catch, fillet then release

People: me and mastersizzle

Duration: the day

Tide: the rise

Weather: nasty southerly

Bait: hard fought crab and maddies

Rigs: flappays

Results: 1 43cm flounder, 2lbs 1oz and a 40cm bass.




Report:

a fun fun day and an experience to remember. a word to the wise don't ever go on one of my planned trips to far away lands. its was a half hatched plan that was condured up on saturday night between myself and masterkeane that led to todays proceedings. with no bait and no clue we set sail to the deep dark south of wexford. i had romantic ideas of collecting crab and catching big flounders but sadly this did not come to pass. we reached the crab grounds at 1300 hours by half two we had a poultry 15 poppays to show for- well, my efforts. john was more than content to watch the action and play bucket holder man. its a skillfull old paractice.

with very little bait we needed to supplement our measily pickings with some worms. fate and blind luck, in fact it was a giant tractor tyre john spotted that looked like a crabby home, found us the perfect maddie home. after collecting a good 300 hundred or so i investigated the alluring tyre. 30 odd crabs later i had sifted 4 peelers from the fatima mansions of the crustacean world. amazing what kind of life a bit of litter can hold.

due to the fact our initial plan, lacken, had played venue to a competition the day previous and the fact kaats strand in wexford harbour hadnt been fishing too well. we settled on estuary number 3, aka bannow bay. home to some cracking bass venues, we where after big flounder today so any of the marks ive fished in this spot wouldnt do. based other peoples experiences i settled on a peachy looking mark known as the cockle strand. a dandy little channel flowed parralel to the shore around 50 yards out encased by bladderrack. it looked like floundertopia. well, no as it would happen, an inpatient hour later we had, had enough and decdided on a venue change.

a small spin down towards wellington bridge found us our second mark. if i said barrystown would it make any sense??? anyway its was back of the car stuff just off the main road. a small rock surrounded runway jutted right out to a small narrow channel running all the way up to the town. looked fishy. i suspect its a low water venue, i'd say the fish scatter everywhere but the channel at high water? first cast for masterkeane, led to a super bite. a few minutes of snacking ensued and the 'riggling leviathon was unceramoniusly riased from the murky depths'. the look on johns face when he saw the fish was pricless. i honestly think he didnt believe they grew that big when i explained it to him. he was thrilled all the same and rightly so, never mind beating his own personal best he beat mine too. no fishies played ball until the last cast when john the man hit into another nice bite, only this one was more constant it was definitley a small bass. the fish took a small run finding itself a lovely snag to free itslef on. it failed to take into account the fact man invented waders. i simply walked out and picked it up. i'd say he was gutted, if he wasnt then he was on dry land 5 minutes later. the story takes a strange twist from here. the contents of the stomach revealed around 15/20 shrimps and noah the crab. still very much alive the little hardback, freed from the evil bass was duely released back to his home. a lucky escape for the little one.

a strange day, i blanked, john caught two lovely fish. p.j's diner in oilgate is phenomenal. the finest cod and chips i tell you!

ah delighted you released the crab eric. It was the only right thing to do. Maybe he'll be found as a big peeler some day! Pity about the flounder though and fair play to John on his. You should have fished the northside for one though!

brilliant report pal. A couple of Henry Gilbey quotes in there also.

brilliant report pal. A couple of Henry Gilbey quotes in there also.

had to be done given the geographical location, i just hope grahams proud

right so where is this chipper so i know for the future

on the left hand side of the road just before the end of the town

It was a very up and down day ....... With no bait and the tide on the way in fast it was not a very happy time but then came the maddies and more crab Here's the pics was great to get the flounder but the real highlight of my day was the cod and chips on the way home ... cheers p.j

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

well done lads,
fair play on the release those bass are evil creatures

Well done MasterKeane the pupil showing the teacher how its done

Nice report eric
Well down bro on catchin a lovely flounder !!

Big high fives

Well done MasterKeane the pupil showing the teacher how its done

"Well wat can i say " hahah ah to be honest the way it worked out we only fished about 2 or 3 full hours and was the end of the rise and the ebb so we did well to get any fish at all . I reckon if we hit the last mark an hour or two earlier we could have been into some really nice fishies

nice one lads, great flounder, nice one with the bass too, heading to spain tomorrow for some bream, triggers, garfish, mullet and bass. wish me luck.

nice fish lads

Good report and nice fish,do you not know us wexford men only put down tractor tyers for crabs,you do relise you ventured outside the pale