Cappagh pier, Co. Clare #fishirl, 4th-December-2011

People: Me and around 5 others for xmas comp

Duration: 13.00pm until 4.00pm

Tide: 12:58 3.90m 19:03 1.50m

Weather: Strong Westerly with rain.

Bait: Mack, Eel, squid, black wrap

Rigs: I used 3 hook size 4 flappers

Results:
Plenty of dabs and whiting caught along with a couple of dogs.

Report:

Originally supposed to fish Kilkee but it was unfishable. Went to white strand and the weed made that unfishable. Ended up on the pier and got fish all through the session.

A wet and rough day had us running for the cover of Cappagh pier

Kilkee Beach,Co. Clare, #fishirl,13th-November-2011

People: Me and another 5 from Shannon ac.

Duration: 11.00am until 3.00pm

Tide: 12:50 0.90m 19:06 4.60m

Weather: Heavy rain at times. Surf

Bait: Mack, Eel, Black wrap

Rigs: size 4 3 hook scratching flappers

Results:
I think I had 4 flats up to 35cm.

Report:

Most caught a few flats.

green patch, Co. Cork, #fishirl, 19th-November-2012

People: Me and several other fishing

Duration: 9.20am until 1.20pm

Tide: 11:33 4.00m 17:57 1.30m

Weather: Mild

Bait: Frozen peeler and razor.

Rigs: Pulleys with 2/0 penel on one rod

Results:
3 codling

Report:

Caught there codling to frozen peeler/Razor. Lost a few rigs until I switched to 20lb line. Fresh peeler gave the those with it a lot more fish but fishing had been much better the previous neaps.

The view from the green patch

One of the codling caught to Razor/Peeler

C-holt, Co. Clare, #fishirl, 25-September-2011

People: 6 anglers of Shannon town AC

Duration: 12:00pm until 4:00pm

Tide: 10:39 0.90m 17:00 4.80m

Weather: Moderate SW, Kilbaha was unfishable due to swell so fished here instead

Bait: Mack, Eel, squid

Rigs:
 me: three hook clipped rigs such as golds but can't remember.

Results:
3 fish caught in all including a painted ray

 Report:

 Conditions looked perfect with muddied water and a slight wave but absolutely desperate fishing 
which had me blanking

Co. Clare, 28-August-2011

People: 6 anglers of Shannon town AC
Duration: 12:00pm until 4:00pm
Tide: 11:49 0.60m 18:07 5.00m
Weather: NW Moderate sunny with cloud
Bait: Mack, Eel, squid
Rigs: me: three hook clip ups and three hook golds. All size 2s. 4/0 ledger.
Results:Winner had 2 conger and 2 huss to 3kg I think
Second had 2 dogs
Me: one dog
Report: Two lads fished the Currachs and four of us fished the steps. With the strong flooding tide I went with the steps so I could fish all the way through as the currachs has a massive tide run. In similar conditions earlier in the year I had 13 dogs from the steps. I missed three bites with one of the fish on until it was knocked off going over the ledge. In the end I was just glad not to blank. One of the lads with me had two dogs which was enough to get second.



It turned out the Currachs gave some good fishing but a lot of fish lost to snags leaving one with a dog and the other with 4 fish of conger and huss to over 3 Kilo. The winner only started catching fishing on the heavy flood two hours in with a lob a few yards out as that was all that would hold bottom.

Mackerel were breaking the surface all the way through with herring fry jumping up on to the rocks. The scales were suspended to the clear water like a glitter ball. One of the lads cousins came over to spin for them and had a few Joeys as we were leaving.

