no more than 20 feet from the pier. I must have hit a shoal of fish because for the next hour I was hauling fish in every cast. I’d barely have the rig back in the water and the rod would jump again. As it was a small, light rod, the fight off the Pollack was great fun. They’re strong compared to the useless whiting. None was of any size and all bar the whiting went back alive. The whiting went to meet his maker in the giant undersized whiting resuscitation bucket in the sky.

Great night’s fishing. It’s very hard to leave a mark where you’re hauling fish in each cast.

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its a plaice, notice the small bony nodules around the head

Excellent! Thanks Eric. Double digit species!!

well done lads nice haul of fish.great to see plaice being caught around the east coast.have not got 1 myself 4 many a year nice going well done

good haul of fish man there seems to be a good dose of plaice around at the moment.