Rathmullan Tope & whitefish festival
Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:30 pm
People: Open comp 20 to 25 entries
Duration: All day
Tide: LW & 11ish
Weather:Glourious
Bait: Mac & UNUSED RAG
Rigs:3 up, 2up 1 Down, 3 down
Results: Very Little
Report:
The rathmullan festival was fished over Saturday and Sunday the 2nd and 3rd of June. On the way out to fish on Saturday one of the boats broke down. When the distress call came out over the radio, I had my gilling gear in hand as the skipper was just about to set the drift over the wreck of the Laurentic. We steamed half way back up the lough and the remaining boats shared the stricken vessels crew. Normally the tope and whitefish competition are run parralell with each other but on separate boats. Due to the break down we how had both Tope and whitefish anglers on the same boats, so the organising comitee decided that all fishing should be done on the sand, with rough ground and wreck fishing not permitted, so as to not disadvantage either Tope or Whitefish angler.
The fishing itself was very very slow, there was some sport encountered when we hit a shoal of coalies, but with a limit of 10 on the coalies it wasn’t long before we had to move away from them.
But other than coalies there wasn’t much to catch. At the end of day one I was thoroughly disappointed, with my score of 106pts, with 7pts for a coalie, and 5 per species, from memory I think on top of my Coalies I had 2 grey gurnard, 1 red gurnard, and a whiting that must have been lost.
It was very disappointing to have taken a half day off work the day before the comp to dig rag, in preparation for some Pollock and wrasse, and not get the chance to use them. On the way back to port there was some small consolation to be told that I was one point behind the boat winner Liam OConner, also from Culdaff SAC. Consolation turned to shock as we got our feet back on dry land to hear that the other boats actually had worse fishing than us, they hadn’t hit the shoal of coalies so it was one and two fish all round. Liam & myself were sitting first and second.
On day two my rag from the previous where still in usable condition, and I was looking forward to throwing them in the direction of some hard fighting Pollock. We made our way up the lough, and after collecting some mac for bait, the skipper set up the drift, again on the sand. The fishing was again very slow, with an odd grey gurnard making up the majority of the catch. Like day one we hit a shoal of coalies and again after the majority of angler on the boat got their quota, we moved.
At this stage I had asked the skipper about going to the Laurentic twice, and had twice been ignored? After more fruitless hours on the sand a few of us started to make noises about moving, either to the wreck or to the reefs off fanad light, or Dunree, and as I sit here writing this I still don’t know why the skipper absolutely refused to take us. With an hour or so left of the comp my frustration totally boiled over, as I knew Liam OConnor was on the other boat, Trevor Ryders Bonito, drafted in from downings for the day to replace the broken down boat from day one, and we had seen them steaming past us out to the wreck earlier in the day, so the skipper less familiar with the area was willing to take his crew to the fish but our local guy wasn’t? It make no sense at all.
The fishing while still desperately slow was marginally better than day one with 1 ling and a few tub gurnard making an appearance in amongst the few greys and reds.
It was no surprise when we all got back to dry land that Liam had accumulated more points than the top three on our boat put together.
Massive congrats to Liam OConnor from Culdaf SAC for yet another comp win, he really has the midas touch.
As for the comp itself, with the skippers attitude on day 2 and the overall severe lack of fish, I think I’ll be spending my hard earned €’s else where next year.
Duration: All day
Tide: LW & 11ish
Weather:Glourious
Bait: Mac & UNUSED RAG
Rigs:3 up, 2up 1 Down, 3 down
Results: Very Little
Report:
The rathmullan festival was fished over Saturday and Sunday the 2nd and 3rd of June. On the way out to fish on Saturday one of the boats broke down. When the distress call came out over the radio, I had my gilling gear in hand as the skipper was just about to set the drift over the wreck of the Laurentic. We steamed half way back up the lough and the remaining boats shared the stricken vessels crew. Normally the tope and whitefish competition are run parralell with each other but on separate boats. Due to the break down we how had both Tope and whitefish anglers on the same boats, so the organising comitee decided that all fishing should be done on the sand, with rough ground and wreck fishing not permitted, so as to not disadvantage either Tope or Whitefish angler.
