Inis Meain: 5 - 11th June
Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:59 pm
Date: 5/6/10
Weather: Sunny, hot, southerly breeze
Mark: An Cromall
Tide: High @ 12:40
Time: 18:00
Went to cliffs but there was a very large swell coming in from the south-west crashing into cliffs and onto the plateau mark which made fishing impossible / too dangerous. 30-40 foot waves going up the side of cliffs! Decided to leave the fishing till the next day..
Date: 6/6/10
Weather: Sunny, north-westerly breeze, warmish
People: Me, Ann
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 13:30
Time: 15:00 - 17:00
Results: 5 pollock
Fished with Toby and silver 'feather' lures on a dropping tide. There was lots of pollock activity when we started with a nice 1-2lb. pollock showing up on the first cast. Whilst fishing saw what looked like a monster mullet cruising by just a couple of metres from where I was standing. I had not fished for mullet before but intended to try some on this holiday so quickly rigged up a float with some fluoro and a wee treble hook loaded with Brennan's bread, laid down some bread in the area, but by the time I had all that done there was no more sign of any mullet
After spending about half an hour on my mullet escapade, I resumed pollock fishing again and had another 4 pollock in the 1-2 lb. range. Kept 2 for the pot and released all others.
Date: 8/6/10
Weather: Overcast, bright, strong north-easterly breeze
Mark: An Cromall
People: Me, Ann
Tide: High @ 15:15
Time: 15:50 - 16:50
Results: 4 mackerel, 7 coalies, 1 pollock
Biggish swell coming in but went to the one side of the mark which was most sheltered (from the swell but not the wind!). A very stiff wind made fishing difficult with us having to cast almost directly into the wind most of the time (this resulted in a Toby ending up behind me at one stage!).
Switched to feathers and 2oz. weights and was into my first mackerel of the year after a few casts. Ann was reeling in coalies 3 at a time, they were snapping at the feathers just below our feet, hopping out of the water even as the feathers left the surface. She caught about 7/8 lovely coalies which were all roughly the size of a mackerel.
After another while I had a set of 3 mackies and hauled them up, chuffed to have caught my first few macks of the year and another dinner for the pot. In all we had 4 mackerel, around 7 or 8 coalies and 1 pollock in the space of an hour, all released except for the mackerel.
Date: 9/6/10
Weather: Overcast, windy (north-easterly), light drizzle
People: Me
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 16:00
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Another stiff breeze made for difficult spinning but stuck it out with plenty of pollock showing again from close in. Similar to a previous venture to this same mark, the pollock appeared to start feeding / becoming active about an hour after the high tide. Had 7 pollock, 2 of which were good enough sized (2 - 3lb mark). Lots of seagull activity about 200 yards off-shore indicated the presence of baitfish, and after a while I saw shoals of sprat moving by just in front of me. Surprised at the fact that no mackerel showed up but this particular mark is definitely very pollocky.
Date: 10/6/10
Weather: Clear, north-easterly breeze, coldish.
People: Me
Mark: Old pier
Tide: Low @ 23:00pm
Time: 21:45 - 22:20
Decided to try a short session starting just around sunset at the old pier, despite being told by a local that it was unlikely to catch here on a low tide. The day had been particularly warm (warmest day of the week) however, and with a balmy evening, spring tide approaching and clear sky, conditions looked promising for some mackerel.
Fished for 45 minutes with 4 silver 'feathers' and had 12 mackerel (3 sets of 4), but lost 5 fish when taking them up the side of the pier, which had a big enough drop with the tide being almost fully out. Kept the others for dinner.
Date: 11/6/10
Weather: Sunny, warm, westerly / north-westerly breeze
People: Me, Dad
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 17:30
Time: 17:00 - 19:00
Until this date I had not lost a single piece of tackle, and of course jinxed myself by remarking the same to my dad. During this session I managed to twice get lures caught on rope running off lobster pots around 100 odd yards out. The first time I managed this feat, my dad starting waving wildly at me in the distance to come over and help. It transpired he was into a very large fish, most likely a big pollock, which had swam towards and downwards from where he was standing. The spinning reel packed in while he was retrieving (something broke inside), and the fish was lost when it managed to snap the line.
