Lots of Ray About

As the title says there are quite a few Ray of all species around at the moment which is good to see. There is plenty of baitfish in the water too in the form of Sandeels. The Mackeral on the other hand are a little patchy but when coming across the odd shoal it is easy enough to get a few for some fresh bait. I was making my way down to Tralee Bay to get a Sting Ray which just so happened to coincide with a few others from the Irish Kayak Angling Site. I did not mind this as I had my own agenda to complete. Tralee Bay is a great place to fish as there is an abundance of fishing opportunities that can be had. For me, it was the Ray I wanted.

Bait comprised of Peeler Crab, Mackeral and some Launce that I had caught previously. Because there is a chance of coming across a tope here in Tralee Bay, I started off with a short section of 20lb Nylon Coated Wire to stop the tope biting through my mono trace line. For Ray I find that heavy line and wire is a deterrent and thus I try to use the lightest possible gear I can when fishing. Where is the sport and skill in landing fish after fish with heavy gear? But that is just me. My trace of choice was just a simple single hook running ledger trace with a Cox and Rawle 4/0 Uptide Extra Hook. Trace line was only 20lb mono and a 3oz weight is plenty on a smaller tide.

The tide was near full when I arrived at my chosen mark. I anchored up and started preparing the rods. Both rods fished the same rigs. The Mackeral baits I had needed a little extra help to keep them on the hook so the best thing is to use some bait elastic. This done, the rods were sent out hoping for some quality fish.

Watching the rods for any sign of interest with great enthusiasm, one of the rods had a knock. The rod then bent over and line started to be taken from the reel. I lifted into the fish only to feel a solid weight. The fish took a good run before I gained on him. After a good solid fight my first fish greeted me in the form of a Stingray. I try not handle these fish too much due to their tail which hhas a self defense mechanism which are spines that have a poison on them. I have heard really bad stories about people who have been impaled by these spines so I take extreme caution with them and respect them. They are amazing creatures.

I quickly removed the hook from the Stingray and let it back on its way. It was not long until I had another take. This time not as hard as the Stingray but a decent take all the same. Once again I set the hook and a short fight later up came an Undulate Ray. I have caught a number of these over the last few weeks and it is great to see such numbers of these ray around. After a few quick photographs I let the ray go after admiring its lovely patterns and markings.

Next to take the bait was the more familiar ray that I am accustomed with. A solid fight with the aid of the tide and soon I was greeted by a Thornback Ray. As the name suggests they are covered in thorn like spines so I like to keep an eye out on where I am holding them.

Things started to die down at this stage and I was ready to call it a day. I had a good day so far but I had one last take which turned out to be another Undulate Ray. All the fish I got were on Mackeral baits and to be fair there was nothing to complicated about getting the Ray. Keeping it simple and fishing the right tides always gets me fish.

So that was another day out. Plenty of ray around the place and a pleasure to catch. Soon the Bass season will be open again so that will give me something to target.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Out and about for a mixed bag…

Finally an opportunity to get back into my much loved kayak and get on some fish. But what could we target? My father and I decided to load up the car and get the gear ready for a day out fishing and after some debating we decided on our local deep water mark. Close to home and plenty of variety when it is fishing well. We are very luck to be within five minutes of some of the best fishing in the country in my opinion so it is great to fish in the deeper marks as one might never know what is going to turn up at the end of the line. The location itself comprises of water depths to 140ft and scattered ground with reefs dotted in amounts sandy patches. Great to hold fish of different species.

The morning started early enough with us getting down to the water for around 6.30am. There was not a breath of wind in the air and the reflection of the sky and cliff faces could be seen on the waters surface. To get out to the marks is only a short paddle with other marks being near 2km out. A great paddle on such a calm day. We were tipped off on a certain species that can be found out here so we rigged one rod with a heavier setup and the others were set up for general mixed ground fishing. I always carry three rods with me as I can always have a set of bait feathers ready should I come across any shoals of fish below the kayak. The second rod usually has a double hook trace which I will show in time. This rig is baited with fresh bait if it is about. I had some peeler crab I had frozen so took a few out. I know they are excellent for wrasse.