Deep water mark, Co. Limerick, 14-August-2011

People: Me

Duration: 11:30am until 3:30pm
Tide: 12:59 0.70m 19:15 5.00m
Weather: NW Strong sunny with Squals
Bait: Mack, Eel, squid
Rigs: Clip down penel, pulley penel and two hook golds. All size 2/0 and 3/0s. 4/0 ledger.
Results:
5 ray
Report:  The forecast had predicted a westerly but when I arrived there was a strong NW wind causing a wave up the channel. I wasn't hopeful but ended upgetting bites at low water and two hours of the flood with fish at all ranges to sand eel/squid and mack/squid wraps. I did try a golds and had a ray to the top hook. The rays here don't like taking the bait below the lead. . After 2 hours of the flood I tried the ledgers as this is the time the big congers patrol but yet again there was no congers at this time.

Estuary Rock mark, Co. Clare, 3-July-2011

People: Me

Duration: 1pm to 5pm
Tide: 13:47 0.60m 20:03 4.90m
Weather: Warm with some cloud
Bait: Mack, Eel, squid
Rigs: Pulleys and running ledgers
Results:
Me: 2 dogs and 2 huss largest 2.4 kilo
Report:

First off the competition was an hour late because of a funeral in Carrigaholt. I fished with two others on the right hand side of the rock and more of the lads fished 200 yards to  the left. The left hand side of the mark had the better fishing with fish over 3 kilos caught but we all had reasonable size huss on our side. I had fished the left hand mark before when distance gave the best fishing but trying this on the right hand mark lead to tackle losses at the start until I kept my distance low. I found using running ledger single hook rigs that gave me the best good hook ups. With the comp an hour late for the final hour of the comp the flood pushed us off our mark . I tried to fish just at the entrance to our mark beside a beach and got one bite but it was impossible to get any fish back as I was casting over a shallow submerged platform of 70 yards into a drop off . The beach was full on swimmers and weed so was impossible to try.
 

My 2.4 kilo huss

Ger and Peter who fished the righ hand side mark with me

Favorite mark, Co. Limerick, 11-September-2011

People: me

Duration: 12:00pm until 4:00pm

Tide: 12:00 0.80m 18:18 4.90m

Weather:  SW Gale with squalls but moderated for the last two hours

Bait:Mack, Eel, squid

Rigs: 4/0 penel pulley and 4/0 single hook wire trace

Results: one dog, one strap over a pound and a 24cm dab

Report:
Headed out at the last minute after a feeling the effects of a few drinks the night before. So I decided where to go on the way. I thought of a sheltered deep water mark where I got the 5 ray in August but I would of hit it just at low water and to get the best out of there, you need to hit it at least an hour before low water. The other alternative was Ballylongford for the stroing SW wind though that mark could of been though fishing with weed. I was lazy and went to my usual mark which didn't look great as it had a wave which doesn't do much for the fishing. The main advantage over the Ballylongford was I only had a short walk.




I fished at a rocky point on my usual mark that is supposed to be good either side of LW but I don't fish it much because it can be very snaggy. The tide ran hard as is usual here at low water and there was some harsh squalls to contend with. I used a ledger on one rod and a pulley cast out as far. My casting was limited by the cross wind and bait got swepth up stream on the early flood. I got one bite after an hour and a half. I didn't feel much of a weight to start with but snagged up close in and I managed to get going under pressure. After a struggle I landed a mottled battered yellow top impact and ball of nylon fish. The bait had been pulled at away from the hooks but the fish, most likely a dog, avoided the hooks.



With the tide pushing me off here I went the 100 yards down to my usual spot as this is better away from low water. After a bit of a wait in which I contemplated my first blank from here in many years I pulled in a dog to eel/squid. This was followed by a belting bite which gave me a strap over a pound that made shit of my pulley baited with mak/squid. The last fish a plump Dab of 24 cm managed to hook on a 4/0 pulley.

