Saturday - yngkmd, Bingham & Drew (Co Down Beach)
Sunday - Dawsey, Stuarty & Drew (Co Antrim Beach)
Tuesday Venue 1 - Just Me (Co Antrim Rocks)
Tuesday Venue 2 - Just Me (Co Antrim Pier)
Tuesday Venue 3 - Dawsey, Gabbey and Drew (Co Down Beach)
Duration:
Saturday - 6pm - 10pm
Sunday - 6pm - 11pm
Tuesday Venue 1 - 11.30am - 2.30pm
Tuesday Venue 2 - 2.45pm - 4.45pm
Tuesday Venue 3 - 6pm - 10pm
Tide: In various states but seemed to be big ones.
Weather: It's been great actually, overcast, but the cloud cover has kept the temperatures up well.
Bait: Lug, Sandeel, Mackeral, Rag, Durty Squid, Whiting
Rigs: Personally 2up1down, DDPS, 3 Hook Loop, 3 Hook Clipped, Plaice rigs with Black and green beads.
Results:
Saturday - Loads of Whiting, 4 Dogs
Sunday - Coalfish, Whiting, Plaice, 5 Beard, Flounder
Tuesday Venue 1 - 3 Dabs
Tuesday Venue 2 - 9 Dabs, 2 Plaice
Tuesday Venue 3 - Loads of Whiting, 2 Dogs, A shorey
Report:
A night at the local
yngkmd, Bingham & Drew
Well, Brians got a new computer, affectionately christened "Skynet" due to it's awesome gaming power! So I didn't think I'd be able to drag him away from it, But what do you know, an invite to a local beach had him jumping to get out, forgetting his headlamp in the process! I also had an oul gurn at Bingham who seemed to have put fishing on the back burner and he finally conceeded defeat and agreed to a little session.
Before the light had left us, we were already picking up whiting, so we kind of knew the sort of night that we were in for, and right enough, with the fading of the light the "Belfast lough" bonefish came on in numbers, In order to avoid the plague Bingham had Penelled a whole dirty squid, which he launched out to distance. Meanwhile, Brian had brain stormed and figured all these whiting were bound to be a natural food source for bigger fish, boy was he right, with Whiting Fillet accounting for 2 dogs for him.
After seeing this I followed suit and soon had a dog on myself, not that I knew... and the greedy little mutt managed to get over to Binghams rig and eat one of his snoods too! So we called that one 1/2 a Doggie each! Whiting were coming in trebles by this point and we were certainly being kept busy! Bingham reeled in yet another doggie... on my trace.... Bingham had to go early, but being the good samaritin he lent Brian his headtorch and so enlightened his evening. Another dose of whiting later, and we heading home, nothing special caught, but great craic with the lads!
An offer from Dawsey
Dawsey, Stuarty & Drew
Picture if you will, the look on my face when I exited work at midday, a day with no fishing plans, seemed like boredom would ensue... Will that was until 5 minutes later I got a text from Dawsey offering me a trip up the coast! "Sure it's my turn to drive", was good enough reason for me, and at 3.20pm (Thats 3pm Dawsey time), we left Ards with high hopes. Met Stuarty at Waterfoot pier a couple of hours later, he hadn't faired too well, only catching 1 dab, even though he'd been fishing from 11am! We'd decided on fishing a nearby rock mark, but when we got there it was crawling with Anglers, a rethink was in order, and we ended up on Waterfoot Beach, I expected flounders from the off, as is usually the case from the beach, but the tips stood idle, we started blaming the size of the tide, as we were down on sand we'd never seen on Waterfoot before! It was a good 45 minutes into dark before I finally broke the duck, with a t-bag sized Flounder, not much of a fish, but a relief to see after idle tips for so long.
Slowly but surely the fishing before to improve, a steady stream of flounders started hitting the beach, nothing big, but enough to rattle the rod tips and bring a smile to your face. Stuarty had to go (he'd been out for 9 hours and had nothing but 2 club orange biscuits), But Dawsey and I ploughed on, it certainly wasn't hectic sport but we did manage some variety, and I even got my first beach Plaice, a beautifully marked fish in the mid 20's. As it was getting Late, Dawsey hoked out a better flounder, probably in the early 30's.
A Few more fish, and time to head home... Well, saying that, we hadn't seen a huge gulley flooding as we were fishing, and it was filled up to our waists by the time we were crossing it.... 2 lucky anglers, lesson learned. Wee stop at the Chinese in Carnlough before Dawsey dropped me home. Top lad.
The Search for old Red-Spot Part 1
Drew
I had the day off, and Stuarty had been kind enough to give us his leftover rag from the Sunday session, So, at 10am I left Millisle and ended up somewhere on the Antrim coast. The weather was lovely, and the water shon turqoise blue under the haze of low cloud. I set up 2 rods, 1 with my Plaice rig on it, I figured I could target Plaice during the day with some success due to previous experience, the other with a Blingy 2up1down. Only had 1 rod in, and had cast the other, when I looked round to see the first rod bouncing away! Result! 2 Dabs in the first 2 casts boded well for a cracking session... But, as the tide picked up, the bites dried up and by 2pm I'd only had 3 fish! A rethink was in order....
The Search for old Red-Spot Part 2 : Mission Accomplished
Drew
Settled on a Banker, Waterfoot Pier seldom lets me down so I scooted round there to see if I could improve my luck, again, 2 Dabs in 2 chucks! But would this venue stay on the boil?? Stuck the Plaice Rig out towards Garron while fishing relatively close with the other rod, didn't have to wait long for another fish close in, A Plaice! Target species captured! and not even on the Plaice rig... Speaking of the Plaice rig, I suppose I better check it too, had a little slack line so wound that in before lifting into weight, not substancial, but noticable, Top snood was stripped, 2nd was a shore crab, and on the bottom... A much better Plaice! Happy days! At least I knew the rig worked! Spent the rest of the session happily plodding away at the dabs... Then I got a call from Dawsey! "Hello mate, Gabbey and I are going local tonight, do you fancy it?".... Did I drive 60 odd miles to fish with my mates?? You're damn right I did!
In Conclusion
Gabbey, Dawsey and Drew
It was a case of finishing the way I started I guess, back on a Down beach, Gabbey & Dawsey arrived at about 6.20pm (That's 6pm Dawsey time), and we hit the beach... A slow start, not flats showing and a rapidly dropping tide.... Started dandering out a bit to get the baits a bit further, this worked and I was first into the whiting. The lads followed suit and soon we were all hitting them, for the duration the whiting were coming in 2s and 3s, Gabbey added variety with a shorey and Dog, while Dawsey also managed a dog...
I'd love to write a more detailed report for this one.... But it was pretty standard fare... A relaxing end to some Brilliant fun fishing.
Nice going!
