Dingle 20.08.09 - 23.08.09

[Dave]

People: Rebecca, myself and my dog

Tide:All states

Weather:Very mixed weather, everything from warm and sunny right through to gale force winds and torrential rain and hail.

Bait:Mackerel, Sandeel ,Peeler and lures

Rigs:All sorts

Results:Bass, Mackerel, Pollock, Wrasse


I'm just back from my annual pilgrimage to Dingle and as always I had a great time down there, it really is a beautiful spot with some fabulous fishing although I'm still very much exploring the place, finding and still sussing out marks down there. However the fishing this time wasn't quite as good as it could has been, poor weather, coloured water and big seas meant that some of the marks I tried didn't seem fish as well this year as they have previously done for me but I still caught a few fish all the same.

Thursday 20th August
I arrived down in the afternoon and headed down to the Lighthouse in Dingle for a spot of Pollock fishing and after a slightly longer hike than usual due the fact that the lane way down to the Light House being closed for resurfacing, I was eager to get some decent Pollock and maybe a Wrasse or two. It was was around high tide or a little after when I got there and the sea was like a cauldron so rigged up a float rig with a bit of mackerel and tried a few different spots at various depths before I eventually got a single bite and landed a Pollock of about a 1.5lb. I stayed a little longer but with bites not forthcoming and tiredness and hunger starting to kick in, we decided to call it a day a little early and go for some grub.

Friday 21th August
I headed to an estuary mark which can fish very well for the Bass and Sea Trout that come in to feed on the sandeel, however when I got there I saw that the water was a little coloured due to the recent rain and although I wasn't too optimistic I decided to give it a few hours fishing with lures anyway, however despite my persistence I didn't get a single touch and didn't see anyone else catching either so a change in venue and a spot of lunch was in order. We headed over to Brandon where I was pretty sure I could catch a few mackerel and it was now coming up to high tide and then get a decent pint and a bite to eat before the tide dropped enough to allow me to fish another mark for the chance of a bass. As always everyone was hauling them in but I already had plenty for bait so I was just fishing for them one at a time on light gear and putting them back, great fun all the same.

As the tide started dropping I headed off to a bass mark that I had wanted to try for a while, it was very rough ground and certainly looked very bassy. I rigged up with a very shallow diving plug (Morethan X-Cross) and made my way along the shore line exploring and looking gullies to try but as the light began to fade I figured I better head back as rock hopping in the dark really isn't too good an idea. I was almost back to the car when I noticed a very bassy looking spot so I figured it would be rude not to cast a plug over it, I had no sooner started retrieving the lure when I saw a big splash on the surface and the rod arc over. One soggy foot later I landed my first lure caught bass this year, it was only about 3lb but its been a while coming so I was delighted with it.

Saturday 22th August
After getting the Bass on Friday I figured I'd concentrated on Bass and Sea Trout again and decided to give the estuary mark another go, this time with sandeel. I gave it an hour or two and with not a single touch again, I figured I'd head back up to Brandon Pier again for a little more mackerel fishing. However by the time we got there the weather was really starting to change and the wind was really starting to pick up followed by the rain, it bucketed down and with no sign of it easing at all I figured the pub was a better option than the pier. After a quick pint in Murphy's Pub we headed back to Dingle for dinner in 'Out of the Blue', a fantastic fish restaurant and well worth splashing out on if you're down that direction.

Sunday 23th August
We woke on Sunday morning to find that the poxy weather from the previous day still hadn't cleared but undeterred by this I stuck on the waterproofs and decided I'd try Dingle Harbour for Ray, Rebecca took one look and decided not to join me. I got there just before low tide and made my way out along the rocks below the tower, casting into the main channel. A few hours later and thoroughly soaked I decided to cut my losses and head back up to the lighthouse to see if I could pick up a couple of Wrasse or Pollock. By the time I got up there it was like a totally different day the rain had cleared, the wind had dropped and it was now warm and sunny, although I was still a little damp. I fired out the heavy rod again on the off chance that I might still pick up a Ray while I was fishing for the Wrasse and Pollock but all I got was great big lumps of weed. At this stage Rebecca and the dog and come down to join me and remind me that we needed to get on the road back to Dublin soon, so with my curfew looming and still with no fish to show for my efforts, I quickly rigged up for the Wrasse and stuck on some peeler. After a few unsuccessful drops things weren't looking too good and Rebecca was reminding me that we were supposed to have been on the road an hour ago, so I decided to give it a few more minutes before calling it a day. This time however I made my way along the rocks to try a different spot and on the first drop I was instantly into a fish and a decent one at that, a fine lump of a Wrasse came to the surface and after a brief moment of panic trying to land the fish I got it up onto the rocks, all 3lb 11oz of it. I can tell you that fish certainly made up for the lack of ray and the soaking I got earlier. I tried one more drop but didn't get anything and not wanting to push my luck too much, I packed up and we hit the road leaving Dingle for another year.