The setup at the rocky point

Shannon estuary 19th of June 2011

People: 7 anglers of Shannon Town angling club

Duration: I fished 12:30pm until 4:30pm

Tide: 14:49 0.90m 21:09 4.70m

Weather: NW breeze, Sunshine with the odd cloud

Bait: Me: Mack, Eel, frozen crab and squid

Rigs: 3/02/0 penel pulley, 3 hook golgs size 1 and 2 with some rigs having a 1/0 bottom hook

Results:
I won with 3 dogs
Aiden O'Hallorahan 2nd with a dog and a fresh water eel

Report:  I fished to the right which was just as well as this was where the only bites came from. The weed was much worse on the ebb which had me casting close in to start and I was switching between pulleys and paternosters. My first bite around an hour in came from a bait cast with a good over head thump to fresh mack/squid but the fish (most likely a dog) got hold of the bait missing the hooks so I fired that trace into the tackle box. This was followed by a missed bite and then another bite where the line went after a rod pull to pull out of a slight snag. Aiden to my left had a dog and  finally I nailed a fish to eel tipped with fresh mack and then things went quiet for me over LW. During which the lad pleasure fishing to my right pulled a couple of dogs.

As the tide flooded I started getting bites further out and I got two dogs to whole sand eel with a sliver of squid sliver wrapped alongside. Very poor fishing here for June but while sunshine didn't help this place has been netted to feck by Bass poachers. We did hear one of them was caught recently.

Donagh

Shannon estuary 14th of June 2011

People: Me

Duration: I fished 6:20pm until 10:20pm

Tide: 17:29 4.80m 23:36 0.50m

Weather:  Southerly breeze, Cloudy with a good helping of rain.

Bait: Mack, Eel and squid

Rigs: 4/0 penel pulleys

Results: 2 ray 3lb and 9lb approx, 8 dogs and a strap

Report: I arrived up with no shoreline due to the spring HW with some good healthy lumps of weed floating down tide in the post high tide rip. I cast out as far as I could and said weed do your worst. Fortunately the weed was being taken from the shoreline to my right and floated on the surface past me. I had dog bites on my first cast but lost one of fish on the way in to a snag but landed the other rod. With no spare trace yet baited up ,as I was fafing around getting a cutting board I'd left in the car, I fell behind on getting rigs out. On casting one of the rods my imp clip on the rig broke off on a rock on the first attempt to swing it. So I had to lob the trace unclipped out. This was fortutous as it resulted in my first ray of around 3lbs to mack squid wrap. My weigh scale is only showing a fraction of the digits so is now useless. Hopefully this is battery related and not sea water

As I had no rig baited up and the bait on the rig that had produced the ray was in still intact and it had only been in the water a few minutes I cast it out again. After reeling in a Dog at distance on my other rod I had a very large bite to the same trace that produced the first ray. I left it as I was preparing another bait which resulted in my rod being launched from it's tripod on to the rocks. I struck into a large ray who seemed to think it was tope as it went mental flying all round the place. But was landed and reckon on 9lbs.

With that, the skies opened up and for the rest of the night I had dog bites (a good few missed) at different distances through out the night. Sometimes I got them further out sometimes nearer and I had to walk 100 yards up to my left three times to get an angle on a fish to pull it out of a snag fish that locked up at distance. In the middle of the session it went dead but it sped up at the end with 4 fish including the strap on the four last casts. With that I headed home.

Clare, 5-June-2011

People: Me. Tom and few others arrived later.

Duration: I fished 12.10pm until 12:40pm at first mark and 1:20pm until 4:50pm

Tide: 14:38 0.90m 20:58 4.70m

Weather: Strong NW wind

Bait: Mack, Eel and squid,

Rigs:
3 hook size 1/2 clipped up and golds on one rod
4/0 penel pulley on other rod

Results: 14 dogs and a 26 cm dab all in lobbing distance

Report: As the wind was blowing NW I went to the clare side for shelter opting for a mark that baitdigger and others have had some ray and huss recently from. It is a well know ray mark that we have a comp on in two weeks and I fancied an outside chance of getting my first huss of the year. The wind was blowing but it wasn't to bad so I set up. By the time I'd baited up ready for a cast my tripod was near being blown over. After fighting a big lump of weed on my first casts I decided to give up as likely hood of good fishing here was poor. Unfortunately I didn't have strong line or the leads for a near by marks that could of given huss and I didn't have the time to move further down the estuary so I opted for a comfortable rock mark near Kilrush that is a banker for fish though they do tend to be dogs.

