1 - Kilary Harbour
Located on the border between Mayo and Galway in majestic scenery,
Kilary Harbour is Ireland's only true fyord. It is remarkably
deep, and whilst most of the fishing is done from the Galway side,
with the youth hostel a known mark, a short cast from either side will
land you in deep and pristine water! A road runs alongside the
fyord. Species &
Techniques: Dab,
Flounder, Pollack and Coalfish are a possibility, mostly taken on
pasternoster or similar rigs. Float fishing will take Wrasse (all
year) with Mackerel in season. As with most of the Mayo coast,
sand eel shoal in millions into shallow waters from May on. It is
popular with scuba divers, kayakers, and water sports enthusiasts, so
aquatic "traffic" can be heavy in summer.
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2 White Strand
This pristine and massive white sand beach is largely left to the sea
birds and the intrepid families that suffer the road down during the
summer. Although it screams Bass, these western beachers are
often remarkably sterile and short of fish. Species
& Techniques: A small stream and pool to the left hand side
holds large shoals of Mullet of varying sizes, and the small rock
platforms that flood on an incoming tide would seem to offer excellent
Bass options. Flounder are a distinct possibility given the
fresh water, with the potential for flatfish like Dabs and Plaice, and
Bass in any medium to big surf.
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3 Roonagh Piers
This deep water harbour is where the ferry to Clare Island departs the
mainland. (A) The larger new pier offers access to deep water and
very foul ground. (B) The inner pier offer easier fishing for
smaller fish (very sheltered). Species & Techniques:
Pollack Coalfish and Mackerel are a possibility for spinning and
feathers. Wrasse are present all year round. Conger and
Bull Huss are definitely a possibility over the rough ground.
There are reputedly some good marks on the rocks to the west of the
new pier, but they should only be approached in very calm conditions.
That is the Atlantic Ocean! The new pier has just been extended by
another 30 metres, offering deep water access. July 2004. Aerial
Photograph
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4 Old Head
There are effectively two marks her, the very tidal pier which gives
access to fishing over sand (first place we ever caught a Lesser
Weeverfish!), and some rock platforms located behind the wooded
headland... accessible via the path and over several stiles. Species
& Techniques: The pier gives access to sand and mixed ground
but we have always drawn a blank on it, bar that Weeverfish. One
imagines that Flatfish, Bass and Ray are possibilities there. Worm baits are best, although ragworm in scarce
on the west coast. The rock platforms
are known to give access to Conger and Bull Huss, Pollack, Wrasse,
Coalfish, Mackerel and Garfish in season, on sandy stretches Flounder
and Dab, and the occassional Ray in summer.
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5 Kinsallagh Rocks & Lecanvey
Pier
Both these marks are located on the main road from Westport out to
Louisburgh, and I have fished both without success. Species
& Techniques: Spinning and feathers will catch Mackerel in
season, with Wrasse, small Pollack and Coalfish a possible catch at
Kinsallagh. Lecanvey gives access to sand, with the possibility
of Flatfish. The beach under the cliffs nearby might be worth
it...
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6 Bertra Strand
Akin to the Old Head, this harbours two distinct and different
marks. The beach itself offers Flatfish and supposedly Bass around the rocky spine in the middle. Spinning with bass
bullets around the rocks on the left hand side might work.
There is never a large surf on this beach, even in winter! At
the far end of the beach, a good walk, you find a very deep
channel nestled under a ridge of loose stones. A very swift current
races through this channel either side of high and low tide. Species
& Techniques: A slack water pool to the east of the channel
reputedly holds Monkfish and even Skate! The channel itself will
give you Mackerel in season and large Flatfish at slack water at its
western end. We can not stress how strong the
currents are and thus how dangerous entering the water here might
be... never fish alone.
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7 Rosmindle and Rosmoney
In this maze of shallow creeks and islands to the north of Westport,
there are a couple of small harbours and anchorages like
Rosmindle. Species & Techniques: These marks offer
Mullet, Dogfish, Flatfish and Gurnard all from the shore for the hardy
pioneer. You might also pick up a Bull Huss near darkness. Great spot for watching sea
otters...
