Donegal Ray

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chuckaroo
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Donegal Ray

#1 Post by chuckaroo »

People: myself and Jack

Duration: 5pm - 8.30pm

Tide: high around 6pm

Weather: great. calm

Bait: mack

Rigs: 3/0 hooks, wire traces

Results: my first ray :D :D :D :D

Report: should i / shouldn't i ?... that was the question. in the end decided that i should..
so, the previous day i texted no less than 5 people to see if they fancied joining or meeting me, but none could. excuses of stag parties, child-minding, and couldnt be bothered came back (oh, and one no repsonse.. :evil: ) so i thought it looked like it was going to be me and my own. ah well, i had done it many times before. i was determined!
saturday morning came and conditions were perfect, i just couldnt put it off any longer, i was going. i wanted to get away early but decided to have a bit of a lay-in :wink: eventually got up and got myself ready but then the nephews and nieces arrived so didnt get away until after lunch :roll: the going was a bit slow in the busy Saturday afternoon traffic but it was a great day and plenty to see. arrived at the mark about 4.30pm - it was just perfect - sunny, calm and quiet. great

after a snack and some surveying of the area i got the first rod out to distance. i thought i'd have a quick spin on the other rod to see if there were any sea trout about (it looked as if there could be) but soon gave up on that; i sat down to set-up that rod for bait fishing also. thats when the first rod took a nice knock - only 10minutes into the session - happy days. i struck in and reeled in a nicely spotted (lesser) doggie - so that was me reasonably happy, at least i'd saved the blank. (note to self: always remember that the wellies arent chest waders.. :roll: :roll: )

with the wellies and socks off in the hope that they would dry-out in the sun :P i got the second rod out. just as i sat down to relax the first rod took another knock, a nice bend, and so rushing to the waters-edge (barefooted mind :oops:) i struck in. i could feel a slow lunging pull on the fish, one that i had never felt before, and so i started thinking that this could be it! - my first ever ray! :shock: and indeed it was, happy days, im guessing about the 3lb mark - not big by any means but i was more than chuffed! a few photos and off it went. yes!
anyway, got another doggie and another ray after that. at one point a very decent mullet came in close into the shallows, about 6 or 7lb im sure, and a few tiny sea trout jumped; also, a seal popped his head up for a while to have a look at me. things started getting very slow in the last hour and then the feckin midges came out. eventually they got the better of me and, with the fishing slow, it was time to pack up.
headed home a very content fisherman. :D :D :D i had had a great day with perfect surroundings and perfect weather. really enjoyed the whole day, journey an' all 8)

journey total: 1hr55mins to get to mark, 1hr35mins to get home, £30+ petrol. 180mile round trip. well worth it (once in a while)
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Last edited by chuckaroo on Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:54 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Charlie

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40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod
chuckaroo
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Re: Donegal Ray

#2 Post by chuckaroo »

a couple more....
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Charlie

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Re: Donegal Ray

#3 Post by Shambo »

Well done on the ray 8) Cracking photos also!!
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Re: Donegal Ray

#4 Post by Cormdogg »

Great photos, Scary lookin lads the thornies
2010 - Whiting, Dogfish, 3 bearded Rockling, Shore Rockling, Pollock, Dab, Plaice, Launce, Sea Scorpion, Goby, Gunnel, Codling, Red Cod, Smooth Hound, Ballan Wrasse, Corkwing Wrasse
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Re: Donegal Ray

#5 Post by chuckaroo »

cheers lads

quick video of release too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zodFFr_K4Q
:wink:
Last edited by chuckaroo on Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Charlie

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40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod
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grady
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Re: Donegal Ray

#6 Post by grady »

nice ray there, well done
Spesies 2012/ flounder, turbot, colie, whiting,thornback ray, dogfish, pollack, ballan wrasse, corcwing wrasse, dab, cod, sea trout, mackerel, smooth hound

Species 2013/ flounder
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Re: Donegal Ray

#7 Post by zud25 »

Well done on Ur first Ray 8) Nice photos thooo :D
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Re: Donegal Ray

#8 Post by JOHN1 »

great when a plan comes together :wink: well done on your first ray,great pictures and report 8)
Species Target (1) Anything will be a Bonus.

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saving private brian
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Re: Donegal Ray

#9 Post by saving private brian »

nice one i enjoyed yoyr wee video too..for one second i taught there was going to be no ray in the vid at all :mrgreen:
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Re: Donegal Ray

#10 Post by fishy1987 »

:D man well done great fishing.congrats on your first ray looks beautiful im rubbish at estimating sizes but christ he looks a bit over the 3lb mark!a few more trips to that mark in the coming months i imagine :lol:
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fergal
Species 2011 (25) :Cod 80 , Whiting 50 , Coalfish 42 , Sea Scorpion 6(3shortspined/3longspined) , (3b)Rockling 2 , Dogfish 72 , Flounder 32 , Bass 2 , Poor Cod 16 , Dab 16 , Ballen Wrasse 2 , Turbot 1 , Tompot Blenny 3 , Smoothhound 1 , Tub Gurnard 1 , Mackeral 78 , Pollock 10 , Corkwing wrasse 2 , Black Goby 5 , Pouting 4 , Cuckoo Wrasse 1 , Ling 1 , Conger eel 6 , Silver eel 1 , ( Year End 31st October )
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Re: Donegal Ray

#11 Post by Der Baron »

Nice result chuck, well worth the round trip and the 30 quid!! :lol:
[color=#FF0000]DER BARON[/color]
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Re: Donegal Ray

#12 Post by bigbadtom »

Well done on getting your first ray. The first of many I hope. Nice photos as well. :D :D :D :D
Ya should a been here last week.
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FisherKing
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Re: Donegal Ray

#13 Post by FisherKing »

well done nice ray, many more to come & great pics 8)
Cheers Brian
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Re: Donegal Ray

#14 Post by bootster »

Great stuff pal, glad to see you finally nailed one. I really must get up there again myself some time and have a proper bash at them.

