November bass in Dingle

Set off for Dingle just before midnight and arrived at the house 13 long hours later tired but keen to get at it. Had time for a little nap before setting out to dig some lug ready for a short evening session. Fished a low water mark from 6 til 9 that night. Good conditions but the fish didn't oblige, usually an excellent spot. Result one small bass of a pound and a small flounder.

The plan was to fly fish for some late season mullet for the next three days on the largest tides of the month, probably the last chance this year. Had stopped off on the way down the day before to check out a promising mark and all looked good, there was plenty of rotting seaweed on the high water mark and it was full of maggots which should be reached on the next days tide. It wasn't to be, arrived the following day to find a nasty off shore wind had created a large swell which was crashing into the rocks making casting impossible and it would probably have been dangerous with the swell. Pulled out to set off on a reconnaissance run of more sheltered marks that have worked before and at last found what I was looking for. Feeding mullet. Fished this mark for the next three high tides had 5 mullet to 4.25lb and probably lost another six. Unfortunately by the third session the light was against me, high tide was well into dusk which made it difficult.

For the next six days the plan was to target the bass. Three dawn sessions yielded 5 bass to 4.5lb on lures and texas rigged plastics. The last bass caught grabbed the lure just as it was coming out of the water. Savage take !! What fishing is all about. A great few sessions at the best time of the day, watching the sun come up...joke ! On the second morning it suddenly went as black as aarsse holes and I was in the middle of a terrific thunder and lightning storm. Not the best place to be waving around a 9 foot carbon fibre pole. Chickened out for half an hour and sat under the cliff rod deposited thirty metres away. That apart wouldn't have missed it for the world the fish were just a bonus.

Much of the time during the day was spent digging lug which wasn't easy, the weather was playing its part. On several occasions during the trip I was rained off with all the worm casts washed away in front of me. On the last day it didn't help having two manic springer spaniels in attendance ( down to the wife ) behaving like football hooligans trashing the casts. I thought the rain did a good job but they did better. Shouting made it worse and they just went faster covering more ground so I put them on ignore. This seemed to work then I noticed the young black and white one had gone awol, disappeared into the bog at the top of the strand which was a massive sea of six foot reeds which went miles into the distance, as far as the eye could see. Hour and a half later and she still hadn't come back. By this time I was getting worried about missing the evening session. I couldn't have returned to the house, the wife would prefer to lose me than the dog. Eventually she appeared out of the reeds, completely knackered and covered in all kinds of shite, crawled towards me on her belly expecting a good clout. I could see it in her eyes. "I know I'm in trouble but it was worth it." Threw her in the car and I was off with not much time to spare .

Had six evening sessions of three to three and a half hours all after dark. Three evenings on one mark at high tide where conditions were quite calm and the last three evenings of the trip at another mark standing in the surf. Honours were about even, 22 bass over the six session, at each venue the best night was 6 and no blanks but weed was a problem on two nights, best fish about 4lb with plenty of a similar weight. No big fellas but all in all some great evenings fishing and still time for a pint of the black stuff before closing time.

Great trip !

Results for the trip : 28 Bass, 5 Mullet several flounder and a whiting.

November 3rd to 15th

Set off for Dingle just before midnight and arrived at the house 13 long hours later tired but keen to get at it. Had time for a little nap before setting out to dig some lug ready for a short evening session. Fished a low water mark from 6 til 9 that night. Good conditions but the fish didn't oblige, usually an excellent spot. Result one small Bass of a pound and a small flounder.

The plan was to fly fish for some late season mullet for the next three days on the largest tides of the month, probably the last chance this year. Had stopped off on the way down the day before to check out a promising mark and all looked good, there was plenty of rotting seaweed on the high water mark and it was full of maggots which should be reached on the next days tide. It wasn't to be, arrived the following day to find a nasty off shore wind had created a large swell which was crashing into the rocks making casting impossible and it would probably have been dangerous with the swell. Pulled out to set off on a reconnaissance run of more sheltered marks that have worked before and at last found what I was looking for. Feeding mullet. Fished this mark for the next three high tides had 5 mullet to 4.25lb and probably lost another six. Unfortunately by the third session the light was against me, high tide was well into dusk which made it difficult.

For the next six days the plan was to target the Bass. Three dawn sessions yielded 5 Bass to 4.5lb on lures and texas rigged plastics. The last Bass caught grabbed the lure just as it was coming out of the water. Savage take !! What fishing is all about. A great few sessions at the best time of the day, watching the sun come up...joke ! On the second morning it suddenly went as black as aarsse holes and I was in the middle of a terrific thunder and lightning storm. Not the best place to be waving around a 9 foot carbon fibre pole. Chickened out for half an hour and sat under the cliff rod deposited thirty metres away. That apart wouldn't have missed it for the world the fish were just a bonus.

Much of the time during the day was spent digging lug which wasn't easy, the weather was playing its part. On several occasions during the trip I was rained off with all the worm casts washed away in front of me. On the last day it didn't help having two manic springer spaniels in attendance ( down to the wife ) behaving like football hooligans trashing the casts. I thought the rain did a good job but they did better. Shouting made it worse and they just went faster covering more ground so I put them on ignore. This seemed to work then I noticed the young black and white one had gone awol, disappeared into the bog at the top of the strand which was a massive sea of six foot reeds which went miles into the distance, as far as the eye could see. Hour and a half later and she still hadn't come back. By this time I was getting worried about missing the evening session. I couldn't have returned to the house, the wife would prefer to lose me than the dog. Eventually she appeared out of the reeds, completely knackered and covered in all kinds of shite, crawled towards me on her belly expecting a good clout. I could see it in her eyes. "I know I'm in trouble but it was worth it." Threw her in the car and I was off with not much time to spare .

Had six evening sessions of three to three and a half hours all after dark. Three evenings on one mark at high tide where conditions were quite calm and the last three evenings of the trip at another mark standing in the surf. Honours were about even, 22 Bass over the six session, at each venue the best night was 6 and no blanks but weed was a problem on two nights, best fish about 4lb with plenty of a similar weight. No big fellas but all in all some great evenings fishing and still time for a pint of the black stuff before closing time.

Great trip !

Results for the trip : 28 Bass, 5 Mullet several flounder and a whiting.

November 3rd to 15th

fair balls to ya

intriguing report ventry boy. marathon fishing. brilliant stuff
fair balls to ye indeed

Great stuff, time and efforts well and truely paid off!!!

Great report and a great trip...... brilliant stuff

"the wife would prefer to lose me than the dog" fair play to ye nice report and some nice fish.

Great report great fishing and great location what more could you ask for.

Great report, that sounds like a great plan for a holiday now to sell it to herself

I was going to congratulate you on finding lug but to catch 5 mullet and 28 bass super stuff or should i say fair balls to ya

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