My first cast gave me a dog and with a couple in the bag Tom O'Sullivan a few others arrived along. As the flood came in so did the dogs. I was using 6oz leads which the dogs  were triping and bringing up stream. I should of switched to 7 oz and had elastic bands in the bag to get multiple hook up and I only had one double. What I was really hoping for was a bonus huss, ray or strap but none were to be found. All the fish were caught will lobs out mainly to plain sand eel. Except the last cast which was three hooks of mackerel that produced reasonable dab.

My three hook clipped up rig produced more fish as it can tend to here so I switched to that whole time in the end. Though the golds gets me more ray I thought the pulley would keep this option open. Saying that the dogs were also hitting the pulley with 4/0 hooks and 60lb line. Nice to hit a few fish though.

Shannon estuary 2nd of June 2011

People: Me and Martin and 4 others that arivved before 8pm.

Duration: I fished 6.20pm until 10:30pm

Tide: 19:01 4.70m 01:10 0.70m

Weather: Warm sunny evening without a ripple in the Estuary

Bait: Mack, Eel and squid, black wrap

Rigs:
I used 3 hook size 4 paternoster and boom rigs on the close in rod
Two hook golds size 1/0 and 1 and up and over

Results:
Two ray to the bottom hook of the golds 1/0 hook approx 5/6 lbs and 1lb. The rest of the lads fished to 11:30pm and blanked

Report: Had the dabs spaced through out the session to wrap tipped with mack around 20 or 30 yards straight out. I had hoped to get the dabs in the numbers and have a go for tope in Galway but as they were so thin on the ground I released all but one who had swallowed a hook.

My far out rod wasn't going far out enough. I could blame this on high pressure and the flat sea that doesn't exagerate distance it the sea does with a small wave but my follow through just wasn't workiing for me today. A bit more distance and I may of got more ray. I hate swinging a lead in confined spaces so hopefully that was the reason for my poor casting. If I could have fished the day before with a SW wind and cloud it may of improved things. Anyway I was happy enough to get this fish before 8pm and the wee ray when I was packing up.

People: Me and Martin

Duration: 6.20pm until 10.20pm

Tide: 17:39 1.60m 23:56 3.90m

Weather: Westerly breeze with small wave that went when the wind turned south. Cloudy

Bait: Mack, Eel and squid

Rigs: Pulleys I used size 4/0s mainly penel and single

Results:

Me two ray 9lb 6 oz and 3lb 4 oz plus 3 dogs.
Martin had a 6lb ray and a dab.

Report: Martin had his ray after 7pm to squid/eel followed by another bite that stuck solid and was lost. I was getting worried before 8pm until I finally had a bite which stuck on reeling in. After walking well down stream I managed to getting things moving but had the extra weight of my other rig as I had crossed lines by getting an angle on the fish. Both rigs were recovered along with the 9lb ray to sand eel squid.





I then had a missed bite that was positive that I left bang away but no fish so I presumed the dogs were around. The three dogs were caught at medium range through out the session to mack/squid and one to sand eel/squid. Martin also had bites but no fish.

At 10pm with bites scarce Martins who had been here before me packed up. I could still see his car parked up when I had another bite tapping away at distance to eel squid. Striking into this I thought I'd missed but as I reeled in a felt a doggy type weight which started to thump as it came close to shore revealing a bueatifully marked 3lb ray with a black nose.

g's-mark, Shannon Estuary, 17th May-2011

People: Me and Martin




Duration: 6pm till 10pm



Tide: 18:33 5.20m 00:36 0.20m



Weather: West to SW moderate calming to breeze, cloudy with hsowers



Bait: Sand eel, squid, mack, wrap razor



Rigs:

Me: 2 and 3 hook golds 1/0 and 1 bottom hook and 2s on top on the distance rod

Scratching rigs and booms with size 2s with the odd large pulley on the close in rod



Martin : Pulleys



Results:

Me: 5 ray in order 9.5 lb, 6.25 lb, 3.75 lb, 12.5lb and 1.5 lb, a dog and couple of Dabs.

