Beach-Caster.Com

Updated

14 February, 2004

 

Fishing Reports from Northern Ireland

 

 

 

Want to find out how the action has been at a venue near you ?

Want to know which bait has been producing the best results, or which species are currently coming ashore, then check out the reports posted by fellow visitors.


Venues Covered

Most recent Reports

 

 

 

 


Ballintoy

14 September 2002 Time:Day

Fished a rock mark near harbour. Only had two hours and caught some good Pollack. Most other anglers were catching too. Flatfish and other species were also caught. Hadn't much time to investigate. Try again next weekend I hope

Billy H


Ballylumford Harbour

6 October 2002 Time: Day

Fished first on float with size 2 hook and raggie. Caught 2 small coalfish and a rockling. Then changed to legering with a patnernoster. Caught a tiny codling, several small coalfish and wrasse. Changed to lug and caught a 2 1/2lb wrasse and a decent sized (3lb-odd) pollack. Fished as tide was coming in.

Ken


Ballyteague 

16 October 2002

As iam new to shore fishing a few of my work colleagues had taken me with them on their last outing ie.Belfast Shore Anglers.The amount of flounder caught was to say the least remarkable out of seven cast of about 20 feet using peeler crab i caught six average weight about 3 lbs could not believe it cant wait to go again.

Seamus Hogan


Ballywalter

5 June 2002 Time: Day

Out on the boat 200m of shore at Nelsons Rock good catches of Coalfish. And some small Pollock Coalies all around the 1lbs 1.5lbs using lures out again next week report then on any more fish.


Bangor

8 July 2003 Time: Day

Loads of mackrill on the peer at bangor harbour!

They are jumping out of the water so much you cant even cast? 

Caught loads!!!!!!

Brian


Benone Strand  

11 January 2004  Time: Day

6 members af the Donegal Bay S.A.C fished the White Wave S.A.C. open on Benone beach.(Wet and Windy) This open incoperated the first leg of the Ulster 3 man team championship.The Team from The Donegal Bay Mick, Doug, & Francis are the curren Champions. They are collectevelly known as the Donegal Dingbats, after this leg they are leading again.The team caught a total of 7 fish. There was a very high surf with an offshore wind. Flounder was the main catch, with both zone winners catching 5 fish each. Most of the catches were of 3 and 2 fish. Bait rag, lug, & mackerel

Mick kirwan

8 December 2002

Fished an open competition on Benone Strand from 2pm to 7pm fishing was very good, flounder, including a specimen 1.300kg turbot, sea trout and coalfish 32 anglers over 200 hundred keeper fish caught most of which were returned safely to fight another day

Stuart Langridge


Castlerock

27 October 2002

I have fished at Castlerock of the pier, round the side of the sand dunes at the old wooden pier and have had very little luck.

We were once down and saw a shoal of mullet swimming around a rock. When we sat for a while a group of guys came down and started fishing for the mullet as well. Then as the guy saw the fish take he yanked the line and got one. It was quite large about 3 pound. We tried a pool and got a pollack about 1/2 a pound. We also caught 4 strap eels. A couple of guys came along and said they were going down to Benone as there was a good lot of bass coming in.

Has anyone caught any sea trout or salmon in the Bann where it goes out to sea?

When we were down at the old wooden pier we saw a large group of fish jumping up onto the rocks.

Has anyone caught anything here and if they have what are they?

M Boyd.

31 March 2002 Time: Day

Fished castlerock pier at high tide.I used squid, mackrell, and mussell to no avail. A couple of other anglers caught some dab on ragworm. i had no rag with me(just learning the hard way).Tread with care on the pier,as waves often come over the top.I heard from a good source plaice were caught last week at waterfoot.

BILLY H


5 January 2002  Time: Day

Fished a session into darkness at cCstlerock beach with Big Nev, used rag and mackerel/squid cocktails. V. little about only a few really undersized flounder; has anyone else on the N. coast noticed a lack of quality flounder this year?

Rick


Carrickfergus 

11 October 2002 

Fished the pier at flood tide at night with rag and sandeel coctail. caught 16 small whiting and 1 tiny codling. None would have even broke the half pound mark.met a guy called david who had brought 4 kids with him and they all caught plenty of these small whiting. ood to see the next generation of sea anglers enjoying themselves.

distance made no difference to catch rate. Fish were caught from 20 yards to 120 yards.

Come on anglers who knows where this Clonmanny place is.

Tom


Clonmany

28 July 2002

About 9 o clock one night I decided to go fishing at Clonmany beach 10 mile from were I live I had my friend Paul with me. We had a lot of baits with us is decided to try a cocktail of crab sand eel and Ragworm first cast in to the surf I got a ding ding (a bite) I struck and I felt an enormous weight I was fighting it for about 20 mins after all that commotion it was a ling about 20lb.we had a great night of pollock, cod, mackeral and ling. Tight lines

Mack Mackreal


Culdaff Pier

3 May 2003 

Collies taken through out day on lures,Mackeral and sand eel. fish up to 4lb wait. Sea trout have been taking on the filling tide from an hour before high mostly to lure. Best fishing seen around dusk. Conger's have been taken from the pier on mackeral and small collie baits.