Down to one rod with working reel now we put fresh braid on the other reel (after I stupidly lost a big length on a lobster pot) and I tried in my original spot with nothing showing for some time.
About 15 minutes later moved to the spot just 30m away where my dad had lost a big fish. Looking at the water just in front of me I saw it was alive with sprat moving one way and then the other. Whilst watching the sprat mesmerised I saw a big flash of golden-orange-brown as a large pollock plunged through them, maybe just a metre from the surface of the water. I had a silver / blue Toby on the rod and immediately just tossed it about 2 metres in front of me into the midst of this ball of sprat and started jigging it. Within less than 5 seconds I had an almighty bang and saw a large pollock hitting the lure as it happened. He was the strongest pollock I've ever caught and he went straight in towards me and downwards with some strength. I figured if I let him go down he would likely break the line by going in under the rocks at my feet so tried my best to keep the strain on him and let the rod do the work. About 30 seconds later landed the fish which was not a monster but the largest pollock I have ever caught at 56cm and I'd say around 4 lb. weight. Could be my imagination but I have had bass of this weight before on the same gear but the sheer strength of this fish seemed greater than those bass. I decided to keep the fish for the pot as there was 4 of us for dinner that night.
Fished on for another half hour and had another very good pollock around 3lb. which was released.
Not a huge amount of photos below but gives a snapshot of some of the fish taken:
Weather: Sunny, hot, southerly breeze
Mark: An Cromall
Tide: High @ 12:40
Time: 18:00
Went to cliffs but there was a very large swell coming in from the south-west crashing into cliffs and onto the plateau mark which made fishing impossible / too dangerous. 30-40 foot waves going up the side of cliffs! Decided to leave the fishing till the next day..
Date: 6/6/10
Weather: Sunny, north-westerly breeze, warmish
People: Me, Ann
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 13:30
Time: 15:00 - 17:00
Results: 5 pollock
Fished with Toby and silver 'feather' lures on a dropping tide. There was lots of pollock activity when we started with a nice 1-2lb. pollock showing up on the first cast. Whilst fishing saw what looked like a monster mullet cruising by just a couple of metres from where I was standing. I had not fished for mullet before but intended to try some on this holiday so quickly rigged up a float with some fluoro and a wee treble hook loaded with Brennan's bread, laid down some bread in the area, but by the time I had all that done there was no more sign of any mullet
After spending about half an hour on my mullet escapade, I resumed pollock fishing again and had another 4 pollock in the 1-2 lb. range. Kept 2 for the pot and released all others.
Date: 8/6/10
Weather: Overcast, bright, strong north-easterly breeze
Mark: An Cromall
People: Me, Ann
Tide: High @ 15:15
Time: 15:50 - 16:50
Results: 4 mackerel, 7 coalies, 1 pollock
Biggish swell coming in but went to the one side of the mark which was most sheltered (from the swell but not the wind!). A very stiff wind made fishing difficult with us having to cast almost directly into the wind most of the time (this resulted in a Toby ending up behind me at one stage!).
Switched to feathers and 2oz. weights and was into my first mackerel of the year after a few casts. Ann was reeling in coalies 3 at a time, they were snapping at the feathers just below our feet, hopping out of the water even as the feathers left the surface. She caught about 7/8 lovely coalies which were all roughly the size of a mackerel.
After another while I had a set of 3 mackies and hauled them up, chuffed to have caught my first few macks of the year and another dinner for the pot. In all we had 4 mackerel, around 7 or 8 coalies and 1 pollock in the space of an hour, all released except for the mackerel.
Date: 9/6/10
Weather: Overcast, windy (north-easterly), light drizzle
People: Me
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 16:00
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Another stiff breeze made for difficult spinning but stuck it out with plenty of pollock showing again from close in. Similar to a previous venture to this same mark, the pollock appeared to start feeding / becoming active about an hour after the high tide. Had 7 pollock, 2 of which were good enough sized (2 - 3lb mark). Lots of seagull activity about 200 yards off-shore indicated the presence of baitfish, and after a while I saw shoals of sprat moving by just in front of me. Surprised at the fact that no mackerel showed up but this particular mark is definitely very pollocky.