Last edited by Dave on Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:10 pm, edited 4 times in total.

A few photos

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Well done Dave,great report and pictures,That is some lump of a Wrasse

Paddy

well done dave,thats a stonker of a wrasse and the bass is not bad either great report and great pics,

kkol fishin dave, some cracking pics.

Nice work on the bass Dave. That has to be a new PB wrasse too. It's a monster

Great report Dave sounds like one hell of a trip. Well done on a couple of crackers.

Well done Dave, great report and piccies, really enjoyed reading it.Congrats on the bass and that stonker of a wrasse

lovely wrasse,great colour on it,well done

Well done Dave, great report from a great part of the world.

Congrats on the catches!

Nice fishing dave, well done.
Great report and pictures
I go to Co.Kerry in another six weeks time for 12 days and I can't wait.

Nice fishing dave, well done.
Great report and pictures
I go to Co.Kerry in another six weeks time for 12 days and I can't wait.

So am I…...Myself, Dbrock, Eric, Boycie & De Cockage will be there from the 3 - 9th October, staying in Brandon in Lynes Cottages. I'll PM you my number and we can meet up when down there if you fancy.

Nice fishing dave, well done.
Great report and pictures I go to Co.Kerry in another six weeks time for 12 days and I can't wait.

So am I…...Myself, Dbrock, Eric, Boycie & De Cockage will be there from the 3 - 9th October, staying in Brandon in Lynes Cottages. I'll PM you my number and we can meet up when down there if you fancy.

Brandon is a cracking spot with some great marks to try nearby and I've no doubt that you'll have a great time and some nice fishing too. I'm very jealous, I want to go back myself but I think it will be next year unfortunately before I get a chance to go back.

Well done Dave, great report from a great part of the world. Congrats on the catches!

Cheers Tommo, it certainly is a great part of the world alright.

lovely wrasse,great colour on it,well done

It was alright, I'm not sure if you can make it out on the photos but it had a couple of sore looking wounds that it must have picked up at some point, I'm not too sure from what though.

Well done Dave, great report and piccies, really enjoyed reading it.Congrats on the Bass and that stonker of a wrasse

Cheers Dave, it was certainly bigger than the ones I'm used to catching down in Wicklow Harbour and that Bass, well its been a long time coming. I've had more unsuccessful lure fishing sessions recently than I'd like to admit.

Great report Dave sounds like one hell of a trip. Well done on a couple of crackers.

Cheers Dfella, ah it was a great trip alright but then Dingle is always well worth a trip and for the last few years I managed to get down there for at least a couple of days each year, although I'm hoping to get down there for a week or so next year and I'm already looking forward to it.

Nice work on the Bass Dave. That has to be a new PB wrasse too. It's a monster

Cheers Ronan, it is indeed a personal best Wrasse for me. I couldn't believe the size of it when I got it to the surface, unfortunately I hadn't figured how exactly I was going to land any decent fish as the swell was too big to let me get near to the water but I eventually managed to bring it up the rocks in a big wave and thankfully the ropey looking rig I caught it on held together.

kkol fishin dave, some cracking pics.

Cheers Cortaz, I have to say expectations were high after looking at the tides and after seeing your predictions for the days I was down there but unfortunately the weather had different ideas, still though I was delighted to get down there for a couple of days and even happier to get those two fish.

well done dave,thats a stonker of a wrasse and the Bass is not bad either great report and great pics,

Cheers Doggie

Well done Dave,great report and pictures,That is some lump of a Wrasse

Cheers Boyler

will be flying out to the parents house in cloghane/brandon on friday for a long weekend lets hope the weather plays ball this time

Nice fishing dave, well done.
Great report and pictures
I go to Co.Kerry in another six weeks time for 12 days and I can't wait.

So am I…...Myself, Dbrock, Eric, Boycie & De Cockage will be there from the 3 - 9th October, staying in Brandon in Lynes Cottages. I'll PM you my number and we can meet up when down there if you fancy.

Thanks Alby for your number, I'll keep it and contact you closer to the time and see what's happening

Smashing report. Got the bug now, sorting out the gear as we are back on Saturday for a week. Staying in Brandon and no doubt hitting those marks at Dingle. Doesn't seem like two years since I was there, love it.