Co. Sligo, last year... 31/12/10

[MacD]

People: Myself

Duration: 1230-1530hrs

Tide: HW 1400hrs ish

Weather: Positively tropical, overcast & dry with slight S'ly breeze

Bait: Squid and lug cocktails

Rigs: 3 hook (size 2) flappers with rotten bottoms

Results: 1 Rockling & 1 coalie

Report:

Chanced my arm at a rock mark for a few hours in the afternoon on new years eve to take advantage of the balmy conditions before the evening's activities in town. Calm with clear views over to Slieve League.

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Wasn't expecting much following the Christmas arctic spell combined with a daylight neap tide. Was pleasantly surprised by a few tentative bites after 20 min or so that were easy to spot in the calm conditions. These eventually yielded a micro shore rockling (right sub-species I think ) which required use of the camera's macro function for an extreme close-up!

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Also picked up a small coalie later on when i connected with one of the tip rattles. Was pleased to avoid blanking and picked up a new species with the rockling

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My last fishing trip of 2010 and unfortunately the last to Sligo for quite a while - my fishing exploits are likely to be "down under" in future

I hope 2011 is a good one for the forum's Sligo regulars.

Cheers, MacD

[taz]

nice going nice to finish off the year with a couple of fish

[FisherKing]

Nice one, At least ya got a few MacD & save the blank hope you have some good fishing down under

[saving private brian]

Well done.looks like a deadly rock mark.did u get much snags.im sure it cud produce better fishing off there in spring/summer

[Trojan]

That looks a super mark and well done on the couple of fish i think your coalie though might be a pollock they are very simular. .

[chenz116]

some really good pictures

[MacD]

Nice one, At least ya got a few MacD & save the blank hope you have some good fishing down under

Cheers FK, going to be a learning curve "surf casting" for southern hemisphere species when I get around to it - haven't mastered it here

Well done.looks like a deadly rock mark.did u get much snags.im sure it cud produce better fishing off there in spring/summer

I was expecting heavy losses, packed half a dozen rigs in-case, but not one snag Maybe it was a combo of the calm conditions and the kelp thinning back off over winter. I've only ledgered here before when after wrasse tight-in with plenty of losses. Lost a fair few lures when after the summer species too... I imagine night sessions in summer might be good.

That looks a super mark and well done on the couple of fish i think your coalie though might be a pollock they are very simular. .

Yeah you could well be right Trojan. I found it tricky to ID at that size - as it is deepest winter I thought it was probably a coalie.

some really good pictures

Thanks, got some great scenic photos the week before with the wintry conditions, hills and sunsets.