Antrim Coast Sessions

Hello All,

Back home for Christmas after a productive year fishing the East Coast of Ireland since moving to Dublin. I promised myself that I would make a real effort whilst home to put a hew hours in along the Antrim Coast.

Feeling like a master angler with new terminal tackle received for Christmas, I arrived at Drains Bay (27/12/2022) an hour before high water and set up on the grass. One rod had a wee one-up-one-down rig with small hooks and scraps of squid, the other with a clipped down pulley pennel and a larger squid/mussel bait in the hope of a cod (a man can dream?). A small coalfish was taken on the scratching rig fairly early on which gave me a bit of hope. Fished the ebbing tide right out and down the beach until 2 hours after low water. Halfway down the tide I managed to pick up a slightly better coaly and then a small pollock. Not the greatest nights fishing but still better than blanking.

The next day I had feeling of 'what if' I had a bit of worm bait. I few phonecalls later and some frozen lug was sourced - not ideal but what can you do. Another session was on the cards. Glenarm beach was the target venue for the night. I arrived two hours before low water to fish the flood. To cut a long story short; every mix of lug, squid, mackerel and sandeel I could muster was lashed out. Match fishing tactics were used with pre-baited interchangeable hooklengths on every rig I knew to try to try and pull a fish out of the water to absolutely no avail. Bait was thrown into every inch of water at varying distances and not a single tap was found. Bloody Awful. I found myself staring at those wires that line the pier stopping a decent cast off the the harbour - gits

Conditions were fair on both nights, bitta rain here and there and some weed that could be dealt with fairly well by keeping the rod tips high.

All in all the fishing wasn't wonderful. What was wonderful, however, was getting back out along that coastline. God bless ye, Antrim Coast, ye cruel auld mistress.

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Fair play Ryan
Sounds about standard for the Antrim coast this time of year.. pretty poor unfortunately but, as you say, nice to get out anyway and there's always hope
This time of year I'd personally make the odd pilgrimage to the Donegal shores with the potential of better fishing, worth the effort usually - flounder and bass
Was out on Ballycastle beach yesterday evening but it was slow too. I had a mackerel bait in the surf hoping for a bass but no joy; the scratching rods with the small hooks and baits produced nothing either. My mate did however manage a nice wee turbot, maybe close to 30cm, a small flounder and a couple of small whiting on the scratching gear. That's about it. We fished for 2.5 hours before the rain moved in.

Fair play Ryan
Sounds about standard for the Antrim coast this time of year.. pretty poor unfortunately but, as you say, nice to get out anyway and there's always hope
This time of year I'd personally make the odd pilgrimage to the Donegal shores with the potential of better fishing, worth the effort usually - flounder and bass
Was out on Ballycastle beach yesterday evening but it was slow too. I had a mackerel bait in the surf hoping for a bass but no joy; the scratching rods with the small hooks and baits produced nothing either. My mate did however manage a nice wee turbot, maybe close to 30cm, a small flounder and a couple of small whiting on the scratching gear. That's about it. We fished for 2.5 hours before the rain moved in.

Hi Chuckaroo,

You're exactly right. The eternal optimism of the angler that 'tonight could be the night I land the big one' always gets you out even if you know the chances aren't great haha About two weeks ago I went out on a Wexford beach and had 2 spurdog pups, a plaice, a doggy and maybe about six decentish whiting - came home a bit disappointed because I didn't hit a codling - the last two night definitely put things in perspective for me, I think ill be a bit more appreciative in future haha I've never fished round Donegal myself but it is most definitely on the to-do list. I was actually very close to going to Ballycastle beach last night to lash out a mackerel in the hopes of a bass myself, I think everyone in my family has taken a bass off that beach bar me haha that's not a bad session for your mate at all, nice wee array of species all the same for this time of year! Fair play to you for getting out, it's easy to go a bit soft over the holidays haha

at least you got fishing mate and cleared the head for a while. The Anyrim coast can be hit and miss at this time of year but if you do time it right theres fine coalies to get as well as the odd codling

at least you got fishing mate and cleared the head for a while. The Anyrim coast can be hit and miss at this time of year but if you do time it right theres fine coalies to get as well as the odd codling

Hi MC,

I was uncharacteristically good last night and now I am itching to get out and put my last session on Glenarm Beach to rights. Red Bay for a rising tide into darkness is on the cards for tonight!