Clew Bay shore mark, 15th January 2008

[kieran]

People: Myself

Duration: about 3 hours

Tide: LW around 3:30 pm, fished from half up to High Water

Weather: damn cold, light westerly, odd light shower, drizzle

Bait: Frozen mack or should that read muck? A few lugworm, freshly dug

Rigs: 3 hook flapper, 2 clipped down, 1 hook live bait (4 to 4/0)

Results: whiting, whiting, a flounder, whiting, whiting, more whiting, did I mention whiting, think there was a coalfish in there and whiting...

Report: Decided to give the triplex a test drive in a tricky spot, easy to access but always put off by the fact the channel is miles away from the shore and its muddy. Seemed a great option to try the triplex.

Started off flicking the baist out to the edge of the channel and sure enough the whiting were there, all in the 12-20 cms range, some smaller. Busy busy, three hooks, three impaled whiting. Changed from 2s to 1/0 on a 3 hook flapper and put on bigger baits, same result. Started to give it some welly and put it an extra 30 - 40 metres out. Better stamp of fish, all in the 15-25 cms range (wu hu!) and still bringing them in 3 at a time.

Changed to 2 hook clipped down rig, sporting 2/0s as the bait was coming off with the longer casts. Really gave it some go and finally got a reward in the form of a flounder, 38 cms and fat as a fool. Still feeding well and possibly bulked up for spawning. Brought in more whiting and a coalie, not big, 28 cms. I suppose the only surprise was there were no doggies.

Decided nearing HW and having used most of the bait to try the hook on hook rig, a 4 tied to the shaft of a 4/0 on a 80 lb mono biting trace. Did not expect anything was hoping for a ray but got the whiting on quickly and then had four hits in the space of a minute, big decent juddering hits but nothing stuck. Frozen at this point, decided it was time to head home.

Great to be out even if it was tiddler bashing. Must try the last tactic again, maybe rays or bull huss are active at night. FWIW...