Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:27 am

Hi Guys,

Your forum was recommended to me by someone from the Salmon Forum. My first post and bad form from me by seeking some information....

I'm heading over to Ireland for my summer hols, last week July, first week of August from Scotland. It's really to visit my wife's relatives but hoping to get a bit fishing in, particuallary some SWFF as living in the highlands I don't get much of a chance of a cast in the sea...

First week we are staying in Bettystown near Drogheda, second week we are in Galway City. I just know that I'm not going to have much time to get a cast in but hoping to maximise what time I do have, by gathering a wee bit local info about the fishing. I'm very keen to try target bass, mullet or mackeral but any species would be good.

Are there any guides in these areas that could take me out? I'm quite happy to pay for a day or two if the service is available.

I won't have much access to transport so it's going to have to be pretty close to these locations.

Thanks
Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:57 am

The mouth of the Boyne is a great spot, north or south depending on the wind. If the water is clear you can plug/spin otherwise you'll need bate, peeler or rag worm work best.

the best guide on this coast is Jim Hendrick:
Address: Jim Hendrick, 8 St Johns Road, Wexford, Ireland..
Telephone: +353 (0)53 9123351
E-mail: sportfishing@eircom.net Web: www.probassfisher.com

Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:04 am

There are a few places in Galway city where you can target mullet..
If you get onto the member 'fishingmidget' he's got the best knowledge in the area for mullet fishing, especially when it comes to SWFF for them..

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:59 pm

Thanks for the quick responses:-

phonic wrote:The mouth of the Boyne is a great spot, north or south depending on the wind. If the water is clear you can plug/spin otherwise you'll need bate, peeler or rag worm work best.


Thanks for the info phonic - I'm pretty much an out and out fly fisher, is there any chance of a fish on the fly round there? What time of the tide is generally best? Do you know anything about the mouth of the Nanny which is just to the south? - sorry to keep asking questions.

stevecrow74 wrote:There are a few places in Galway city where you can target mullet..
If you get onto the member 'fishingmidget' he's got the best knowledge in the area for mullet fishing, especially when it comes to SWFF for them..


Your the second person to mention "fishingmidget" - I'll PM him. Obviously there is some Mullet fishing round Galway. I was beginning to wonder, all I've really read about are Salmon (I can catch them here in Perthshire :roll: ).

Thanks
Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:27 pm

"Le petit Rosbif" is gaining a reputation...... :D Yup, try a pm &/or email to him. (Thinking about it, I wouldn't mind tagging along on that day.)

Bettystown might be a bit north of Jim's stomping grounds, but if you want your eyes opened about SWFF he's the guy to show you, if you have the time and he has the vacancy.

Come to think of it, does Davy Murdoch fish as far south as Bettystown? He'd be well worth a pm/email for that side of the coast. (& there's another day out I'd like fish.)

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:58 pm

If you're going to be as far as Bettystown, try the nanny river beside the pitch and putt course at Laytown beach. You can fish the river itself or where the river meets the sea. Usually plenty of mullet in it and off the beaches travelling up the gullies (you can see the gullies if you go down at low water) You can also catch bass and seatrout too. I don't SWFF myself but I have seen lads doing it off of the beach and into the river itself ;)

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:48 pm

Al wrote:If you're going to be as far as Bettystown, try the nanny river beside the pitch and putt course at Laytown beach. You can fish the river itself or where the river meets the sea. Usually plenty of mullet in it and off the beaches travelling up the gullies (you can see the gullies if you go down at low water) You can also catch Bass and seatrout too. I don't SWFF myself but I have seen lads doing it off of the beach and into the river itself ;)


Thanks for that, I've seen the odd mention of the Nanny on the web, as far a bass went, it's good to hear that there might be a few fish around.

Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:25 am

[quote="phonic"]The mouth of the Boyne is a great spot, north or south depending on the wind. If the water is clear you can plug/spin otherwise you'll need bate, peeler or rag worm work best

if you are going to fish the north of the boyne go all the way down to the allyera(the last stone column) at low water and work your way back up river as the tide comes in ...its a bit of a hike from the car and it has been known for cars to be interfered with there ..but it seems to produce the better bass.....similar on the northside..go as far as you can on low water inside the breakwater and work your way back..more anglers on this side so you could be competing for space but your car will be a lot safer

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:40 am

Tofish wrote:
phonic wrote:The mouth of the Boyne is a great spot, north or south depending on the wind. If the water is clear you can plug/spin otherwise you'll need bate, peeler or rag worm work best

if you are going to fish the north of the boyne go all the way down to the allyera(the last stone column) at low water and work your way back up river as the tide comes in ...its a bit of a hike from the car and it has been known for cars to be interfered with there ..but it seems to produce the better Bass.....similar on the northside..go as far as you can on low water inside the breakwater and work your way back..more anglers on this side so you could be competing for space but your car will be a lot safer


That is great info, I'll only be fishing the south side and probably I'll cycle (if I can fit the bike on the car with the rest of the holiday guff) - wife will have the car with the kids....

Have you fished the mouth of the Nanny - is it the same deal. Start at low water and work in?

Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:18 pm

strathearn wrote:
Tofish wrote:
phonic wrote:The mouth of the Boyne is a great spot, north or south depending on the wind. If the water is clear you can plug/spin otherwise you'll need bate, peeler or rag worm work best

if you are going to fish the north of the boyne go all the way down to the allyera(the last stone column) at low water and work your way back up river as the tide comes in ...its a bit of a hike from the car and it has been known for cars to be interfered with there ..but it seems to produce the better Bass.....similar on the northside..go as far as you can on low water inside the breakwater and work your way back..more anglers on this side so you could be competing for space but your car will be a lot safer


That is great info, I'll only be fishing the south side and probably I'll cycle (if I can fit the bike on the car with the rest of the holiday guff) - wife will have the car with the kids....

Have you fished the mouth of the Nanny - is it the same deal. Start at low water and work in?

Norm

yep same craic with the nanny start at low water and work in, possible bass and seatrout(licence required)and last time i was there plenty of mullet that might be interested in a fly....2 hours before high water you could try the pool at the railway bridge, again usually plenty of mullet.....

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:45 am

Thanks again,

Any ideas what the Bass feed on? Just thinking about fly selection, I've tied a load of skinny clousers for previous attempts but if they are not on sand eels then maybe I should be thinking about small fish or even worm patterns.

When I've caught mullet in the past is pretty much been by fluke fishing for trout with nymphs. I've got bread patterns but I've read a bit about maggot pateers and small shrimps. Any ideas what is likely to work.

I know I'm asking a lot here, but all advice is welcome.

Not heard much about Galway - a guy over on the Fly FIshing Forum claims bass can be caught there but generally it seem to be Mullet. Anyone any experiance of them - and what tactics work there?

Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:37 pm

hi Norm...all the lads here swff for bass seem to use baitfish patterns mainly blue/white with a bit of silver..but i would'nt rule out your sandeel pattern as there is thousands of them and sprat moving around.....as for the mullet .. alot of them are falling to bread and small fish baits so your bread pattern should do the biz....tightlines ....Tony

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:21 am

Tofish wrote:hi Norm...all the lads here swff for Bass seem to use baitfish patterns mainly blue/white with a bit of silver..but i would'nt rule out your sandeel pattern as there is thousands of them and sprat moving around.....as for the mullet .. alot of them are falling to bread and small fish baits so your bread pattern should do the biz....tightlines ....Tony


Thanks for that Tony, gives me a bit confidence.

I've just got together a wee flytying kit, so I'll be able to whip up a few flies if I need to. I'll be at Bettystown on Saturday for the week and Galway the following week. Really looking forward to it. If any of you see a fat balding Scotsman failing miserably to catch anything while casting his flies into the sea - say Hi.

Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:44 am

Be sure to come back and tell us how you get on.

Tight lines!

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:25 am

Tanglerat wrote:Be sure to come back and tell us how you get on.

Tight lines!


I will - if I catch anything you'll get the full blown pictures and all.....

Should still have internet access when I'm over (the kids won't go anywhere without their various devices) so I'll keep checking in just in case there are any more words of wisdom.

Norm

Re: Bettystown and Galway City

Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:47 am

Norm! Norm! Normaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!