Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:12 pm
DAY ONE
Tuesday the 30th May
A couple of casts on the beach then moved to the pier.
People:Me
Duration: 7 to 11.30pm
Tide: 3.3M? dropping full tide around 7.30pm
Weather: Strong Northly breeze and cool for May. Water was dirty brown I assume lots of fresh water pushed on the beach from the Moy due to the direction of the wind
Bait: Sandeel and Mackeral (Ammo Frozen)
Rigs: Size 1 1up 1 down / pennel 1, wishbone size 2 with beads
Results: Blankity Blank.
Report:I quickly moved to the pier as the water looked un productive on the beach. One guy spinning for mackeral at the pier with no results and he quickly packed up. SOme kids had a few tiny pollock spinning in close early on. I continued to bottom fish until I ran out of bait and produced loads of crab, but determined to get some lug as the weather was on the up in the coming days. I couldn't believe that I didn,t even bag a doggie as they were always a pest in the past.
DAY TWO
Friday the 2nd June (never give up)
Duration: 8-11.15pm
Bait Lug, frozen sandeel and mackeral
RIGs as above
Results 2 Sea-trout about 1lb each
After a hard few hours the day before getting around 50 decent lug I was determined not to blank again. The weather looked perfect for flatties, gin clear water, slight southerly and the beach was not that busy despite the huge upturn in the weather. I guess people just hadn't time to react to the tropical conditions. ONly in Ireland, freezing my nuts on tuesday and boiling on friday. Anyway I was
determined to get a few flatties. I had hoped to hit the beach at low water but couldn't make it and got there at 8pm. It was 3M tide and full tide was at 10.30pm, not that far up the beach. I decided to hit the Promenade end as I would be getting in slight deeper water once it was in (no waders, don't fit with the wife kids, clothes, toys ect....} and I know that a slight gully exists below the rocks at the end at about 45 degrees that holds fish now and again. Anyway I fished from beach initally and once the tide rose I fished from the prom. I switched from the wishbone and beads to a boom rig with size 2 and used sandeel on the top and lug on the bottom. At this point I should say I had no rod rest either (see above) so I used one of the benches to hold the rod when I baited up the next trace. I looked up and bang the tip was bending right over, within a couple of mins after hitting the water. I knew once I picked it up it was a sea-trout. Difficult bastards to land as I have often found out to my cost. I wound in struck and got into contact and walked back up the prom so that I could run it up the beach rather than risk losing it on the steps of the prom. Maybe some purists know a better way but I have it works for me as long as I keep in contact with the fish at all times and don't give it any head or it will jump and throw the hook. Well after a nice fight I landed a nice sea-trout of about 1lb. It was caught on the sandeel and released. Well needless to say I was happy and continued to fish the same spot. In truth with the state of the tide I was only fishing in about 5 ft of water and got a second hit two casts later. It was a mirror image of the first fish and fight and sent on its way again. That was it for the night as once the tide turned and the sun set it was fishless. I feel that apart from the method of landing as described the use of a light beachcaster really made a difference. My Penn jet stream which is very tippy and super sensitive but can easily bully a fish if necessary this allows you time to strike and contact the fish which is very difficult using a normal beachcaster. My only dissipointment was the lack of flat fish, even flounder which I used to catch up to half a dozen regularly back in the early 90's. I don't know of anyone elses experiences up here recently but the flatties seem to be gone as I had only 1 small plaice in about 6 outings over the last 3 years. Other than that its a half decent sea-trout venue, not even mentioning the bar end of the beach at the moy estruary.