Limerick to Kerry and Limerick again.. 21/9/13

People: My self and 1

Duration:24 hours

Tide: All of it

Weather:Beautiful

Bait:every kind

Rigs:Pullys and flappers

Results:Read below




Report: Myself and the bro-inlaw had been planning on popping our ray cherries for a long while now and decided with the promise of beautiful weather we would go!..... So we set off on the 21st at 7 am heading for limerick with the tent, sleeping bags and BBQ.....

We reached our first stop in limerick and the weed was floating on the top like veg in a soup so we moved on to another mark just a bit down. We arrived there at 9:30 (Made great time) and decided to setup, pullys on with sandeel to start and blasted it out, ahhhh we were fishing.

The rods started getting nibbles from the get go so we thought we would have a great days fishing, but every time we picked up the rod there was nothing on the end. It was getting frustrating. This carried on the whole time, bite on the rod us trying to strike and nothing.... At around 12 noon chris struck into his rod and felt a weight this time. But knew it was a dog.....

At 13:30 we decided to go find a beach mark in kerry and pitch the tent and just get comfortable for the night. When we arrived at the first beach mark it was covered in people and surfers but its was the bass- ist beach I have ever seen, great surf but to many people so we carried on further into kerry stopping off at all beach marks as we went. But all them were the same, if there was no one swimming or surfing it was covered in weeds. After getting as far as Banna strand we relised the whole of the coast had a weed problem thanks to the winds all week.

So after 4 hours driving we ended up back at the first mark. When we arrived there was 2 lads there fishing, turned out to be Congor and TheAustrian {who by the way is nuts}. After talking for a few we setup and get the rods back in the water for the night.....

The bites started again, thats when the TheAustrian shattered my hopes with talk of pin whiting..lol I could imagine these lovely ray seeking out my bait only to find a nice shiny hook emptyed by the whiting.... But I caried on. Congor bid his farewell at 23:00 and then TheAustrian at midnight but I was in till the end, I was in it to win it.......

At 01:00 I was on the pier alone, the bro-inw had gone for some shut eye, and I got a knock on the rod. Excited I lifted into the pull.... NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! I was really getting stressed now. Blasted back out, Knock, knock, strick!!! and nothing. After doing this about 10 times I decided no more striking just reel, so I did. Started reeling and Bang, I could feel a fish on the end.....

After a small struggle with the mud I had done it, there was a small thornie at my feet about 3lbs. Screaming and dancing a jig I woke the bro-inalw.... I was'nt a virgin anymore lol. So I told him not to strike, just reel. So he did and bam there was a smaller thornie on the pier about 1 and a half lbs. (Both returned and happy)

We fished until 03:30 and the tide had stripped out at the pier to leave 20ft of mud so we decided to sleep because that mud would take any fish we caught anyway...

07:00 we woke and started fishing again, but no bites. At 09:00 we decided to head home. Feeling deflated we headed home but delighted we got a ray. Job done! we had bot caught a ray so it was'nt a complete bust.

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well done on the ray buddy

Really good to meet up and chat buddy, hope we meet again, was a grand session in my book, even despite the lack of rays.
I'm delighted that you've cracked it at the end - but what a beautiful scenery we were graced to enjoy that night!
What more can you wish for, apart from to be getting seriously worried for your health by the smells of your 'cooking attempts' which had us alarmed at the beginning - we thought there is an oil rig on fire - but I'm happy to report that we've all survived the toxic fumes apart from still feeling a wee bit hoarse today - and - which is probably worse, I can't get the smell of these 'bargain mack' bait off my hands, which Seamus has doomed us with... but hey - that's all part of the fun
At least my dogs and cats love me to bits now

well done on the rays lads, never forget yer first one

Well done, you really worked hard for those rays.

nice
a ray is a ray,when all you want is a ray!
nice one lads

Well done lads, hard work but mission accomplished!

Well done lads hard work and a lot of driving and juice but you stuck at it and got your rewards, Fair play and well done.

Really good to meet up and chat buddy, hope we meet again, was a grand session in my book, even despite the lack of rays.
I'm delighted that you've cracked it at the end - but what a beautiful scenery we were graced to enjoy that night!
What more can you wish for, apart from to be getting seriously worried for your health by the smells of your 'cooking attempts' which had us alarmed at the beginning - we thought there is an oil rig on fire - but I'm happy to report that we've all survived the toxic fumes apart from still feeling a wee bit hoarse today - and - which is probably worse, I can't get the smell of these 'bargain mack' bait off my hands, which Seamus has doomed us with... but hey - that's all part of the fun
At least my dogs and cats love me to bits now

Yes Martin its an absolutely beautiful county in the light and dark, and as for the cooking. Luckly we have very little to cook and got to refill the flask twice so all was well there. As for you being horse, Im sure your pain relief came in handy! lol

Im sure we will meet again on the shore of cod hunting before long and I look forward to it.

Thanks lads it was a hard slog but if it was easy it wouldn't be fun!!

next cod hunting trip is in the planing stages already, hope we can count on you to bring plenty of decent peelers, you'll be fully reimbursed obviously with loose women, drink or whatever sumptuous delicacies from forest and garden might tickle your fancies! Cash is out of the question for obvious reasons but hears to fun, barter and trade

Great to meet ye the other night lads, delighted you popped your ray cherry buddy, sure as martin said role on a cod trip

Well done buddy well deserverd for the time put in there is a few of us heading that way the 17 th of oct if u fancy it there is a lift if u want we will be fishing from the tbursday till saturday and back sunday should be good if u gez green light your more than welcome

Well done buddy well deserverd for the time put in there is a few of us heading that way the 17 th of oct if u fancy it there is a lift if u want we will be fishing from the tbursday till saturday and back sunday should be good if u gez green light your more than welcome

Nice one for the offer Alan, but her in doors has me doing stuff around the house as punishment for going on an overnighter last weekend..lol

Also I have to que for this stupid one direction concert for the youngones xmas.... Happy days..

Tight lines thou and let us know how ye get on..

well you got your target speices at least ! i,ve had a few trips to kerry when weed was a major problem and unless you know a local who might have the low down on a mark it can make more sense to hit the road!! with the price of fuel the trip must have cost you quite a lot ,i think i would have got the two ray stuffed and hung on my wall after all that

Well done on the ray