Gary Robinson of Kayak Fisherman Ireland is a fishing addict, no sooner is class out but Gary has taken to the waters. Check out what he has been up to as he reports:
I was given a half day today and with a light breeze there was always only going to be one way that I was going to spend it. Off into Connemara with the kayak and fishing gear!
Launching onto the very mild swell I was very surprised to see the water at 19 degrees. I grew up on the east coast which usually gets the cooler water flow from Scotland and the North Sea but the west is fed by the warmer Gulf Stream and this is the time of year that it would be close to being at its warmest.
I launched from the small harbour and started hitting fish almost straight away, a plump little ballan wrasse being the first to fall to the lures. Like all ballans it fought well and I managed to spike my finger on its dorsal, nothing new there! Like most ballans it was also able to disappear fast with a defiant flick of the tail upon release.
Pretty soon I had established my drift and using the drogue to slow me down and the echo sounder to look for clues on the sea bed. I fished on using small fish imitations on one rod, vertical jigging on another whenever the screen showed features worth dropping on. This tactic resulted in a busy session with steady stream of small pollock, mackerel and the occasional wrasse.
I caught no monsters today, nothing even remotely close but it is always good to get afloat and catching small fish is better than catching none, I guess! I did have the heavy gear out with me. I was hoping to use a couple of mackerel to fish for meaner targets but a lapse in concentration saw me leaving the house with the wrong box of gear and as a result I didn’t have the right hooks. Next time……
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. Needing no more encouragement, he set about rigging his first sit on top kayak and transforming it into a fishing platform to gain access to some of the more inaccessible waters. Now into his fifth year of kayak fishing he shows no sign of slowing down.
Find out more about Gary and his adventures at www.kayakfishermanireland.com
DISCLAIMER NOTE: Inland Fisheries Ireland do not support any brand over another.
