Courtmacsherry - 5th & 6th March '05

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Courtmacsherry - 5th & 6th March '05

Postby arthurg » Tue Mar 15, 2005 6:13 pm

Rather later than I intended .........................

A good gang of us descended on Courtmacsherry, mainly from Donegal, but others from Antrim, Offally and Kerry. We travelled down on the Friday only to be greeted by disaster. Being in the advance party, I reached Mark Gannon's place at around 2p.m. only to be informed that the pubs were not yet open. Despite his best efforts, no local publican could be roused and we had to back-track a few miles to Timoleague. First drinking emporium visited there fired us back out on the street - he was just going for a spot of lunch. Two other firmly closed alehouses were passed next. Then success and three cheers to Grainne - not only was she open, she agreed to stay open to 3:30p.m. which was an hour longer than usual, but then she had to shut up shop to go and pick up the kids from school. I must admit, at this stage I thought we'd chosen the wrong port!

Anyway, as my old granny used to tell me as a child- "Arthur, if ever you get married, marry the ugliest, fattest, most obnoxious, most smelly, horrible fecker of a woman that you can find." When asked why she replied "Well son, if she changes she can only get better - never any worse." Similarly, things in Courtmacsherry were changing and that could only mean one thing - Hugo's phone went and it was Mark Gannon who was out in the bay bringing the boats to the pier. "Hugo, there's smoke coming out of the Anchor's chimney - the pub must be about to open!" After much meandering around the estuary we reached the Anchor Bar (Note: To any Garda Siochanna looking in ............. firstly - I'm only joking, we all got taxis, and secondly - would ye's get off the bloody site when you's are meant to be working - go and catch some burglers or something. Lots of love and deepest respect - JGF). How did he edit my thread???

Now we settled the nerves ......................... though we must have been helluva nervous as it was about 4:00a.m. when we got to the digs.

Anyway - 8:30a.m. sharp on the pier and we headed out to sea in a force 7, gusting to force 8 which resulted in many of the crew(s), who hadn't treated their bodies like a temple as I had done, calling for their maker. At this point I can't resist telling you about a regular poster on this site who spent the day holding the rod in one hand and the trace in the other but just couldn't quite manage to bring himself to put the whole thing into action and just sat staring blankly at the deck - I can't possibly tell you who it was, so John Friel - aka JGF, you're secret is safe with me.

In Lough Swilly competitions it is a standing joke that I always catch Wrasse. So, armed with my heavy gear, and in 320' of water, I sent down my flowing trace with a Storm Eel on a size 4/0 hook seeking specimen Pollock ................................. Aye, no surprise - a nice, but this time unwanted, Cuckoo Wrasse. Cue much cheering and laughter at my expense much to the confusion of the skipper.

Fish were beginning to come on board with Ling and a couple of Conger being the mainstay on our boat skippered by Niall who, for any single wimmin out there must be the most eligible bachelor in West Cork - he is auctioneer by day, skipper's the Lady Louise at weekends then DJ's Friday / Sat / Sun nights in Clonakilty 'till 4:00a.m. into the bargain. Needless to say a couple of our crew who should have known better took him up on his offer to go to the disco on the Saturday night and were left freezing with no jackets and taxi-less in Clonakilty at 5:00a.m. ..................... The boat was leaving at 8:00a.m. sharp! Seriously though - a big thanks to Niall who tried hard to get us decent fish all weekend - a good guy.

The other boat was away somewhere else and concentrated on drifting for Pollock with some decent fish coming on board.

Top Tackle in Letterkenny had very generously donated a boat rod for the heaviest fish over the two days. To increase the competitiveness we took a tenner off everyone with €80 for the heaviest fish Saturday, €80 Sunday and the rod for the heaviest overall. I was delighted to lift Saturday's money with a Conger of at least 30Lb. - Photo to follow.

Sunday was the 'long' trip with us heading 40 miles offshore and fishing in 380' of water, so obviously we behaved ourselves on Saturday night ................................. though for some reason Gary in the Lifeboat Inn saw fit to start pouring us doubles from about 3:00a.m. The aforementioned John remembers getting in at about 5:30a.m. ..................................... or was that Monday? It's a bit hazy. Oh aye, that was the Sunday because Stephen and I were disco-dancing on the Saturday night!!!!!

Generally good fishing on the Sunday by both boats, though nobody got either the elusive record Conger (or indeed got heavier than the 30Lber from Saturday) or any specimen. We had Pollock to eleven and a half pounds, but couldn't break the twelve, we had some fine Ling to nearly 18 pounds - the 47Lber caught last year must have been a monster, and other bits and pieces including some OK-ish Cod to about 8Lb. Young Stephen McCormack, the only junior on the trip, lifted the heaviest fish on the Sunday with a nice Ling just under the 18Lb mark - well done Stephen.

All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable trip. A long bloody drive down and the heebie-jeebies for a few days afterwards - muscles aching on my right arm from winding heavy weights and the occasional fish from what seemed like the bottom of the Marianas Trench - and a wallet much in need of some TLC for a while, but a good trip.

Thanks to Mark Gannon and his son Mark John, his wife Patricia for the peices, Niall for skippering well though the fecker forgot to take us home from his disco (he says he couldn't find us .............), Padraig for being a hugely entertaining mine host in the Anchor Bar and Gary for doing a similar job in the Lifeboat Inn.

Thanks - I'd say we'll be back for more once the liver heals .........






...................................So keep a March weekend free in about 2034.
arthurg
 

Postby MAC » Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:34 pm

Super report ArthurG. And to think you'll have to bash the liver again tomorrow 8) 8)

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Postby Drew » Sat Mar 26, 2005 8:40 am

There we go, a fishing trip report that centers on the drinking, thats what I like to hear... :D
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Postby Drew » Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:18 am

I think my liver's dead, Aftershock night.
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