Culdaff Co Donegal Sun Jan 29, 2006

People: Me and another 8 from the LSSAC

Duration: 13:00 - 19:00

Tide: Low up

Weather: Calm, clear and darned cold after sundown....

Bait: Mostly everything...

Rigs: 2/3 hook flappers

Results: Sea trout (one 2.5lb, escaped at waterline), coley, flounder, brill


Report: Fishing stated off reasonably well with a number of counting flounder from the pegs at the southern end. Sea trout hopping out of the water steadily while the sun was up. That tailed off at dusk. Fishing slackened considerably into the middle of the tide, when the more northerly pegs seemed to do better. Later on the coley, or at least the better ones, seemed to be more common at the southern end again.

Best baits for the flats seems to have been lug and squid cocktails.

After dark there were a lot of small coley, difficult to get counters though. These were all coming at distance.

Seems to have been a lot of small stuff really close in after dark, but too small even to take a size 4 hook. Loads of tiny nibbling bites, which proved impossible to hit on a size 4 hook and I didn't think it worth trying a smaller hook as the chance of getting a counter looked slim. Needless to say, I blanked, but at least I had some company in that category.

I'd say overall there were about 3-4 brill, half a dozen flounder and about 20 coley. Not a great session considering it was 9 rods for 6 hours but nice to see a little variety.

Next outing in 2 weeks, up Fanad direction.

The Antrim coast was poor yesterday too Sandman - you are not alone!!!!

My club (GADSAC) are heading up to Kinnego for a comp later in the year - have you heard reports on that mark?

GG

Judging by reports it was a thin enough weekend all around the country - I suppose we are coming to the end of the flattie season and the whiting don't seem to have been any size this year either, as far as I have heard and seen.

Kinnego doesn't seem to have a brilliant reputation at all, despite looking a good venue. I haven't heard of anyone actually fishing it lately. You never know, if it hasn't been fished all winter it might hold a decent head of fish.

Maybe some of the other forum users have fished it recently? If so, a report, tips etc would be appreciated.

ive seen plenty of small turbot come off culdaff beach but never a brill!
if the small ones are there then it is an encouraging sign perhaps for the boats later in the year!

brill and turbot are quite difficult to tell apart and many "turbot" are actually brill.
turbot have boney lumps on their dark side brill don't, also the scales on brill are more noticeable, and brill tend to be smaller than turbot.

all the ones i have seen caught here were definately turbot.

The lad next to me got one and checked for 'lumps' - didn't find any so it may well have been a brill.

good to see it has a variety of species!never got a brill yet, so maybe this year ill have to give it another try or two! :wink:

I went up to Culdaff a run and was chatting to the guy on the last peg, think it was no. 9. I asked were you there and he told me no you couldn't make it. Doh!

Yup, I was there - peg 1. Gordon meant the other Pat.