North West Charters report from Burtonport…
The heavy, gray sky hung low over the rugged Donegal coast, but the dull June afternoon couldn’t dampen the spirits of the crew from the East Donegal. They had exchanged the rolling green fields of their home turf for the wild, salty swell of the Atlantic, stepping aboard the rugged Frame of the Pride of Kincasslagh with lines ready and expectations high.
As the boat pushed out into the deep, churning waters, the grey world above was forgotten. Beneath the surface, the ocean was alive. What followed was a masterclass in sea angling. The reels screamed as variety ruled the day. Deep-dwelling ling and heavy-shouldered pollock put bends in the rods, while steady hauls of silver-sided haddock, whiting, and coley filled the box. Pale dabs scraped the deck, iridescent mackerel flashed in the dull light, and a hard-fighting brace of dogfish added a touch of shark-fearing drama to the drift. It wasn’t just a catch; it was a clean sweep of the North Atlantic shelf.
With wind-burned faces, aching shoulders, and coolers bursting with the day’s silver bounty, I turned the bow back towards Aranmore. The damp chill of the sea air was no match for the anticipation of what lay ahead. Salt-stained and triumphant, the men traded the rolling deck for the steady, welcoming of Early’s Bar.
Now, with the craic already rising, the pints are settling, and the kitchen is firing up a well-earned feast of proper, hearty Irish bar food. The fish stories are about to get bigger, the pints are going to taste sweeter, and that cloudy Saturday afternoon will go down as one for the books.
Go fishing…
