Blackwater and Youghal - 9th January 2010

People: Me

Duration: 11.30 am - 4.45 pm

Tide: HW at 12.20 pm

Weather: Cold, bitter easterly wind

Bait: Crab, squid, razor, frozen black lug

Rigs: 4/0 pennel pulley, two and three hook flappers

Results: 6 codling, 1 flounder




Report:I headed to the mark I fished last Thursday. This fished well on the rising tide but being a Saturday morning I got there later than planned, about an hour before high tide. I set up one rod with a 4/0 pennel pulley baited with crab and cast out. As I was setting up the second rod, I had a bite on the first – a 30 cm codling. I had a second bite, another 30 cm codling, before I had finished setting up the second rod. As I only had a handful of crabs left over from the previous session I used a selection of bait; squid, mackerel, frozen black lug on a three hook flapper on the second rod.

I had three more codling in quick succession all taken on the crab, but didn’t get a bite on the other baits. Close to high tide the bites stopped. I stuck it out for another hour but nothing was biting.

I then moved to another mark down stream nearer to Youghal Bridge. I set up both rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys both baited with crab. After about 20 minutes I spotted a small twitch on one of the rods. I waited for a while until there was another rattle on the rod, struck and began to retrieve. At first I thought I had a codling until I hauled it out of the water – it was a good size flounder – 41 cm, that’s the biggest I have caught in a while.

I fished on for another hour or so but only had one more bite, a 36 cm codling – biggest one so far this year which is a fairly sad thing to admit. I packed up and loaded the gear in to the car. Then walked back along the bridge to have a chat with a few anglers fishing off the bridge to see how they were doing. One of them was Jimmy Mellis. He hadn’t had much at that stage so I thought I would move on and try elsewhere to use up my last crab.

I decided to try the quays in Youghal. However, when I got there a bitterly cold east wind was blasting across the bay, not very pleasant fishing conditions. I put on the remaining crab and cast out. However, nothing was biting. I reckoned the fish would probably come on the feed at dusk but it was too damn cold so I packed up and headed home to warm up.

After reading Jimmy’s report I was nearly sorry I didn’t have a go from the bridge as the fishing picked up dramatically after I left, although as mentioned in the other post it is very dangerous with all the passing traffic not to mention a long drop for the released fish.

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Cracking flat there Frank. Beats my personal best by three cm's The weather has been very off putting so I don't blame to calling it a day.

nice fishing there frank and ya the fishing picked up big time for me but i had two rods out and the other two arent really fisherman there just starting so i was showing them the ropes but they liked what they saw so they want to head out again asap i can belive the stick im gatting for the post i mean if you read it theres no mention of a double caught that day i was just telling a fellow anglier what we have had there in the past i think im going to have to start to bring a camara with me to shut them all up

nice going cracking flounder

nice fish frank cod are getting plump aswell, went dont the quays saturday night and got 4 codling under 30cm

Welldone,good report and nice pictures welldone on catching a few with an easterly blowing

K.C

Great report frank ,thats a cracking flounder and those codling are in great condition well done

Thanks guys,

,thats a cracking flounder

I was happy with that one alright - made up for the lack of any good size cod.

nice fishing there frank and ya the fishing picked up big time for me but i had two rods out and the other two arent really fisherman there just starting so i was showing them the ropes but they liked what they saw so they want to head out again asap i can belive the stick im gatting for the post

There was the danger of loads of anglers decending on the bridge not been aware of the risks. Expecially dangerous if they arrive down with beach casters. Imagine two trucks passing in opposite directions on the bridge - there would not be much room for error. Its not a mark I would be keen on fishing.

Well done Frank, that's a nice flounder

big flounder well done