East Cork / West Waterford 7th - 9th Nov.

[guernica84]

Weekend started slowly but got progressively better.

Fri 7th Bunmahon Strand

Arrived midnight and set up slowly to start fishing the flood at 1am. Lovely surf, very little weed. Looked bassy but the bass didn't think so. Little to report but 2 coleys and a pin slugling between 3 of us.

Sat 8th Early Aft. - Ferry Point, Youghal

Inexperience with the landscape cost us dearly here. We arrived about an hr. after LW to see all the best pegs taken. Tried to get on an alternative peg close to the point but kept getting pushed back off the mark by the slowly gathering tide. As this was happening, rods on the point were taking cod. When we finally settled on a peg where we weren't having to move our tripods every 30 seconds, the tide had become unfishably strong. Disappointing as there were fish there for the taking but we'll do better next time knowing what we know now.

Sat 8th Mid - Late Aft - Blackwater Estuary, Youghal

Fished a mark on the river, again with ferocious tides. This time however we were there for both sides of slack water coinciding with darkness. We also had armchair pegs for uninterrupted fishing. Around slack water, it fished very well and we took 5 decent codling between us. A local rod just up from us with probably just a bit more local knowledge also took a good bag. The fresh peeler that we'd picked up that aft. served us well. Good fishing as it was, I still left a tad PO'd having lost without a doubt a clear PB cod(ling?). It managed to slip a 3/0 Pennell half way in on the retrieve. I'd say that's the first fish I've ever lost on that rig. There was a bit of rough in close and I was regularly having issues with weed in the tip ring which made me nervous about the fish making it to ground on the retrieve. I was probably a tad over-zealous as a result and probably bullied the hook from the fish's mouth. Anyway, a good sesh all told.

Sun 9th Aft - Front Beach, Youghal

Fishing in daylight wasn't ideal but we had a 4 hr. spin ahead of us so couldn't really stay into dark. Fishing was very slow for the first couple of hrs. to the point where I resorted to flounder bashing. Took a couple of nice ones around the 30 cm mark straight away. Then, out of nowhere, my tripod motioned to fall over but luckily I saved it. Lifted into a significant dead weight that I knew to be only one thing - the one thing that I came for! My suspicions were reaffirmed when I saw a significant disturbance on the surface after a few turns. Rays always seem to surface early on the retrieve. After a great scrap added to by the waves, the bro. in law handlined up a plump painted ray. It measured in at 52cm wingspan. Thought I had another small one next cast but it turned out to be the scourge of the seas, LSD. Anyway, I floated through the 4 hr. journey home, the euphoria of the day's catch distracting me from the laborious task of driving.

All in all, we got a few fish and a new species, generally a successful weekend. Lots of knowledge acquired and next time we're back, I'm sure we'll be older and wiser and bash a few more.

[basshunter10]

Great report and lovely Ray.

[cod chaser]

Great report lads


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[tight lines]

Great report and fishing

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[lad123]

good read thanks for posting well done with the ray

[corbyeire]

Bunmahon always looks the part but doesnt seem to produce

[fletchey]

Nice to meet you guys ... lovely ray by the way