Following the GPS we made our way out to our chosen patch of ground. We baited up and sent them to the bottom. When the area is so calm it does not seem to fish as well as having a slight drift. This may be due to not covering much water and the baits being virtually still on the bottom. But with the weather the way it was who could complain about being the only people out on the vast open water taking in the sights and feeling of being alone. With that we started to get a bit of interest as the tide started to move. I was trying for some fresh bait and bought up the biggest Launce I have caught. Great news as this would provide some fresh bait. Mackeral were scarce and Dad managed to colossal Mackeral ,which were more suited for the table than being used for bait.

We witnessed an amazing sight this morning and it was a shame I was not as close to it as my father to catch it on camera. We saw a lot of bait fish on the fish finders and saw some Sandeel at the surface I them heard my dad shouting at me to look over and what I saw was like something I remember seeing as a young boy back home in South Africa. Fish were erupting out the water and Sandeels in the air all over. I could make out that they were Coalfish which had driven the Sandals up to the surface and were hammering them. What a sight on a beautiful morning. Dad casted his rod over to them and got one.

we were getting a good variety of fish which included, Poor Cod, Pouting, Cuckoo Wrasse, Gurnards and then I had a take which did not give any indication of what fish it could be but rather came in as a weight. I knew this feeling before and had a good idea what was at the end of my line. An octopus. As he came up I saw he was only holding onto the weight which they do often enough which makes me think if I should dress my weight with a colour and a flying hook. Just then as the always do he let go and swam back down. Day had more luck and got his to stay on. fascinating creatures.

Following this we were greeted with some ling to end the mornings session. A great morning and good to see some action on the water. This is what fishing is about for me. Although I can head out to marks and catch big fish, it is mornings like this that put a smile on my face, not knowing what is next to come to the side of my kayak. The water temperature is rising and I have seen some dolphins which is great to see.

Until next time,

Tight Lines

First Gilthead for 2015

Recently the weather has not been all that great to get the kayak out and go for a paddle. Last year I would go at every opportunity that presented itself but these days I prefer to target specific species and make sure the conditions are right to increase my chances and have a more fulfilling day. With this said I went back to another one of my loves which is shore fishing. This is where I learnt most of everything I know so it was good to have the feet on solid ground and casting out from the chosen mark. This time of year sees fish moving in as the water temperatures increase and with this a favorite fish of mine can be targeted – the Gilthead Bream.

I previously wrote an article on catching these magnificent fish which can be seen at this link, Tactics for Gilthead Bream. Having collected Peeler crab a week before which were prepared and frozen I decided to try one of my favorite fishing marks where I have caught numerous Gilthead. I was only using a spinning rod which is the best way to catch these fish as they really do put up a great fight. The trace consisted of a single hook ledger rig which had a 2/0 Cox and Rawle Uptide Extra hook. These hooks are great as the are very tough and with the Gilthead Bream having molar type teeth designed for crushing, these hooks would be strong enough to withstand this.

 

I was only going to fish for an hour or so to pass some time and see was there any Gilthead around. I whipped up a peeler bait on onto my hook and casted out to a spot that looked like the Bream may be feeding. The weather was overcast with a Southerly wind blowing which was a little chilly but not unbearable. Making the Peeler Crab bait as appetizing and appealing is a must. A good sized juicy bait will give the best chance of getting some interest from any feeding fish. When whipping my Peeler Crab up I like to use ghost cotton and make sure I always leave the hook showing proud to increase hook up rates.

I was getting another Peeler Crab bait ready while watching my rod when I had a run which got the blood pumping. The take was violent and line peeled from the spinning reel. I grabbed the rod and set the hook by easing it into the fish as there is no need to strike erratically when the fish is running like it was. Solid head shakes I knew what this was. The fight on a spinning rod has to be experienced to get a true feeling about how hardy these fish are. After a couple of solid runs I finally got the fish in sight and I was greeted by a lovely Gilthead Bream. My first for 2015 and hopefully one of many.

A very eventful hours fishing and I left with a huge smile on my face. It is great to see this species becoming a fish that can be actively targeted and not so much of a surprise catch. They are really good sizes too and I am sure it won’t be long till another monster bream will turn up somewhere.

