Browns Bay, Co. Antrim, 18/08/07

[dermois]

People: Just Me

Duration: 12:20 - 17:10

Tide: High at 15:30

Weather: Raining but little wind

Bait: Rag and Frozen Mackerel (some fresh near the end).

Rigs: 2 Flapper on float & bottom

Results: 4 Pollock, 3 Wrasse, 2 Mackerel, 2 LSD & 1 Whiting

Catch and Release:: Yes (except Mackerel)

Report:Today I put my waterproofs on and headed down to Browns Bay. I've never fished here before but I thought it must be worth a go.

I've never seen the path so over grown this late in the summer but then it has been a crap summer. In fact the path was actually a river. So I plodded over the field and set up on a rock just round the corner of the bay. It rained the whole time but still a very enjoyable afternoon, even when my rain coat stopped being a rain coat and changed to just a plain damp coat.

Despite the jet skis being out in the bay the fish were pretty steady but nothing you could call large (after my first boat trip a couple of weeks ago my idea of size has changed somewhat). The fish came quite spaced out with the mackerel joining the party near the end.

I fished one rod on the bottom about 20 feet past some lobster pots and one rod on the float (5feet and then 10feet down) about 20 feet inside the lobster pots. To start with the rod on the bottom was getting the hits but for every fish caught there was a rig lost and a couple of big hits were lost when I got caught and lost the lot. The float then started to get more action with about 8 of the fish being caught on it (including the two dogs).

A few gannets and a large sea gull sat on a rock not far away but they spent the whole time looking the other way where the water was a little rougher. Some boats also came quite close in over there, so perhaps I should have moved round to see if the fish were bigger but I was happy with the rock I was at, it had a nice comfortable rock to sit on.

I'm new to this fishing game but it was a good afternoon, enjoyable and relaxing.

One good thing. It was clean. No rubbish not even fishing wire :-) (please keep it that way if you visit) just some of the stuff that you get rag worm in resting in a rock crack. Although if as I think the fishing is better round the corner then maybe there's rubbish there but I didn't see any evidence of it. There are plenty of bins at the car park also which is good.

How to get there:
Follow the signs to Browns Bay from Whitehead and park in the car par. To the right of the beach there is a path that turns from cement to stones and muck through the bushes and brings you out in a farmer's field (there's usually cows there but I've never seen a bull), follow the slightly worn path along the top of the slope until you come to the end (about 5-10mins), I was fishing just straight down from when the field ends but there are loads of suitable rocks there.

If you do try here beware of unexpected waves (and I don't mean from passers by) as the P&O boats pass (I guess I do kinda mean from passers by) and leave large wakes behind them that hit the shore about 5-10mins after you first see them.

[round_ourway]

a very good report mate, some good species there for such crap weather

[Lee337]

Well done, looks like you are getting the hang of this angling malarky 8)

Like the photo of the Ragworm :lol:

Lee

[Lee337]

Well done, looks like you are getting the hang of this angling malarky 8)

Like the photo of the Ragworm :lol:

Lee

[rab01]

nice mix of species there. well done mate!!

[johnston]

we walked on round few years ago seemed like we were near portmuck amount of time we spent walking some good wrasse always talked about going back to do it proper but never did and never like the idea of fishing out of site on my own . like you said some big waves come off the boats.

[dermois]

I think I'll walk on round a bit next time myself.