Dalkey doesn't rock, 17/7/09

[Cormdogg]

Me and a mate

Mack heads and some particularly fresh mack from the fish mongers and Cormacs Rubby Dubby Mix!

Conger traces???? Two ropes with 100lb mono on the end with 6/O hooks
Feathers, two hook flappers,

9.45-12

Tide was high at 6.50 so bout 10 we were low and dry

Drizzle but warm, sea was flat

No conger, one pollock, one shore rockling, one doggie!

Sort of a monkey see monkey do trip. I saw a young lad land a huge eel using the same method last week so I thought I might give it a lash!

Got two lengths of rope and got the big hooks out, didn't reckon wire trace was needed so tied the mono to the rope (secret knot) then a boom,then swivel and another length of mono and the hook. Had 4 oz weights on

Waited until dusk before heading to dalkey. Made up a bucket of "rubby dubby", which contained, tinned sardines, fish catfood, some squished mack and a spray of wd40. It stank. Came armed with a few of those washing tablet bags. With the latex gloves on we put a mack head on each hook and at the swivel tied off the bags of dubby, Scampered down the rocks lashed in the ropes and tied them off on old steel brackets, Stuck a few starlights in the rope and a bell on each!

As we waited for the monsters we messed about, got a nice pollock on feathers, a rockling at our feet on mack on a mini rig. And we had loads of dog bites but we only landed one, As tide was against us it was quite snaggy and we lost of few rigs.

The bells clanged a few times but no eel, changed the heads a couple of times, twice the looked chewed on but you wouldn't know. But sure not too worry, Ill try again

What was interesting and I dunno if anyone has seen this in Dalkey before was a very cheeky fox that sat beside us the whole session occasionally trying to rob our bait. It came right up to us. Just bigger than a cat. More welcome than that bloody dog that likes to scare the bejeesus out of me when Im there by myself. Ill post the pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks too the new Fish Mongers in Barton Road, Rathfarnham for the fish heads, lovely stuff in there check it out, better stuff than Super Quinn where I used to get my fish for eats. Had Mack fillets before we went out for our tea.

Sin e

[captain AHAB]

"Conger traces???? Two ropes with 100lb mono on the end with 6/O hooks
Feathers, two hook flapper"
How very sporting of you,maybe you should tie the ropes off to a winch on a jeep or better again just put nets out and really give the fish no chance.

[Al and Jordan]

ah well man, nothing ventured, nothing gained i suppose . jordan's forever coming up with new rig ideas that seem to defy standard fishing method logic. his last 3 hook flapper rig he tied had about 8 inches of bling up the snood lengths with a star lite on each one too i told him it was overkill and would catch nothing and was left red faced as he pulled in fish after fish on it

[Cormdogg]

"Conger traces???? Two ropes with 100lb mono on the end with 6/O hooks
Feathers, two hook flapper"
How very sporting of you,maybe you should tie the ropes off to a winch on a jeep or better again just put nets out and really give the fish no chance.

The feathers and the flappers were for other fish, em I never really thought of it as unsporting, might sound a bit barbaric, but I saw a lad use that method, he carefully unhooked the fish and it swam away. So I thought Ill give that a try, why not, I looked it up and people have always been hand lining for conger with rope, Ive been told people used to use chains. Id rather not have a conger swim off with a trace in its jaw and 100 yards of line with possible a reel and half a rod attached to it, In the same spot I saw a lads boat rod hop off the rocks never to be seen again. But point taken

[JOHN1]

nice report corm, great to get near to the wildlife aswell esp if you have a shotgun to hand .
you brought back fond memories of hand lining for congers used to do it a long time ago from the piers in dunlaoghaire,and i can tell you there was a lot of people catching them that way.