 

I will be hoping for some better settled weather to get out on the kayak again to target some quality fish in the coming weeks and hopefully get some new species that I have never caught before but that is another story for another day.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Pollock on Soft Plastics

I cannot remember the last time I went out on the Kayak to fish for Pollock. I have always been sidetracked by targeting more uncommon species which has greatly reduced the absolute fun side of my fishing which is pretty much why I took up fishing in the first place. My father and I decided with the Easterly blowing we would fish a sheltered area of the bay where there is relatively deep water with good kelp beds and rocky ground. We we going to put the fun back into the fishing and get some hard fighting Pollock.

The tactics we decided on was to use soft plastics. I opted for a Fiiish Crazy Sandeel on one rod while on the other I rigged up a Lunker City Slug-Go in pearl white coloring which is a favorite of mine. I rigged these up simply by attaching a Cox and Rawle Brass Ball Bearing Swivel with Snap and then using a lead head which allowed me to keep in contact with the soft bait while jigging it on the bottom. The snap swivel allowed me to change the lead head should I have required more or less weight.

It was not long while paddling and trolling my soft bait that I had the first take. Full of excitement I grabbed the rod and landed a small Pollock. Delighted with this I headed over to where my father was fishing and started drifting while jigging the Lunker City Slug-Go. Fish after fish came to the surface as the tide came in. Every fish making a desperate bid to bury itself in the mass of snags hidden below the surface.

I don’t think my small spinning reel has had such a tough day out but it stood up to the task and made the fishing even more fun while trying to stop the Pollock . Jigging the soft bait to imitate an injured bait fish is the idea when I am fishing for Pollock.

Nothing to complicated when it come to catching Pollock on soft baits but it is a whole lot of fun. We fished the incoming tide this evening and lost count of the Pollock we had caught.

Here is a video from the afternoons fishing.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

 

Fishing the Estuary – 16/04/2015

Looking back on past fishing logs that I keep to compare on a year to year basis I was drawn to the thought of fishing an estuary that produces some great fishing as the weather starts to warm up. It is still a little early for this spot to really come alive and produce some great fishing but I decided to give it a try anyway. The day previous I had dug some fresh lugworm as it is a hard bait to beat for all round fishing. I also got a few peeler crab as an added bonus. The plan of attack was to fish the incoming tide from low. The rig I chose to use was my all round single hook ledger rig with a two ounce weight and a Cox and Rawle Uptide Extra 1/0 hook.

  I arrived about an hour before low tide which gave me time to set up my kayak and rods and wait till the tide started pushing in. I would be anchoring up in the channel and fishing two rods. It is quite comfortable as the tide holds the kayak in a straight position allowing both rods to be fished out in front of me. The weather was pleasant but a few blustery squalls came through. I was after a bass but knew there would be some flounder around so I was pretty confident that I would land a fish or two.

Anchored up in position, the tide started to move. Both rods were baited up and cast away from the kayak in front of me. There is not much of a problem with weed at this time of year but as the water temperature rises the estuaries get plagued by weed which makes it extremely tough to fish.

I stared getting small takes but did not connect with anything until I had the familiar rattle bite that is often associated with Flatfish. I set the hook and felt a good weight. I caught a glimpse of the Flounder and was surprised at the size of it. It gave one more run which is great to feel from a Flatfish as it is a sign of a decent one. I got it next to the kayak and lifted it in. A lovely coloured and plump Flounder. I took a couple of Photos and put it back to fight another day.

It was not long after I had another take which too was a sure sign it was another flounder. At this stage of the tide I would of had a Bass by now so confidence in getting one was all but gone. Still, I had another Flounder on and it was another good sized fish which put up a good account of itself and fishing with spinning rods really makes catching fish much more fun. Once again, a few photos and the Flounder was sent back.

Altogether I was happy with my result for the mornings tide. I headed back in after the second flounder. The first fish was caught on lugworm while the second fish was caught on a lugworm and Piddock bait. Both rods were rigged with the trace shown in the photo above. Nothing over complicated but effective.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Pike on the Fly

I would not consider myself as an excellent flyfisherman but I am competent and do catch some fish on the fly. These tend to be mostly trout species so when Allen from Irish Kayak Angling and Bantry Bay Canoes grabbed my attention and started educating me on catching pike on the fly, needless to say, I was eager to get one using this method. I have only ever used spinning gear for pike and lures such as hard baits and soft plastics so throwing a fly for these predators is a new experience for me and looking into Allens Pike fly selection I quickly realized that it was going to be the biggest fly I ever casted.

