Ballyholme Doggies 29/07/09

[GaryG]

People: Me & Karljc

Duration: 20:30 - 23:30

Tide: LW @ 23.50

Weather: Warm with some showers

Bait: Mackeral

Rigs: 2 hook flappers

Results: ME - 2 LSD's / Karljc - Blank

We headed of the beach at Ballyholme but decided to try off the rocks at the point. My first cast produced a 2'4" LSD and although the bites came pretty constant nothing took for a while.

It started tp get dark so I attached the bells to my rod tip and before long they started to go another LSD slightly smaller than the first at just under 2'.

It all went quiet for a while and about half an hour before we packed up I got one hell of a knock. I struck and felt something big on the line started to reel in and then it all went slack. :@ I was gutted at the thought of loosing what felt like a good sized fish

[immunecfg]

Could have been one of these phantom Smooth Hounds ive been hearing about lol

Nice to hear somthing being caught of the beach!

[GaryG]

Could have been one of these phantom Smooth Hounds ive been hearing about lol

Nice to hear somthing being caught of the beach!

Dont think it was a smooth hound if it was it would have been a first in Bangor Bay to my knowledge . Wasnt actually the beach it was the rocks at the end of the beach

[Davy Murdoch]

prob a conger... lots of them around there

[GaryG]

prob a conger... lots of them around there

God only knows what it was there is really no point in guessing what it was if it aint landed it dont count all in all it was a good nite so am happy enough

[gfkelly1969]

well done nice to get a few

[immunecfg]

Dont think it was a smooth hound if it was it would have been a first in Bangor Bay to my knowledge . Wasnt actually the beach it was the rocks at the end of the beach

There have been a few ppl on saying they have been caught but ive YET to see a pic of one or they could be talking about spurs i cant quite remember.

[Al and Jordan]

nice one man, loosing the big chap must have been soul destroying but like davy said it was likely a conger,,,,,, but you just never know

[davy mccormick]

I know for a fact there are spurs about maybe not in big numbers in the lough but I seen one hooked one night close to that mark. In the deep water outside the lough there are spurs so why shouldnt they be in the lough like they used to be

[minty]

was talking to a fella last time i was at browns bay who used to fish comercialy in the lough, he was also telling me that spurs, hounds and skate were a normal catch back then and that they are starting to make a come back although he had'nt heard of skate in a while, but you just never know whats out there...................

[Dawsey]

At the end of the day, it just gives us a bit of hope that fishing may be on the up in the lough and maybe one day there will be targetable numbers out there. I can't see too many people posting a pic of a Bangor bay spur though can you?

[rab01]

Paul Spring's report from another website:

People: me

Duration:few hours

Tide: falling

Weather: lovely

Bait: old mackeral

Rigs: one hook pats

Results: 5 3 beard rockling 1 spurdog


Report: nice weather yesterday got me itching to wet a line only had mack tails from pike fishing last week was in bad nick so had to cut into chunks anyway enjoyed myself and 3 of the rockling were big fat buggers 1 was very long aswell

[rab01]

Another part of his report after someone asked was he sure they were spurs he was catching?:

they are definitly spurs i never weigh or measure fish so i dont know exactly how big ,they aren't big fish i would say up to 5-6 pounds in the coming months the place will be full of them.

This report was 30th May 2008. He's a straight up guy lads, I've no reason to doubt him. He catches plenty over the summer months.

[GaryG]

We where not expecting to catch anything that night we just like to check out new marks. Was really suprised and to be perfectly honest it has returned some faith back to North Down coast

The fish are there its just a case being out there at the right time to catch them

[Al and Jordan]

could'nt agree more gary. we were privilaged and lucky enough to hit into a half dozen bass on the causeway coast last december from the shore if someone had told you they were going up that neck of the woods searching for bass at that time of the year useing size 4 hooks on 3 hook flappers with tiny ragworm you'd have been locked up in the funny farm with a white coat, with sleeves that tie round your back that's the beauty of sea fishing. you can never discount what fish are out there until you get one landed on the end of your hook