My Ireland vacation report...very long post..

So, the time finally came 2 weeks ago after asking about how the surf 'shore or beach fishing' as its called in Ireland how many months ago.

My main objective was to see how Southern California techniques, gear/bait would do in Irish waters. I knew they had to work, after all...its just a different location.

We flew into Dublin and I didn't get a chance to do any fishing until we hit Kinsale. I couldn't find my telescopic rod here at home, so I did a rod hire in town. I got the usual feathers and irons. I knew I wasn't going to catch anything since the tide was so low, but I wanted to go anyways.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland51.jpg[/img]

I was using a Gulp New Penny Shrimp on a drop shot rig with a Owner circle hook.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland58.jpg[/img]

After seeing a Mullet smim around in the harbor, I walked all the way down to the road bridge and fished that for no luck.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland57.jpg[/img]

I then drove to Garretstown later in the day, but it the tide was really, really low and no bites at all. It was a beautiful beach.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland61.jpg[/img]

The next day, we drove to Dingle. My favorite county that we visited while we were in Ireland. I didn't want to use another rod and reel with such heavy line and thick rod, so I ran into a sports shop in the city center and bought a cheap, Shakespeare rod to use with my 8 pound flourocarbon line and freshwater reel. When I got back to the Dingle harbor, people were fishing for Mackeral with sibikis. I used a So.Cal technique and tied on a silver Kastmaster and started fishing. Nobody else caught anything, so after a while, I went to the B&B. BUT....not without some beautiful scenery.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland73.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland74.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland75.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland76.jpg[/img]

I went back to the pier area the next morning around 6:30am. I ran into a few guys who were competing in that pairs tournament and they were fishing for Mackeral to use as bait with sibikis and heavy weights. As for me? Well, a So.Cal setup with a Carolina rig, 1/4 ounce sliding sinker, 3 foot leader with a #2 Owner mosquito hook with a Gulp Newpenny Shrimp. First cast out, I casted pretty far and let it sit there for a minute or two. I felt something strange on the end of it during the slow retreive and I pulled this guy up:
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland78.jpg[/img]

I was doing a really slow retrieve and the reason why I picked a 1/4 ounce sliding(egg) sinker was that so the rig wouldn't get stuck in the rocks. So, I was trying different techniques like a slow retreive, fast, medium, jerking, etc...

The next cast, I got a good hit. Turned out to be a nice-sized Pollack!
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland79.jpg[/img]


It was greylight out now and I was barely able to see in the water. Must have looked funny with me wearing my sunglasses at that time. But on the slow retreive, I saw a big silhouette come out of the rocks maybe about 10 feet away from me and nail the NPGS. After a really good fight, I brought up my first Wrasse.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland81.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland82.jpg[/img]

Literally less than 20 seconds later after throwing out, I get nailed yet again. This time a Wrasse in the red variety:
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland83.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland84.jpg[/img]

The guys were still fishing for bait:
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland85.jpg[/img]

So, a while later when everybody went shopping, I returned to the jetty and the low-tide. I kept seeing really small followers when bringing in the NPGS and switched to GSW.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland95.jpg[/img]

Small Pollack.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland97.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland98.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland99.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland100.jpg[/img]

I switched back to the NPGS when the tide started coming in and I got a really hard hit. After getting the thing closer to me, I could see another large, Green Wrasse! I tried to bounce the thing onto the grass, but it started spazzing, it hit one of the lower rocks and bounced back into the water. :(

I kept working my way around and I casted out really far into the mouth, right before both jetties and halfway in, I got brutally slammed. The fight lasted about 10 seconds and then my 8lb line snapped. No idea what it was. I tied on another Carolina rig and then, I chose my bait.

So, I had almost forgot to use my favorite....MORF. MORF means, Motor Oil Red Flake.

[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland103.jpg[/img]

I knew MORF had to work. I put on the 2 inch Kalins and away I went. About 12 minutes after I had caught my last Pollack....WHAM! big hit. Another Wrasse. Looks kinda like a Calico Bass there.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland101.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland102.jpg[/img]

A little while later, another.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland104.jpg[/img]

All fish on any day were all released!

