Duration: Saturday: 4.00 pm to 1.00 am; Sunday: 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Tide: HW at 4.40 pm (Saturday)
Weather: Saturday: strongly southwesterly winds to gales, Sunday: Dire
Bait: lug, razor, mackerel, squid, mussel, sandeel
Rigs: 2 and 3 hook flappers
Results: Saturday: 1 Dab, 16 Whiting, 4 Dogfish, 2 Five bearded rocklings
Sunday: 12 Whiting, 7 dogfish
Report:
Satuday: I picked out two new marks to fish. With strengthening southwesterly winds I decided to check out a beach in Waterford that would be relatively sheltered (Plan A).
Plan A: I got to the beach close to high tide - there was a good surf and it was relatively sheltered from the southwesterly winds, although a bit blustery. However, the first 30 m of sea was thick with weed. I thought if I cast out over it that I would be OK but there was still plenty of weed further out. Within a couple of minutes the rod was buckled over with a mass of weed caught on the end of the line. It took me about 20 minutes to retireve the line. So it was now time for Plan B.
Plan B: I went to a pier that I had never fished before. I had thought about fishing there many times but never got around to it. It was well sheltered from the wind. I set up two rods, one with a two hook flapper and the other with a three hook flapper, with a variety of baits. Shortly after setting up I had a small knock on one of the rods - it was a dab - the first one I have ever caught, taken on lug
So that was encouraging; a fish on the first cast.I had a few whiting after that, but the fishing was slow until after dark. Then there was a steady stream of whiting. Some of them were of reasonable size, around 30-31 cm, although the majority were in the 20-25 cm range. I had a few doubles and at one stage I thought I had another double of small whiting until I looked closer and realized that one of the fish was a five bearded rockling - a new species for 2009
There were also a few dogfish about - I caught four, they all put up a bit of a fight. The second dogfish was a double with a small whiting. Shortly after that I got another five bearded rockling (which I was well pleased with as I only managed to catch one in all of 2008).
Mackerel was the most productive bait, although I did get some of the whiting on lug.
Close to low tide the bites slowed down - I stuck it out until 1.00 am and managed the occasional small whiting. I was happy with that session, 23 fish, and four of the whiting were above 30 cm.
Sunday: I woke up to the sound of howling wind and lashing rain - it didn't look good for fishing. The winds were even stronger than Saturday. I thought I would try another Waterford beach, it would be affected by a cross-wind but I reckoned it would be relatively weed free.
I arrived at the beach - there was a very big surf rolling in but there didn't appear to be any weed. However, there was a very strong cross-wind. I set up one rod but had to hold it as the tripod would have been blown over in seconds. I also had to place a large rock on top of my tackle box (a Sheakspear box containing plenty of weights so it wasn't light) to stop it been blown down the beach. Then the heavy horizontal rain started. I was using 6 oz grippers and surprizingly they were holding but after the second cast I asked myelf was I having fun - the answer was NO!!!!
I packed up and headed to the sheltered pier I fished on Saturday. It was rather more blustery compared to yesterday but much more pleasent than trying to fish the beach. I set up two rods with 2 hook flappers. Close to dusk I got the first fish, a 31 cm whiting. After dark the bites increased - the whiting were on the feed, again I got about four above 30 cm. There was also a lot of dogfish about. I had several dogfish/whiting doubles. I caught seven dogfish all on mackerel bait.
When I first set up there had been a little light impersistent rain but it got more persistent and much heavier by 6.00 pm. Close to 7.00 pm I was about ready to pack it in. I had dismantled one rod and was cleaning the bait off the rig when I spotted a stong knock on the remaining rod. I struck and started to retrieve - there was something quite heavy on the end, as I got it close to the pier I could see two dogfish - my first dogfish double
I saw in a few recent posts that people were wondering where all the dogfish had gone - well I think I have found them. So despite the weather it was a reasonable weekend's fishing - a total of 42 fish and three new species for 2009.