Scaramanga

 

19 December 2002 Time: Day

Caught half a box of collies,Squid and Mackeral cocktail ,many small whiting ,No cod yet .Still trying.

Brown Trout


Cushendun Beach   


11 October 2003

10 members of Carrick Beach & Rockers Sea Angling Club fished during a calm day and still tide, 94 fish were caught all together with Club secretary Stuart Langridge catching 25 fish.  species caught was coalfish with the odd plaice and flounder.  The biggest catch of the day was around 600grs caught by stuart langridge.  Gareth bell 17, caught 2 species on the night with 7 fish all together which got him 1st place in the junior section.  Followed closely by myself in 2nd place with stuart langridge (junior) in 3rd place.      

Jamie Keys

14 September 2003

Some good plaice and codling in bay fished from 11pm till 3am using rag

Brian Hagan

30 December 2002

Four members of the Carrickfergus Beach & Rockers s.a.c. fished during a strong south easterly, Sam McDowell caught a bass of 1kg on his first throw, then bobby Laughlin had two sizable coalies the best 430grs , then after several small flounders, whiting and rockling I had a cracker of a bite followed by a slack line I thought I had caught a good bass however it turned out to be a good sea trout of 1kg 500grs just over 3 lb all fish were returned to fight another day

Stuart Langridge


Cushendal

10 January 2004

Fished the small pier beside the boat launch slip at Cushendal.Using frozen Ammo sandeels,caught five codling,two doggies,one whiting and one pouting.Two of the codling were keepers.One was   1lb 6oz and the other 1lb 11oz.I fished from 7pm to 11.30pm(high tide was about 1am).Not a bad result for so late in the winter.

Tom


Dingle

10 October 2002 Time:Day

Went down to Kerry for the weekend.Went to Dingle harbour.Caught load's of fish e.g pollock,coalie's,scad and BIGGG conger smallest was around 8lb bigest was 39lb.The average was around 15lb.Local's were very surprised to say the least.If anyone has fished this hot spot please log on and tell us about it.

Craig


Donaghee

4 July 2002 Time:Day

A good day was had by all, myself Craig Nobb's and a friend from England went out for a days fishing on sea spray 19ft.it took us 5mins to get to our fishing grounds the Copeland's islands we stopped and straight into a good shole of mackeral we must of caught about 200 fish in half an hour. We then moved close into the rocks and started catching good coalfish Pollock and small codling. This was just a mornings fishing came in for lunch then went out again and the same again it was the best days fishing in this area I have known for a long time. I will be out again soon, in all caught well over 400 fish but most of them returned keep you all posted soon 

Matt.


Downhill

14 December 2002 Time:Day

Fished Downhill and Benone many times hoping for bass, caught one, 2lb odd, out of 10 - 15 trips. I here the occasional bass can be caught and here many stories of big catches, I wouldn't recomend these areas for fishing unless you are prepared to stand around looking at your motionless rod all day and night. Even other species than bass are few. Fishing with rag, mackeral, squid and spinning.

S.Richmond

11 May 2002 

The Bass are there caught one of almost 2lb mate got one at 4lb1oz TICKET! Plenty of help from locals criac great loads of flatties some not too bad. Get there have a great time.

Clarkey


Donegal-Killybegs-Muckross 

(Small beach and pier close by)

4 January 2003 Time:Day

My self and two brothers caught

  • 1 Flounder 3/4lb

  • 1 Cod 3.5lb

  • 1 Cod lost approx 3lb

Cold frosty day sea calm easterly breeze.

Paul Rooney


Glenarm

19 December 2003

I have been sea fishing for four weeks, being a fly fisher man for most of my time. Well to get to the point... Billy Greer (first time sea fishing)and my self fished first of all Glenarm harbour at about 1500hrs. Bait was squid, and old rag worm. Billy could not stop catching, mostly small coalfish. I was getting a few as well, good sport. At about 1700hrs we decided to go to the pier at Waterfoot to try our luck, what a good decision that was, again every cast we iether got fish or was missing them. Codling, whitting, flaties, coal fish, and latter on about 2200 hrs good size codling, and dog fish. Most of these fish were caught on mackeral strips. It was great sport and between us we must have caught about sixty fish, yes sixty, keeping the bigger codling. Met two other fishermen on the pier and got a lot of information from them on other places to try they were very helpfull especialy when I caught the dog fish, they showed how to handle them. Hope to meet them again some time.
Thanks for the web site hope to report other good days fishing.

