Teelin, Co.Donegal (Sat 27/05/06)
People: 3
Duration:1.5hr of ebb (1900 to 2030)
Tide:HW@1900ish
Weather: Dry but breezy SW
Bait:Ammo sandeel
Rigs:Shrimp rigs, german sprat, various plugs
Results:5 micro pollack
Spent day hill walking up Slieve League and back (shame summit was shrouded in cloud but atmospheric and thrilling nonetheless - especially "one man's pass") and did a little spinning from Teelin afterwards. Not ideal as we'd missed the flood. Tried from rocks at mouth of channel near navigation light but there were large swells and nothing taking. Also tried the sheltered shallow boulder strewn bay on western side of grassy hill/head with plugs. Again, looked promising but nothing
I can imagine this would be fantastic later on in summer when the sprat come in. Eventually headed to end of pier which gave very small pollack to baited shrimp rigs cast out into ebb current. Prior to this saw 3 or 4 other anglers feathering at the pier end but they came and went within half an hour - don't think they had anything.Aughris Head, Co.Sligo (Sun 28/05/06)
Duration: 1500 to 2130
Tide:HW@2000ish
Weather: Dry with NW
Bait:Ammo sandeel and mackerel
Rigs:Shrimp rigs, various lures/plugs, 2/0 pulley, 2/0 3 hook flapper, 6/0 pennell wire rig (rotten bottoms)
Results:2 LSD and 7 mackerel
Report: Hoping to improve on micro-pollack and as a confidence booster, first headed for a quick session at a rock mark in Dromard where I've had good wrasse and pollack over the years (by my standards anyhow
). Direction of wind put pay to this with a big swell. After 30min of float fishing with limpet it seemed too rough for even the wrasse 
Swell ruled out western side of Aughris Head without even getting there (yet again!) but we could see the eastern side of the head was calm so headed over there.This was the only day we tried ledgering with a beachcaster that i leave over in Sligo. While pulley rigs with ammo mack cutlets were lobbed out on beachcaster we tried spinning with hokkais and rubber eels while one of us floatfished with sandeel, mack and limpets close in to rocks. Was dissapointed nothing was showing on float (wrasse or pollack). Tide was well into flood at this stage. After an hour or so I noticed a bite on the ledger rod so I shouted at my mate who was nearest to it to bring it in. Was a good sized LSD, very dark coloured. Gave me a good graze on the hand too that's still healing. Was a bugger to extract the hook (took two of us) so after that I pinched the barbs on the rigs.
I gave up on the rubber eel and plugs I had been using after another fruitless hour. During this time I had seen a very localised quick boil at the surface about 50 yards out - Hokkais and my eel were lobbed at the spot but nothing resulted...
I began to question my eyesight after that as no-one else had seen the boil and started expressing doubts
I chucked on a shrimp rig with german sprat as these always seem to produce more than bog standard feathers or hokkais. Second cast I felt the thumping of mackerel through the braid. It was only the one fish, but a very good size. Happy to see it given the breezy weather and the fact the guy in Barton Smith's had said it was still a bit too early for mackerel, with the best chance being at Raughley Point.We had a stove with us so the mackerel was disptached and served up within 10min of being caught, after being poached in seawater
Very tasty. The head and guts were chucked out on a wire trace on the ledger rod.My friends then promptly switched to shrimp bait rigs and near high water there was a yell as four more mackerel were brought in and kept (2 to supplement dinner in the evening and 2 for an aunt). I then had a another one which was shook off the hook and released and my mate had one on a toby lure I leant him to be a bit more "sporting". That was released too. There had been no sign on the surface of these mackerel.
There were knocks on the ledger rod and the heads were coming back in well savaged minus the guts, but generally things were quiet up to high water with no massive bites. Thinking we were restricting our chances with the big pennells, we switched back to pulley rigs with ammo cutlets as the tide ebbed.
Out in Sligo Bay we could see hundreds of seagulls obviously working a big shoal of fish. As always, that's where they stayed! I switched the ledger rod to a three hook flapper in a bid to use up the ammo sandeel. Had another smaller LSD on this (my first
) which went back no probs with de-barbed hook. I'd liked to have carried on fishing into dark with the mack heads and left over ammo bait but my mates were keen to get home and cook up the mackerel with dinner. The local seagulls were very happy with the discarded bait however A very satisfying days fishing given the conditions, and forced changes to our plans.