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21 Rossanrubble
My
thanks to John O'Brien from the Waterford Angling Centre for
information on this mark. A tricky spot to find, you will need
the Ordinance Survey map of the area. Take the N59 south from
Newport heading towards Westport, and you will find the turn to the
right well signposted. Drive all the way down to the first
mudflat/bay and follow the road left. At the junction turn west
and drive to the end. Drive through the gate and cattle grid and
up the hill - there is informal parking near the barbed wire fences.
The best mark is down the fields heading south, about 100 metres
inland from the ruined pier and slipway. There is not much room at
high tide either! Species & Techniques: It is a
relatively deep channel, with a wide fringe of small rocks, shingle
and seaweed that requires careful handling when you have a fish
on... Thornback Rays and Bull Huss are the main species
targeted. It looks fabulous Bass country but there were none to
be seen or found. Casting onto the sand in mid channel only
located more crabs. Probably a low water mark. July 2004.
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8 Burrishoole Channel
Alongside the famous ruined abbey, past Newport on the road
to Mallaranny, you can fish the channel leading to Lough Furnace. Species
& Techniques: Flatfish, Mullet, Salmon and Sea-trout
(increasingly rare) are all possibilities with the former species to
the fore... try using local lugworm and clam.
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22 Rosmurrevagh
Our
thanks to Martin Soar for pioneering this new low water mark. To
access it park at the beach on the golf course at Malranny (see below)
and walk east across the sand into a stone and pebble / sand beach,
which is an excellent lugworm bed (clearly you could dig fresh bait
here on the way across if you time it right). The next cove is
full of boulders that will flood at high water but you can cast from
there onto a clean sea bed, certainly sand and possibly shingle /
gravel. Species
& Techniques: In two sessions Martin reports that they did
not have a single cast without a bite, with mainly Dogfish coming to
the shore. Several Bull Huss were taken as well, and there is
excellent Bull Huss in this area, well into double figures on the
stronger tidal runs at Rossanrubble (above). One would expect to
encounter Flatfish of all varieties and possibly Gunard. This is
one of the main entrances to Newport Harbour and Lough Furnace so you
can expect to find Salmon and Sea Trout running close to the
shore. A bit of spinning or sand eels might produce good
results. Based on the description I would expect to find Conger
Eels and Wrasse close in, although probably not to any appreciable
size this close to sand...
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9 Mallaranny
Also
known as Mulranny, and akin to the Old Head across the Bay, this harbours two different marks. The
beach itself offers Flatfish (especially near the stream exiting the
golf course) and the odd Bass. This beach can produce a large
surf so care is needed! Just past the town, the coast road will
lead you out to the pier, a tidal harbour that offers access to
Coalfish, Pollack, Wrasse, Codling in the winter, with Mackerel
Garfish and Greater Sandeels (Launce) in the summer. On high spring
tides, the road to the harbour can flood out completely - you have
been warned. Some recent remedial work has raised the seabed
around the pier so that it only fishes around high water. Species
& Techniques: Standard beachcasting equipment is required for
the long strand, with watch leads a good addition. Spinning and
feathers will take Mackerel but the Pollack and Coalfish from the pier
prefer fresh or frozen sandeel, with squid, lugworm and hokeye
lures as backups. The foul ground offers strap Conger, LSDs and
Bull Huss.
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10 An Corraun
This windswept treeless headland offers several rock and shore marks
(easily identified by the concrete steps at the roadside) or by the
flat rocks further along sliding slowly into the sea under
cliffs. It is a tricky spot to fish off as localised hotspots
give great fishing in an otherwise barren sea! These are
noted shore angling marks, with mixed ground ranging from sand to
heavy weed and rock available at any stage in the tide. Species
& Techniques: Mackerel, Wrasse, Garfish and small Pollack can
be taken on floating gear in exceptionally clear water during the
summer - you can actually watch the individual fish bite! Bottom
fishing into the sandy marks between rocks will produce Flatfish and
the occassional Ray in calm weather. Seatrout and Salmon are a possibility with smaller spinners and in particular sandeel
baits. It hosts several competitions each year, and with views
across the bay to Croagh Patrick and Clare Island it has to be one of
the most breathtaking fishing marks in Ireland.
