Back on the yak and where he loves to be is Gary Robinson. He gets a chance to fill the freezer with some much needed mackerel last Sunday and reports :
I really should have gone fishing in the morning. Or yesterday. It was glassy yesterday as can be seen in the image above. There was a stiff breeze blowing as I set up on the shore but undeterred I launched onto the water for the first time in quite a few weeks. How I had missed it! I had with me fresh peeler crab and I was looking forward to doing battle with some monsters from the deep.
As it turned out, I was launching into a 15 knot (approx 30km) westerly which was gusting up to 20 knots (approx 40km). Having not been on the water for a while I decided that I wouldn’t be comfortable anchoring up in those conditions so I abandoned the plan to anchor and fish crab baits. They will keep fine for another while in my bait fridge, I should get a chance to use a few of them during the coming week.
Instead I opted to fish lures at drift while being tossed about, keeping a close eye on my surroundings. I was jigging and spinning, hoping to hit a few mackerel to replenish the bait stock that had spoiled when my bait freezer was unplugged, much to my horror. I’ll never forget that smell! Drifting around the small bay, I cast a Fiiish Black Minnow in every conceivable direction with nothing to show for it except one follow from a reasonable bass that turned away beside the kayak.
I headed out for deeper water but couldn’t get far for white horses and strong winds. After I started jigging I soon started hitting the very thing that my freezer was missing; mackerel! There were a few pollock in amongst them but they were all small. The only one that would have made a have decent dinner came off at the side of the kayak. I could have filled up the bow hatch, the centre pod, the tankwell and the cockpit of the kayak with mackerel had I been that way inclined but I stopped fishing after hitting a couple of dozen. I headed for shore and home.
It’s rare I would be happy after catching not much more than a few mackerel but this was the first trip out for me in a while, it provided a bit of supper and some much needed bait for some larger targets when the wind dies down.
Gary Robinson
kayakfishermanireland.com
Kayak angling in Ireland
Gary discovered the thrill, freedom and pure joy of kayak fishing almost by accident. After purchasing kayaks with the intention of paddling trips with his long-suffering partner, he started to assess the suitability of such a craft as a fishing platform. Some internet searches showed him that he was not alone in his thoughts. America and Australia already had blossoming populations of kayak anglers.
Find out more about Gary and his adventures at www.kayakfishermanireland.com
Angling Kayaks – http://www.canoecentre.ie/collections/angling-kayaks
