SAI go to Loop Head.....Clare Dragoon, Carrigaholt 18/11/06

[petekd]

People:Myself, Buddy Donal (non forum), JD, JW, BigKev and 2 others

Duration:9.30 to 4.30ish

Tide:

Weather:Windy, Freezing, squally showers, odd patches of sun

Bait:All sorts

Rigs:Various.....

Results:Pollack, Whiting, Wrasse, Thornback ray. Doesnt sound too bad does it.....read on!

Report:

On a windy freezing cold morning, having been battered with hailstones for the majority of the journey, Myself and Donal arrived in Carrigaholt from Cork to join the others for hopefully, well until seeing the weather that morning, a large pollack bashing trip.

The Clare Dragoon is a fine vessel. It was simply, the best laid out and fitted out charter boat I have ever been on. She was spotlessly clean, cabin facilities were excellent-we even had a table! There was a super clean toilet with access from the deck away from the cabin also. Cooking facilities were also available. Luke, shes a credit to you.

The weather was always going to dictate where we were going to be able to fish and it was no surprise really, given conditions, when we were told going out past Loop Head was a no no. We did travel down towards the mouth of the estuary and fished for a small while. I had a couple of pollack, one of the lads had a fine ballan wrasse and there may have been another pollack and maybe 2 whiting. The wrasse was around the 3 1/2 mark with the pollack not making half that and the whiting v small also. Deteriorating conditions, lumpy seas and total lack of fish led to the decision being taken to head further inside the estuary to anchor up and try for ray.

This we duly did, one of the lads had a thornie on the boat inside 5 minutes of the anchor going down.... It was nearly an hour before the next fish came, I had a small thornie of maybe 3lbs or so. Pleased to see it all the same as I havent had a ray yet this year. BigKev had a doggie, the only one of the trip :shock:

After some considerable time, and a total lack of fish we headed to Poulnasherry (SAI Comp.....anyone remember????) Poulnasherry ranks very highly on my most hated places on the planet. Yes, I know its (allegedly) one of the Shannons most highly ranked ray marks but I have yet to see any form of life here. 7 from SAI and a couple of locals fished this mark in a comp early on in the year in the teeth of a howling wind and didnt get a bite. The 7 of us fishing from the boat were to have a similar experience, you guessed it, not a touch. With the odd shower lashing down, the mackerel still frozen in the box and the wind fit to take skin off you, the decision was taken an hour or so early to head back into port.

It was a very difficult days fishing and options were very limited. I would say the large amount of fresh water coming down the river would not have helped the fishing one bit inside the estuary. You cant blame the skipper on days like that for the lack of fish. In fairness to him, he did keep moving but it was not to be. A lot of credit to the skipper Luke by the way for not only the constant stream of cups of coffee coming from the cabin but for considerably discounting the trip due to early return and lack of fish. You cant say fairer than that and you have my vote certainly for repeat bookings.

Still, good to be out on a day where the brightest thing was Donals shiny new flotation suit.... :D Good also to meet another forum member in the shape of BigKev, a pleasant affable chap altogether who had us sick with jealousy with accounts of his success hunting tope here all summer. I will be hounding the life out of you for a run out next summer Kev...!

Somewhat gladly, after a day like that I got the news that the 2nd instalment on our weekends angling, the wrecking trip from Courtmacsherry, had been cancelled. When I woke up this morning to find my shed spread all over the back garden and the hatch from my boat nowhere to be seen :? I fully understood why! Anyone recommend a decent woodglue...?!

[lumpy]

not surprised that the courtmac trip was cancelled.went down to inchadonney today for a look and their was 20 foot swells reaking off the virgin mary bank.wouldnt like the idea of being out 30 miles in those conditions

[jw]

Some photos are at

http://picasaweb.google.com/jw.fish.jw

is it common to get thornbacks with spines on the white bottom side?

[stevecrow74]

is it common to get thornbacks with spines on the white bottom side?

simple answer... Yes... very common..