Fahan & Culdaff 19-09-09

People:Me and 2 others

Duration: 11-1:30 at Fahan and 2:30-5:30 at Culdaff

Tide: 2 hours before low tide at Fahan and flooding tide at Culdaff

Weather: overcast and sunny

Bait: bluey, mack and sandeel

Rigs: float, 2 hook flapper, plaice rig

Results: 1 big mackerel and 1 small dab

We started off in Fahan with high hopes of rays or doggies approx 300 yards from the marina beside the first set of channel markers. Fishing was very slow with no bites and we were plagued with feckin crabs stealing our bait!! We managed to la d half a dozen include a hermit crab which is an unusal sight to me. Then my rod started to violently nod and nearly came out of the tripod, I struck expecting something big but nothing.. Then the line started darting about and I realised I had something on, which turned out to be the biggest mackerel Ive ever caught! Made good eating later on but due to being tortured with crabs we packed up just after low tide and headed to culdaff armed now with sandeel in the hope of trout.

We fished the rocks at culdaff between bunagee pier and the beach for approx 1 hour using spinners, floating sandeel and ledgered bluey strips but to no avail.. However we did see numerous shoals of big mullet which looked all to be in the 2-4lb range, but they weren't tempted by our efforts. Next day I'm bringing bread! We then crossed the river and set up on the beach which now had some pretty big waves on the go (one went over my head and inside my chest waders!!) and cast out some bluey on flapper rigs and gripper leads. It was nearly impossible to detect bites due to the crashing waves, however I did manage to connect with a little dab of about 6". We fished on a while but to further avail.

Lovely day out in Donegal but pretty poor pickings...

....now had some pretty big waves on the go (one went over my head and inside my chest waders!!) and cast out some bluey on flapper rigs and gripper leads. ...

Too close. If that's happening you're putting yourself in danger for the sake of catching a fish. It only takes an instant to get into serious trouble whilst angling.

Conditions werent good in Swilly. Bottom all churned up. Well done on the mack but you were takin a chance with them waves at Culdaff, not worth it.

Sorry my post made it sound a lot dopier than it actually was, I was only thigh-deep in water but the odd rogue wave was quite high, I've done a lot of bodyboarding and water sports so I don't think I was in danger where I was standing.

Anyone got any tips for Culdaff? I've fished there 4 times now and that dab is the first fish I've caught. Been using mainly flapper/flattie rigs with mackerel and the usual sandeel imitation spinners. Also tried sandeel for sea trout (yes I have a licence too).

If you are thigh deep on Culdaff, you're out too far mate. Any time I fished it always had a heap of flats, vast majority coming under 20 yards from shore in the shallow surf tables.

Ahh well maybe that's part of the problem then - I just assumed that with the big waves churning up the sand close in to the shore then the fishing would have been better beyond the breakers.

Ahh well maybe that's part of the problem then - I just assumed that with the big waves churning up the sand close in to the shore then the fishing would have been better beyond the breakers.

It came as a big surprise to me how close in the flatties etc can be, and i reckon i spent a long time casting over them, somebody here posted a tip about basically wanging a bait out and slowly bringing it in - a few turns of the reel - pause for 30 or 40 seconds then another few, work it right in like this - great for judging the distance the fish are at - when i tried this was really surprised - I was hitting into fish really close in - prettty much around the stage where i was thinking of bringing it in to recast - that technique definitly paid off for me - once you hit a fish or two you can concentate more at that range

worth a go

davy