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11 Cloghmore Harbour
Akin to the deepwater channel at Bertra Strand, a very deep mark
nestles
inside this natural harbour. A vicious current races through this
channel either side of high and low tide, and the best fishing is on
the edge of this current (B). Species & Techniques: Pollack
up to shore speciment weight, 8 lbs (3.5 kgs), follow the tide in and are readily taken on hokeye
and imitation sand eel lures - often at more than one at a time! Sandeels
often shoal in vast numbers under the jetty, and can be picked up for
fresh bait using small feathers, but only at dusk! Sea-trout are available on small spinners like german sprats at the point
under the fish factory (A), but keep the spinner skipping along the top of
the water - it is shallow and very weedy. Watch for the otters
too. I have no doubt that
big Conger and Dogfish patrol under the pilings. It is
permanently lit at night but the jetty is very exposed. There is a
deep hole directly south off a long cast (C). Aerial
Photograph July 2004.
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20
The Shipwreck Gully
A
recent adventure, thanks to John Johnstone, skipper of the MV Lady
Clare, this is a wonderful if precarious mark. As you round the
south of Achill on the Atlantic Drive from Cloughmore, you will find a
breathtaking view and a curious set of rusty iron structures on the
foreshore. There were once used to salvage most of an old wreck
that lies in a very deep gully that cuts right in to the road.
This marks should only be approached in calm weather. The access
is from the western side, down heavily eroded and difficult
rocks. The sea can be savage here with very large Atlantic
swells on even the calmest summer's day. The remains of the
wreck lie in the gully and effectively break it in two, with
relatively calm water inside and wild white water outside. Species &
Techniques: The cheapest method is float fishing and this
will bring Garfish, Mackerel, Pollack and Wrasse however there is some
depth of water here. More typically you leger a large bait on a
rotten bottom rig, and with heavy tackle, for the resident
Conger. All the above species can be taken in the same manner,
and there is the possibility of a Gurnard, Coalfish, Whiting, even a
lost Haddock or Codling. Once again having fished the mark on a
dropping tide, I would recommend caution and someone on the lookout at
all times as the wave action is extremely unpredictable and dangerous.
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12 Keel Strand
This beautiful beach offers its best fishing, mainly for Flatfish and
the odd Bass, at very low water. The best mark is under the
cliffs at the far end near the "cathedral rocks". You could combine this low water mark with the high water mark
at Keem Bay, with Purteen Harbour as a backup.A
road leads the way... Species & Techniques: In late
2003 the master anglers competition was held here. Flounder was
the most common large fish caught, with several Bass reported, one to
7 lbs, and Turbot (mostly very small) also taken in the surf. A
few decent Turbot were recorded. Baits used included ragworm,
lugworm, clams, crab, mackerel, squid... in fact everything and oddly
enough, no single bait or cocktail was found to be more effective than
any other...
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13 Purteen Harbour
Again there are effectively two marks available here. Outside the
harbour the rocks offer excellent rough ground fishing in calmer
conditions (A). They are extremely dangerous in large swell
conditions - please avoid them. The inner harbour (B) offers a
remarkably wide variety of fishing... Species &
Techniques: The foul ground mark has Bull Huss, Conger, Pollack,
Coalfish, Cod, various types of unusual smaller fish. For distance
casters, face the island and reputedly, there is a sandy stretch
holding Rays and Flatfish. The inner harbour, and I mean inner
(!) offers Ballan and Cuckoo Wrasse, veritable rafts of Flounder on an
incoming tide, and big Mullet that will happily take the lugworm
destined for a flatfish. Conger up to 15 lbs (7 kgs) patrol the harbour during the day and especially at low water! Fishing off the
pierhead is precarious but offers the opportunity to use spinners and
feathers. If the Mackerel are in, you will catch them. Aerial
Photograph. July 2004.
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14 Dooagh Rocks
As the road from the village of Dooagh climbs up the cliffs heading
for Keem Bay, you can wander down to the headland and fish into
extremely deep water, albeit from dangerous rock marks. You can also
access this by walking west along the shore from Purteen
Harbour. An Admiralty chart will show you where the deep water
mark is located. These marks
must never be used in heavy weather or high swell conditions. Species
& Techniques: We have no recent reports of people fishing off
the marks here, but they have a tradition of producing large fish
across a wide range of species, mostly over very foul and rough
ground. Bring lots and lots of tackle, and even more junk leads! The grassy slopes
leading down to the rock platforms are longer than they look and
extremely dangerous: - slick in dry weather and decidedly boggy and
sticky after rain. Throw in a steep gradient and the odd rock
and you have a mark the demands respect.
