Fishing remains normal – good sand fishing, limeburner good, wrecks good, Tope OK, awaiting arrival of Blue Shark which should be here within 2 or 3 weeks. Big story so far is the lack of pollack on the inshore reefs. I now believe that the “problem” is the complete absence of pipefish which are the stable diet of Pollack in the early part of the year. Cannot blame the trawlers!!!

A Common Skate measuring 78 inches long and wingspan of 60 inches was boated on Rosguill after a battle of 65 minutes. Estimated weight 160 pounds. The Skate took a mackeral flapper on the second day of the season when the Rosguill anchored up on her favourite Common Skate mark.

After a 2 week period of settled weather & some great fishing, things have returned to normal. Whole day Tope fishing for 1 Tope & wrecks fishing Ok – have to work for the good fish.

Amazing day – after a long settled period one day wreck Conger fishing produced 47 congers to 27 pounds with 6 over the 20 pound mark.

15 Tope runs and the last run was a bit of a surprise – a full one hour later Robbie Breek from Harlingen, Holland, landed a 94 pound Porbeagle – 1.5 miles from hook-up. 34 inch girth and fork length of 57 inches.

63 Ling on the wrecks in one day -almost unbelieveable.

Mackeral are now here in considerabe numbers. Water temp up to 12.5 centigrade. All types of fishing as expected, except reef pollack which have not yet appeared in quantity or quality…..strange for mid-June.

This photograph shows the first Porbeagle landed on the Rosguill in 2009.  A fine fish of over 100 pounds, tagged & released.  The most unusual thing about the capture is that the fish was really only  “technically” landed by English angler, Michael Bridge, while fishing a whole mackeral for Pollack on one of the large wrecks off Dwnings.  He had wound his mackeral as normal up to the surface and when the Mackeral was around 3 foot from the surface, this Porbeagle took a swipe at it.  I asked him to drop his bait back into the water & grabbed the tailer.  As he lowered the size 4/0 Mustad Uptide Viking hook with 50 pound mono line the Porbeagle hit it and literally less than 2 seconds later I had tailed it.  What can only be described as a fight equalling a round with Mike Tyson ensued with the Porgie then being boated, tagged, photographed and returned alive & kicking before it really knew what happened!!!

Mixed fishing and normal for time of year.  Mackeral still not really plentiful.  Pollack so far this year seem to be poor on the reefs – offshore wrecks OK.  After 18 Tope runs last week, only had 4 more recently.  One Ok day on Conger and another good day.

18  Tope runs – one landed and spat out a 14 inch squid!

End May and fishing has returned to normal.  Limeburner fishing well, Wrecks good, enough Mackeral  & water temperature up fast to 11.5 C.

The Rosguill landed her first Tope of 2009, smallish male around 20 pounds and also a rare Blonde Ray for these parts.  Mackeral have disappeared and fishing generally has been very poor, Tory, Wrecks, Reefs & Sand.  Strange after a very good start in April……………..

……………………the very next day after putting this story up on FISHING NEWS………….. millions of Mackeral inside Mulroy Bay and a good days fishing on the sand – 6 Turbot, 1 Plaice, 6 Thornback rays, 15 Dabs, 80 or so Doggies & 1 Homlyn Ray for 3 Anglers

After 10 days of horrible weather, fishing has been not great!  Enough Mackeral and just about enough numbers of the usual fish to keep up an interest.  Rosguill had her first Megrim of 2009.  water temperature remains around 9.5 Centigrade – very low for mid-May.

Water temperature low for April – 9 degrees centigrade. Few Mackeral around, but not many. Wrecks – lots of Coalfish & some Pollack. Lot of unusually small Pollack (1.5 – 2 pounds) on the wrecks. Limeburner fishing well – Haddock, Cod, Gurnards, Ling etc. Bays fishing OK as well.
Hope weather is better in 2009!

Mid October & the 2008 season draws to a close.

Mackeral in their huge numbers have left.  Wrecks fishing well.  Bays still OK.  Blue Sharks are probably gone but there are still some Porbeagles around.

All in all the 2008 season was not too bad.  Weather was practically the same as in 2007 – great in April & May and then no settled weather right through June, July, August & September.

 

Limeburner still fishing very well for Gurnards, Ling, Doggies, Scad, Coalies and occasional Whiting.  Haddock and Cod seem to be extinct!

Big story continues to be both Blue and Porbeagle Sharks, with fairly regular 100 pounders of both species being caught.  The Porbeagle story is particularily interesting as in 2007 there started appearing 60 – 80 pounders (previous years saw only 30 pounders with an occasional 50 pounder).  It appears that these fish are back as 90- 110 pounders and one wonders will 2009 see them return as 120 – 150 pounders or will they need bigger mouthfuls and concentrate on Pollack/Coalfish.  End september and the Limeburner grounds are still stuffed with Mackeral which normally thin out start September.

Sharks remain the big story of autumn 2008.  The Rosguill had 15 runs on one day and another 10 runs the day after.  Limeburber not fishing particularily well – lots of Red Gurnards but little else.   Wrecks fishing well for good sized Pollack, inshore reefs Ok & Bays also fishing normal.

Back fishing now!  Shark fishing fairly good – not sure if just as good as 2007.  Bays good.  Limeburner – loads of Red Gurnard but not many other species, which is unusual for September.

Rosguill has been taking divers out recently, but reports from other boats are as follows:-

Shark fishing has been good – most days boats are averaging 4 Blue Sharks a day and the occasional good sized Porbeagle – one of 104 pounds landed and another of 88 pounds.

General bottom fishing below average – plenty of Gurnards but very few Haddock, Cod & Whiting.  Conger fishing good.  Bays average.  Wrecks good with big Pollack and good Ling and Coalfish. 

Rosguill had a very good day with 15 good sized Turbot & Brill  -  check out the photos.

Other fishing has been normal.  Blue Sharks – a couple days have been done by other local boats – no success.

The Rosguill is booked in August with Divers and not fishing again to September – will try to update Fishing News with news from other local charter boats.