Tide:All states
Weather:Very mixed weather, everything from warm and sunny right through to gale force winds and torrential rain and hail.
Bait:Mackerel, Sandeel ,Peeler and lures
Rigs:All sorts
Results:Bass, Mackerel, Pollock, Wrasse
I'm just back from my annual pilgrimage to Dingle and as always I had a great time down there, it really is a beautiful spot with some fabulous fishing although I'm still very much exploring the place, finding and still sussing out marks down there. However the fishing this time wasn't quite as good as it could has been, poor weather, coloured water and big seas meant that some of the marks I tried didn't seem fish as well this year as they have previously done for me but I still caught a few fish all the same.
Thursday 20th August
I arrived down in the afternoon and headed down to the Lighthouse in Dingle for a spot of Pollock fishing and after a slightly longer hike than usual due the fact that the lane way down to the Light House being closed for resurfacing, I was eager to get some decent Pollock and maybe a Wrasse or two. It was was around high tide or a little after when I got there and the sea was like a cauldron so rigged up a float rig with a bit of mackerel and tried a few different spots at various depths before I eventually got a single bite and landed a Pollock of about a 1.5lb. I stayed a little longer but with bites not forthcoming and tiredness and hunger starting to kick in, we decided to call it a day a little early and go for some grub.
Friday 21th August
I headed to an estuary mark which can fish very well for the Bass and Sea Trout that come in to feed on the sandeel, however when I got there I saw that the water was a little coloured due to the recent rain and although I wasn't too optimistic I decided to give it a few hours fishing with lures anyway, however despite my persistence I didn't get a single touch and didn't see anyone else catching either so a change in venue and a spot of lunch was in order.
We headed over to Brandon where I was pretty sure I could catch a few mackerel and it was now coming up to high tide and then get a decent pint and a bite to eat before the tide dropped enough to allow me to fish another mark for the chance of a bass. As always everyone was hauling them in but I already had plenty for bait so I was just fishing for them one at a time on light gear and putting them back, great fun all the same. 
As the tide started dropping I headed off to a bass mark that I had wanted to try for a while, it was very rough ground and certainly looked very bassy. I rigged up with a very shallow diving plug (Morethan X-Cross) and made my way along the shore line exploring and looking gullies to try but as the light began to fade I figured I better head back as rock hopping in the dark really isn't too good an idea. I was almost back to the car when I noticed a very bassy looking spot so I figured it would be rude not to cast a plug over it, I had no sooner started retrieving the lure when I saw a big splash on the surface and the rod arc over. One soggy foot later
I landed my first lure caught bass this year, it was only about 3lb but its been a while coming so I was delighted with it. Saturday 22th August
After getting the Bass on Friday I figured I'd concentrated on Bass and Sea Trout again and decided to give the estuary mark another go, this time with sandeel. I gave it an hour or two and with not a single touch again,
I figured I'd head back up to Brandon Pier again for a little more mackerel fishing. However by the time we got there the weather was really starting to change and the wind was really starting to pick up followed by the rain, it bucketed down and with no sign of it easing at all I figured the pub was a better option than the pier. After a quick pint in Murphy's Pub we headed back to Dingle for dinner in 'Out of the Blue', a fantastic fish restaurant and well worth splashing out on if you're down that direction. Sunday 23th August
We woke on Sunday morning to find that the poxy weather from the previous day still hadn't cleared
but undeterred by this I stuck on the waterproofs and decided I'd try Dingle Harbour for Ray, Rebecca took one look and decided not to join me. I got there just before low tide and made my way out along the rocks below the tower, casting into the main channel. A few hours later and thoroughly soaked I decided to cut my losses and head back up to the lighthouse to see if I could pick up a couple of Wrasse or Pollock. By the time I got up there it was like a totally different day the rain had cleared, the wind had dropped and it was now warm and sunny, although I was still a little damp. I fired out the heavy rod again on the off chance that I might still pick up a Ray while I was fishing for the Wrasse and Pollock but all I got was great big lumps of weed. At this stage Rebecca and the dog and come down to join me and remind me that we needed to get on the road back to Dublin soon, so with my curfew looming and still with no fish to show for my efforts, I quickly rigged up for the Wrasse and stuck on some peeler. After a few unsuccessful drops things weren't looking too good and Rebecca was reminding me that we were supposed to have been on the road an hour ago, so I decided to give it a few more minutes before calling it a day. This time however I made my way along the rocks to try a different spot and on the first drop I was instantly into a fish and a decent one at that, a fine lump of a Wrasse came to the surface and after a brief moment of panic trying to land the fish I got it up onto the rocks, all 3lb 11oz of it. I can tell you that fish certainly made up for the lack of ray and the soaking I got earlier. I tried one more drop but didn't get anything and not wanting to push my luck too much, I packed up and we hit the road leaving Dingle for another year.
and the bass is not bad either 
great report and great pics,
