The long dry summer has seen Stephen Brennan ofĀ www.IrishSportFishing.comĀ spend less and less time on the river and more and more time chasing gilthead bream along the south coast of Ireland.
Spurred on by the apparent increase in theĀ average size of the bream caughtĀ year on yearĀ andĀ the possibility of catching a really good one Stephen hasĀ spentĀ many sessions searching for them. And he tells us the novelty of catching them has definitely not worn off!
While the average size of the fish caught is getting bigger, its not to say small fish and juveniles are not also encountered. From some of the photos he has of recent catches there it is clear that there are a range of year classes on the Irish coast at the moment.
After all the hours spent looking for Stephen admits he hasĀ learnt a lot. The most well known venues are heaily fished, but gilthead breamĀ are caught all along the south coast at certain times. Stephen reckons youĀ could pull one out of any estuary or beach with the right features on the right day. The Irish record was caught last year on the Dingle Peninsula which is further north than they are generally caught, and there was some talkĀ of a good fish taken on a north Wexford beach earlier this summer.
Proving that hard work is its own reward Stephen’s successes includeĀ a few “good fish”, the best going 5lb 3oz (52cm). This biggest bream did not come easy, even after being hooked. “IĀ was lucky to land this one as after giving me a good bite it was snagged solid. I was expecting the line to part any second but lucky for me it came free after some constant pressure (and swearing!). Iāve heard of fish over 6lb caught recently, and IĀ think there is a good chance the record will go again soon enough.”
Stephen Brennan
Irish Sport Fishing
Web:Ā www.irishsportfishing.com