Austrian: Had his first ray a 2.25lb ray and a 5.5 lb





Report: I had my first fish after 7pm the 9.5lb to straight sand eel on the bottom hook of the golds all the rest of the ray and the dog were to the the bottom hook sand eel squid. We caught fish all through the savage tide run after HW with fishing calming at the end when the tide slakened off giving me the smaller ray and the dog at this stage.



I didn't fish the close in rod hard as I was getting the better fish farther out but I did manage a double of Dabs with the rod flicked out a bit further than usual to wrap and mack. I had a large pulley baited so tried that and may missed out on more smallies. I also tried the razor but no fish but the flatties weren't biting.



Magic session made all the better by the Austrian getting his first ray.

 

Martin's secound ever ray 5.5lb





The largest ray of the night 12 lb 10oz though Martin Snapped the Camera when the scale bounced down to 12lb 7 oz I'll take the bigger number



 



My first ray of the evening 9.5lbs

Favorite mark, 10-May-2011 Co. Limerick

People: Me

Duration: 6pm until 10 pm

Tide: 17:27 1.50m 23:48 4.10m

Weather: Cloudy with clear patches with showers early on.
Moderate west to SW moderating to a breeze

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid, Bluey

Rigs: Pulley penels 3/0/2/2/0 and 4/0

Results: 2 ray 2.5lbs and 3lbs


Report:

I had hoped this wind would be more of a SW wind but the moderate wind was a bit more westerly than I liked causing a wave but also a good tide run. Ray can still be caught with a wave here but it’s less likely. I fished one rod far out to avoid the wave that was pulled hard by the tide even with a 6 oz lead and one close in to medium distance. I had a cracking bite 20 minutes in to a lobbed bluey and squid bait that looked like a Doggy. I left this to develop as I find it helps for hook ups. On reeling in there was no weight so I left the bait out a bit longer but the fish did not come back. The bait came back in good order with hook points exposed so there was no reason for the fish not to hook up.

After 7pm I had a weight straight on after reeling in from distance without a bite observed but I snagged up 10 yards out and lost the rig. It’s hard to know what this was as most times this happens its weed attached to rock or an old rig but it could have been a dog that had attached its self while I looked away and bedded down for a kip while it waited to be reeled in.

After 8pm I finally had a ray tap that developed into a bend on my rod. This was to straight a bluey bait fired out as far as possible with 20 lb line and big old 100% shock knot. This produced a 2.5lb ray (right) which is the first ray I have ever caught to blueys.

I sent out sand eel squid bait to the same spot and while later another tap that developed into a 3lb ray

I cast both rods out at distance for a while after that but with no results and I switched back to one rod in close later on and had not tap after that.

G's mark, Co. Limerick, 3-May-2011

People: Me, Martin

Duration: 6pm until 10 pm

Tide: 18:50 4.80m 00:53 0.80m

Weather: Cloudy, Gale force SE slowing to Moderate later on

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid, lug, rag, wraps

Rigs: Paternoster size 4 scratching rigs and boom rigs

2 snood Golds 1/0 and 2 hook golds penel 2/0

Results:  Many undersized Dabs

Report:

This is a great mark for big ray at distance and you can scratch in close in for flats while you wait. Unfortunately there was bigger wind here than predicted when I arrived causing a wave and making it hard to cast. I wasn’t hopeful as a wave isn’t good for ray and you need the distance here for the big fish. I did try with I fishing at distance with the golds rigs and when things calmed I switched to up and overs but no bites. It could have been just too early in the season as well.

With the second scratching rod I fished to the right and Martin who arrived before me to the left. I used a 3 hook scratching rig flapper close in casting to the well to the right for a known flounder spot using mainly black wrap tipped with mack and picked up a dab on most casts. As the ebb tide strengthened my rig was pulled around to the middle. Martin eventually down sized his rigs to size 4 booms with live lug and got doubles and trebles. I followed throwing a boom rig into the mix but still only got singles. May have just been the peg as I normally fish my scratching rig where Martin was fishing with good returns of small fish.

