Cappa - Shannon Estuary Fri 18 March

Couldn't resist having another bash at those Thornies, so drove over to Cappagh from Dublin on Friday afternoon. A beautiful day that reminded me of spring!

Got to Cappagh and found Sean365, Big Kev and Little Kev (aka Kieran). Quite a few coalies coming in, mostly from Kieran. Then, my wish came true and I hooked into my first Thornback. After another few coalies and whiting, Sean hooked into a Bull Huss and a while later I got one too - another first! We followed this by a few more huss and coalies. The huss weren't very big, but nice to catch all the same. A while later, Sean left and Frod Baggins turns up and hooks into a huss straight away! After a few more huss, I had to drive back - which was hard! Got back at 2:30am!!

Thanks for a memorable evening guys! Happy Lad!! :D

Ian & his first Thornback..
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v341/idpearl/IanThorny.jpg[/img]
Sean - and yes I know his was bigger than mine!
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v341/idpearl/SeanThorny.jpg[/img]
Hussy..
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v341/idpearl/IanHuss.jpg[/img]

It was nice to put faces to names and an entertaining session all round.Apart from the respectable fishing, the highlights were the range of casting actions in use.
We stood back in awe as Ian demonstrated his "domeney" or pendulum cast, learnt from his time in cork.Stand back and/or be gobsmacked.
However, not to be outdone, Frodo demonstrated his "lighthouse" or "round the lamppost technique" which nearly cost clare county council a tidy sum in repair bills.
After laughing at the casting on display, I promptly demonstrated how to tackle down in record time by cracking off my cast and nearly hitting kerry
Great afternoon all round
Kev

Glad you all had a good time in the estuary im on holidays in gran canaria and having a goog night just loged on for a few mins in a place near the plaza plenty of talent i suppose you could say plenty of specimens.

Any way if your coming down again let me know and Ill try and meet up with ye so at last you caught a ray in the shannon its unusual to see a ray caught fron the pier.

I caught a ray of 18lbs last year from one of the beaches last year on a pike rod with 2lbs test curve and 12lbs line great fight took a while to take him in as he kept going like a train and when I landed him he was top heavy as in verry deep like a stinger he was left back to fight another day I ate one before and he had an amonia taste from him so i declined to try one again.

Good luck

i stuck it out til close to one, fishing big baits relatively close in, but the small whiting kept mangling the bait. but the little critters gave some rod wrenching bites! henry gilbey would have been dead impressed by the amount of line they took with the reel set in free spool with the ratchet on! the guy would have to eat his hat ten times over. but besides the kamikaze whiting there was very little activity once the tide turned though. i'll be giving the place a lash again tonight if anyone feels like making an epic cross country trip in pursuit of some ray?