Final Antrim Coast Session - Victory at Last!

New years day came and the first opportunity of 2023 to get out and catch something arrived.

After a session each at Drains Day & Glenarm beach (two coalies and a pollock to show for a lot of effort), the next venue was Red Bay Pier.

I arrived at about 1330 and got myself set up. A two hook paternoster rig with small hooks was fired out with scraps of squid - after about half an hour the bites started and a little dab was the first fish landed of 2023!

The scratching rig took about half a dozen small dabs, a whiting & two rockling (my rockling identification needs work).

The rod with a pulley pennel rig sat out there, beautifully presented squid and lug baits were unloved by fish but adored by crabs. Bait was being cycled out on pre-baited hook lengths to no fishy avail until..

dum dum dum... Codling!!

I love the Antrim Coast again!

No Irish shore records are being broken here, folks, but a codling is a codling in my books. Happy that I managed my target species for the holidays back home, I fished on until high water, taking three doggies until deciding it was time to pack up. Two out of the three dogfish actually gave a fairly good account of themselves.

It is now time to pack up and head back down South, happy in the knowledge that the Antrim Coast didn't beat me.

Happy New Year & I hope you all have a great year!

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happy new year lad and well done on getting the target species

that's a result for that pier
nicely done

Nice mix of species including the target. Well done.