Bonito, Meevagh, 11 May 08

[Tanglerat]

People: 3 from Magheraroarty & Islands SAC + 2 guests

Duration: 10:00 - 18:00

Tide: Last of the flood, most of the Ebb

Weather: Grand. Winds Northerly 2- 3, Sunny, rolling swell.

Bait: Freah mackeral and coalie.

Rigs: Paternosters, 1 down 2 ups, flowing traces.

Results: Coalie, Mackeral, Haddock, Ling, LSD, Red, Grey and Tub Gurnards, Dab, Whiting, 3 Cocoo Rays, Thornies, one Spotted Ray.

Report:

A fine day out with Trevor Ryder on the Bonito. The club was a little short on anglers, so a couple of guests came along at short notice.

Tried for Mackeral at 3 different places inside the Limeburner first. None. Nothing. Got a rake of small coalies though, so with a feeling of impending doom, we set off to fish the sand with the coalies as bait.

They worked surprisingly well, with Gurnards and Whiting comming aboard steadily. Then Trevor started catching mackeral, so all was well witih the world again. Funny how more confident you feel with the right bait. We fished out the last of the flood on the sand, and everyone was catching steadily, mostly whiting and Gurnards, with the odd Haddock showing.

For the Ebb, we headed West to a patch Trevor knows and anchored up. Anything is possible from this mark, from Porgies to Common Skates to big flatties. It's usually a waiting game too, so I was surprised to be into a good fish inside 5 minutes. I was delighted to catch a Cucoo Ray, my first ever and only the second I've witnessed caught. Went to about 2 lbs.

In fact I was highly chuffed to have that Cucoo Ray. And was even more impressed when Timmy beside me caught a double shot of them! More Rays came onboard and a good sized dab, then things quietened down. So, back out to the sand for the last hour.

The Tubs and Reds were good sized, the best Tub going to 4.5 lbs. No sign of Pollock, strangely enough. Catch of the day had to be the rock on the Tope rod..... (oh yeah, no Tope showed either).

Still, a grand day out. Must do it more often.