Episode iv ...... Normal Service Resumed

People: me self

Duration: 2 hours first venue and 20 minutes at 2nd venue.

Tide: 1 hour up and 1 down

Weather: blustery with a misty rain after an hour

Bait: lug, rag, razor and a crab,

Rigs: 2 homemade specials. Now nicknamed the Ball/c specials

Results: small fish at a fish a cast 7 fish 5 flounder 2 shore rockling and 2 small cod later

Report: It’s been a full month since I fished this venue, the storms had the place full of weed.

I did get in a few sessions further east, caught a few fish but nothing to get excited about.
I did write up a report on one nice session we fished in front of Garryvoe hotel Filed it away for a final edit before posting it, like the crack-off on the night, it disappeared never to be found again.

So Saturday it was back to the old hunting ground to flex the muscles. Arrived at the venue to find the stream had changed course and instead of heading out the right hand side of the beach it cut across the high water mark and now went out the left hand side. This left a high bank of course sand on the right hand side. The recent storms have changer the shape of this venue and at some stage I’ll have to get a look at it at low water.

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Been on my own I stayed off the rocks and fished on the grass pathway.
While there was no great surf break outside the last wave breaking at the shore line was often up to 6 feet high.
Anyway, 2 rods into the water and in no time little twitches on the first rod out.
Well I had 3 baits on and I was using hooks so there was no panic “let him hook himself” . Then the second rod started so I reeled in rod 1 and a small (Cork sizes) flounder was returned. Baited up and casted out again, the second landed a small shore rockling. Two casts 2 fish it was time to stroll to the jeep and get the phone for a picture or two.

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In all I had 7 casts between the 2 rods and landed 5 flounder and 2 shore rockling. The biggest flounder was about 25cm. As the sea freshened and the conditions got wetter I made a move to Ballycotton pier for a bit of shelter.


I arrive to find Klingons and Cardassians with their white buckets along the wall. Armed with trout rods and using baited feathers its best left without a comment.

First two casts and 2 small codling and as I settled down on the third cast a poor cod no bigger than 4 INCHES was landed next to me. Now without batting an eyelid it was unhooked and put into the bucket WTF.
I reeled in and made road for home.
If I stayed around I’d have

Something has to be done about this sooner rather than later, a minimum size for keeping fish has to be introduced into sea angling.

Back to the beach again tomorrow night. Hard to bait a fishing buddy that will big the lug.

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great report and a good read shame bout the pier better of to leave
fair play for getting a few fish tho

at least you are getting out and catching donal
as for the white bucket brigade,,,,, well the less said, the better
that's why we avoid them these days. it makes my blood boil watching them take fish no bigger than the palm of your hand by the dozen. a minimum retention size would be the way to go, but sure who would police it
with countless entire areas being openly illegally netted all around the country and nothing being done, what chance do the tiddlers have from the mini munchers. it's depressing stuff to watch man

I have fished ballycotton a lot over the last few months due to its sheltered nature in this bad weather we have had in the last few months, I have seen some really small fish kept, its a disgrace.......I know the beach in the photo I can't believe the stream has moved course like that, good report as always Donal.

It looked like Donal's trilogy continued today picking up where he left off....

a minimum retention size would be the way to go, but sure who would police it

At least there would be legislation in place that you could argue about and point a finger and say "you are breaking the law"

I know the beach in the photo I can't believe the stream has moved course like that, .

It is now going down the middle of the beach it won't be long before its back to normal

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It looked like Donal's trilogy continued today picking up where he left off....

Episode V in the can waiting to be edited.
Bass angler I remember when you were a shore angler. and you was catching fish.

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Well said Donal,Ray just doesn't like getting his hands dirty anymore. Nice you're getting a few fish its a sorry state in ballycotton allright and its not even silly season.Id be more than willing to pay an extra tax[licence]if it means these clowns have to stop killing minnows just to fill there buckets.Ironic though with the location its like the wild west no rules apply.
Surely you'll have the bass running up the line to you soon

Nice few fish Donal, well done.