Out and about on the Orkneys....Cork Harbour 28/29th July

People:Myself, Scotsman, G.Wyse, Donal Goggin.

Duration:2pm-7pm Sat and Sun

Tide:Up to HW

Weather:Lashed rain Sat, Peachy Sunday

Bait:Razor, Fresh Lug, White rag, Mackerel

Rigs:Various

Results:Plaice, Pollack, Mackerel, Dab, Launce, Dogfish, monstrous Edible Crab, Ballan Wrasse.

Report:

Saturdays promise of light winds and a new "top secret" mark to try out had me swiftly organising a body or two for a foray into Cork Harbour in pursuit of Giltheads. It was to be the first time SAIs Cork Harbour Orkney Longliner flotilla took to the water in anger together...namely Duke (mine) and Tigger II (Scotsmans).... :D We launched with no issues on a flat calm sea with rain pouring down however and headed to the mark.

After 2 hours or so of absolutely fruitless effort in the never ending rain we called time on our Gilthead hunt and left it for another day. We set off for a mark, that used to be accessible from the shore to anchor up and try for some flats. Anchors were dropped in 30 feet of water about 100 yards off the shore and baits of varying descriptions were sent down. Given the shallow nature of the ground and probable size of catch I opted for the spinning rod and FS with 20lb braid. I was using a 1 up 2 down trace with a heavily decorated (think Bet Gilroys earrings off corrie) wishbone rig on the bottom snood. Varying rigs were dropped by the other lads. I baited mine with a combination of razor, mackerel and fresh lug.

After lobbing the bait 20 yards from the side of the boat, I didnt have too long to wait before the tip started to rattle. I gave it a minute before lifting into a fish that was not too pleased. The light gear gave the fish a chance to put up a bit of a scrap and attracted the interest of Gavin and Lee on the other boat a few yards away. How they laughed whent the top snood came up covered in weed .... They stopped laughing however when a lovely plaice, attached to the bottom snood came out of the water and over the side of the boat... :D Beautifully decorated with his bright red spots, he had opted for the razorfish bait. A swift rebait and the lines were back in the water again.

10 minutes later, I had another rattle and on connecting pulled in a fine Dab of well over a pound that had again opted for razorfish. The fun was beginning..... :D Lee and Gavin on the other boat, disappointed at the lack of action they were having, headed across the far side of the harbour to try for a few pollack spinning in tight to shore and left myself and Donal to it. Whilst mid phone conversation to JD, I got an almighty surprise when not 6 feet from the side of the boat hurtled a huge sea trout/salmon of at least 6/7lbs crashing into the water literally under my rod tip... It was if he was trying to get a look at us, he was that close!

Things having gone a little quiet for 40 minutes or so, Donal finally latched into a fish the instant his white rag bait hit the bottom. Another nice plaice graced the deck of the Orkney. A swift rebait for myself and ten minutes later the rod was bending nicely under a much heavier weight this time as I brought a double shot of plaice to the boat, one a bit bigger this time at about 44cms.

I had one more plaice shortly after that before the clock finally beat us and we headed back to Ringaskiddy happy at rescuing the days fishing with a nice haul of fine flatties. Meeting Gavin and Lee back at the Slipway, they had saved the blank themselves with a couple of small pollack and a mackerel or two.

Sunday morning came around and following an abject failure to raise a boat buddy, I launched on my own for the first time, again from Ringaskiddy around 2pm. I headed straight back to the mark of the previous day but unfortunately fish were conspicuous by their absence. After an hour and a half with only a solitary doggie and a huge edible crab (very tasty too i might add... :D ) to show, I headed off to Harbour rock and started picking off a few pollack. Nothing spectacular, biggest about 4lbs but nice sport on light gear. Yesterdays semi liquid lug accounted for a couple of ballan wrasse on the bottom.

I had a near miss when a large container ship passing over 200 yards away sent a huge wake towards me. Bloody wake was consisting of about 3 or 4 waves of at least 3/4 feet with virtually no gap in between. I only just had to time to wind in and get the engine started in time as I was beam on to it and got the bow pointed into it to ride it out.

After an hour or so picking off pollack, I headed back to the flattie mark. Aside from an odd little rattle and the occasional mackerel and launce picking off the bait on the way down there was nothing else to show so I hauled anchor and headed for home. Thankfully, there were no retrieval issues on the slipway as I had some reservations about manhandling the boat onto the trailer on my tod. With a grumbling tummy and a little sunburn all went swimmingly and I hit the road home, tired but happy enough.

All in all, not a bad weekend to be pottering around if you forgot the pouring rain that blighted most of Saturdays expedition. The only thing that caused me any angst was how close some people thought it necessary to come past at speed when I was sitting at anchor. One particular charter boat (The Chieftain.....) came steaming past on the inside of us passing within, no word of a lie, 6/7 metres of us. Absolutely no need for that in fairness. Its not pleasant sitting at anchor in the wake of another boat in a little Orkney and its not like there was a shortage of room. Enough on that anyhow, a pleasant enough couple of sessions and delighted I was to pull in some nice plaice.

Nice when you can get a few plaice Pete, boat or shore. You just can't beat spending the whole weekend on the boat, you'll be tired but completely relaxed after it :wink: .

Yes, strangely enjoyable despite the rain. Think we'll need an acronym for the SAI Ornkey Cork Harbour Flotilla longliners etc etc -CHOLF?. I feel for Gavin as it was his first time out on a boat, not exactly a day to recommend the joys of boat fishing what with us getting soaked and only catching a couple of fish - there was no way I was blanking though even if I had to stay out there all night! - hence the spin for those ever obliging pollack.
Anyway, out again this evening ostensibly taking the mother-in-law to see the dolphins, but I'll get a bit of a fishing in while we are waiting for them.

You boys must have got the "warm cork rain".
It was brass monkeys in driving rain off the clare shore saturday

Or I might just be a big girls blouse :oops:

I have to move to cork for that tropical south seas climate 8)

Kev - I think anything that isn't snow is warm rain :D

A belated thanks to Pete,Lee and Donal for a good day out in Cork Harbour.
Ok,the weather wasn't great but i didn't blank and i didn't throw up :lol: (Pete tried his best to mention sea sickness at every available opportunity and waited with his trusty camera :twisted: ).
It hasn't put me off and hopefully i'll get another opportunity to get out on the water again(once i get over this cold :oops: )
Again, cheers lads :D
G.