With the weather being so good this last week we were both fortunate enough to get the morning out together at a local lake which holds some monsters. We were given permission to target the pike that inhabit the waters so it was all systems go. As well as pike, the lake is stocked with Rainbow Trout but it was the pike we focused on. Allen arrived to pick me up at 8.30am. I was up much earlier with thoughts of what I could be landing. So we threw my things into the Bantry Bay Canoes Van and strapped my kayak on the roof next to Allens Hobie.

 

The lake was flat calm and we could see a few trout moving around the surface. Full of enthusiasm we rigged up the kayaks and the rods. It was soon apparent that Allen had a slight advantage with his Hobie Kayak but I will get into that later. Allen gave me a choice of what fly I wanted to use. I asked him what he would choose and funny enough we both chose the same one. A rainbow trout coloured pattern. Much Larger than anything I have ever casted but not the biggest fly in his box. I chose this pattern as the lake is stocked with Rainbow Trout and I have caught Pike here on rainbow trout coloured shads. It seemed like a no brainer to go with it.

The fly was attached to a wire loop to loop section to stop the Pike biting through. We made our way over to the first spot we were going to drift over. This is where I saw the benefits of the Hobie Kayak. I had to use a drogue and every now and then use my paddle to correct my drift line. Allen on the other hand had no such issues. Both his hands were free and just using his feet was able to hold his line or move quickly to another position. I must say I was impressed with how effortless it seemed.

We fished hard for most of the morning with Allen only getting one quick grab and drop. Things seemed like they were going to be tough. All I wanted to do was get my first Pike on the fly. The day seemed to move so fast and before long it was two in the afternoon. We decided to call it a day. On the last few casts over an area of weed and rushes I was finally rewarded with a sudden thump and a weight on the end of the fly line. Lifting into the fish I knew it was no monster but still a Pike on the fly.

 

After a short battle the Pike was lifted carefully into the kayak over my lap. A small Pike but very aggressive when taking the fly as it was really taken with intent. I quickly got a few photos with the Pike and held it in the water to recover and be released. This didn’t take long as it shot away once it got in the water. I was delighted just to catch one on the fly and can really see the attraction to catching Pike on the fly. I can only imagine the excitement of catching a really big Pike on the fly. So a success in my eyes and I learnt a few new tips. Thanks to Allen and thanks to Bantry Bay Canoes.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

