Inch Strand, Co. Cork 21/04/06

People:Myself, Phanover, Donal (not forum member)

Duration:7.30pm ish to 12.30am

Tide:HW at 1230ish Small surf running.

Weather:Lovely!

Bait:Razor, Crab, Sandeel, Lug, Rag, Mackerel,

Rigs:Flappers, scratchers and pulleys

Results:2 Bass, 4 Flounder, a Coalie... Oh and the one that got away.... :cry:


Report:Arrived at Inch at 7ish on a real peach of an evening with the sun shining and a nice but small surf running with high hopes of a decent evenings fishing. We all set up in the very left hand corner, very cosily it has to be said due to the fact there were 2 surfers hammering around in front of us :evil: I was fishing 2 rods with 2 hook flappers on both initially with a variety of baits, Black lug tipped with live rag, Razor, Crab and sandeel. I fished one at around the 100 yard mark and another at about 60. The rods hadnt been in the water 10 minutes before the first bite came, just a few gentle knocks at first which after leaving for a minute or two to develop, I hit. Cue an almighty heaving match! First thoughts were I had got latched onto an almighty lump of weed until said lump took it upon itself to go heading off to the right in a stop start scrap. Fish was holding out in the tide and it felt like it was digging in from time to time! With about 20 yards or so to go and after getting a very brief glimpse of something wallowing in the surf the horrible, useless, nasty shockleader Knot decided to part leaving me with nothing but the might have beens... It could only have been a ray, my first ray hook up it has to be said from the shore, super scrap though but pure gutted all the same. (Anyone fancy teaching me the Bimini Twist!)

Phanover hooked into a small coalie around the 25cm mark not long after to mack strip. Shortly after that I took my first of 3 flounder, around the 20cm mark on black lug tipped with rag. Things went very quiet after that for an hour or two with a combination of the rising tide and those 2 surfers making life very awkward in the corner for the 3 of us. Once darkness fell however, the 2 boyos disappeared and we spread out a bit. I took flounder number 2, again to black lug and rag. Shortly after that, after hitting a nice rattling bite, I was greeted by Bass number 3 of the year sliding in through the surf :D Only a little fella of about a pound and a half or so but a very welcome sight nonetheless. He had fallen to fresh peeler on a 2 hook flapper fished at about 60 yards or so. Following the obligatory photos, he was slipped back. A fair sight, even the little fellas, all bristling fins and flared gills....them fellas have got attitude! Time passed and flounder number 3 of the evening fell to me on black lug and rag again.

The most satisfying moment of the night however was yet to come, Paul, who had never had a bass and who had really put the hours, the research, the travelling and the graft in it has to be said over the past couple of months, finally got his reward. Another small bass of similar size to the first, beautiful little fish, once again, falling to fresh peeler. Fair play Paul, no longer a bass virgin! :D It was getting late at this stage and time to start thinking of packing up when Donal, the poor soul who had remained fishless all night, pulled in the best fish of the evening, a fine flounder of 44cm, seduced with a nice big lump of crab.

So, not a bad evenings fishing at all, thoughts of "the one that got away.." virtually banished by the end of it (well until Paul started reminding me of it..) Lovely evening, and good fun. All fish bar the last flounder which had a 2/0 somewhere in its lower intestine were released unharmed. Phanover has the pictures and Im sure, when he gets chance he'll post them below.

Pete,

I've put the pictures in my Personal Album.

Paul

Cheers Paul, can I just add that the camera appears to have added about 6 stone to me and knocked 6 inches off the bass... :D

I made the same observation about my own pic :lol:

Still, I've got my priorities right. Next target is a bigger fish. The diet can wait!

Paul