Antrim rocks (21/08/11)

[dave316]

People: Me and dad

Duration: 5 hours

Tide: few hours before and after

Weather: Sunny, cloudy, wet, dry, windy, calm (4 seasons in a day)

Bait: ragworm and sandeels

Rigs: Float set-up

Results: 60+ Pollack, Coalies, Ballans




Report: Had heard reports that Pollack numbers were not good this year so was going to head out for flatties instead, but after discussing with my dad we were too curious as to how our always reliable mark would be performing. Usually at this time of year it is pretty much 100% guarantee to catch a lot of fish there with a few big ones always in the mix. Within seconds of our 1st casts we were both in, I got a nice wee Ballan of a pound and my dad caught a Pollack of a pound and a half and it seemed that everything was as it should be. It was a fish a cast like this then my dad hooked into something big and his rod bent in half. It was funny as he hadn't been out for big Pollack with me over the past load of years, preferring easy/comfortable/safe fishing in his old age, and he was actually panicking and asking for help. I reeled my gear in quick, jumped across and set the drag on his reel and stayed on hand. The line was screaming off the reel and my dad was screaming that the fish was too strong to do anything with. It's a cracking mark this, but tricky enough to to guide big fish inbetween a small gap in a reef though no problem with the right set-up. He managed to get it in below our feet, after a number of powerful dives, and I jumped down onto the landing platform to see a nice copper Pollack of between 8-10lbs come to the surface on it's side and it looked stunning. I had just been going on about how many I have had of this size here and we should expect them today, but this was my dad's P.B. by a few pounds and he was freaking out about getting it in. I got the line in my hand and proceeded to lift the fish out of the water, almost had it in when SNAP and the fish was gone and my dad was pure white as the blood had drained from his head.
He went and sat down for a few minutes feeling ill and sorry for himself and i checked out his gear to find he had been using just the 15lb mono on his reel for his trace. I've always been the one that keeps us up to date mostly with tackle advancements over the years and I personally, for this mark, use reels with 20lb braid/30lb shockleader and 30lb amnesia for the rig as quite often the larger fish dive down under the reef you need to get them over, but will always come free eventually. I set him up with my heavier line and I also prefer to use large 3/0 hooks here for the big ones and I seem to hook most fish clean in the side of the mouth this way, so no injuries. My dad was thinking, "What's the point when i'll not get another fish like that" sort of thing, but I was pretty confident and told him he should definitely expect more at this time of year.
Sure enough, within 30 seconds of the very next cast and BAM round two: he was in again and after another spectacular battle this one was landed and dispatched for a nice cheap fish pie. This Pollack was about 6lbs and caught on ragworm (the big one was on a pathetic piece of washed-out, chewed-up worm that my dad couldn't be arsed changing). After that I whipped out the sandeels and bait elastic for my dad as I knew they would isolate the big Pollack from the smaller Blockan at this mark and I was now sure the big guys were there in numbers. Sure enough, we both had another couple each around the 5lb mark and also stacks of 1-3lb fish on the worm. All in all it was a pretty standard day at this mark, but i would have expected more fish though there were times when conditions turned bad for a while and fishing had to stop, but the main thing was that my dad had a good time and he will be more enthusiastic for future trips also.




Ps. I'll be more specific and say it was Belfast Lough as I hear many people writing off this area, whereas I have always had great fishing here for many species for the past 30 years.

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Last edited by dave316 on Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

super fishing lads 60 pollock in a session is some going and unlucky with the big fish that sliped away but thats fishing

Sounds like a cracker of a session. You could have easily been in Kerry for the quantity and quality of the Pollack. Well done.

That's what I never understand. People seem to think you need to travel to Cork or Kerry for specimen Wrasse and big Pollack , and in numbers, when Belfast Lough has been consistently spectacular for me all these years. The Codling fishing here should be picking up now too and can be very decent at times.

i miss fishing...stupid leg

How's the recovery been going ? It was at the spot I was told you about last year btw.

slow, boring, and a real pain in the arse\leg

Great report, great fishin, good on ya.

Well done lads....

Great report. Some quality fish there!

Nice fishing. I've never fished the Antrim side of the lough.

Might check google maps and pick a spot soon.

Incredible Fishing! Seems like the place to be!

Well done mate great fishing.

[cathalger]

Great fishing Dave, nice pollack, did you fillet them and do them in batter?

Aye theres pollack fishing around the Antrim coast as good as anywhere, thing is, its virtually untapped too. Miles of inaccessible rocky coastline where boats enjoy good fishing but a line is rarely if ever thrown from the shore. Especially between Cushendun and Ballycastle but the windows in the otherwise savage tides are short.

Codling are about and coming right into the beach but alas they aint the average size of those recorded on here in the winter in the SW. That stuff down there in Cork is pretty special fishing!

Cathal.

Last edited by cathalger on Sun Aug 28, 2011 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

Not this time Cathal, I'm gonna use them all for fish pies as the kids love it and it lasts a few days, but they are lovely in batter and also in Mediterranean tomato-based dishes. I will be expecting a fair few codling in the 2-4lb bracket around the lough about from now onwards and the odd bigger one too. I've had some amazing cod fishing here over the years and especially at some of the Larne coast beaches where we've taken home maybe 30-50 2-3lb codling in sessions. There's been seasons where my family have dined on battered cod for weeks and weeks. There's a fair bit of work filletting and removing the worms from all those. I've been impressed in recent weeks by the amount of decent whiting down towards your direction and up near Larne, they've been averaging not far off a pound and it's been a long time since i've seen them like that. I used to get lovely Pouting down there years back, but it's been a long time since i've kept one of those.
I love the Pollack fishing in Ballycastle and Cushendun myself, but it's real handy I have a few secret marks near home that always produce the goods for me.

Excellent fishing something like 1 of my dreams good your father got a cracker aswell!
tightlines
fergal

It must be said that you sound like a man with a few amazing marks!

Nothing beats local knowledge mate. My dad passed this mark on to me as he fished it from a boy and myself for 30 years, but neither of us has ever seen anyone else fish it at all.

ya cant go far wrong with ballycastle for pollack. . .that pans rock is great

i like the thought of closer to home dave

Excellent having fishing like that close to home.
Well done.

Impressive codling Dave! Damn fine eating too that size, maybe the best size? Baked on the bone good too.

Cathal.