Earlier in the day, I saw a cove, which I think was Ferriter's Cove. I always wear my polarized sunglasses while fishing and this is what it looked like from above:
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland109.jpg[/img]

My wife took a few shots of me fishing.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland111.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland112.jpg[/img]

I only got one hit and that was my first cast. Half of a CSM got ripped off and that was it. Definitely the most beautiful beach I have ever fished at.

I fished the jetty one more time that nice for one Pollack and that was it.

We went to Galway the next day or two after and the weather was crazy.
Stormy skies, wind, rain. It had it all, but I still went out.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland125.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland126.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland127.jpg[/img]

We also went to Inis Mor a few days later and although the wind was blowing really hard, I fished for maybe 30 minutes and of course, I didn't expect anything. Nothing caught.
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland133.jpg[/img]

That's the short version of my trip to Ireland. The next time I'm there, I want to try for more of the fish species during high tide since I didn't get to fish the beaches until it was a very low tide. Brown Trout, Salmon and Sea Trout as well.

I had a GREAT trip!

Last edited by akuma on Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That mate, is prob the best report I've read on here since joining. Fantastic stuff. Well done and fair play for taking the time to compose such a great read.

I think if there was a photo competition on here, you'd win hands down. Great report.

I tried a 6" motor oil flavoured Gulp jellyworm (looks green out of the water, luminous in water) a few years ago and had a lot of good pollock on them to 7lb from the rocks. Within a year or two, they were much less effective, but the black version with the red tail was the business. Then it too lost its appeal. The latest 6" white rag version was the next killer lure, but seemed to select for the smaller fish.

Opinions here are very divided on the Berkeley lures - they seem to work for some people in certain places, but not in others. Worth a try I'd say. Bring a few different varieties over next time - they can be hard to get in places here.

Great report mate! love the photographs aswells, thanks for taking the time to post it about your trip.

Why can't I write reports like that :x :x :evil: :?: :?: :?:

Excellent stuff akuma, I thoroughly enjoyed that. The photos are all well taken and fascinating.

You managed to land a few decent fish there and those wrasse would have given you a great scrap on the light gear...

Good luck with your fishing in S Cali, and we look forward to your next Irish Report.....

Jude

pity the weather let you down in galway!

Nice one. You've shown us how it should be done!

The photo/narrative style really works. I'm going to have to try it on a report...

Paul

Loved the report and the pics where first class :D :D

Well done

Great report akuma. Some interesting techniques there, puts anything I try to shame!

Next time you're over, you could try to arrange an outing with someone familiar with the local bass marks. Maybe even a guide. They could put you in amongst the big bass and I'm sure you could teach them a few new techniques. :D

Gripping report and amazng photos 8) . I reckon you have the bones of a magazine article there if you wished to pursue it. Look out Bob Moss there's a new kid in town :lol: .

great report and super pics.......come back soon........regards

Totally awesome dude! 8)

Fantastic thread and well put together :)

I'm embarrassed at some of my threads now :oops:

Good luck when you return and already looking forward to your next episode 8)

Steve

the cove looks like the one at the start of slea head drive between clogher head though im not sure.
like everyone said great report and pics,wish mine had come out half as good.

hi

great report and some fine pictures indeed. but mostly its an interesting perspective on some american style lures.

doesnt look like ferriters cove, is it the little beach at dunmore head, was there a headland to your right with a small lookout tower on top?

if you are coming back give me a shout if you want to try some freshwater fishing. northern pike to 30lbs, perch to 3lbs,wild trout to over 7lbs and all the coarse species are waiting! maybe even some proper big wrasse (we will have to swap your 8lbs line for 30lbs power pro)

again good stuff, can i put one or two of the pictures on my website?

i am also a fan of the motor oil colour, in dawgs and mag grubs, had a lot of pike on them.

Hi Akuma, well worth the read, super report! and weldone on the fishing.

Hey, all.

