Neil who fancinates us with his descriptive tales of fishing on the Clare coastline shares a word of advice with us : – A word of warning make sure the belly side of the mackerel is facing away from you and not towards anyone close to you when you do this. It will become obvious after your first attempt.
He continues…….I am enjoying my time out mackereling more and more, not for the hauling of fish but for the opportunity to observe all sorts of people who at no other time would be drawn into the dark world of catching and killing their own food. The many methods of dispatching their quarry range from punching it to death banging it against a rock or the most popular throw it in a bucket or carrier bag until it flapping slows and it slowly expires.
Two lads were enjoying themselves, sharing a rod and seeing who could out-do the other in casting and catching. They were lucky that the fish were plentiful and at a reasonable distance. I couldn’t help myself but go over and chat to them when they got into a heated discussion about what was wrong with the dark green mackerel they had caught and f they could eat it. After a brief talk we decided it would be best if they let the small pollack go. It was their first day out and they caught fish to take home for their tea. Well pleased with themselves they headed off for a celebratory pint and left me reminding them their catch would cook in the car if they parked in full sunlight with the windows up!
I have continued on the tope marks with no action to report, nothing, no dogs , no huss not a bite!
For a bit of light relief from hauling heavy gear I went out onto the rocks with the lures again. I want a wrasse but the marks that I am fishing may hold a wrasse or two but they have declined or been fished out over the last few years. I feel a trip further West will be needed to give me the best chance of the fish that many lure anglers consider a pest.
I have been following Del Thompsons’ Scilly Lure Addicts which is where I first heard of the use of blue lures as it provokes the territorial behaviour in wrasse. I know I said I never had any last week but I found a packet of savagear sandeel slugs in a sort of blue… but it must have been the wrong blue. I could not buy a bite with them. To be fair I only gave them around forty minutes rigged Texas style. Mainly through lack of confidence in the colour having not used it before.
I put a cut down senko on a lead head and thrashed it out with a side flick which is all the rocks behind me would allow. On each cast I worked it right to my feet and jigged it a few times before lifting it. I was getting the odd pluck which I presumed were mackerel.
Time after time I was watching pollack follow up the bait but refuse it and turn away. I tried stopping the retrieve but the leadhead plummeted into the kelp and took the pollack back down with it never to be seen again. I wonder if it was the bright sunlight causing them to turn off or something I was doing?
I did manage to land a couple of smallish fish of around two pounds, the first of which totally engulfed the lure. I also had a savage take which left the senko with just a torn off stump, was it the elusive wrasse ?
Just after the turn it was time to once again head for the more productive mackerel marks. I noticed that despite me flinging the feathers to the horizon I was picking fish up at all distances and as soon as I had filled my orders for fresh fish I put the heavy rod away and had an hour of great sport on the lure rod.
I was getting plucks on every cast with a white sandeel slug but no hookups so I went to my bag and found a light(for me) jighead and cut a storm wildeyed sandeel down to around three inches long. The effect was instant. Although I had lost the casting range and was getting fewer takes nearly everyone produced a hard fighting blue sea tiger.
Good luck to all the Irish lads who will be out Saturday looking for the first bass of the season.
Read Neils full report http://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/refusals-22/