The fishing itself was very very slow, there was some sport encountered when we hit a shoal of coalies, but with a limit of 10 on the coalies it wasn’t long before we had to move away from them.
But other than coalies there wasn’t much to catch. At the end of day one I was thoroughly disappointed, with my score of 106pts, with 7pts for a coalie, and 5 per species, from memory I think on top of my Coalies I had 2 grey gurnard, 1 red gurnard, and a whiting that must have been lost.
It was very disappointing to have taken a half day off work the day before the comp to dig rag, in preparation for some Pollock and wrasse, and not get the chance to use them. On the way back to port there was some small consolation to be told that I was one point behind the boat winner Liam OConner, also from Culdaff SAC. Consolation turned to shock as we got our feet back on dry land to hear that the other boats actually had worse fishing than us, they hadn’t hit the shoal of coalies so it was one and two fish all round. Liam & myself were sitting first and second.
On day two my rag from the previous where still in usable condition, and I was looking forward to throwing them in the direction of some hard fighting Pollock. We made our way up the lough, and after collecting some mac for bait, the skipper set up the drift, again on the sand. The fishing was again very slow, with an odd grey gurnard making up the majority of the catch. Like day one we hit a shoal of coalies and again after the majority of angler on the boat got their quota, we moved.
At this stage I had asked the skipper about going to the Laurentic twice, and had twice been ignored? After more fruitless hours on the sand a few of us started to make noises about moving, either to the wreck or to the reefs off fanad light, or Dunree, and as I sit here writing this I still don’t know why the skipper absolutely refused to take us. With an hour or so left of the comp my frustration totally boiled over, as I knew Liam OConnor was on the other boat, Trevor Ryders Bonito, drafted in from downings for the day to replace the broken down boat from day one, and we had seen them steaming past us out to the wreck earlier in the day, so the skipper less familiar with the area was willing to take his crew to the fish but our local guy wasn’t? It make no sense at all.
The fishing while still desperately slow was marginally better than day one with 1 ling and a few tub gurnard making an appearance in amongst the few greys and reds.
It was no surprise when we all got back to dry land that Liam had accumulated more points than the top three on our boat put together.
Massive congrats to Liam OConnor from Culdaf SAC for yet another comp win, he really has the midas touch.
As for the comp itself, with the skippers attitude on day 2 and the overall severe lack of fish, I think I’ll be spending my hard earned €’s else where next year.
Re: Rathmullan Tope & whitefish festival
Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:16 pm
I forgot to mention congratulations to the novice angler on board, his first time out, and he caught what must have been a 5 or 6lb tub gurnard on a set of baited jumbo hookias 
Re: Rathmullan Tope & whitefish festival
Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:11 pm
myself like you Paddy won't be back near that competition
I was on the bonito on sunday when we headed to the wreck
Liam had his pollock but I didn't and the skipper wouldn't do another drift over the wreck because divers had appeared on the scene and were getting ready to dive the wreck,my blood was boiling,the divers just appeared and anchored up over the wreck and the skipper needed to throw away his handbag and tell them to feck off as we were fishing the wreck.
As for fishing on sat it was lines up whan a tope was caught and a bloody half hour to land a 25 lb tope for the love of god you think they were using trout gear.
Anyhow a lesson learned and all that
I was on the bonito on sunday when we headed to the wreck
Liam had his pollock but I didn't and the skipper wouldn't do another drift over the wreck because divers had appeared on the scene and were getting ready to dive the wreck,my blood was boiling,the divers just appeared and anchored up over the wreck and the skipper needed to throw away his handbag and tell them to feck off as we were fishing the wreck.
As for fishing on sat it was lines up whan a tope was caught and a bloody half hour to land a 25 lb tope for the love of god you think they were using trout gear.
Anyhow a lesson learned and all that