kells bay, aka, Battle of the Congers

Ppl: me and my Lady

times: wed 15th- 4pm-11pm
thurs 16th - 4pm-5pm and 8pm-10pm

tides: - low to high

rigs: conger rigs, floats, feathers , flappers and minis

bait: mack/rag/lug/squid/sandeel

result: wed: Me- Ballan wrasse, mackeral, pollock, dragonet,doggies and so many almost congers!!!!
Lady - ballan wrasse, pollock

Thurs: me- Blennies and yet more near misses with damn congers
Lady- Blennies and mackeral

report:
So I had a few spare days, decided to rough it in kerry, sleepin in the Caddy- getting too old for it
But my girlfriend , Eefs, was game for it, so off we set. I had once fished the old pier just past kells Bay and had it in mind to return, so off we set. weather was perfect, no rain, and the headland blocked any wind. She was first in with a float fished Ballan wrasse to rag. I was nexted with dragonet on mini rig and rag. Curiously, I had a bait rod out on bottom with flappers on, changed various baits, but didn;t get a single bite last time here I couldn;t keep the doggies and flounder away. Anyway, on with the float fishing. Ballan wrasse and pollock about the 2lb mark were coming thick and fast to the rag. I had droppped the mini rig with a slip of Mack down the side of pier, and noticed rod twitchin, lifted up and got a replay of my bull huss incident in clifden, - big fish on mini rig just off waters edge- this time a conger bout 5-6 lb... got it to surface then it nipped thru the 12lb line...

Out with the pier rod and wire conger traces. I had 20lb mainline on.. big mistake.. hooked into some veritible monsters, felt like i had snagged the seabed, only it was moving and fightin back. had 2 snap offs , so put bout 30ft of 60lb leader on..... still no joy. They were goitn for the mack heads and fresh mack flappers, but just couldnb;t get them anywhere off the seabed, either they went to ground, or were just too big for the gear I had with me... sigh...
Got A nice Mackeral bout 9pm on the float rig, he went onto the bbq along with 2 pollock.yummy....

after we left and went to kells bay to park up for the night, i decided to use up some bait on the pier there.. doggie city.... after half a dozen I called it a night.

THurs: - we headed off south for a drive, endin up at lambs Head, another little pier there, had hoped to feather for fresh mack, but the sea was a tad rougher today, and I had messed up my spine sleepin in van, so wasn;t as sure footed today for the dodhy rocks- opted for Species hunt in the back of the harbout, water crystal clear and bout 3 ft deep. Blenny city. they are such great little fish, strong in your hand and determined to try to bite your fingers off, I 'd say they would be some fight if they grew to 20lb!!!!! anyway, had size 12 on, which i moved up to 6 as they were really gulpin down the chunks of makc.. suddenly , in the beaming sunlight a long black thing swam up in front of me- conger eel of bout 4ft!! took my damn mini bait and swam backwards, snappin the 6lb length I had connectin the small hooks to the 12lb mainline.. argh!! was amazin to have it just bout 2 ft away from me,. As this happened a chap arrived in a jeep, and said ' oh, it got away? I'll get it'..as he produced a bow with the reel attached..He figured A. it's ok to poach a fish from someone, and B. to fire a n arrow where we were standing, some ppl are idiots. He even had his knife tucked into his belt like rambo.... So with this we left..
returned to the kells old pier later, had more conger takeds, but jsut could not get them to rise, I'd say there is some real monsters there, well over 50lb.My girlfriend caught the last fish of the day, a fine mackeral, also known as supper.


I noticed someone had left a msg to the mackie bashers on this pier, good to see some people have a social conscience.

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a very big well done to the both of you, thats a brave session you's had there, nice haul of fish and good range of species, seems like you're having brutal luck with the congers mate but keep going and and eventualy you'll get him outta the water

Nice session and fair play getting herself to tag along. I love the sign

Hard luck with the Congers but its sounds like you had a couple of nice sessions there all the same and got a nice mix of species also, well done to you both and kudos to your girlfriend for agreeing to sleep in the van, I know I'd be told where to go. I must say that message to the Mackie bashers is great, I can think of a couple of other spots that could use a similar one.

Yeah, I've never had such trouble budgin congers from their bolt holes! Reckon they mush be huge from nobody fishing for them and all the large Pollock and such there for them to eat.

That sign was scratched on with a stone or something, made me laugh hard... the pier had been fairly messy earlier that day and I'm ashamed to say I didn;t clear it up, as there was so much, discarded disposable bbqs, feather packs, drinks cans and such, but whoever wrote that, actually cleared it all up!! I think it may have been a group of Polish men, whom I directed there the day before, so fair play to whoever did it.

Unlucky with the Congers man,but well done to you and the Girlfriend for some cracking fishing

Paddy

Great report Dáire and nice fishing

Cheers Conor

great report and lovely dragon photo

i like the message

well done ,nice sign

well done Daire on getting a few fish,good report
hard luck on the conger they can be very hard to land,next time you are down clifden way if you want to target conger i found a good hole with a lot of conger but i have not landed one out so far