Deep water mark, Co. Limerick, 17-April-2011

People: Me

Duration: 10:45 am until 3.20 pm

Tide: 11:49 (0.10m) 18:10 (5.30m)

Weather: Eastery breeze with sun and cloud

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Pulleys 2/0-3/0. 2 hooks golds 1/0

Results: 2 small ray 3lb and 2lb

Report: Another spring low water and I couldn't resist hitting this mark again after such good returns but it was a quiter session this time with the crabs stripping my large baits in minutes and only two small ray caught. This was a much bigger tide of over 5 meter differential which had the tide running shortly before and after low water.
 
As the tide flooded hard it brought the bladder weed in. I had a nice boucing tip of a ray bite and after a bit of pressure I had a 3lb ray up on the bank just before 1pm. I decided not to take a picture in the hope of something biggers so I only have a picture of the 2lb ray that came in to sand eel squid directly a few minutes later to the same rod
 

The weed kept coming in in larger quantities resulting in two lost rigs. The last 20 minutes I had a running ledger with mackerel head and guts for a conger as the conger patrol the channels at this stage of the tide but it was ripped apart by crabs and if the crabs are out the conger aren't

Rock mark, North Kerry, 10-Apr-2011

People: Me

Duration: 5.30 pm until 9.20 pm

Tide: 16:33 (1.70m) 23:01 (4.10m)

Weather: Cloud with clear patches, warm westerly causing a slight wave

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Pulleys 2/0 to 4/0. Cascade sizes 2s and there hook golds size 2s bottom hook 1/0.

Results: blank

Report: I’ve been a good streak for march/april but I had my first blank of the year. I don’t fish this mark a lot but I have always saw this place as a banker even early season. I decided to have one rod close in with pulleys with mack/squid and one rod with clip down paternoster to see what was further out past the rocks here with sand eel that had been in the freezer to long. I fished the a peg that I call the tooth due to the shape of the rock jutting up and there was also another angler fishing the first drop to the platform casting directly out to clean patch. This spot has produced ray in from here but I normally go for the rough stuff looking for huss.



My first cast was lobbed very close in and I was baiting for the spare traces when I got a jagged bite of a huss or dog that locked solid. Once I got up high and applied sustained pressure at an angle the rig was returned sans bait and fish. This had me keeping my close rod very close in. As good sized straps and huss can be pulled very close in I was using large baits for this on 4/0 penels. Mid way through after casting a bait just under the platform to my right I had a slow rachet pull that on striking went heavy then free. This time I had the large 4/0 penel bait minus the fish. It was clear from the bait that it had been in the fish’s mouth when I pulled but it had avoided hooks



The second far out rod was changed from 18lb line 525mag to a 30lb slosh as nothing was happening further out and I wasn’t searching my usual productive 30-70 yards zone here. The very close in rod gave another twitch the end of the night and again a fish had the bait in mouth but avoided the hooks.



With better baiting I may of got the fish but saying that the points were not masked. The bait slipped to easily to slip down with the top hook when the fish pulled and avoided the hooks. I have to remember to twist the line around the top hook of the penel even if though I use penel tubing. I was also my enormous baits (even for me). These have produced some really big fish here but may have lost me fish tonight. I think my good streak left me over confident forgetting it is only April.

Co. Limerick, Deep water mark, 3-April-2011

People: Me


Duration: 11.40 am until 3 pm


Tide: 12:35 (0.70m) 18:51 (4.80m)


Weather: Sunny, Moderate NW causing wave

Bait: Eel, Mack, Squid

Rigs: Mainly pulleys 2/0 to 3/0. Less used 2 snood golds penel bottom snodd and penel clip down
Results: 5 ray in order 5lb, 6lb, 4lb, 2lb, 7.5lb

Report: Had the first 5lb ray (directly below) on my first cast on a pulley followed by the next two ray before low water leaving in a teasy try to get a baited rid out which might of lost me the chance of an extra fish. The second ray was on the golds the top hook by passing the larger penel below the lead. It’s something on deep a lot of deep water marks here and else where in the estuary where the ray often go for a hook above the lead over the the bait below the lead against conventional thinking.

