Duration:6pm-12-30am
Tide:didnt move very much,,,,was dropping when we arrived
Weather:cool and southerly breeze
Bait:fresh and frozen peeler,,lug ,rag,and mack
Rigs:pulleys and 2 hook flappers
Results:pups, doggies, whiting, codling and rockling
Report:After an unsuccessful smoothie hunt last week to Wexford,,,I headed out to South Wicklow this weekend to try and nail the first of the year
. Fishface had already beaten me to it and I was fed up of his constant bragging so I was determined to outfish him for once as I has sourced some nice peeler in Dublin Angling in Walkinstown and he just had frozen crab . We were to meet at seven and I got there at six to get the hotspot but the crafty Fishface was already set up 
I should have known it as that's a regular trick of his . I set up and cast out into the coloured choppy water and had a nice little codling on my first cast ,,,,falling to a lug and mack cocktail. At least I was off the mark and my second cast nabbed another plump little codling,,, 27 cms. 2 nil to Eyes 
. There was a fair 'oul Southerly breeze which was bringing our casts to the left/North , and into the snaggy ground. After losing a rig, Fishface moved to my right and his luck changed straight away. He was off the mark with a small codling. We both had several more codling and whiting but nothing at distance on the pulley's. Then ,,,as darkness fell, Fishface's cheesy grin revealed that,,,,horror of horror's,,,he had again beaten me to it as he came over with a small pup Smoothie. He followed this with another a few minutes later and then there was no listening to him. "How many Smoothies have you caught,,,,oh,,,,none,,,,and i've two",,,,,you know how he goes on 
. My hopes were raised when I had a bite on my pulley rod and reeled in,,,,but my other rod lunged forward and I grabbed that and reeled that in first. I thought there had to have been a Bass or a Smoothie but it was a codling /whiting double. When I went to retrieve the other rod it was snagged and I had to pull for a break 
. Plenty of doggies later I still hadn't got a Smoothie,,,though I did manage to eventually retrieve a rockling that had me snagged for a while in the rocks. . Fishface then left but not before catching another smoothie pup and rubbing salt into my wound 
. "Don't forget to put into the report that my frozen crab outfished your fresh peeler" he jeered as he lifted his old frame up the hill and into the darkness 
. "Damn you Fishface , you'll get your comeuppance one day", I muttered under my breath. I determined to do an "Al and Jordan" and turn this session into a 48 hr marathon if neccessary in order to achieve my objective of getting my Smoothie . Luckily I only had to stay another hour to get him,,,and he came in on a two hook flapper falling to ragworm with a doggie on the other hook. I have to say that the doggies there were amongst the most lively i've ever encountered,,fighting all the way in 
. At midnight I started to pack up and then made the climb back to the van,,,falling into a rabbit hole on the way up,,which might sound funny but I could have easily twisted my ankle or even worse,,,,,and i'm bad enough already . Well it might not have been a balmy Summer's night and a tackle testing Big Smoothie session,,, but it was as enjoyable as any other ,,,and great to have peace when out fishing (except for you-know-who ) Roll on the next one!
and not forgetting my smoothie
