New mark, Donegal Bay, 14/12/14

People:Me

Duration:2hrs

Tide:High water

Weather:Heavy showers, windy

Bait:Frozen mackerel, squid and prawns

Rigs:2 and 3 hook flappers

Results:Dogfish, whiting




Report:
I hadn’t been out for a fortnight and was keen to put that right so Sunday seemed to offer a half chance. Got down to my first choice mark to see swells breaking over the spot and it was only half tide so no point in trying there. Second choice was a short drive along the coast but when I discovered that my headlamp was missing, that was also a no-no. By now there were some heavy downpours being whipped along by strong winds and I was beginning to lose hope but I decided to try a spot I had never fished before. This allowed me to fish out of the car and avail of some street lamps to boost my feeble standby light. I set up the rods in the gaps between the showers and cast out over a stone wall which acted as a handy rod rest. First cast produced a few nibbles and 1-2 more determined tugs so I struck and everything went solid. What I expected to be sand turned out to be mixed ground but eventually I pulled free to retrieve only wrack. Next cast was much the same but third cast snagged firmly with the loss of everything, but I was getting bites. Sticking with one rod and casting in a slightly different direction seemed to find clean sand and soon after, a determined bite resulted in a dogfish and whiting double. Things went quiet for a while. In the meantime I sat through a number of nasty showers listening to Jim O’Neill on TodayFM and sipping a coffee before a lone dogfish turned up. A short while later another dog and whiting double showed up. By now it was after midnight and I was more than hungry so I headed off in search of food ( anyone beat sausage and chips, 4 sausages?). 3 dogfish, a couple of whiting and a few other bites isn’t particularly impressive but as a “save the trip” effort it wasn’t too bad. I’ll fish there again but with beefed up gear for the mixed ground.

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well done JW, good effort, nice to see a report up in these harsh times
havent been out in a few weeks myself now too, hope to rectify that this weekend - plan to head to the north coast ..again .. for my sins

Not too bad for a new mark sir, itching to get out again but it will after Christmas, working flat out at minute

Excellent as always JW, been a while for me too but I'll get out over Christmas to the beaches of Fanad!..

well done JW, good effort, nice to see a report up in these harsh times
havent been out in a few weeks myself now too, hope to rectify that this weekend - plan to head to the north coast ..again .. for my sins

Good luck and wrap up well, looks like it could be a cool one.

Not too bad for a new mark sir, itching to get out again but it will after Christmas, working flat out at minute

Glad to see someone working to pay my pension!

Excellent as always JW, been a while for me too but I'll get out over Christmas to the beaches of Fanad!..

Thanks Mackfish, after a wedding weekend up that way in the summer, I had hoped to get back up to try a couple of those beaches myself, could happen yet!

Thanks Mackfish, after a wedding weekend up that way in the summer, I had hoped to get back up to try a couple of those beaches myself, could happen yet!

There's quite a few around there!..and plenty of rock marks too!..