Had the wee 2lb ray at distance as the tide flooded again and was the only ray taken at distance with the rest coming from the near channel. This was followed by the larger ray later on that gave a good account of it’s self here below. 

All fish were taken on sand eel and squid wrap.

Aylavaroo, Co. Clare, 26-March-2011

People: Me

Duration: 13:45 to 17.30 pm

Tide: 16:34 (1.80m) 22:56 (4.00m)

Weather: Sunny with Easterly breeze

Bait: Mack, eel and squid, Wraps
Rigs:
Me: Pulley 3/0 and 2/0, 3 hook size 2 Golds, 3 hook size 2 Cascade, 3 hook size 2 clipped up,
Neilus, Bombers and pulleys

Results: Me 2 dogs, Neilus 3 dogs

Report: I arrived a bit late due to me and a 100 other cars being stuck behind some ignorant farmer who refused to pull in his tractor and completed overloaded trailer of round bails. I wasn't at all hopeful as the tide was neap, bright sunshine and a easterly. Neilus alreay had his baits in the water and as I got set up his rachet went signaling a bite but this didn't produce a fish. I had a pulley on one rod and paternosters on the other rod. On most casts after that I had hard bites fishing close in but there was either no weight on reeling in or if there was a weight I'd get stuck and on freeing my rig there would be no fish. It didn't matter if I left the bait in the water or whether its was pulley or paternoster or long/short snood length the doggies weren't playing ball today.

I was under the weather so my brain wasn't working and when I finally thought of offseting my hood around half 3 and taking out my 3 hook clipped up rig which I find can give good hook ups here when the doggies are picky the fishing went off. I thought we'd missed the best of the fishing if the tide run was to die at low water. Around 4pm the tide started to rip before low water.

We were casting further out now in search of fish and neilus reeled in a dog. Shortly after that I saw a lighter pluck which I left and it plucked again. Whether with more line out due to casting further out and into deeper water or whether it was the way the dogs were biting I'm not sure but the old match man saying the lighter the dogs bite the better the hook ups held true. I reeled in to a solid weight that was heavy from being the fish over the ledge here. A doggy resulted and it had taken the bait down and required a bit of work to get my hooks out. The paternoster on the other rod produced another fish to sand eel on the bottom hook. I had no more bites after that. Neilus had a dog after low water and another fish after I left.

Not spectacular fish but considering the conditions I consider it a good session for March  as we had pleasant evening on a comfortable mark with plenty of bites and the mark is perfect for retrieving stuck rigs as a walk up the steps gives the height need to get your rig unstuck.

Deep water mark, Co. Limerick, 18-March-2011

People: Me

Duration: 9:45 am to 12.50 pm

Tide: 10:34 (0.30m) 16:51 (5.10m)

Weather: Sunny with NW wind at times

Bait: Mack, eel and squid

Rigs: Penel clip down and pulley 3/0 and 2/0

Results: 6 ray, 9lb, 8.5lb, 7lb, 3.5lb, 7lb, 3.5lb


Report: Things have been getting in the way of me getting out and to be honest picking up wee dabs and whites doesn't excite me. A big tide and the day off work with very little fresh coming down I decided to try for an early ray. First cast gave me a light bites on both rods. THinking it was whites I left the bait out and then saw more significant tugs and I was in with a hard fight and the 9lb ray to eel squid.

Things went quiet for low water but as the tide came in I starting getting bites again and it fished until after 12pm with some missed bites.As the the tide ran so did the weed but I fished through this with out to much hassle even though it looked awful. When the weed had ran through the fishing died. The best fishing was to be had 70 yards out



Donagh