Testing the New Wilderness Systems – Thresher 140

I was fortunate enough to be invited along for an evenings paddle with the guys from Bantry Bay Canoes who had recently received , a brand new to the Irish market, Wilderness Systems Thresher 140. I was more than delighted to take this new product for a paddle and give it a good test to provide my own opinion on this new design and the new added features included to accommodate the angler. The day that I was invited to test this new yak was bright with a slight breeze and some small surf to test the kayaks capabilities. On first observing the kayak my first impressions were very good. The kayak looks like it could be fast enough in the water to keep up with most recognized brands on the market. It must be said that I personally paddle and own an Ocean Kayak Prowler Ultra 4.7 so I am used to my own kayaks features and speed so this was a good base to compare the Thresher to. The kayak being tested was the recognizable coloured red that Wilderness use. It reminded me of the Wilderness Systems Tarpon which I was introduced to when I first started kayak fishing. The size of the kayak was immediately noticeable strapped on the roof. A rounded nose was another feature that caught my eye. A very distinctive shape, sleek yet stable looking. When lifting the Wilderness Systems Thresher 140 I noticed the weight of the kayak. Slightly heavier than my own personal kayak but nothing major. It must be noted that there are more features on this kayak and it is quite large so a little bit more weight is to be expected. It was not overwhelming and nothing I have not experienced with other brands of kayak. So starting from the front of the boat, the first thing that is noticed is the rounded nose. This allows the kayak to reduce water over the nose by separating the water rather than pushing through it. This is particularly useful in choppy water. The next feature is the large front hatch. Before opening this hatch I was drawn to the paddle strap with the Wildness Logo across it. A very simple but extremely useful item when wanting to put the paddle down in a hurry and keep it secure. The hatch opens away from the seated position thus allowing ease of access while out on the water. The hatch is secured closed by two rubber straps that are opened with ease and does not require a struggle. This all helps while out on the water by making the paddler feel more comfortable. When opening the hatch I was very surprised at the size of this space. Unlike most kayaks with front hatches that open into the main hull, this hatch is a sealed compartment with its own scupper holes. This is very beneficial as I for one like to eat fish and always have had a problem with keeping my fish for the day. This could be the solution. It can also be used to keep equipment. The hatch has two scupper holes that can be plugged with the supplied scupper plugs to prevent water coming in, or alternatively, left open to allow drainage. The hatch closes and is pretty good at keeping water out. This is not to say that it is completely waterproof as I did experience some water ingress on the paddle when going through waves. But, for me, this is not an issue as with my current kayak I don’t even use my front hatch but this hatch on the Thresher 140 really does have potential. Moving on from the front hatch I was very excited about the next item. The removable drop in fish finder unit. This design has really had some thought put into it by the designers. It has taken into account of the kayak anglers needs for fishfinder mounting. This unit fits snug into a moulded housing on the kayak. The kayak has a recessed cavity on the underside to keep the transducer inside the hull thus not allowing any damage from dragging and not losing any speed by drag being caused by the transducer. The compartment is easily removed from the kayak by unclipping the two snap locks that open with ease. The removable unit is large enough to house a fish finder battery and the accompanying cables and also mount the fish finder on the lid. Obviously there are limits to what can be mounted. I never experienced any water getting into this brilliant design. The transducer is mounted at the bottom of the unit which allows the whole lot to be removed when getting back in and taking away any drilling into the main kayak body. The Thresher 140 is supplied with foot rests that are easily adjusted. On either side of the kayak are Wilderness slidetraxs that allow various items such as rod holders to be added and moved with ease. I find that I am always adding new things to my own personal kayak and with these slidetrax, adding bits and pieces, especially camera mounts, is another appealing part of this kayak. The next main feature of the Wilderness Systems Thresher 140 is the centre hatch. The hatch opens by unclipping two lock catches and opening it away from the seating position. The hatch itself is opened into the main hull of the kayak. It is possible to fit smaller fishing rods into this space. The hatch cover did not leave any water in during my paddle even when I paddled through waves. I like the ease of the locking mechanisms used to secure the hatch cover. They snap close with ease and do not require much effort which is an added bonus when opening with cold hands! The hatch cover has bungee cord added which is always useful when looking for place to secure items down. There is more Wilderness Slidetrax added to the hatch cover which is great and I could see myself using this for a rod holder. Again, moving along the kayak, my attention was drawn to the the seating position. I come from a kayak with the “traditional” seat whereby it is a basic padded seat that can be clipped off. The seat provided on the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 is more like a throne and is named the Air Pro Phase 3. The back rest can be folded down when storing away and fixed in the upright position with ease. The height of the seat position was another aspect I liked as it was high enough to keep water away but not to high to cause any unnecessary unbalance. Cleary some thought has gone into this seat and by just looking at it I could see the quality and comfort. I generally fish long hours so a seat like this is an added bonus. The seat can be removed if required. It feels strong and not flimsy when putting my back pressure up against it when paddling. At the rear of the Thresher 140 is ample space in the moulded well. This rear well has scupper holes to provide drainage. There is bungee cord and straps included to hold down any stored items and can be arranged to suit personal preferences. Once again Wilderness Systems have thought of the angler and included more Slidetraxs. If it were my boat I would most definitely be using these for rod holders. So thats the general overview, there are more small features that Wildness Systems have added to the Thresher 140 and these can be seen in the photos. There are vast amounts of ideas incorporated into this boat to account for the anglers needs. So theres nothing more to do now but go for a paddle. Sitting in the kayak I set the foot rests to where I felt comfortable. I was so impressed with the seating position and how comfortable the seat itself was. I sat there for a while just acknowledging how content I was in the seat. I was using a Werner Shuna Neutral Bent Full Carbon paddle which was also new to me and I must say that I could barely feel the paddle in my hands as it was so light. A brilliant piece of equipment. Starting to paddle I noticed that a little effort was required to get the Thresher 140 moving but once momentum was achieved I paddled with ease and gained a good speed with no problems with tracking. It felt stable and I decided to test this by standing up on it to see how stable it was. This is not recommended but I am confident in my abilities. There is an added option of getting a rudder system. I found that trying to turn the Thresher 140 quickly took a bit of effort. For open water paddling and wide arc turning the Thresher 140 done this with ease. Paddling with the Werner paddle and keeping speed with the Thresher 140 was done with ease. Very comfortable and very stable. I sat with my legs over the side to open the front hatch on the water, no problems and very stable. I sat sideways too and felt more than comfortable as I like to sit side on when luring fishing. I have to say that not once did I feel uncomfortable on this kayak and it has really opened my eyes to what is available on the market. We paddled over to some small surf to see how the Thresher 140 dealt with it. Paddling towards a wave coming towards me, the Wilderness Systems Thresher 140 glided over it with ease when speed was built up. Compared to my current kayak the Thresher had less water come over the bow. The kayak kept a straight tracking over the wave and continued straight when over it. Once again, I felt stable and confident in this kayak. It is hard to find anything bad about this kayak. If I were to be harsh I would say that it is a little heavy and slow to get moving. But on the other hand there is a lot of kayak for the money any really makes me take a second look at my current kayak. So whats the final verdict? I am extremely impressed with the Wilderness Systems Thresher 140. There has been a huge amount of thought put into this kayak and it has really taken into account of the anglers needs. Comfort, stability and speed are all present with this kayak. I am delighted I got to try this kayak out and see what the latest innovations are. Looking at my current kayak, I do think I would reconsider now that I have paddled the Thresher 140. A big well done to the guys at Wilderness System and a big thank you to Bantry Bay Canoes for giving me the opportunity.

