Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

Old Shore Reports are moved here for Public Viewing

Moderators: donal domeney, saltydog

Message
Author
User avatar
johnwest
SAI Megalodon!
Posts: 1042
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:33 pm

Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#1 Post by johnwest »

The continuing fine weather demanded a fishing trip and with a new rod to christen what else could I do only go fishing.
Donegal Mark. I fancied one last shot at the wrasse so I hit the beach at low tide to dig some lug. On to the chosen mark, first cast produced a small coalfish, any wrasse would have to be quick! They were either slow or just not there; three hours later and the tally was three corkwings and two small ballans struggling to reach the pound mark. The lack of bites allowed time to set up another rod to fish at distance over the sand; this was also slow until the light started to fade. Then as the lead was still sinking the line tightened quickly and a quick strike resulted in a “little and large” double of pollack and pouting. A breeze started to pick up and with the sun down, it was quite cool; cool enough that the next fish I swung in felt warm to the touch. Over the next 30-40 minutes, the distance rod produced about 9 pollack around 34-35cm and 3 doggies including a double on the new rod (quite a challenge for a 1-3oz rated flattie rod). A lot of people don’t like catching doggies but if not targeting anything in particular, I’m happy enough to get a few. I hadn’t planned on being out so late so without my headlight I was in darkness; despite the fish feeding hard I packed up.
Sligo beach. Two marks to try today with flatties in mind. The first is a beach that I find fishes best on the last of the ebb. On the way I called in to a fishmonger for some fresh mackerel to be told “They landed them in Norway”. Reminds me of years ago when I was still a teenager, my father and I went up to Donegal for a fishing trip and stopped in Killybegs for something to eat in Joe Melly’s. We ordered fish and chips but had to settle for chicken as “We have no fish”. Some things don’t change. Well I wasn’t driving to Norway for bait, I’d have to make do with yesterday’s leftovers, thawed mackerel and some prawns. First cast produced a small flounder, a promising start which failed to deliver. Two hours later and no more bites so I decided to try the other spot. Reeling in however, I found I had another small flounder but it wasn’t enough to change my mind.
Donegal Beach. On the way to my second mark, I called at another beach which I sometimes fish when in “Lazy mode”; park, walk 50 yards and fish. I hardly recognised it; the gently sloping sand had been scoured away leaving a steep slope with boulders and stones exposed at the bottom. Anyway, off to fish and after a 20 min trudge along the sand I set up well clear of the surfers (have these people no work to go to?). There was a lovely surf coming in with the early flood and the breeze from earlier was at my back, always more comfortable. First cast and a double of flounder and a small turbot came in, flounder on mackerel strip and turbot on prawn. The flounder wasn’t big but was a very plump fish, fattening up nicely for the winter. Two rods were set up and produced another 10 flounder in ones, twos and one treble shot with one more tiny turbot. The breeze had died completely and with the sun beating down I was able to fish in tee shirt sleeves for an hour or so until there was no more left-over bait left over so again I had to pack up with the fish still feeding. A most enjoyable couple of days and the new rod well and truly christened.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
2013 species; 31

2014 species; 27

2015 species; 28

2016 species; 32

2017 species;28

2018 species; 33

2019 species; ballan wrasse,blonde ray, coalfish, cod, cuckoo wrasse, dab, dogfish, flounder, goldsinny wrasse, ling, mackerel, plaice, pollack, poorcod, pouting, scad, sea scorpion, spotty ray, spurdog, thornback, tub gurnard, turbot, whiting.
Deleted User 3488

Re: Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#2 Post by Deleted User 3488 »

Nice selection of fish, well done.
It's been an exceptional Autumn so far.
User avatar
DAMIEN
SAI Sea Dog!
Posts: 448
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 4:46 pm
Location: raheny/eniscorthy

Re: Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#3 Post by DAMIEN »

Some cracking fish there well done and smashing day for it in mid october too
User avatar
krisreid
SAI Bait Ball
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 4:45 pm

Re: Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#4 Post by krisreid »

Nice fishing, well done!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
chuckaroo
SAI Megalodon!
Posts: 1939
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:40 am
Favourite Fish: halibut
Location: Co.Antrim

Re: Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#5 Post by chuckaroo »

Carlsberg conditions there JW. Great stuff, nice report
Charlie

2025 targets:
40lb+ stinger, shore skate, shore tope, 10lb+ cod
gavind19
SAI Lug Worm
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2010 1:35 pm
Location: Donegal

Re: Tee shirt weather, Donegal Bay, 15/16 Oct. 2015

#6 Post by gavind19 »

Go up to one of the factories paddy seafoods being the handiest you will get plenty of big mac's no bother at all. If they are in working and the mac's are in

Return to “Archived Shore Angling Reports”