Howth Rocks 12/07/2011

People:Gordy, Bren and myself

Duration:7pm untl 11pm

Tide:Rising till about 10:20

Weather:Slight N wind but very mild and ry

Bait:Rag & Mac

Rigs:Floats

Results:Ballen Wrasse, Pollock and dabs.




Report:We decided to try something different tonight and headed off float fishing. The hope was for mackerel but any fish would be a welcome. I picked up a couple of pre packed float rigs in Henry's to give it a bash as I had never tried float fishing before.

We arrived to find, not surprisingly that the spot was jammers with our feather flinging friends. We negotiated our way down the rocks to a spot that we could fish from and set up. Bren gave me the run through of setting the float up and the baits went in the water. We also tried feathering for a while but all gave up after it seemed that we were not going to have any luck.

Bren was first up with a wrasse on the float to rag and his PB! He was chuffed to bits. Mainly because he nearly lost it on the rocks coming in only a wave pushed the fish up to him. Gordy was next in with a dab from a rod he was bottom fishing with. Followed by a shout of delight as he reeled in his first wrasse. However to his horror he dropped it as the fish was coming up the rocks and his shouts turned to an almighty groan of despair as he watched it swim off.







I was next up with a fish and plucked out a nice Ballen Wrasse on my first float fishing attempt. I was chuffed to bits until I smashed my knee on the rocks when putting the fish back! Not to mention the bruised ego Gordy followed up with his first pollock ever, a plump fish of about 35cm. This was followed with a succession of dabs for him on rag about 50-60 yards out. Bren the picked up a pollock himself and I had no more fish for the night. We decided to try catch a chipper and packed up round 11. This was followed by stuff Bear Grylls would b scared to do as we scaled back up a very slippery set of rocks in the dark. Taking our time we safely reached the van happy with a new PB, new species and fist fish on a float rig

Well done on the new species and pb to all, pollack and wrasse 2 great sporting fish, nice.

well done,,,,,i am dying to try the rocks

Float fishing can be a very productive way of fishing rough ground without loosing lots of Tackle. Google "sliding float" You just use a powergum or purpose made stop knot and you can vary the depth that you are fishing at. If you ever fish the west or south west this method can product very big wrase if using small hard back crabs and bigger pollock if you use a strip of Mack or even better a full sandeel.

Tight Lines,

Kev

Nice result lads. Have fished there many a time with very little results. The place is however crawling with dabs. Those rocks are a nightmare too. The far side must of been full of mackie bashers to have yis fishing there

well done lads nice result for howth and well done on the pb