Articles

Stingray Persistence pays!
Terry’s Travels Stingray Persistence pays!       As a self confessed specimen hunter for many years now, it has always been a case that some specimen fish show up relatively easy, and some take a little more time. When I say a little more time, I have chased certain specimen species for weeks, months....and sometimes years to meet the challenge.   Always different, today, overcast and moody, but still awesome Yes, you do the homework, and source out as much inf...

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A Lucky Dip
Terry’s Travels A Lucky Dip   Back over the border to the Southern tip of Ireland on yet another sea angling adventure.            As we march on through the crisp weeks of spring, and feel the temperature rise of early summer, many angling doorways open up for the angler prepared to travel. At this time of year, one of my best mates, Sidney Kennedy, relocates his boat from Cork to Kerry for a few weeks, always in search of new species and hot fi...

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Corkwing Wrasse
Terry’s Travels Corkwing Wrasse Muckross Headland, Donegal This year, 2021, the Irish Specimen Fish Committee have decided to include several new targetable species to the specimen list.     Although these are basically "mini-species", adding these to the list offers an interesting dimension to the challenge of not only catching such fish, but also sorting out the larger ones.   One nominee, Corkwing Wrasse, rarely grows beyond twenty six centimetres and th...

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Tench on the float
Terry’s Travels   Float Fishing for Tench       Hot on the heels of my successful Shad trip down in County Carlow, it was vital for me to keep the angling momentum running. So where would the next adventure lead me?     The weather was mild, the season was just about right, I had time on my hands, and I realised it had been such a long time since I felt the power of a decent Tinca on a float rod. Time, I thought, to rectify that! My long-time angling...

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Cure for the Covid blues
Terry’s Travels Cure for the Covid blues! Featuring the Berkley "Pulse" Spinning Rod and Mitchell Pro RZT Reel.     Well now, I'm guessing that I don't have to emphasise how difficult things have been since the arrival of the virus!     My angling campaign began in 2020 as per normal, enjoying a satisfying session catching specimen Spurdog in the company of angling buddy Ross Macklin, and by the following week, the world it seems, changed forever. I proceeded t...

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The Shakespeare XPS Strikes Again
Terry's Travels   Put your money where your mouth is! The Shakespeare Agility strikes again.   I recently received a phone call from an angler I hadn't heard from in a long time, and he was looking for some tackle advice. He had read a few of my "Pike on the Fly" blogs and it's fair to say, they had whet his appetite somewhat. He wanted to give it a go.         The angler in question was Mark McGivern, of "Angling First" angling charity based in Dromore. ...

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Ticking_the_specimen_box
Terry’s Travels Help a buddy out! Ross Macklin wanted a new specimen to target, to tick another box in the specimen hunters category, it's nice to be nice.       With my boat purged of winter algae, battery fully charged, functioning electronics and serviced engine running sweet, I contemplated my next saltwater adventure. A timely call from my good angling bud, Ross Macklin set the wheels in motion once again. Ross explained he would be attending a conference in Dunda...

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Specimen Hunters Diary 2019
Terry’s Travels Diary of a Specimen Hunter 2019 Courtesy of Pure Fishing Tackle Company   As we draw the curtains on yet another year, I enjoy looking back on my angling exploits and memorable catches from the season past. Each year is different of course, with the usual variables thrown into the mix such as fish availability, weather, funds, free time, commitments, accurate local information and a huge helping of luck, both good and bad.         However...

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Mullet Method Magic
Terry’s Travels Mullet Method Magic The thing about specimen hunting, and particularly if  targeting fish found in Irish waters, is that you can quite often apply tactics that have proven successful for one species, to make them work very well for another.       For example, I once fished Water-foot Pier on the Antrim Coast with a 10 metre Roach Pole and keep-net, freshwater match style, out of interest and a bit of fun.This was over thirty years ago by the way, a...

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Big Bold Ballans
 Big Bold Ballans During the summer, we spent a couple of days in search of specimen Ballan Wrasse around the stunning Kerry Coast.         With temperatures now in single digits, and frost on the lawn, it's time to change tact and begin the hunt for our Irish freshwater predators. Pike come readily to the fly rod, surely the most enjoyable way of catching them, and lure fishing or dead-baiting are deadly when conditions dictate. This is now my seasonal target...

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