Donegal Bay on Muc Mara

People:Me and mate Noel

Duration:8.30am to 8pm

Tide:

Weather:Lovely, light northerlys and stacks of sunshine (for a change)

Bait: Mackerel

Rigs:Three hook flowing traces, shrimpers, leadheads, flowing jelly trace, one hook flowing trace, double spreaders

Results:Pollock, dogs, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, dabs, thornback ray, poor cod, red gurnard, grey gurnard, mackerel, coalies, whiting, codling, scad

Report:For the first time in a year finally got my own boat in the water. Launched out of Teelin and headed to bit of rough ground at Carrigan, had hoped to pick up a few ling but it was only a steady stream of cuckoo wrasse that popped up. Moved to nearby shingle mark which fished really well with lots of gurnards(mainly reds), dogs and codling. Nothing was particulary big but the action was steady.

Then headed west to try for a few flats but the fishing was dire, for 6 drifts we had one small turbot and a dogfish so it was decided to head out to Rathlin O'Beirne island for pollock. They didn't dissappoint and we had some good sport with fish to 6lb, i used the mini rod and baitcaster and had a great laugh trying to control some angry pollock.

Headed back onto the shingle again and same story with gurnards and dogs. Any time we drifted of onto sandier patches the dabs came on, in about an hour we must have had a dozen between two of us. A bonus thornie nearly pulled the rod overboard when it grabbed a strip of mackerel on a double spreader. Fished the sand of a beach on the way back in, had hoped for a nice turbot before finishing up but unfortunately three or four dogs was the end result.

It was a fun days fishing, plenty of species around and the only downer was the lack of turbot.

nice catch pete..

but what is a "shrimpers" rig :?: :?: :shock: :wink:

Sounds like a good wee session there pete ,that should get your species tally up a bit .
Did I see the mini rod mentioned ,great craic for pollacking especially if you got the 6lber on it .

good day over all not a bad day first day back in the water.

Pete , Can you direct me to where I can find flatfish in that area. I never can get any. Got a small ling 2 weeks ago off the cliffs and would you believe an Octopus. I have fished close in at 50 ft and in stages all the way out to 200 ft . No Flats. Using 1 up and a 5 foot flowing trace.

Steve the shrimpers were the good old mustad variety, dead handy for small stuff :wink: . Ronald the pollock on the mini rod were brillant, great fun :lol: Near pulled the arm of me when they took off on the first dive.

Silver-rocket try the clean ground out of Carrigan Head, just steam out into the bay a little and its all sand. Plenty of dabs and the chance of a brill or meg too. It helps though if it hasn't been towed in a while.