1 - Teelin Pier
Just off the road to Slieve League there is a
famous deep water mark. Species
& Techniques: Teelin
Pier is one of the few marks in Ireland that has produced specimen
Conger. Most of the Flatfish alongside Dogfish are available
too, with spinning offering Pollack and Mackerel, mainly at high tide.
Codling and Whiting in particular can be added to the list in winter. |
2 - White Strand
Known locally as Trabawn, this beach is a amazing flatfish mark. Species & Techniques:
It will produce Flounder, Dabs, the occassional
Plaice and Dogfish, with smaller Turbot falling to
mackerel strips. |
3 - Fintra Strand
Another beach, most popular than Trabawn, Fintra has an excellent
reputation. It hides two marks, one on the beach itself... the other
on the river channel. Species &
Techniques: The channel will produce Flounder and Sea-trout in
season, with the latter falling to small spinners or even to lugworm baits.
Ragworm works wonders on the west coast, if you can beg/borrow/steal
any!
Fintra has produced Ray during the summer off the beach and Codling
at night in the autumn / winter. Dogfish are the ever present curse! |
4 - Drumanoo Head
There are a variety of rock platforms available from Drumanoo Head
however care is advised with all of them. Donegal Bay is not in any way
sheltered and all the headlands are extremely exposed / dangerous.
Species
& Techniques: Legering over foul ground will produce Bull Huss
and Conger, but most people prefer to float fish for Wrasse, Pollack,
Coalfish, with Mackerel and Garfish in season. Whiting also
reported. |
5 - Killybegs
If you are going to fish the harbour, pay attention as this is a very
busy commercial harbour and the commercial fishermen have little time
for sea anglers! The harbour offer two marks off the west and east
piers. Species & Techniques: Fishing off the east pier
will produce Mackerel, Pollack and Mullet. The current record
Mullet was caught here, possibly due to the fish factory output - if you
can live with the smell, a new record could be yours! The west
pier is a known mark for Conger, especially at the elbow inside the
pier. Dogfish are a common catch also. Watch out for the seals and they will end a fishing session quickly! |
6 - Gunwell Head
This is a great mark, and for variety it is up there with St
John's Point (see below). The fishing is mainly from rock platforms out over
sand into the Killybegs channel. Species &
Techniques: Fishing on the bottom over the sand will produce all
the Flatfish, with Ray and Conger also encountered, especially at
night. Closer in, float fishing will produce Pollack, Wrasse and
Mackerel in season. Coalfish are also taken here, as are Bull Huss
and Dogfish on the bottom presumably in between the sand and rock/weed.
Whiting reported. Several local anglers have expressed the belief
that this mark outfishes the more famous St John Point, see below.
You might want to search through the bulletin boards for their reports
on these marks. |
7 - St John's
Point
Truly awful roads but the best mark in Donegal and possibly the best
road-accessible shore fishing mark in Ireland. Be careful of
parking too close to the fields as the cattle like to scratch themselves
on the car door mirrors with disastrous consequences! The
lighthouse, as with all lighthouses in Ireland, is private. They
are often a family home so please respect this - how would you like it
if someone invaded your garden! Species &
Techniques: Spinning takes Mackerel and Garfish in season, with a
plentiful supply of Coalfish and Pollack in reserve. Float fishing
worm baits will keep you in Wrasse all day, some of them to ove rthe
specimen weight c. 5 lbs (2.2 kgs). Bottom fishing will take Wrasse
and also
Conger, Bull Huss and Dogfish. Clearly there are sandy patches
which account for the Gurnard and Dabs. The Whiting were a nice
odd bonus and I have no doubt Codling and Cod will be present in the autumn / winter. Bring
loads of bait! |
8 - Mountcharles
Pier
Just outside Donegal town on the road west, the small fishing village of
Mountcharles is now bypassed, so don't miss it! Species &
Techniques: The pier offers access to deeper water and will produce
Ray, Bull Huss, Dogfish and Tope for distance casters who can access the
deep water channel on the incoming tide. You can fish for Flatfish
closer in (Sole reported) and packs of dogfish will always put in an
appearance in the slacker water periods. |
11 - Rossnowlagh Beach
Our
thanks to Mick and Dingbat off the forum for their help. Just seven kilometres north of the Erne estuary marks, this beach can be accessed from
beside the hotel in the town itself or from steps leading down from a
famous tavern-cum-restuarant on the sea cliffs to the south... This
is probably the best hotspot on this large shallow beach if it were not
for the competing attraction of the pub! Species &
Techniques: The beach will produce good flounder and some
decent bass particularly in bigger surf conditions, with the occassional
sea-trout in season, the latter on small spinners or even on the lugworm
baits. There are also reports of small turbot falling to mackerel
sliver baits. Sand eels will pick up dogfish especially after
sunset. Lugworm, ragworm, mackerel and peeler crab are all used on
this pupular competition venue. November 2004. |
10 - Wardstown Beach
Our
thanks to Mick for the details on this new mark. Another of
the many Erne estuary marks, this beach can be accessed from the burnt
our remains of Wardstown House. Alternatively turn off the road to
Rossnowlagh for Kildoney, park at the end of the road and walk over the
hill. Species &
Techniques: The beach will produce rafts of Flounder and occassionally
Sea-trout in season, the latter on small spinners or even on the lugworm
baits. In September 2004, a Donegal SAC competition was won with
fourteen (14) flounder! Most baits will work with mackerel and lugworm
being perectly acceptable. |
9 - The Erne Estuary With
thanks to Dingbat off the forums for his assistance. Just outside Ballyshannon on the road to Bundoran, there is a vast
expance of sand dunes, owned by the Irish Army (Finner Army Camp). Trespassers will be
arrested however you can access the beach along the shore from just
outside the town - there are well worn paths although it is a long hike
and not without its obstacles... You can also collect
bait in the rockpools closer the town. Species &
Techniques: The beach will produce flounder and occassionally
sea-trout in season, either on small spinners or even on the lugworm
baits. People do not fish here for bass prefering the more readily
accessed marks on the northern side of the Erne estuary. Although it is rarely fished, one might
expect to find ray
during the summer and autumn, with the chance of a bass in the
dogfish. November 2004. |