Long way, hard graft but well worth it!
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Re: Donegal Ray

#15 Post by dac69696969 »

Well done on the ray. Cracking result for the effort.
:P
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Re: Donegal Ray

#16 Post by fagan »

well done on the ray chuck!!!! im after my first 1 myself, heading over to swilly this week some time, i hope i get 1. its nice to have 1 of ur wishlist, well done mate!!!!
:D :D :D :D :D
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WISHLIST(2013):
BASS ,MULLET, TURBOT, CONGER, RAY, BULL HUSS, SMOOTH HOUND


SPIECIES LIST(2013):: SEA TROUT, (1st) BASS, SPECIMEN PLAICE (3lb), DAB, LSD, FLOUNDER, SHORE ROCKLING, COALLIE, POLLOCK, STARFISH, PAINTED RAY, BULL HUSS, THORNBACK RAY, 1st LURE CAUGHT BASS. 3 BEARDED ROCKLING.


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Re: Donegal Ray

#17 Post by chenz116 »

nice ray

you have given me hope that i might get my first one this year :P
Species 2010.(2) Doggie, Cod
Species 2011.(12) Dab, Coalie, 5 Bearded Rockling, Whiting, Doggie, Pollock, Shanny/Common Blenny, Silver Eel, Mackerel, Wrasse, Sting Ray, Cod

Species 2012.(5) Sea Scorpion, Pollock, sand eel, mackerel, corkwing wrasse.

2012 Wishlist. Conger, Smooth Hound, Bass
chuckaroo
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Re: Donegal Ray

#18 Post by chuckaroo »

Cormdogg wrote:Great photos, Scary lookin lads the thornies
mad looking beasts they are Cormdogg and i wasnt aware they could have thorns all up the edge of their flanks either! i was caught out a bit there.. :roll: :) cheers
grady wrote:nice ray there, well done
cheers grady, was nice to get one
zud25 wrote:Well done on Ur first Ray 8) Nice photos thooo :D
cheers Zud
JOHN1 wrote:great when a plan comes together :wink: well done on your first ray,great pictures and report 8)
cheers mate. indeed, the plan came together nicely. was pretty chuffed. i could very well be back to try for a bigger one :wink:
saving private brian wrote:nice one i enjoyed yoyr wee video too..for one second i taught there was going to be no ray in the vid at all :mrgreen:
its in there from the start brian.. then disappears for a bit :mrgreen: ...i wasnt chasing it and getting another soaking down the wellies again!
fishy1987 wrote::D man well done great fishing.congrats on your first ray looks beautiful im rubbish at estimating sizes but christ he looks a bit over the 3lb mark!a few more trips to that mark in the coming months i imagine :lol:
tightlines
fergal
cheers fergal. i'll defo be back sometime, great spot. hey, the more i think about it maybe it was over 3lb - but only just
Der Baron wrote:Nice result chuck, well worth the round trip and the 30 quid!! :lol:
aye, knowin the price of petrol these days (and being a Ballymena man :lol: :lol: :lol: ) i would have been disappointed to have blanked! would have been nice to have got a big one too tho :wink:
bigbadtom wrote:Well done on getting your first ray. The first of many I hope. Nice photos as well. :D :D :D :D
cheers tom, the first of many i hope too
FisherKing wrote:well done nice ray, many more to come & great pics 8)
cheers Fisherking
bootster wrote:Great stuff pal, glad to see you finally nailed one. I really must get up there again myself some time and have a proper bash at them.

Long way, hard graft but well worth it!
cheers bootster man, but not too hard a graft in the end i reckon. much easier drive home when you have succeeded in the mission.. :wink: 8) was a great day - weather-wise and scenery-wise...
dac69696969 wrote:Well done on the ray. Cracking result for the effort.
:P
cheers lad
fagan wrote:well done on the ray chuck!!!! im after my first 1 myself, heading over to swilly this week some time, i hope i get 1. its nice to have 1 of ur wishlist, well done mate!!!!
:D :D :D :D :D
cheers fagan. its a very different fish that im used to catchin so was nice to see one up close. i tried the swilly 2 or 3 times before without success :? but put the time in and with a bit of luck i hope you get one mate
chenz116 wrote:nice ray

you have given me hope that i might get my first one this year :P
ha, just need to be in the right place mate. good luck!
Charlie

2025 targets:
40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod
polaris
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Re: Donegal Ray

#19 Post by polaris »

good going lads,,,well done on getting your ray chuckaroo,,,great pics
2010 species----flounder,dab,whiting,doggies,coalfish,pollock,siver eel,sea trout,bass,ballen wrasse, thornback ray,mackerel,pouting,red gurnard,grey gurnard,conger eel,launce,mullet,ling,cod,tub gurnard,octopus,bull huss,3 bearded rockling,poor cod
2011 species----turbot,seatrout,flounder,whiting,coalfish,L s doggies,3 beard r
rockling,mackeral,thornback ray,pollock,ballan wrasse,

2012 species---flounder,coalfish,ballan wrasse,cuckoo wrasse,conger eel,,Ls dogfish,,Turbot,bull huss ,
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Re: Donegal Ray

#20 Post by polmac »

love the report man, well done on the ray
2011 species (16) - Flounder, Coalies, Pollock, sand eel, Wrasse, Sea Trout, dogfish, thornback ray, Whiting, Red Gurnard, Codling, Grey gurnard, pouting, Mackeral, Turbot, Plaice

targets for 2011 - Bass, sea trout and big cod! - Scratch one! Sea Trout Down!

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