Sun May 14, 2006 11:21 pm
Went to Ross with Bill Ryan and Bruce Vaughan, awful, no fish about, Bill had a 3 lb ling and I had a rockling without knowing it, both around mid water on a spring tide. Bruce did not get as much as a bite. Such is life.
Watched the FA Cup and then tried Doughmore. Weather was beautiful now, calm still evening, no surf, lots of loose weed. Awful. Gave up but Bruce, wading turned a small fish (around 3lb) which was probably a bass. It was as close as we were to come all weekend to one!
Barry and Stephen arrived to tell us about the excellent session they had in Poulnasherry that morning - rub it in there guys, like it was only where we had intended to go but for Bill's recommendation as to Ross. :roll: The grass is always greener... anyhow no worries Bill, if you're reading this, it was worth seeing Ross again as a recce for later in the year. :D
Anyhow, Sunday came very wet and we drove north in pouring rain for a chat with Peter Kinsella in Fanore. Met Mick O'Toole who runs the well stocked tackle shop in Fanore opposite O'Donoghues. Hope you can log in better now Mick! Thought we'd have a go plugging around the rocks on the main beach in Fanore for a bass in what was a decent surf. Nada.
Retired to Ballyreen to bait fish into the flooding tide. Not a lot... weather was damp. Spinning and such like produced nothing. No wrasse down below, no small pollack, jaysus it'a a fishy desert down there!
What's happened? Did they know I was coming! :D :roll:
Anyhow, around 3:30 a small flounder succumbed to two hooks on a three hook flapper, mackerel and sandeel. Fifteen minutes later had a PB huss (from the shore). Fattest one I have ever seen! Had problems unhooking it and it regurgitated a whole mackerel, almost certainly one of the three that had cooked in the car overnight (sorry Bill, forgot a coolbox)... decent fish, around the 8-10 lb mark.
Another the size of an LSD was to follow, had to check for the nasal passages to make sure it was a huss. Both taken at 80 yards on a single clipped up rig, 3/0 hooks holding mackerel.... and that was it. Mental note to use Zip slider or pulley the next time to improve bite detection. New reel Okuma MT-65 loaded with 15 lb line casts extremely well and was well capable of hauling in the bigger huss in a medium swell, grated they fight like a lump of carpet...
Bruce did not a get as much as a bite in two days fishing! :shock: I think he suspects there are no bass in Ireland, much less Mayo at this stage...
I guess Clare needs another month... should have gone to Belmullet and been up to my armpits in pollack on light spinning gear, never mind!
Have to say that Ross looks well worth another trip later in the year...
Anyhow big thank you to Bill and Peter for their hospitality and generosity with the local knowledge. As Arnie might say "veel be baack!"...
:wink: