Anyone fished achill?

[ardinn]

Havnt fished the west coast ever and was thinking of a trip away - Anyone ever done achill? How was it?

[Chris T]

There at the moment but not fished yet, was looking for some info myself!

Been checking out some posts and looks like the well publicised spots are fishing quite poorly. Planning to try a couple of less hard hit spots, would also love to hear if anyone is catching anything? Are there mackerel about as bait is short?!

[kieran]

mackerel very hit and miss, best at top of hw into darkness if you are lucky.
congers and flats in purteen harbour from low water up
keem bay is destroyed with spearmen and people mucking about in wetsuits - avoid
fished feel a few time - lots of small flounder
rusheen point / front - some reports of small Pollack and the odd mackerel
dugort - some mackerel trapped in channel at low water a week or two ago, not heard much else.
atlantic drive - could not fish any of the marks here owing to the *£$Y@*! weather. Can give detailed directions if anyone wants - pollack and wrasse main species.
cloughmore harbour - reports of small Pollack to lures, dogs and slugs and congers under the pylons, used to be good for sea trout behind the fish factory

If you have access to a boat, Macks Pollack and wrasse will come to you behind Inishgallon with decent reports. The local skipper passed away last year so there is no official charter available from Achill any more. There are lovely cod (up to 12 lbs!) coming out of Clew Bay from the usual grounds south west of Achill Beag.

If you have the time, go to the deserted village and follow the track through it and towards the quarry. This leads to the north to the hidden lake and annagh strand. You can fish off the strand (which is quite steep especially at low water) or move around the rocks on either side, either west or under Slievemore.

Excellent reports of sea trout from bullsmouth to standard sandeel or similarly patterned lures and flies.

Hope this helps... wish it looked better but frankly its been crap for the last month. So be delighted to see better reports come in! ;0)

[Chris T]

Fished the rocks at the back of purteen this morning.

Very windy, strap conger and 2 dogs. Lots of other interest but wond was dragging line around resulting in lots of lost gear from getting snagged up. Would fish well in still conditions!!

mackerel and squid, nothing on squid!

[Chris T]

Just wanted to follow up on this having just come back from 2 weeks there, holidaying rather than fishing although I did get a couple of sessions in.

I believe it's still full of fish. The best spots are less accessible and the weather has a huge part to play but the fish are there, you just need to get the location right and the weather and then hope the dogs don't get you! They seem to be having the plague that the rest of the country has!

Of course Keem is fished out with muppets on kayaks and others with spear guns but there is only a tiny fraction of the island accessible by road. Try different locations, travel light, yes some of them are precarious so be careful but there are fish there!!