People:me
Duration:Sat night 6pm-11pm,,,Sun night 7pm-10-30pm
Tide:rising into darkness both nights
Weather:glorious
Bait:Sat night peeler crab,,Sun night peeler claws and rag, mack
Rigs:pulleys for smoothies and mini rigs on Sunday night
Results:Sat,,,Flounder and 4 smoothies,,,,Sun evening ,,Corkwing Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse, Whiting, Pollock, Codling and Short Spined Sea Scorpion
Report:Headed to a Wicklow beach mark for Smoothies on Saturday evening. With the good weather, potential marks were all well populated with Anglers, Campers and the like ,,so it was with trepidation that I approached my proposed mark

,,,but the little pull in where you park was free,,happy days

. I got my gear unloaded and made my way onto the beach,,,where I found a tent which had been set up and apparently abandoned

,,,,but the mystery was solved when a pair of star crossed lovers arrived back with provisions and found me settling in for the evening on their secluded slice of paradise. My greeting of "How-a-yis",,was met with deafening silence so I concentrated of treating them to an exhibition of Smoothie bashing

Unfortunately the Smoothies weren't playing ball and when I finally got a thump which lifted the rod off the ground, I reeled in to find my trace had been bitten off, with just the pulley bead remaining

Tope

By the time the Smoothies arrived I was running out of bait and the smoke from the campfire was starting to drift towards me. I landed 4 ,,,,all smallish,,,,large doggie size. I also landed a nice flounder, which took my crab on a pennell pulley. I left at 11pm and noticed that all the anglers were still about,,,a sure sign that the fish were starting to show with darkness. Note to self : arrive later and stay later

To end on a positive,,,at least I have mastered the timer function on my camera so if the impossible happens and I land a whopper ,,,,I should be able to get a piccie
Sunday evening Greystones Rocks
I decided to go light on Sunday evening and do a bit of minibashing/Light Rock Fishing. I had some peeler claws and legs and also some rag so I headed down to the rocks for the evening rising tide ,,HW 9pm approx. I also brought some jellyworms and also some 2 hook mini rigs. I was here the previous Monday during daylight and although I had a few fish it was a bit disappointing. I also dropped in to Gotcha Angling and got some bargains and advice from John. It's well worth a look around his well stocked shop

I cast out a small jellyworm ,tipped with a piece of rag and got bites straight away, picking us some corkwing wrasse. I even tried the jellyworm without the rag,,which I find hard to do,,,and lo and behold,, a nice little wrasse. This was to be the pattern for the evening,,,bait up ,,,cast out,,,pluck pluck,,,bang,,,fish on. I had Corkwing wrasse, Ballan wrasse,,,pollock, Short Spined Sea Scorpions in close and when I cast out a bit further I hit into some codling ,,,mid to late twenties cms. Nice busy ,handy fishing and I was glad I gave the Harbour a miss for a change,,,as it was easier to land and return the fish from the rocks. Note to self :I really will have to bring just the one rod with me in future when minibashing. As much as I love the smoothies, I have to admit I really enjoy minibashing when the fish bite as soon as the bait hits the water.

Species '20 (14) 5 Beard Rockling, Shore Rockling, Codling, Whiting, Pollock, Coalfish, Pouting, Corkwing Wrasse ,Ballan Wrasse, Poor Cod, Dab ,Smoothhound,Flounder, Thornback Ray
For the rich, there is therapy. For the rest of us, there is FISHING! --