Fishing remains good – Mackeral still somewhat patchy, but all others good

Mackeral numbers have picked up a little – not as much difficulty getting them.

Limeburner fishing particularly well for Whiting, Haddock, Gurnards, Spurdog, Ling etc.

I had a poor day at Tope, but had reports of other boats doing fantastically well – just not there on the day for me, probably pushed away by the hordes of Spurdog.

Sand good enough for Rays (Thornback, Homlyn & Cuckoo) and Dabs but distinctly poor for Turbot, Brill & Plaice.

Had a good day on the Wrecks with some nice Ling and a couple of bonus Cod.

Limeburner fishing well for Haddock, Whiting, Gurnards, etc.

2016 has started with fairly mixed fishing.

Mackeral are playing “silly buggars” same as this past 4 years – they should be fairly plentiful at start June, but not so – they are scarce.

Our old friends from way back 13 years ago have returned from vacation (or perhaps they were in jail)  – lots of Octopii turning up.

Tory Pollack are off to a reasonable start, which is more than can be said of the Flatfish at Tory – Dabs plentiful, but our real targets of Turbot , Brill & Plaice are “missing in action” – actually missing in inaction!

Wrecks fishing as normal for early season – billions of Coalfish but decent Pollack & Ling if you can get to fish for them.

Limeburner is fishing OK for Gurnards, Whiting & the usual suspects – reports of good numbers of Haddock.

Nice 9 Pound Tory Island Pollack

2015 ends as ignominiously as it started – inconsistent and at times as bad as it gets.

The only silver lining was the Limeburner which produced right up to the end of the year – included some Spurdogs which are more associated with June & July than September & October.

Bluefin Tuna have been more prolific than any year since the Rosguill started in 2000,  brightening a dull season.

Roll on 2016……………………………..

Fishing at the end of the season is remarkably poor – at a time (September) which is normally a very productive period.

Almost no fish at Tory Island – reef or sand.

Wrecks simply not producing any numbers of fish.

Blue Sharks seemed to have departed at start September.

Very few Tope

Fishing at Limeburner is moderate for Gurnards, Whiting, Ling, Doggies, few Spurdog, few Cod.

Mackeral extremely inconsistent

There are however, huge numbers of Bluefin Tuna around, which may help to explain reductions in other stocks – I have witnessed Tuna 50m off the rocks at Tory Island, and not on just one occasion

Mackeral are so hard to catch in mid-August that I can’t believe it!

Other fishing remains slow.

I think it is entirely possible that the Mackeral have gone due to the apparent abundance of Bluefin Tuna .

The other fish like reef Pollack, Flatfish etc. – not sure yet.  Had divers out for a while and little angling done.

Blue Sharks are here in reasonable numbers – 6/7 a day not uncommon, but sizes seem small this year.

Apart from the weather, fishing is good.

Couple of nice reef Cod from Tory shown – dozen caught in one day.

Fishing appears to be back to normal after an inconsistent start to the season.  More reports soon….

Now common again? – Haddock

After believing that the fishing had eventually improved after a poor start to the season, it has been quite frustrating to find some days where there appears to be no fish in the ocean.

Weather has now more or less settled into what is expected in summer.  Water temperature now up to season average of 13 degrees centigrade.

Mackeral – Infuriatingly patchy – some days a short stop at the start of the day produces lots of big Mackeral – another day and spend up to 2 hours to get barely enough to get through the rest of the day – skipper having to cut up the bait to ensure none is wasted.

Tope – at least one good news story with lots of Tope

Tory – one day loads of Pollack off the reefs and the next struggling to get a handful.  Sand at Tory distinctly poor with practically no Turbot, absolutely no Brill, no Rays and Dabs poor.

Limeburner – Trevor had a few days on the Limeburner with very few fish – Rosguill did one day and had great fishing & optimistically more Haddock than has been there for at least 10 years.

Porbeagle – lost at least 3 Porgies while fishing for Tope one day.

Mulroy Bay – Had great fishing there on 2 days – other days almost a washout.

Wrecks – have not fished yet due to the huge numbers of Coalfish everywhere.

Conger – Mediocre, but at least a few available.

Diving for a while now, so probably no fishing news until August.

Quite rare Rock Cook

Close up of this mini-Wrasse species, the Rock Cook

Water temperature still low at 11 degrees.

Mackeral are patchy but at least they are there.

Fishing seems to have returned to normal with usual fishing.

Weather looks to be improving over the next week.

Despite having a good day at Congers and Tope, fishing is remarkably poor – hardly any Gurnards etc. where good numbers can be expected.  Very few flatfish apart from a few Dabs.  Reminiscent of the start of the great red tide of 2012 – hardly likely given the roughness of the seas – weather has yet to settle.   Water temperature remains low for this time of year at around 10 degrees.

Interesting & inexplicable!!!!

2015 has started late this year and after reports of not so bad fishing in April and early May, the fishing on the Rosguill has been less than mediocre so far.  Few Mackeral around which is always a good sign, but Tory Island fishing was very poor and followed by a day in Lough Swilly was, frankly, no better.

I await an improvement.

An Angler with an Attitude

September has been fairly normal – apart from Mackeral which appear to be only very close inshore & at times impossible to catch.

Blue Sharks still around – probably another couple weeks before they disappear.

Wrecks fishing OK.

Limeburner OK

Weather August has been unsettled causing days fishing in shelter.

Limeburner has been fishing well including some reasonable Cod to around 5 pounds. Sand OK. Tope good. Sharks good enough – Rosguill had 6 one day and 3 on another. Wrecks have not fished as good for Pollack & Ling this past 10 years. Big Turbot & Brill mark still not producing.

Mackeral have been acting “funny buggers” but managing to get enough each day.

Happy with fishing.

Fishing remains reasonable at start August. Blue Sharks have arrived early – one Downings boat had 4 to 90 pounds on 4 August. Some Porbeagles also. Wrecks fishing very well as is Limeburner. All in all – not too bad!

Nice Brill

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