Bundouglas East, Co.Galway (Tues 30/05/06)
Duration: 2000 to 2100
Tide:HW@2000ish
Weather: Sunny/dry with N or NW
Bait:None
Rigs:Shrimp and Hokkai rigs, german sprat, various plugs
Results:Blank
Report: Spent day hill walking in Mamturk mountains near Leenane. Absolutely stunning scenery with some good views of Killary fjord. Pic should be in shore mark gallery. No time to visit the fabled Little Killary I'm afraid, but we had no bait or beachcaster in any case
We stayed in a hostel at Clifden so took an evening drive out to Bundouglas East (Mark no. 11) in Galway West marks http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/shor ... ay%201.htm Mark is exactly as described with 1.5km walk along stony beach and through fields up to headland. Despite our best efforts spinning we drew a blank, even though the place screams fish!
The bedding planes in the rocks here our vertical so it is a bit tricky underfoot getting down to the water - bit of balancing on pinnacles etc. There are two very deep "puffing" holes that it would be easy to fall into if not paying attention at night - they appear very suddenly as you walk through the heather and bracken and stretch way back from the shoreline. I suspect these will hold some nice wrasse or conger. There are "arches" over the holes and at first we didn't even realise we were walking across one such arch.
There are also "fault lines" and shears in the turf and scrub that overlies the rock of the headland. These weren't obvious until my friend in front fell into one up to the thigh of his left leg - my other mate then decided to mention that the mark description highlights the need to be careful
Luckily he didn't twist or injure his foot but we were left wondering how deep they might be after seeing those puffing holes... On the way back to the car I chatted to a local elderly gentleman walking his collie along the beach. It sounds like the puffing holes are very impressive in winter storms. He confirmed the mark is an excellent place to fish but only late in summer (August/September) when it is "alive" with pollack and mackerel. This made us feel slightly better about our blank. The boats moored out from the beach belong to lobster and salmon fishermen apparently. The seabed appears rough (stone and weed) and is probably worth a bash if you're staying in the area for a while, unlike us.
Inishmore Island (Aran Islands), Co.Galway (Weds 31/05/06)
Duration: 20min @ lunchtime
Tide:LW@1300ish
Weather: Sunny and calm
Bait:None
Rigs: German sprat
Results:Blank
Report: Got 1030 ferry out from Rossaveal to spend some time sight seeing on the island until last ferry at 1700. The sailing was about an hour. Hired bikes for 10 euro each after we were disgorged onto pier along with the other tourist hordes. While the yanks, germans and others headed off down the main road straight for Dun Aonghasa, we took the southerly road around Killeany Bay and past the airport for a bit of peace. Where the road ends we followed a grassy path across some fields. There's a great looking rock mark here at the SE tip of the island. The bedding planes are horizontal (easy to fish from) and you're on rock platforms 5 to 10m or more above the water. A dropnet would be very useful if you hook into anything of size. Has anyone else on the forums ever tried fishing here
We were there at LW and the water was clear and incredibly deep - it shelves off immediately. We had one travel rod with us so I had a quick go with a german sprat for 20min while the others had a breather in the sunshine and took in the scenery. Nothing happening but it was LW after all. There appeared to be a coastal path that headed north but you'd have to walk this - not suitable for bikes as we concluded after 50m. We did speak to a french guy there who had been feathering for an unknown period. From our limited communication skills we established he'd had a couple of small pollack.
The fishing potential of this island is amazing. the whole southern length of the island is one large rock mark, but getting access down to suitable platforms would require an OSi map (no 51 which we didn't have) and/or rock climbing gear!! We didn't have time to cycle to the far NW end of the island or along the northern coast, but from the tourist map we had this seems to be less preciptious.
If I was lucky enough to reside in Co.Galway I'd be tempted to try some fishing/exploring here over a weekend. i don't know if there is a hostel on the island but you could probably get away with camping nearby some of the marks.
FOOTNOTE:
As usual, there wasn't enough time for as much fishing as I would have liked but we were busy packing in the hill walking and drinking etc. along with two days in Dublin doing the touristy things at the end of our break
We visited Achill where I have yet to wet a line. Very frustrating!
in hindsight I think it was maybe still too early for pollack and wrasse at the marks we fished. Is this a reasonable assumption or just a lack of ability
I'll try and post pics of some of the marks when i get copies of photos from my friends.
Regards and enjoy the bank hol
