WEEKEND OF 24TH JULY DOWNINGS CO DONEGAL
WEATHER : LOVELY
Rigs : ALL
Results: MACKEREL, POLLOCK ,LING,WHITING,PLAICE,DAB,FLOUNDER,COOKOO RAY,BALLAN WRASSE, POUTING,COOKOO WRASSE, GREY,RED AND TUB GURNARD, COD , DOGFISH, HADDOCK, WHITING, AND POSSIBLY A FEW OTHERS
Report: AS A CLUB WE USUALLY GO ON A WEEKEND TRIP EVERY YEAR AND THIS YEAR WE BOOKED TREVOR RYDERS BONITO BOAT. DUE TO SOME OF THE LADS WORK COMITTMENTS THERE WAS A FEW SPACES AVAILIBLE SO A PHONE CALL TO AL AND THAT WAS SORTED
. SATURDAY: THE FIRST DAY WEE WERE GREATED WITH A GLOURIOUS DAY WEATHER WISE SO WEE DECIDED TO TRY TORY ISLAND. WE HADNT FISHED THE GROUNDS IN AROUND 8 YEARS DUE TO WEATHER ETC A QUICK STOP FOR MACKEREL AND WE WERE OFF. WHILST CRUISING OUT TO ISLAND A HUGE BASKING SHARK PASSED US AND AS WE GOT CLOSER THERE WAS PUFFINS EVERYWHERE A NEW FOR ME AND CLASS TO WATCH. WE DECIDED TO TRY FOR RAYS,FLATS ETC FIRST. FIRST OF THE FISHING WAS POOR ONLY DOGGIES COMING UP. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO MOVE ONE OF THE LADS HOOKED A NICE COOKOO RAY A FIRST FOR HIM AND HE WAS MADE UP. THE NEXT GROUND WAS ROUGH GROUND FOR POLLOCK AND WRASSE. THE FISHING PICKED UP QUITE A BIT WITH EVERYONE DOING WELL ON SHADS AND SIDEWINDERS FOR THE POLLOCK AND RAG WORMS FOR THE WRASSE. AFTER MANAGING A FEW NICE POLLOCK AND SEEING A FEW LOVELY WRASSE COMING ON BOARD I DECIDED TO GIVE THEM A GO ALSO. FIRST DROP DOWN RESULTED IN A LOVELY MALE COOKOO WRASSE JUST ON THE 1LB MARK. TREVOR SAID TO ME TO KEEP TRYING AS THERE WAS A CHANCE OF A SPECIMEN. THE NEXT FEW DROPS DOWN RESULTED IN MORE COOKOO WRASSE ON OF WHICH WAS 1 OZ SHORT OF SPECIMEN WEIGHT I WAS GUTTED TO SAY THE LEAST
WE MOVED ROUND ON TO THE MIXED GROUND AND IT WASNT GREAT WITH ONLY REALLY GURNARDS AND FLATTIES COIMG UP. BUT MOST OF LADS WERE HAPPY ENOUGH WITH THERE CATCH OF POLLOCK FROM EARLIER AND WE HEADED IN .SUNDAY: AFTER SATURDAYS PATCHY ENOUGH SPORT WE DICIDED TO HEAD STRIGHT FOR THE AUDACIOUS WRECK. THIS WRECK HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO US IN THE PAST AND THANKFULLY IT PROVED THE SAME TO US THAT DAY AS WELL. THE LING WERE ON THE FEED FROM FIRST DROP TO LAST SOME REALLY NICE WAS THE AVERAGE WOULD OF BEEN 4-7LB AND BIGGER ONES 8-10LB. THE POLLOCK WERE NOT REALLY PLAYING BALL BUT ANY THAT WERE CAUGHT WERE DECENT ENOUUGH FROM ABOUT 3LB TO 8LBS. ALSO HAVE TO MENTION THE COALIES THERE WAS MORE COALIES UNDER THE THE BOAT THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN BUT FISH ARE FISH AFTERALL.
AFTER A FEW HOURS WE HAD QUITE EASILY FILLED 6 BOXES OF LING AND POILLOCK SO TREVOR DECIDED TO TAKE US IN TO MARK CALLED THE LINEBURNER . THERE WAS APPARTENLY A GOOD CHANCE OF A HADDOCK OF SOME DENCENT WEE COD. FISHING STATRED SLOW ENIUGH BUT SOON PICKED UP WITH EVERYONE LANDING QUALITY WHITNG AND CODLING. THERE WAS ALSO A NICE MIX OF GURNRDS RED ,TUBS AND GREYS. I EVEN MANAGED A QUALITY RED GURNAD WHICH AGAIN WAS 10Z SHORT OF SPECIMEN SIZE IT WEIGHED IN AT EXACTLY 1LB 15OZ GUTTED. STWO OF THE OTHER GUYS LANDED NICE TUB S BOTH OVER 3LB AND ANOTHER GUY MANAGED THE ONLY HADDOCK OF THE DAY. THERE WAS ALSO A GOOD MIX OF FLATS AND DOGGIES AND ONE OF THE LADS MANAGED A NICE THORNBACK RAY JUST OVER 7LB. SOME OF THE LADS WERE DRIVING HOME THAT NIGHT SO WE STEAMED IN. ALL IN ALL SUNDAYS WRECK FISHING MADE THE WHOLE WEEKEND AND IT WASD THE BEST OF CRACK. THE HOTEL AND STAFF WERE LOVELY AT THE BOWNINGS BEACH HOTEL AND WAS QUITE REASONABLE PRICE WISE ALSO.
AL HAS LOADS MORE PICS.
