A1Fisher of Boat-Angling-Ireland.com reports on a very hectic kayak fishing session on Lough Swilly…
Duration: 10hrs
Tide: 2hrs before low slack tide
Weather: over cast warm and flat calm
Bait: Mackerel and sandeels
Rigs: Mickey fish, lumi tube and muppet rig.
Results: 23 spurdogs, 2 red gurnard, grey, a couple of whiting and one 2lb codling
It was the usual Wednesday off and with a heads up from a fellow angler that the tope at my usual haunt there was only one place to go on my day off. Since I was on my own there was nothing stopping me from going early so I was up at 6am up out the road and on the water for 7.30.
The weather was warm and very over cast so it couldn’t be better. After a brief stop to catch some fresh mackerel I went then to my usual spot. Down the baits went; one set for the tope and one set for the spurdog and ling.
It was seriously quiet for the first 2 hours and I was kicking myself that I didn’t go to Lough Swilly. I thought to myself “Sod the dogs and the ling” and I put a glitter rig on tipped with small bits of mackerel and over the next hour I had 3 tiny ling. Then as the tide began run I drifted along a rise on the sea bed and about 5 minutes later on the mickey fish rig baited with sandeel I got a nice rod nodding take. Not a doggie but something else and thankfully it was, it was a nice codling of 2lb I was delighted to see it on such a quiet day.
Lines down again and very soon after I had a better take on the glitter rig. There was a good tussle and half way up everything went slack. I reeled up and the hook was cut clean off. There’s really only one fish here that does that – a spurdog . Glitter rig off and a home made rig of lumi tube and a large pink muppet (and a smaller size 2 hook to pick up the whiting and gurnard) tied up on 65lb mono. Down they went and 2 minutes later this nice ling came in on the sandeel.
They day was starting to look up, and on the drift I picked up red gurnard, grey gurnard, a couple of nice whiting then finally – nod nod – and away she goes. Class! It was a spurdog and they first of many and they were very lively. Every ten minutes I’d get another and some times 2 and then 3 at once! The best fish of the day was a tad over the 15lb mark. It came to the side of the kayak and I grabbed it by the nose. I could see it was a good fish but it had to have a roll and the wrists were getting tired holding the wriggly buggers down to remove the hooks. So I let him roll and as he did out poped the hook. The fish very slowly started to swim away till I made a grab for his tail and then he took off. No photo of that one but a nice fish. The best spur of the day that was properly landed and pic taken was this beauty of 13.5lb.
The fishing continued to get better and better. At one stage one the rod went and I was in a nice lively fight again. As I nearly had him at the kayak the other rod started bouncing. I hauled him in and held him down with my leg and fought the other to the surface. I thought 1 was a bugger on the kayak, but 3 on board was mayhem, still not sure how I was wasn’t stabbed.
At this stage I had to ring Oliver to see if he was coming out and after a quick verbal catch report the words his response turned the airwaves blue as he was tied up in the shop and couldn’t get away.
At this stage I had drift 2.5 miles and it was time to head back to where I started. I was keen to see if there were any spurs there and 5 minutes after the lines went down the answer was “Yes!”.
Report courtesy of Boat-Angling-Ireland. http://www.boat-angling-ireland.com/
