Falcarragh Pier/Ballyness Bay - NW Donegal. Aug 06, 2005

People: Me & brother

Duration: 6 hours 13:00-19:00

Tide: Just before low to nearly high water

Weather: Calm, mild, sunny

Bait: Peeler, sandeel, prawn, mackerel, rag

Rigs: Single hook rigs on 2 beachcasters, spinning with various lures and floating/freelining prawn and sandeel.

Results: Weed. And not much of that either. Apart from minature suicidal pollock (6 inchers long or so) who insisted on attacking spinners.


Report: Once again, what looked like excellent conditions turned up a blank. There were a few salmon and sea trout jumping around the turn of tide, didn't want caught obviously. Shoals of sandeel and small pollock in the water. Once again, no flatties, crabs barely bothering the baits. Not even a pollock or anything to the spinning gear or freelined sandeel.

If anyone's borrowed all the fish from the north-west could they please leave them back asap? Thanks. It's got so your only chance of a fish is an undersized pollock or wrasse off the rocks, chance of the odd mackerel. The beaches and piers are a dead loss....

Where do you get your peelers Sandman?

Top Tackle, Port Road, Letterkenny. Previously frozen peeler, although they also do fresh rag to order, available most fridays - you have to order earlier in the week. They do the usual frozen squid, sandeel, mackerel etc. Peeler is wasted in Donegal, as far as I can see.

Aye I would get mine from Tom's Tackle in Derry. Same story, order rag at the start of the week in time for the weekend and then all the frozen baits.

The peelers are EXPENSIVE though - £5.50 STG for a bag containing 3 crabs!!!! :shock:

By the time I got to use them they were completely thawed out and totally useless...

I know, peeler is way overpriced. I've never really found it to be any better than sandeel, squid and mackerel cocktails. Don't have a huge amount of faith in ragworm in Donegal either. Lug is much better. A pain to dig though...