Back to Black (Head(Again)) tuesday 8th september

People: me and some guy called steve i met down there

Duration: 7-830 for me 6-830 for steve

Tide: hw just after 10

Weather: a wee bit windier than i would have preferred

Bait: me mackerel, steve spinning

Rigs: me float, 1 hook bomber, conger trace. steve, mackerel traces

Results: me, dick all, steve 2 coalies




Report: decided last night i would be going fishing, by about 6pm i was pacing up and down living room wondering if i had made the right deecision until i was forced out the door being told "if you dont go you'll be a pain in the arse"

on the drive on the way down it didnt seem that windy, coming over the cliff from carrick it looked calm enough and even going up the path it seemed ok. it was literaly as my foot left the path and landed on rock did the wind hit. Boomf right in the face, nearly took my hat off. then i looked at the water and it was like pea soup and quite choppy, not rough but choppy. twas a bit dismayed but threw out a conger line and set up a float. at this point i realised you get what you pay for. had stopped in a tackle shop in town earlier to get some frozen mackerel. rather than buying the Ammo packet of 2 mackerel for £2.75 they have an unbranded (almost hamde made looking) packet of 3 mackerel for £2.50. i figure its a bargain and away i go. once on the rocks though it was a different story. i cut into the mackerel when it was still frozen and the flesh was that really pasty white, grey colour that only mackerel can get after sitting around for a day or 2. there was no blood or sent coming off it at all. which given the colour of the water meant i knew i was gonna catch nothing on it. tried anyway. after it thawed out a bit it started to turn to paste, my knifes really sharp so could cut it easily enough but when trying to put it on the hook it disintegrated. after losing 2 hooklengths on the float i decided it was too choopy for float fishing so stuck on a 1 hook bomber and tried it down the wall and cast out a bit. both times i lost everything so at this point (about 8pm) i kinda gave up on catching anything due to the conditions and crap bait. so packed up all but the conger rod and let it sit. went over to chat to steve. he was telling me the day before he was down and the waves were crashing up right over the rock (while he was standing on it), indeed on the way down along the side of the path were big piles of seaweed that had been obviously washed up the day before. at this point he also hadnt caught anything. tackle wise he was doing as well i was and lost more than was worth it but he plugged away, i wasnt expecting him to catch anything since the light was failing, the feathers on his trace were quite small and the water was so cloudy i couldnt even see the bottom of my float when i had it in the water right at my feet. But, fair play to him, he persisted and was eventually rewarded with 2 colefish. if ever there was a lesson in determination and perserverence that was it. chatted with him, watching him fish till about half 8 then we both left. if the conger were to come on the feed it probably would have been around about the time i left but i had no confidence in the crap mackerel.

kudos to steve though for getting 2 fish in far from ideal conditions

to make it worse when i got home she had gone out and locked the door and i had no key.

jeese man, sounds like it was all against you from the get go . you must be due a good one next time

I had a session like that last sunday at ballyhalbert, lost three good rigs i made the night before and two floats. My mackrell was exactly like yours... mushy when thawed, my shockleader knot gave way [badly tied no doubt] on a cast, and the final straw was my elastic thread roll, rolled just out of reach over the edge of the pier Also caught zilch.