Duration:7pm to 10-30pm
Tide:low at 7-30pm approx
Weather:mild evening,
Bait:rag, crab, mack
Rigs:2 hook mini rigs
Results:codling, wrasse, pouting
Report: Forgive the title ,,,but thing's have been very poor lately
After another woeful East Coast beach session on Saturday night near Ennereilly during which I caught the grand total of 2 pin whiting and a solitary flounder, I decided to stick local on Sunday with the left over bait 
. I decided to hit Bray Harbour with the small rods and mini rigs so I reorganised my tackle bag with small rigs and 2 and 3 oz weights replacing the pulleys and 5 and 6oz I had been using all Summer. I had a half dozen rag, some mack and some small peeler crabs which I thought would be ideal for wrasse 
. I left after the whistle blew in the Big match in Croker and arrived in Bray to the sight of sand, not water in the Harbour 
. I had made a bo((0c@s of the tides (again ), so I used the opportunity to take some photos of the ground I normally fish to see where the snags were . Then it was off to Greystones Harbour where at least there would be some depth of water in which to fish. The Harbour in Greystones was deserted for a change so I had my choice of spots to set up in. I baited up 2 light rods with rag and flicked them out . Looking behind me, I could see the sky darkening over and it looked as if it was going to rain later on. No bites on the first casts, which was worrying , especially as I had scaled down to size 6's, and then when I went to put on some small peeler crab I discovered I had forgotten my bait elastic
. With a light misty rain falling, I cast out another 2 rag across the Harbour to the bottom of the other pier. I legged it the short distance to my van for my wetgear and when I got back I noticed the rodtip was hopping . Reeling in , there was a bit of weight on and I knew it was a bit decent . I got up on the wall (not to be tried at home ) and kept reeling, trying to keep the fish from diving to the weed and rocks under me. As I directed the headlight downwards, I could see the light underside of the fish flashing . I realised it was a codling, half decent at that, and on a size 6 hook . I gingerly lifted him up the wall by handlining, expecting him to fall off at any time, but I managed to get him up eventually 
. Unfortunately for him , all I could see at that moment was the brand new filleting knife I had been bought at the start of the Summer and which was yet to lose it's cherry , so I gave him the Last Rites 
.
This was my best fish in week's , I was delighted, and I hadn't driven for hours to get him
. The next fish brought me back with a bang, a 10 cm pouting 
The other rod, an Aldi special with a quiver tip, also started bouncing about and when I reeled in there was a Ballan Wrasse on it, not one you'd be proud of, but there again i'm not ashamed of him either
With my rag used up I had to use the peeler crab but I had forgotton my bait elastic
. I upped the hook size to size 2's and put a small peeler as best I could on each hook. On the top hook I had used an elastic band to try keep the crab on so I was surprised when, after a massive tug on the rod and an ensuing battle, I handlined another decent fish up the wall. This time it was a porky Pouting, 26cms, and on the crab on the bottom hook which wasnt tied on . 
I had another couple of pouting when I cast into the channel between the Piers but I was struggling for bait now, even resorting to looking through the contents of the bin on the Pier, but all I could see was some chips and a bit of someones half eaten sandwich.
Then I had the catch of the night . I noticed a bit of a rattle on one of the rods and lifted into it . I reeled in and brought up an orange nylon rope. There was something heavy on the end so I pulled it up,,,,,10 yds,,,,20 yds, ,, 30 yds ,,and still no end to it
.I kept pulling it up over the rounded edge of the wall ,,,what if there was a body on the end of it It turned out to be the life preserver from the Pier which some idiot must've thrown over the side so I put it back in it's proper place . I headed off with my codling soon afterwards, happy enough after a decent evenings fishing. Good luck to the beaches till next year,,,,well, maybe,,,,,Unless 
