Beara Peninsula 8th, 11th, 12th August

People: Just me

Duration: 3 sessions

Tide: Mid tide except 12th which covered slack water. (Tides don't matter too much there as the water is so deep)

Weather: Overcast/foggy

Bait: Razor, sandeel, Mack head, Mack strip, ragworm, dexter wedge, hokkai, stingers.

Rigs: Conger rigs and simple ledgers

Results: 4 huss / doggies (ID help pls!) to 10lb, scores of small pollock, mackerel, 3 bearded rockling (i think)




Report: I don't post much as I don't get down to Beara often, and my results in Dublin are average (apart from a strap conger from Coliemore!). So I was looking forward to this one. I'm still experimenting and learning about bait fishing, and thanks to this forum and the west Cork results of Rockhunter and Lumpy, I decided to try for some conger and huss.

First mark was on the north side near Lauragh, easy to get to, signposted. Set up bait rod: mack head, 9/0, stiff beachcaster and 50lb superbraid. Hoping for conger. Spun with the other one which produced a few macks. I was slow with the first two knocks, and missed the strikes, but it certainly got the blood going! Third time lucky, and I hauled in a 10lb huss (I think?). My first - over the moon! Very lazy fighter mind. Got another later on, lighter marked tho, maybe a doggie?

Family stuff then, and back out on the Tuesday to a mark opposite the lighthouse on Bere Island. Bit of a hike, but the mark looked good. It was very deep, at least 60 ft 20 yards out. Crappy weather, and quiet fishing wise. Saved a blank with a 3 bearded rockling (is it?) which somehow got its mouth around a 6/0 hook. It was about 35 cm long, and very squishy (my first). Edit: Paul Harris later told me I went too far. The nearer signposted marks are better!

Called up to Paul in Adrigole for some rag on the Wednesday, a very sound man. His supplier stung him with some crappy rag, but he did his best for me and threw in some frozen macks and mussels (he referred to rockhunters wrasse escapades - small country eh?). Third session was at the mark where I had been brought up on fishing. Of course most locals fish with artificials down there so I was interested what my new fangled bait fishing would produce. I landed 2 more huss/doggies and lost something bigger and more vigourous, must have been a conger. Those barnacled rocks were not kind to my superbraid. Also, my Dad wanted a look at the huss, so I kept it in a rockpool for a few hours. I regularly checked on it, but I needn't have bothered. It was perfectly happy, a very hardy fish indeed.

It must have been the weather, but all the big pollock and wrasse had gone to sleep. I've caught specimen sizes there in both in the past, but nothing this time not even on Pauls rag. Not surprised to hear Dursey was fishing poorly too. The colouring of the pollock was beautiful though, and I thought worth a post.

So dissapointed with my old reliables, pollock and wrasse, but delighted with my new species.

(Oh and also a quick session off ballydonegan pier at high water trying for conger, just got 2 mackerel spinning).

Hopefully going back down soon, the new motorway takes the edge off the journey.

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Last few (seem to be posted in reverse order)

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well done nice session heading down to bantry now with the caravan for 4 days so i am hopeing to get some fish . can t help you on the idetification side though im useless at that

Nice fishing the 1st one is a dog 2nd one is a huss the shot with the double the one on the left is a huss the one on the right a dog and the rockling is indeed a three bearded well done nice going

Have a look here http://www.cfb.ie/pdf/fishbook.pdf very helpful for identifying fish

nice fishing and good report and pics ,and thats a nice huss!!

nice haul of fish well done love that beara peninsula its fishy heaven

Called up to Paul in Adrigole for some rag on the Wednesday, a very sound man. His supplier stung him with some crappy rag, but he did his best for me and threw in some frozen macks and mussels (he referred to rockhunters wrasse escapades - small country eh?).

I had a couple of good wrasse sessions there on 7th and 8th.

It must have been the weather, but all the big pollock and wrasse had gone to sleep. I've caught specimen sizes there in both in the past, but nothing this time not even on Pauls rag. Not surprised to hear Dursey was fishing poorly too.

Strange that Dursey was fishing so poorly - I had a few sessions there last year and always got a load of wrasse, along with a few pollock and mackerel. It was just dead on Sunday 9th. Not even a hint of a bite apart from a tiny pollock. So I returned to the mark I did so well at on the previous day but that was dead too. As you say it must have been the weather.

back out on the Tuesday to a mark opposite the lighthouse on Bere Island. Bit of a hike, but the mark looked good. It was very deep, at least 60 ft 20 yards out. Crappy weather, and quiet fishing wise.

That is probably a mark I fished last year - I got a few 2.5-3 lb wrasse there.

At least you got a few fish and a couple of new species.