[twinkle]

my grandfather used to fish the old pier in howth with something simular he had lost a rod and a wooden reel to a conger he had hooked and lost severel times he actualy had it named old nick at the steps he waited months to catch it
and eventualy did with a rope and shark hook which was tied to a boat ring on the pier it weighed 72 lbs and brought it in to the pub to show the lads who dident belive him that old nick had existed they all got a steak

[mickmick]

I was down in Dalkey ( the rocks at Dillon's Park) for a few casts with a spinner last night and the litter was terrible. A lot of empty feather packets and things. Terrible the way some people can't clean up after themselves. I cleaned up alot of it before I left.

[tight lines]

at least you got some fish well done

[beebub2]

Ah good ol' Ahab.

Sure you wouldn't be happy unless Cormdogg had said he had been targeting Conger with size 16 hooks and an itty bitty piece of bread. Not only that but it wouldn't have been proper angling unless he'd been been there for 36 hours waiting for the fish to bite followed by 14 hours wresting with the Conger on the the size 16 hook.

One must reach zen like status in your estimation if you put up a report saying you used no hooks at all and that you were hoping the fish would just grab on.

[Cormdogg]

I was down in Dalkey ( the rocks at Dillon's Park) for a few casts with a spinner last night and the litter was terrible. A lot of empty feather packets and things. Terrible the way some people can't clean up after themselves. I cleaned up alot of it before I left.

Ah Mick its a disgrace, I never leave a stitch and always grab "fishing" rubbish I see lying around, but it was actually cleaner than usual on the top rock where we were. I can never under stand why a trace wrapper cant go into the pocket. Also bait tubs, I think it's be better for shops to sell worm in paper that will break up and bio degrade. Dun Laoire and Viking sell their rag/lug wrapped in paper so I don't know where all these tubs come from? I wrote a letter to DL Rathdown CC to ask for a simple please do not litter sign to be erected and never got a response, it would put you off the mark and Ive had a earful off locals who've seen me loading unloading my car. I can never understand littering its so pointless and unnecessary. Also people can be quick to blame "FNs" but the vast majority of littering is by Irish lads unfortunately especially when it comes to beer cans and bottles.

[mickmick]

..I can never under stand why a trace wrapper cant go into the pocket.

That's what gets me. All the stuff I picked up would go into a pocket just as easy as it goes onto the ground.

[captain AHAB]

Ah good ol' Ahab.

Sure you wouldn't be happy unless Cormdogg had said he had been targeting Conger with size 16 hooks and an itty bitty piece of bread. Not only that but it wouldn't have been proper angling unless he'd been been there for 36 hours waiting for the fish to bite followed by 14 hours wresting with the Conger on the the size 16 hook.

One must reach zen like status in your estimation if you put up a report saying you used no hooks at all and that you were hoping the fish would just grab on.

cop on idiot boy,if one hooks a conger using a rope tied off to a ring or fence pole or something there is no question the fish will be landed just how long it will take and how many breaks one would take to rest arms(the fish cant go anywhere)and if all that matters is landing the fish well then thats no different to hauling pots,nets or longlines.the only challenge in that type of fishing if it can be called fishing is getting a fish to take the bait,the rest is inevitable.

[beebub2]

What was that bit you said again about the fish taking the bait?

[brian perry]

well done lads it was worth a try ,no fancy gear needed ,

[Cormdogg]

Where's the handbags emoticon

[gfkelly1969]

hard luck with the conger,i don't think the 6/0 hooks and 100 lbs mono and rope was unsporting as others said,congers are probably one of the biggest fish most people get from the shore and they are great fighters and if they wrap around a stone they are very hard to pull to shore,i had a conger snap a 6/0 hook after fighting it for 35 minutes
people underrate the strength of the conger,i did as well until i helped a lad who ask me to help him pull a conger up the side of a pier on a rope,we pulled a 5 foot conger up and the rope nearly cut through my hand,after that i went out and bought stronger gear
its better to land them with good strong gear then letting then go with hooks and line or traces stuck to them

[clunedog]

nice i love it. i was hoping for conger last night in dunmore with 20lb line and a cheap 10 foot rod from the sounds of that i was under prepared again. it,s a rope on the toe hitch on the back of the caddy if i get a bite i can drive up the key. sounds like fun