Clones Strand

Popped down to Clones for a 1 and 1/2 hour session with the young lad. One rod between us as it was a completely unplanned fishing trip.

We have a mobile home beside the beach there and I originally went down to cut the grass but the lawnmower didn't work (ahem)...

Anyway, checked the freezer and low and behold there was a full frozen mackeral there.

Two hook flapper rig with a 5 oz grip secured 3 nice flounder in the region of 30 cm's and a dreaded weaver (how do you remove these guys from the hooks safely without harming them)

Tide was well out so happy days. Isn't it funny that when you are least prepared bait wise rod wise etc. you'll often have your best days fishing?

Anyway, I'm heading back there this Saturday and am hoping to target codling and whiting fishing into dark.

MB3 or anyone else out there fishing these east coast venues tell me if codling and whiting are a possibility off Clones.

The ground is very clean down there so I am wondering if I am wasting my time going for codling/whiting.

Thanks and tight lines to all.

Donal.

the clean ground should be fine for the whiting. i don't know what d best conditions are for the codling here but i pressume u will need to some kind of wind to churn it up a bit?? if the seas are flat try somewhere with rougher ground and a big tide run in the vicinity. fish will come in and explore the features/rocks for grub(!) regardless of how big the sea is.

Thanks Mark. I will update this post with results on Monday.

Donal.

Clones fishes best into the dark after a decent southerly or easterly blow around 500 metres up the right of the beach there is a reknowned depression. Fish the first two hours of the flood and use very long snoods if its rough. Cast between 50-70 yards for them. The best bait for codling off Clones when it is churned up is by far White rag but if you can get them a few lug or crab from the shop in Ballygarret then you will do well too, provided the fish are there that is. It should fish well at the mo with the sea being brown and the tides are over 4 metres which seems to help on that beach.

Thanks Robert,

There are two beach houses on Clones which have wooden jettys going out on to the beach. When you say 500 metres to the right would that be just in front of these two houses or is it further right past the bend in the river to where the sand dunes begin?

Donal.

Its down past the first wooden jetty say 150 yards passed it. Further down past the river is quite good for flats though if the codling don't show, daylight for them though! Tight lines!

Perfect. Thanks Robert.

Donal.