The Wilderness Systems Thresher comes in the 140 and 155 versions and the specifications are as follows per www.wildernesssystems.com :

Kayak Model            140                              155

Length                 14/3 / 434 cms        15’6″ / 472 cm

Width                  28.75″ / 73 cm          30″ / 76 cm

Weight                 75 lbs / 34 kg            80 lbs / 36 kg

Deck Height       14.25″ 36 cm             14.75 / 37 cm

Capacity              400 lbs / 181 kg       450 lbs / 205 kg

If anyone needing any info regarding these kayaks get in contact with Bantry Bay Canoes or Canoe Shops Group UK.

Until next time,

Tight Lines.

A Weekend of Conger Eel and Bullhuss

Day 1 – 14/03/2015

Finally the weather cleared a little to give us the opportunity to head out in the saltwater again. This being my preferred area I was more than eager to wet a line again. Pat Gill from Irish Kayak Angling got in contact with me and we decided that we would fish for some Bullhuss and Conger Eel. We were restricted to the locations that could be fished due to the winds forecast which were generally in the South East direction. Not a great wind to fish in and I was bought up being taught that this particular wind does not produce the best results. Well, we decided to fish anyway. My father joined us on the Saturday and we tried a new location that consisted of a tidal run and a deep channel.

We had a rough idea of what was lurking about. I opted to fish the channel first but was consistently bringing up Dogfish after Dogfish which prompted me to move in to the rock faces where the water dropped off very nicely with the intention of a Conger Eel. The rig I used was a single hook ledger with 50lb trace line. On the business end was a 4/0 Cox and Rawle Uptide Hook. I know that Conger Eel can easily cut through a mono trace line but I am not a huge fan of wire traces. Also the 4/0 Cox and Rawle Uptide hook was intended for the channel fishing but I decided to see what it was capable of. Conger Eel have an extremely good sense of scent detection so I went with a Mackeral head cutlet for bait and dropped it in the position that I felt confident the Congers may be.

It was not long before I had some interest on the bait. I waited for a convincing take and I set the hook. I could feel the weight straight off and just trying to get the fish up away from the rocks is the first objective. I applied pressure but the fish had other ideas as it pulled line from my Shimano Trinidad TN14 reel as it tried to snag me up. Great fight from the fish and shortly a large Conger Eel with an angry face greeted me.

I managed to slide the Conger across my lap to get a few photos. They can be very aggressive so if I was not confident in my own abilities I would not lift them onto the kayak. To my surprise this Conger Eel was a little more placid but I took no chances and held him firmly. After a few photos I put the Conger back in to head back to its hideout. Once released I was contacted by Pat who informed me that he was into a good Bull Huss so I paddled over to him to get some photos. He was not kidding when he said he had a good huss. It was a really good fish and Pat carefully lifted it out for a photo. Pat was delighted and sent the Huss back.