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15 Keem Bay
For a bay that produced the Irish record Porbeagle Shark - only 365
lbs - it gets remarkably little attention. There are three marks, one
directly out in front of the stream (near a large rock), with Flatfish and particularly
Flounder the main attraction. This sandy mark has produced the
odd shore caught Tope, and can also produce Thornback Ray on warm
still evenings - it is reputedly an excellent venue for night fishing. From the rocks on the right hand
side (as you face the sea) you need to clamber down to the first
"point" and you can fish out past the weedy margins onto
sand, or float and spin from the rocks. On the left hand side, a
very steep climb down from the "Ametyst quarry" through
bracken - care needed - leads to a small cove/beach marked with two tidal
rocks on the right hand side. It can not be accessed from the main
beach, and fishes best (onto sand) for the first two hours of the
flooding tide. Finally although the main beach is popular with holiday
makers you can fish reasonably well from the left of the large
rock. Some people feel the beach marks fish best at low water
(the three hours down and back up again) whereas I have found the rock
mark fishes best at high water. Species &
Techniques: Big Wrasse and Pollack will fall to float fished 'organic' baits,
with Mackerel in season taken off the rock mark. Lugworm on a standard paternoster will produce the
Flatfish, with the option of switching to mackerel or half
a flounder for Dogfish or Ray... Fishing two rods on this mark is a very
good idea. Conger and Bull Huss a possibility on the right hand
side.
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16 Dugort Harbour
In the north of Achill Island lies Dugort Pier. This handy pier
fishes best at high tide, and as the distinct advantage of being
sheltered for the standard southern and western winds by Slieve More
(literally translated as "the big mountain") at its
back. It gets fished when the other marks are full of wind... so
to speak. Species & Techniques: Mackerel in the summer
are commonplace, mainly on spinners, feather and floating gear.
The bottom is mized, mainly sandy, and has produced Rays, Flatfish and
red Gurnard in decent numbers in the past. We have no recent
reports bar Mackerel.
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17 Bullsmouth
We are seeking a pioneer here, for the Bullsmouth as it is known
offers a strong tidal race over sand and mud, with the whole of Achill
Sound emptying in and out through this and Cloghmore Harbour at the
far end. The second leg of the master angler competition in late
2003 was held on several small beaches in this general area, but all
the competitors were plagued with pin whiting. Dabs were the
most common catch. Species & Techniques: Clearly
flatfish are a known species now, but we would suspect that mullet
(large shoals seen in the sound in the summer), gurnard, and
whiting are possible with possibly ling and haddock likely to be
in residence in the big tidal races.
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18 Achill Sound
If you want to target big Mullet, the muddy banks alongside the
channel at the main town is a key spot. Mullet swarm around here and
dig out marine worms in the soft mud and sand. The rapid tidal
race might also produce other species as the Sound undoubtedly acts as
a breeding ground and nursery for bigger species like turbot, skate
and others like whiting and gurnard. Species & Techniques: Although my friends in
the UK find it hard to believe, the only bait worth using for Mullet
on Achill island is lugworm and presentation is usually on a pennel
rig made up of twinned small size 4 hooks - there are more specimen
fish over the 5 lbs (2.2 kgs) limit in Achill than you would know what to...
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And now for something
completely different...
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19 Clare Island
Ask any of the local skippers where the best sea angling in Clew Bay
is and one place that always comes to the fore is the deep waters
under the cliffs of Clare Island. For the record the other three marks
are Deacy's rock on the way from Cloughmore Harbour to Clare Island,
Dysaghty's rock off Achill Island out from Purteen Harbour, and for
the hardy amongst you and only in a big boat, the Bills Rocks out in
the Atlantic Ocean. If you want to completely different
fishing experience, however, take the ferry to Clare Island, book yourself into
a B&B, buy yourself a few pints at the hotel (the only hotel!) and
get chatting with the locals. Species & Techniques:
Rumour has it that the beach fishing is good, that there are still
Sea-trout available and that the rock fishing is spectacular, and you do
not have to commit suicide on the massive Knockmore sea cliffs, but
rather stick to the easier marks on the southern shore - or so
we've been told!
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