Donegal estuary sea trout

People: Just me

Duration: 90 mins door to door

Tide: Start of the flood

Weather: Weak sun, wind Nor'Easterly, dry.

Bait: lures

Rigs: lures

Results: 9 sea trout in 35 mins, all C&R




Report:
One of those whims - I was going to try for a Springer in the river, but got sidetracked on the way there when I noticed the tide in the estuary was right for a spot of sea trouting. I fancied a throw at them to see if they're about.

Setting up, trout were active right in front of me. First on was a Stuki - got a couple of knocks on that but no takers. Next was a single hook barbless 20g red flying C I'd got yesterday from Swilly Flies, just to see how it cast. No interest in that either after half a dozen casts, and I was covering fish too. So, on with an old reliable - a 20g Flashmer with the treble changed to a single.

Game on! In the next 35 mins I had 9 sea trout at my feet - all easily unhooked and released - up to about 2lbs in weight. It was a fish a cast at one point in that frenzy. None of the fish were in perfect table condition, but none were completely spent fish either. I'd say they were back in the estuary for a while, long enough to start mending but not entirely in condition as yet. give them another month and they'll be perfect.

Typically, my phone camera didn't want to work. Probably something to do with a recent Nokia upgrade. Humphfff.

Once things started to calm down a bit, I changed over to a Duo Terrif DC12 with all the trebles removed and a single installed on the back end, just to see what would happen. I was still covering fish and getting knocks, so that's interesting enough. I might switch the single to the middle next time.

One of those magical sessions when the fish come out to play.

nice to finda few fish

Nice fishing up there lad, good to see them in numbers.

Sounds like a cracking session

nice decent report..there seems to be a good few trout around.il know more later myself

Very encouraging! Thanks tanglerat!

Cheers for the report, sounds like a great session

Good fishing gerry

Sounds like a great session fair play for the report.

That was a busy half-hour there Tanglerat, pity the fish are not in top condition yet, can we blame that on the cold weather as well? And get a decent camera!!!

Fair play for using the singles Gerry. Can i ask where you got em and what size were you using? Think i'm going to follow suit.

Fair play for using the singles Gerry. Can i ask where you got em and what size were you using? Think i'm going to follow suit.

They're Decoy Pluggin' Singles, size 2. I got them from Mr Fish in Jersey (Mick's a good guy, you can buy with confidence). The size 2 may be a bit large for smaller heavy metal lures, a 4, 6 or 8 might be a better fit. Mick'll sort you out with some of those 20g Flashmers too. My new name for them is The Silver Slayer!

There was a thread about it lately here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=42455

Cheers buck. Will have to check those 'Silver Slayers' out

9 seatrout awesome session well done!

brilliant session - nice when it all comes together - and great to see seatrout about in such numbers - hope to get back out for a lash at them myself if that east wind eases a little!

Fair play on a good season and a good report to go with it.

John Ainsworth.

Cheers all.

Just to add a postscript to this - I bumped into a guy yesterday afternoon who'd just finished fishing down there. He (and he knows how to fish) and a friend (didn't know him, but he had a sparkly gold Hansen Stripper on the rod in the back of the car, so I presume he knows a thing or two...) had been about 1/2 mile away from "my" mark at first, had 3 knocks and a 1 hook up in a couple of hours, before moving onto "my" mark, blanking, and leaving it at the state of tide just when I'd started fishing it.

Goes to show you.

Great session. Gives us some hope for Kerry in a few weeks. If the bass arent feeding or should I say feeding less often because of water temp, they maybe the trout will keep us busy. I know fook all about trout. I take it they are less affected by cold temps than a Bass is..? or is it a similar scenario.

A great session i would had loved. Would they have been close enough for a fly rod?

A great session i would had loved. Would they have been close enough for a fly rod?

Easily. I was fishing a channel, had a couple of takes right under the rod tip in about 12 inches of water.