Tough conditions restrict kayak angling in southwest

Tough conditions (and the Angling Show) in February restricted the number of trips for members of the Irish Kayak Angling Club with Catch Reports submitted for only 2 sea fishing outings.

Irish Kayak Angling Club Stall at the Angling Show

Pat Gill & Ian found shelter at Blind Strand, south of Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork on 5^th February.  Fishing was very poor, with the water murky due to the wind and rain in the

previous days.  Nevertheless small whiting, a conger and a thronback ray were landed.

Donal Harrington & Tim O’Herlihy launched in calmer conditions at Roches Point, Cork Harbour on 18^th February.

Fog, which appeared to be clearing at 11am, returned forcing the anglers to retreat to shallow water close to shore for the first half of the day.  While waiting for the fog to clear, plagued by red shore crabs, dogfish, whiting and a solitary mackerel were landed with a single flatfish lost at the side of the kayak.

Once the fog had cleared drifting over the Habour Rock and outside the Point resulted in a handful of small coalfish and some reasonable whiting.

A very different day to the IKA January outing at the same venue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt4qN6zGVCI

Go fishing…

To find out more about Kayak Angling visit www.irishkayakangling.com and register on the forum.  Membership is free and the forum is a great resource to learn about safety, venues and techniques.  Experienced members will answer any questions you have and everyone is welcome to come to a meet to learn more before taking the plunge.

Articles on beginning kayak angling are available at http://www.topfisher.eu/ and much of the advice on small boat angling is also transferrable to a kayak.

You can also follow the Irish Kayak Angling Club on Twitter @irishkayak and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Irish-Kayak-Angling/277427952176 for details of the 6 FREE meets that make up the All Ireland Kayak Angling Championship 2017:

Freshwater – Portumna, Co. Galway, 27^th May.  Lough Muckno, Co. Monoghan, 21^st October.

Sea – Inishowen, Co. Donegal, 17^th June.  Cahore, Co. Wexford, 8^th July.  Ballinskelligs Co. Kerry 5^th August.  Red Strand Cork 9^th September.

Please note that forecasts have led to a number of meets being postponed and/or relocated in the past for safety reasons.  Details will be updated on the Forum, Facebook and Twitter as the year progresses.