I then headed over to my father to see what he was getting. He had landed a nice Pollock but was being plagued by Dogfish. By this time the temperature was dropping which led us to call it a day. Tomorrow was another day to see what we could get.

Day 2 – 15/03/2015

The Sunday morning came and looking out the window I was greeted  by the same wind as yesterday. Taking this into account Pat and myself decided to fish the same location as the previous day. It was a chilly start to the day and I even wore gloves paddling over to my preferred spot. We anchored up just off an island with the tide pushing out. Same tactics as the day before. Single hook ledger traces and some Mackeral Baits. It was not long before we were hitting fish. We landed more Bullhuss in the morning. Great fun but I decided to go exploring and Pat decided to try his luck at a Conger Eel.

I always enjoy exploring new locations. Watching the fish finder screen as the contours of the bottom change frequently, as do the depths. Every now and then passing over shoals of baitfish. Its a good way to get a mental image of what the bottom is like that is being fished. I paddled a good distance and tied up under a bridge. I like fishing around structure and I think in the Summer this could be a place I might visit again. I tried a bait for a couple of minutes only to be met by the ever present dogfish.

On the paddle back to where Pat was fishing he told me about a Conger Eel he had lost and that it must of been a monster. There is no doubt that there is more than likely some very big Conger Eel in this area. He also told me he landed a smaller one and he was delighted. Once again the temperature started to drop and we decided to call it a day after I had a little mishap but I will post about this separately as I feel all kayak anglers should know about it.

So an eventful weekend with good company and some quality fish as well. Great to get out again on the salt water and fingers crossed for some good weather. Below is the video from the day.

Until next time,

Tight lines.

Fish of the Month January 2015

While the weather has not been great these last couple of days I was delighted to hear and see that my Kelt Seatrout was voted the fish of the month for January 2015 on the Irish Kayak Angling Forum. While this was only a kelt fish caught fishing for spring Salmon, I wait patiently till my rod bends over into a fresh fish. Fingers crossed.

I must thank Southside Angling in Dublin for sponsoring the prize. The link to their website in in the Links page.

Here is a link to that days fishing.

Out Early on Lough Currane

My father was yet to land his first fish on Lough Currane this year so we decided, after checking the weather, that we would head out and troll early in the morning. I was woken up at 6am with a cup of coffee to get the morning going. The kayaks were not loaded the night before so we had to do that first. We needed some water to get the ice off the roof of the car as it was obviously a bitter cold night previous. Battling through the cold hands we arrived at the banks of the lough. We could tell it was pretty cold when my father had to scrape the ice from the kayak before fitting his seat!

Not a breath of wind but very cold. We were soon on the water trolling the shallow running hard baits once again. By the look of the lake we should have gone for the sea but its always good to be fishing no matter where. The lough was like a mirror, reflecting the snow capped mountains. It is always nice to paddle in such calm conditions. I can really feel the kayak moving through the water.

 

It was not long before I had my first take. The rod bent around and I was in. Straight away I knew it was a kelt as there was not much of a fight out of him till he jumped and made a run when he got next to the kayak. I quickly removed the lure, got a photo and sent him back. I was happy, but still that fresh fish is eluding me. I feel it is only a matter of time.

And away he goes back…

Trolling around for a while longer, the sun started to show and thankfully started giving some heat to the hands. I met up with my father and we decided that as things were a little slow we would paddle the whole perimeter of Lough Currane to see what spots were there that we have not tried. Maybe we would be lucky enough to get a fresh fish. The lough was so calm and with the sun, it was the perfect opportunity for it.

It was then my father got into a fish. It was not a fresh fish but he was off the mark with regards to landing a fish on the lough. he landed the fish which turned out to be a kelt Seatrout. A lovely looking fish and an added bonus to the conditions. We got a quick few photos and he put the Seatrout back.

Away he swims..

We then continued on the paddle around the lough. I managed another Brown Trout which I released. We stopped to stretch our legs. The scenery of this place is just breath taking. We paddled the whole way around just taking in what we were seeing on such a beautiful day. Fish or no fish, just being out and taking all that in is enough to put a smile on my face.

Hopefully that fresh fish is waiting there for me. But we really enjoyed paddling today. For once it was not just about the fishing. I think from now on I will be taking a few minutes to just breath and take in my surroundings in these places that are so special.

Until next time,

Tight lines.