D.L Harbour mini's & a wild goose(smut) chase to Wexford

People: Me and the kid Eric

Duration: way twoooooooo long - 2pm to 2am

Tide: yep there was some

Weather: I think the red arms and legs say it all

Bait: rag, mack, crab

Rigs: float, mini rigs, single hook clipped downs

Results: red cod, ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, goldsinny wrasse




Report:

Dug some rag in the morning, got the jeep packed and collected Eric around 1.30pm.

With the weather fine, it was decided to spend a few hours pottering around inside the harbour for a few mini species. Fishing was slow enough, plenty of missed bites with a few hook ups, highlight of the session was a red codling for myself, never got a red one before, so happy enough with that. I got the biggest wrasse which was probably around the 3/4lb mark. Finished up around 5pm

I beat eric 13 fish to 11.............Horay

We had no firm plans for where to fish the evening session but fancied catching (or should that be fishing for) something that could put up a scrap, based on recent info from a supposedly reliable source it was mutally agreed to head down to south wexford on a hunt for some smoothies.

Managed to persude eric that we give the golden arches in Arklow a miss, and decided a pint or 2 and some grub in the pub would be better. Cold lager and scampi and chips, hard to beat

When we arrived at the venue our hearts sank a little, the wind was up a bit and the sea was choppy.

I got the 1st rod set up with a 3/0 pennel pulley loaded with crab and sent it out as far as I could, but wanting to hedge my bets a little I set up a 2nd rod. It was quite weedy., so chose a size 1 pulley against a 3 hook rig, baited with rag and cast out.

Noticed a knock on the rag baited rod, left it a sort while, then retrieved. Dropped a smallish fish on the way in. Atleast there was signs of life out there.

Had a wander down to eric to see how he was getting on. We were then joined by another couple of anglers, saltydog had come all the way from galway in the pursuit of smoothies - fair play conor and glad ya got your fish in the end

Anyway, I was deep in conversation with Eric when he shouted "hey, there's a 7ht and rod in the water there" before sprinting into the surf.......to retrieve my rod

There was half a ton (no exageration) of weed snagged at various points on the line, and after much f**king around, rod, reel, weed, line, rig and obliterated bait were on dry land, but no fish

How the rod got there was debated for sometime, but Eric's verdict was that a smut had hit the bait hard, dragged the rod off the tripod and then spat the hook, how the weed got there was obvious, my swim was choked with the bloody stuff.

I then spent the next hour packing away my 2nd rod, also caked with weed at this stage, and getting my 1st rod back out there.

A while later I had a stroll (after carefully setting my drag) up to my left to chat with the anglers to my left. I then noticed Eric (who was fishing to my right), had come under my rod and was in the surf playing a fish....Damn, he had lost it, and surely a good fish to have dragged him 70 yards up the beach.

There wasnt really any further action for either of us, I spent most of the night fighting the demon weed, and I guess a more experienced angler would have just moved to a different spot. Eric to my right, and the anglers to my left were not suffering anywhere near as bad as I was with it.

After a few long hours of not a lot happening, it was great to see Conor coming down the beach with camera and smoothie in hand, picture taken and fish duly returned to the water, the hopes were raised that maybe the last hour may produce the goods....it didnt, well not for us anyway, Conor got another smut, lost one, and had a dog as we were leaving.

I want some tips please next time were out Conor - the only guy to take fish on the beach all night.

On the plus side, we made it back to Dublin in just 1 hour , god you gotta love the N11 in the early hours of the morning.

Well I was out to dig bait at 10am, and was finally home at 4.30am the following day, a session that even alanjordan would have been proud of even if we didnt get the smuts this time

Long session mark and i thought me and tony were bad with 10 and a half hours fishing, weed was not bad where we were but i think we were further north than you.

Very detailed and great report! Keep on trying you'll get them soon. That's what I am doing anyway

ive never had such a demorilising session in ages, once we saw that sea all hopes faded, it was flat in dublin, loosing that fish didnt help nor did the weed

Eric, you wanna go on a wild goose(tope) chase next weekend

Eric, you wanna go on a wild goose(tope) chase next weekend

yep, i hear milisle is throwing up a few

a session that even alanjordan would have been proud of even if we didnt get the smuts this time

you certinly put in the hours mark . just a pity the hounds were'nt for playing ball. but it's early days yet and i'm sure you'll come good in the end

Hard luck Mark, at least you caught a red cod . Had a long walk over the dunes last week myself looking for smoothies and was greeted by the same kind of choppy windy sea, at least you saw some being landed, well done Conor Great report ,by the way, keep em coming

hard luck on the smoothies but by putting in hours like that it wont be long before ye get one,good report keep it up

perfection in reporting, next trip will produce the goods, that's a trip i need to get in,
2-3 tides in one session! now that beats an hour here or there with a result of endless whiting!

Nice bumping into the lads and conor, it was just a pity about the lack of fish. It was nice to see conor get the reward for his trip and persisitence.

Eric, you wanna go on a wild goose(tope) chase next weekend

yep, i hear milisle is throwing up a few

Unlucky lads.

I think you would have a long wasted trip going to milisle for tope sir lol

based on recent info from a supposedly reliable source

I hope that comment wasn’t aimed at me.

Only jesting danny

Perhaps we should try baiting the hooks next time

well done mate sounds like a good early session with the red cod have not seeing one in years fair played to u for heading down and giveing the hounds ago just a pitty u did not hook up with any unlucky maybe next time