South Peninsula Piers, Portaferry then Ballyhalbert 23/03/12

[Drew]

People: Brian and Drew

Duration: Portaferry 7pm - 9pm / Ballyhalbert 9.30 - 11.30pm

Tide: Very low, and the push

Weather: Gorgeous!

Bait: Mackeral, Rag

Rigs: Pulleys, 1up, 2up, Dangler

Results:

Portaferry - 2 Codling
Ballyhalbert - 1 Codling, 2 Dogs, A Whiting, and a Shorey

Report:

Decided to hit the south of the peninsula tonight with Brian in tow, and Portaferry was chosen as the venue, after reading my reports of bygone years I knew we could expect the odd coalfish and some Codling so with that in mind we arrived down at 7pm, to find the tide VERY low. Go get up with a 2 up on the big rod while Brian opted for a 1 up and took a good 45 minutes for me to pick up my first bite, managed a small Codling which felt much better due to a kelp stem and a stone, settled back in but it looked like we were in for the long haul as the tips were standing idle... not that boredom was a problem, watched Red Dwarf on the Iphone and sporaticly checked Brians crab pot for signs of life. One of the dunks with the pot even resulted in a whopping NINE brown crabs! But nothing else of great interest... we had the "joy" of the towns population of kids at the other end of the pier, and amid their screams, (and hanging about my friggin car), I managed another small codling, with the little darlings about we admitted defeat and decided to hit Ballyhalbert where the tide would be a little further up than inside the lough. A word of warning, I was heading through Portaferry town and the little "darlings" from before were rolling old tyres down the hill toward oncoming traffic, a real danger, and we had a near miss!

After some epic reversing skill down the harbour we got set up, Brian opted for the same set up, while I forgot the mini dangler I'd been using on Portaferry and stuck on a 2 up. It must have taken about 25 minutes for the first bit of action, I thought sure the Dogs were on immediately, but when I hit it, it was lighter, got it in and was pleased to get a nice Codling of 25-30cm, Result! Got him unhooked, couple of pics and back in the water. 10 minutes later, same rod, same bait combination and a solid pull over, was really hoping for a better Codling now, but instead the first of the dogs broke surface, happy enough to see him and easily released as he was lip hooked.

Now, after watching me hauling in 4 fish, I gotta say, Brian was looking (and sounding), a little disponant, I notified him that we wouldn't be leaving til he got a fish, and that the little 5 beard he'd got in the pot didn't count! A guy came down with his staffy to see how we were getting on, had a bit of a muck about with the pup, (if the guy hadn't of been looking the dog would have went home with me, so cute), but after he left, Finally, Brian had a positive pull on his light rod, and retrieved a respectable Shore Rockling, phew, blank beaten!

It got quiet again, and we had another gander in the pot, plenty of Green crab about, even one which was in pure Berry, more generations of bait stealing sea rats to pester anglers! I got another good pull and brought in a 2nd Doggie, slightly smaller than the first but just as welcome, Brian, not to be outdone managed a whiting at distance, and with that we packed down the gear. Great wee night!

[Drew]

Ballyhalbert pics

[yngkmd]

it was such a nice night for it catching 2 fish was just a bonus...roll on tomorrow for (hopefully) a spot of coalie bashing

[Al and Jordan]

great read drew
but tell brian those shore rockling are not like those mexican toads,,,,,,
licking them will not give him a cocodomol buzz, just leave you with a funny taste in your gob

[yngkmd]

great read drew
but tell brian those shore rockling are not like those mexican toads,,,,,,
licking them will not give him a cocodomol buzz, just leave you with a funny taste in your gob

some things i just have to find out for myself the hard way

[Al and Jordan]

[Tom H]

No rockling should have to put up with that