Aughris Head, Co. Sligo (30/12/05 & 04/01/05)

[MacD]

30/12/05

People: Myself

Duration: 1320-1800

Tide:LW 1057 (0.7m) HW 1718 (3.7m)

Weather: Overcast with light showers, SW breeze. Heavy rain after dark.

Bait: Ammo mackerel and sand eel

Rigs: 3 hook flappers (size 2 and 2/0)

Results:15+ small coalfish


Report:Over for a week's break and decided to try ledgering along the east side of the head as this is the most sheltered side. First spot I fished was "Pollaree" (as shown on OSI discovery map 25). This is an easily accessible rock platform from which I had caught pollack up to about 2 1/2lb in a short spinning session in March. The ground here is rough - using rotten bottoms I was losing a lead each chuck. After an hour I had a miniature coalfish but decided to move given the rising tide and ever larger waves coming round from the headland.

I then tried "Clashcony" further south where there are a couple of obvious rock fingers. This was much more sheltered from the waves and easier to fish - the ground between here and "Pollachurry" seems less tackle hungry as not far out from the rock platforms you are on sand. I was in direct competition with three cormorants and it was slow going again until 1615 when I got a constant succession of coalfish close-in. Decided I'd had enough of these at 1800 when rain showed no sign of easing.


04/01/06

Duration: 1645-2000

Tide:HW 2118 (3.9m)

Weather: Overcast, strong E/SE breeze, dry

Bait: Ammo mackerel

Rigs: 50lb wire trace with 6/0 pennell

Results: One very greedy coalfish!


Report:Arrived shortly after LW and had planned to fish from the "Pollachurry" rocks immediately north of the pier, but after half an hour the E/SE direction of the wind and waves made things unpleasant. I retreated to the pier itself where the wall at the end offered good shelter. The ground around the pier was very snaggy and a few rigs didn't make it back.

The theory was big baits, big(er) fish but it didn't quite work out... I think the hordes of miniscule coalfish enjoyed the feast though. After trying fillets and heads, I even managed a smile when a savaged mackerel flapper came back in with an overly optimistic coalie clamped onto the back of it!

Although it got the 2006 count started I was quite dissapointed that there weren't even any doggies, let alone the conger I had hoped for. I wonder if live baited coalfish are the way forward?!

[blowin]

let alone the conger I had hoped for.

Hi MacD ,
It's pretty unusual to see a report for that area . I'd convinced myself that there are no more than 4 anglers along that whole strip of coast .
The conger are straight down off the left hand corner of the pier . If you get into the one I lost during the summer you'll have to lead it around to the slipway because you won't get it up the steps on your own . Whole mackerel flapper .
When the macs are in they are between 10 and 30 ft off the end of the pier . Much further out than that and you're beyond the fish and into kelp . Sandeel under a float is best . This will outfish feathers off the rocks .
These plus small pollack ( other than to 3 lb off the rocks to the W of the Head ) , rockling and one edible crab are all I've managed to catch from that area but I'll keep on trying .
All the best

[MacD]

Thanks for that info blowin. Good to know I wasn't completely wasting my time using the big mackerel baits

I'm not resident in Sligo unfortunately, but I usually get over a few times a year and mainly fish between ballysadare bay and augrhis. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else ledgering along the coast here. I've only bottom fished at aughris once before, in the summer. Again, that was from the pier and I only had a lobster to show for my efforts lol

If you follow the footpath round the headland, there are some decent looking rock platforms before the really high sea cliffs. The water here looks much deeper so there must be the potential for some good bottom fishing - I'd only feel safe trying it on a calm day in the summer because of the big swells though.

Do you have any experience of the west side of the head as I've never walked round that far?

Regards.

[pete]

Aughris really does look fishy. Walked right round to the head of it in November but didn't fish, had the rods with me but the swell was fairly big. I would have thought that some dabs & dogs would come from the clean on the east side, especially once it got dark.

Pete

[steve t]

There is doggies over the clean ground, have taken them from the boat
cheers steve
ps, do congers stay at marks like this over winter or move offshore?

[pete]

No flats in amongst the dogs Steve? As for the eels they are still about. I used to think that they moved off during the winter but the past number of years have proved me wrong. Really cold winters now appear to be a thing of the past and I think the congers have adapted.

Pete