15th session

[MC]

for my 15th fishing session of the year I had decided to go south, so drove to Galway and picked up my mate Steve and we made our way to fenit pier. The target was rays and we fished the dropping tide on Saturday night and then the flood on Sunday. There wasn't much happening just a handful of doggies lots of weed and a few massive spider crabs. The weather turned very windy on Sunday lunch time so we packed up went and got a bite to eat and headed to fish a Shannon mark for thornbacks. The weather in Co. Clare was beautiful with lots of sunshine a breeze but at this point I was too tired and went sleep in the car leaving Steve to fish alone, I think he blanked. It was a good trip spent with a good friend with a few fish thrown in.

[stevecrow74]

Well it was looking like it was going to be a good session, my first cast landed a doggie, second cast was the same, then it quietened down after that, and the wind picked up. In the early hours it started to drizzle a bit which didn’t help, but that only lasted for an hour or so, I tried spinning a whole sandeel which in previous sessions has always landed a pollock or small bass, but nothing came of it, even though I did manage to land two large spider crabs to a small baitcaster rod/reel set up. As sun came up the dogs went back on the feed again, but so did the crabs. I went for a “flounder walk” with the baitcaster to see if anything was happening back towards the beach, and this is where MC tells me he caught a doggie on my rod!! A few spider crabs later and with wind picking up we decided to pack up and head to the Shannon. Arrived at the mark and all was quiet, MC went to sleep in the car for the last two hours and in this time my rod doubled over and the line went slack, silly me struck into it and lost a possible ray!! Oops. But in my defence it’s been too many years since I last caught one, and I figured that it’s been a good 9 years since I last caught a dogfish! Just shows how often I get out beachcasting these days. But can’t complain, 6 doggies came to my rods.

But as MC said, a good session with a good friend and a few fish. And the fish’n’chips we got on the way there were outstanding.


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[corbyeire]

Great effort as ever MC. Steve youd have to think things can only get better with this global warming in the inner bay on your doorstep!

I was working on slopes of mount brandon last thursday, coming back to the 4x4 3 hump backs put on an amazing display only 300 m out. unbelievable.
the wind was up. went to castlegregory to get out of the wind, in hindsight i should have driven to minard, weed in first 15m so no scratching for me. got a dog first hour then nothing missed another dog after 2 hours, he immediately came back next cast and then missed another bite in the 4 hours. Seems the rays are hard got down there this year.
Still the day wont be forgotten.

[stevecrow74]

[Steve youd have to think things can only get better with this global warming in the inner bay on your doorstep!]

From the evidence I’ve seem to have gathered over the past few years I’m going to get a bit of fresh mackerel and try for stingray and turbot one of the evenings.


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[corbyeire]

The conditions atm look ideal for the tiny chance a stinger might go on the feed - tight lines