Ballydonegan 11-07-2010 New rod, new mark, new species.

Mark: Ballydonegan pier
People: me and dave
Time: 14.00 - 19.00
Tide: Up to the top and two hours of the ebb
Bait: Mack, hardback crabs and rag
Results: Me: Pollack, ballan wrasse, conger
Dave: Doggie, conger

We were going to fish cods head but bad things started to happen as soon as we neared the mark. Nearly got a horse through the windscreen twice and then got stuck facing a 4x4 and had to reverse up a narrow steep mountain road, the clutch started to slip so i was afraid that if i parked on the hill to fish then i wouldn't be able to get back out of there. We decided to have a cast at a pier we passed earlier when we got lost on the way to cods head. Chucked out 2 hook flappers and a float rig and a pulley at distance, well as much distance as i could get as the wind was strong in our faces. I hooked and landed my first ever wrasse on a small hardback close in to the pier. I then had a small pollack on the float fished rag. With nothing happening with the distance rod i started thinking it might be dull enough to pick up a strap conger so chucked a mackerel head out 10 ft from the pier. Got a few bites and then a good tug so i struck in and held the tip high. I knew it was conger straight off and i managed to hold him off the bottom for all of about 30 seconds till he straightened my Kamasan B950u. The floats and everything else were chucked back into the box and all efforts went to the congers. I swapped to cox and rawle hooks and will never buy kamasan uptides again. I hooks another eel about 15 mins later and had a fine fight and got him to the surface in about 10 mins. I sent dave over to the steps to lift him up for a photo but he was too afraid to touch it. He lifted the leader and it snapped under the weight and slipped off the step so back in the lines went to try and hook and land one for a photo. I was in next again. Thought it was a doggie when i was bringing it up but it ended up to be a conger of about a pound. Dave was next in with a nice fish whice he dropped off the steps again as he was too afraid to touch it. I had another nice bite next and got the fish to the surface, it was a massive fish with a head the size of a mellon but he spat the mack head as soon as he hit fresh air. I got the next one up to the steps and bear hugged him up the steps to make sure we held him for a photo. Quick snap and off he went. Dave got another one to the steps and i hauled it up for him. He sat down behind it for a photo because he was still shakin when there was one of the out of the water. Got his photo and the conger went back happy. It lashed on us all day and i was drowned from head to toe in slime from the eels so we decided to call it a day and head back to cork for a few pints. Great night and i'm glad we stumbled across this little mark. Cheers to paul harris for the fresh bait and for the info on the mark even though we didn't manage to find it.

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

I forgot to mention the new rod, Greys GRX-S fixed spool. Casting 5 oz and standing at 13ft it's not classed as a strictly rough stuff rod but it was well able for this session. Bite detection is good and the tip stayed fairly stiff in strong winds. Well capable of haulling in big eels all day. And at €125 in halfway angling,i'm very impressed with it. It's a 2 piece and a bit long for the car but that's my only complaint. She's well broken in now and ready for the next bash at the beasties of the deep

Thats good going off a pier lads and during the day, fair play to youse

Well done lads,those congers give me the willies

nice congers evan wd on the wrasse great little fighters

Cheers lads. Gread day out alright. All the congers were caught during the day over high tide. Bit surprised they were feeding so hard in those conditions. The wrasse were great craic alright. I got runs off a few more but i think i wasn't striking hard enough to hook them. Fairly tough gobs on them.