Date: 10/6/10
Weather: Clear, north-easterly breeze, coldish.
People: Me
Mark: Old pier
Tide: Low @ 23:00pm
Time: 21:45 - 22:20
Decided to try a short session starting just around sunset at the old pier, despite being told by a local that it was unlikely to catch here on a low tide. The day had been particularly warm (warmest day of the week) however, and with a balmy evening, spring tide approaching and clear sky, conditions looked promising for some mackerel.
Fished for 45 minutes with 4 silver 'feathers' and had 12 mackerel (3 sets of 4), but lost 5 fish when taking them up the side of the pier, which had a big enough drop with the tide being almost fully out. Kept the others for dinner.
Date: 11/6/10
Weather: Sunny, warm, westerly / north-westerly breeze
People: Me, Dad
Mark: Gob na Fearbhaigh
Tide: High @ 17:30
Time: 17:00 - 19:00
Until this date I had not lost a single piece of tackle, and of course jinxed myself by remarking the same to my dad. During this session I managed to twice get lures caught on rope running off lobster pots around 100 odd yards out. The first time I managed this feat, my dad starting waving wildly at me in the distance to come over and help. It transpired he was into a very large fish, most likely a big pollock, which had swam towards and downwards from where he was standing. The spinning reel packed in while he was retrieving (something broke inside), and the fish was lost when it managed to snap the line.
Down to one rod with working reel now we put fresh braid on the other reel (after I stupidly lost a big length on a lobster pot) and I tried in my original spot with nothing showing for some time.
About 15 minutes later moved to the spot just 30m away where my dad had lost a big fish. Looking at the water just in front of me I saw it was alive with sprat moving one way and then the other. Whilst watching the sprat mesmerised I saw a big flash of golden-orange-brown as a large pollock plunged through them, maybe just a metre from the surface of the water. I had a silver / blue Toby on the rod and immediately just tossed it about 2 metres in front of me into the midst of this ball of sprat and started jigging it. Within less than 5 seconds I had an almighty bang and saw a large pollock hitting the lure as it happened. He was the strongest pollock I've ever caught and he went straight in towards me and downwards with some strength. I figured if I let him go down he would likely break the line by going in under the rocks at my feet so tried my best to keep the strain on him and let the rod do the work. About 30 seconds later landed the fish which was not a monster but the largest pollock I have ever caught at 56cm and I'd say around 4 lb. weight. Could be my imagination but I have had bass of this weight before on the same gear but the sheer strength of this fish seemed greater than those bass. I decided to keep the fish for the pot as there was 4 of us for dinner that night.
Fished on for another half hour and had another very good pollock around 3lb. which was released.
Not a huge amount of photos below but gives a snapshot of some of the fish taken:
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Re: Inis Meain: 5 - 11th June
Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:27 pm
WOW Ronnach what a good week 
The places, according to the pictures, look great and wild
As a proper man you found the dinner
otherwise no dinner
The places, according to the pictures, look great and wild
As a proper man you found the dinner
otherwise no dinner
Re: Inis Meain: 5 - 11th June
Mon Jun 14, 2010 3:00 pm
Its amazing i caught a 3lbs pollack on my bass spinning rod which was loaded with 20lb braid and it fought like it wsa possessed by the devil amazing fish i love them crash diving pollack i do'nt keep any for the pot (nothing against keeping them, each to his own) just love the way they fight , great fishing and good report, tight lines!
, great fishing and good report, tight lines!
Re: Inis Meain: 5 - 11th June
Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:26 pm
Great report good to see a report from the Islands well done on the fishing that's a fine pollack and unlucky with the other big one that was lost...
Re: Inis Meain: 5 - 11th June
Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:48 pm
Well done ,excellent fishing and report ,
,