Articles

A venture to the south east coast
Cahore Harbour, County Wexford It was about six years ago, whilst standing on the banks of the River Barrow at St.Mullins, fishing for Twaite Shad, that friend and well-known Dublin angler, Dennis Butler first wet my appetite for an adventure out of Cahore. Sentences such as “packs of Tope” and “large numbers of Smooth-hound on light tackle” drove my imagination wild.     Years passed by all too quickly, but every spring, around May and June, my thoughts dr...

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Terrys teach-in
Giving Something Back On many occasions last year, I experienced first hand, how rewarding it is to impart angling knowledge to keen youngsters wishing to take up the sport. Having qualified as an angling coach, this was carried out on a professional basis through forward thinking schemes run by the Lough’s Agency. Guiding a youngster from not knowing what a bale arm is, to being able to cast with a degree of accuracy in the space of half an hour, or demonstrating how to simply attach a ...

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Mullet Magic
Mullet Magic down in County Kerry When it comes to shore angling, it seems I just cannot get enough of the Kerry coastline. Even though anglers have been coming here for years, it is a safe statement that much of this shoreline has yet to see a fishing rod. It is this virgin territory with its stunning scenery and promise of spectacular catches that attract me to drive the three hundred and fifty miles journey as regular as my schedule and wallet will allow.     On my latest trip ...

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A Life Experience
A Life Experience Intro Once a year for the past seven years, I have offered the young angling volunteers from the “Angling First” charity in Northern Ireland a potentially memorable deep-sea angling adventure. It all began back in 2008, when charity director, Mark McGivern asked if such a trip would be possible.     Since then, and as most of the volunteers have only ever fished in fresh-water, I have had the opportunity to show the guys an alternative discipline in ...

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Its wrasse time again
In search of Big Bold Ballans Summer has arrived at last, and the sea is showing signs of warming. The shore angler can now enjoy the benefits of this rise in temperature as many Irish species begin to move inshore, and importantly, within casting range. One of the most prolific and obliging of these species is the Ballan Wrasse. They can be found around the entire Irish coastline at this time of year, and provide the potential for superb sport, not only to the experienced shore ang...

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Portballintrae
Fishing the sand banks and reefs of the North Antrim Coast Although modern marinas are excellent regarding design and safety for all manners of boating at sea, it is always pleasing, once in a while, to launch from a harbour that has been relatively un-touched by modern architects and planners. One such harbour can be found in the picturesque, seaside town of Portbalintrae, on the North-Antrim coast. This village is situated between the popular resorts of Portrush and Ballycastle.   Dur...

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An Evening's Session For Mullet
An Evening Session for Mullet I didn’t think I would get the chance of a few hours Mullet fishing after work, but just on the off chance, threw the pre-assembled rod in the jeep anyway. It’s just that the tides were perfect, and with the window of settled weather we have been experiencing these last few weeks, it seemed a pity not to! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. As things transpired, I managed to get through the work-load with time to spare. Pedal to the m...

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Free Lined Peeler
Learning a new method There’s an old saying that goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Well I am an old sea dog, and a recent trip to Kerry taught me a new trick when it comes to catching Bass.   I guess that, under certain circumstances, not all these old sayings ring true. I had planned a trip with big Phil to target Bass in the Waterville area, staying in Kevin and Chrissie’s excellent accommodation in Waterville.     The idea was to ...

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Fishing The Slider
Re-visiting an old method I cut my teeth, as they say, on the slider method of float fishing, many years ago on the famous Newry Canal, under the tuition of match angling greats such as Alan Ross, Jimmy Douglas and Jonty Price. At that time, and I am talking about the nineteen seventies, the canal was a difficult, but rewarding match venue. With literally miles of water and easy access, the canal proved a popular spot, producing decent bags of Bream, with individual fish averaging between one ...

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Fenit Pier
Fenit Pier, Ireland Fenit Pier was constructed in eighteen hundred and eighty, and built on and around the Great Samphire Island. It is a large sheltered harbour that stretches half a mile offshore into Tralee Bay, and is connected to land by a road bridge, known locally as the “viaduct”.   A railway service once operated here, ferrying freight to and from the harbour, but this closed down in the seventies.     This is a large and busy harbour, but allows plenty...

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