Thanks on the compliments for the pictures! Its sort of a side hobby of mine. I have some that are way better of landscapes while I was there, but they are really large, panoramic shots.

The fishing was definitely very fun and I just wanted to catch something. I was really happy when I caught that first Pollack and then when I caught that first Wrasse, even happier.

-Sandman, I guess the fish are just being picky with the colors of the bait :) They're probably just going after what baitfish are around instead of going after the plastics. Who really knows. My opinion of the Berkeley Gulp baits are divided as well. Over here, some of the baits get the fish almost everytime, like the Camoflauge-colored Ragworm. Other things like the sandcrabs and peeler crabs won't catch anything sometimes unless the fish are desperate. So far, for surf fishing over here the Camo Swimming Mullet, Camo Ragworm and any of the different colors of shrimp, particularly the Newpenny, Nuclear Chicken and Fire Tiger work the best. If of course used the Newpenny color in Ireland.

-glengormley-gavin, those Wrasse definitely put up a really huge scrap when I was using 8pound line and the rod I was using. The rod was basically a medium-action Trout rod. I use this kind of setup throughout the year here in California. I would have been in big trouble if I hooked a larger Wrasse or Conger by the rocks. I'm sure I would have been taken into the rocks and broken off. One of the Wrasse did manage to partially swim in the rocks below, but I was lucky enough to be able to walk down the slippery rocks and pull it out in time.

-teacher, I was hoping to get into some Bass....probably the next time. I know for the most part, everybody uses Mackerel for bait. When I went to that cove, I used everything I had. Gulp shrimp, Gulp Ragworm, Kastmasters, Krocodiles, etc. Looking forward to it.

-Read, hey....its funny that you mention Bob Moss. After I went fishing and on the last day I was in Dingle, right before we were leaving for Galway, we went into the Super Value I think it was and I saw Bob's book on the shelves and I started reading it. A few days too late...haha.

-maxie & Adam S, I'm not sure if it was Ferriter's Cove or not. But, it was the only large stretch of sand after Ventry and I kept looking at the map of the Dingle peninsula. It had some guy at the top selling food by where people were parking. This lookout point was way around the corner from the cove and there was a coffee/souvineer shop across the street. See the picture below. The cove I was fishing at was way around the corner, to the right of this lookout point
[img]http://www.weslouie.com/ireland139.jpg[/img]

Adam, I would definitely like to try for Pike and such. I was watching some tv show in the morning around 8am and I don't know where they were fishing, but the guide caught a 23 pound Pike. That was really cool. You can put some pictures on your website if you like. Just let me know which ones because I'd like to put a watermark on them with my website and I'll email them to you or something.

Thanks again, everybody! I'll post the panoramic shots when I get a chance.

well thats blasket mor anyway - so you were near dunquin or fahan

ballyickeen near where the ferry goes out?

-teacher, I was hoping to get into some Bass....probably the next time. I know for the most part, everybody uses Mackerel for bait. When I went to that cove, I used everything I had. Gulp shrimp, Gulp Ragworm, Kastmasters, Krocodiles, etc. Looking forward to it.

There are lots of possibilities for bass over here. Plugs like the Rapala J11 or J13 patterns work very well, as do surface poppers. Ragworm is an excellent bait in my part of the country, sometimes fishing even better than crab. Fly fishing for bass is becoming popular but I haven't tried it myself.

With bass it's a matter of getting in the right place at the right time. If you have limited time during a holiday, finding/hiring someone who has done the research might pay off.

chuain an muire or something to that effect is the name of a nice beach between the lookout point you were at and ballyickeen

i was there during the summer and remember the bookshop and the stall selling hotdogs etc. closer to the beach

there are serious currents there - it has signs for no swiming all round the place - could have been there

Great report and excellant photos.The beach is the one at the bottom of Dunmore head.The beach is not especially noted for its fishing due to the very strong currents but the rock fishing from the other side of the head is usually good.
drop me a line next time you are coming over Akuma and we will see if we can't get you onto some bass and try and show you some Irish stormbeach surfcasting.It just can't be beaten.