Charlie Macfarlane

16 August 2003 Time: Day

Fished the pier from 14:30 to 17:30. Wasn't as good as the rocks, but they were quite crowded. One tiny codling, numerous pollack including one of around 12oz, and lots of wrasse to about 1lb close in. Belted rig (same as yesterday) out for two plaice, about 8-10oz each. Fished right at the far end of the pier near the rocks. Others fishing further up (towards river) were getting more flatfish (probably plaice or big dabs) than anything else. Anyway, it was good fun.

Kenneth

15 August 2003 Time: Day

Fished the rocks at Glenarm from 13:15 to c.17:30. High tide at 14:15. Caught lots of wrasse including one about 2 1/2lb. A fair number of pollack and coalfish were caught also, up to about 12-14oz. Caught one tiny dab, which is strange from a mark as rocky as this one. At about 16:45 hooked into something which put up a hell of a scrap, near broke the (light spinning) rod. It was a cod, nice fish about 1 1/2lb. Put it back but sadly it died. Was going to fish it out, but it got wedged between rocks. Probably still there now! Two hook paternoster with size 4 hooks baited with ragworm and a 1oz lead.

Kenneth

30 December 2002 Time:

Fished Glenarm from 4 pm until 10pm on Monday night. Cold easterly wind with rain and rough seas. Fished quite well, I had three codling to about 1lb and a small rockling. My mate Bobby had three codling two coalies and a rockling. Another angler further up the breakwater also had a very similar bag of mixed species but one of his coalies was at least three and a half pounds, (nice fish). Bait used was lug and rag.

Tom.

14 December 2002 Time: Day

Fished Glenarm rocks at about 2pm with rag. Not a nibble for first 1/2 hour, then caught codling about 1lb. Went quiet again for about 3/4 hour, then another codling, much smaller only 4oz. Next cast got taken to ground by a wrasse, but managed to free tackle. It was small as well, about 10oz. Not a touch for the next hour, so went home.

Kenneth

6 June 2002 Time: Day

About a mile out from glenarm harbour onboard my Shetland 535 fishing boat I managed the best days fishing so far since I bought the boat. Between 4 of us we netted 53 fish. About 30 makeral (which some of was used for bait), 13 codling and the odd hairing or whiting, also a baby dog fish. The best fish was my 4lb 12oz cod which was a lovely dinner afterwords. It took a pirk baited with some fresh makeral, I also had feathers on above it. The interesting thing was the 3 others were jerking the rods up and down just off the sea bed and I left mine hanging over the side of the boat around 3/4 of the way up and it took it. It just shows how things can change with fishing as exactly 1 week earlier we fished the same spot with under 10 fish the whole day and no cod. But lets hope my great day is a sign of things to come for the world of fishing and it shows they are out there to be caught!

Gazza

 

12 May 2002 Time: Day

I fished off the white rocks up from the marina at glenarm to catch 2 baby coalfish on rag. I have fished there for about 5 weekends this year and the quality is very poor. Me and my mate have spotted seals on several occasions. Just hope they clear off. This must be the problem because as usual out about a mile from these rocks on a boat I got 13 mackeral and 4 3lb codling!

Gazza

 

6 March 2002 Time: Day

3 doggies, numerous tiny dabs, and a lobster !! lol  were produced between 3 of us.  This has become a more comfortable mark with the completion of the new breakwater, and large streetlighting makes things a little easier.  With luck this may act as an attractant to the fish ?  heres hoping !!
Information on other N Ireland marks would be good.  send those reports in people !!

Ricky

3 January 2002

A good mix of codling and flounder and some dogfish. Cold but good sport post your messages so I can try some new places. PLEASE

Pookie


Helens Bay

9 January 2004 Time: Day

Pollock at greys point fort good deep water, from the beach it's deep and has a resonable sandy bottom. It's easy fished,,, good luck friends

steven dunlop


Howick Rocks

29 July 2002 Time Day

Fished at low tide(1.37)weather:overcast with sunny spells. sea state:slight ripple. caught 1 cod (3lb)and 1 dogfish just over 2lb.using frozen peeler & fresh limpet. dogfish was returned after weighing.if you havent fished here before, stay close to your rod as it could be easily dragged into the sea.

Ronnie


Newcastle Harbour

2 May 2003 Time: Day

Fished the full tide for 3 hours using tiger prawns as bait. caught about 12 dabs each about palm size.

Jack


Portaferry

1 September 2003  Time: 

Went across to Portaferry on the ferry with the intention of catching sea trout, didn't contact any but we did catch mackerel, pollack and coalfish on the fly and lost some very powerful fish probably big pollack, there are thousands of small ones about 5 inches but plenty of pounders to keep you interested. later we went back to strangford and caught a conger about 10lb.this was our first time on the lough and we lost a lot of gear in the bottom, does anyone know where there is cleaner ground for beachcasting?

Gadary

23 November 2002

Fished from the end of the car park to the right of the ferry ramp.Weather absolutely dire, winds were strong to gale with monsoon like rain.Very uncomfortable fishing.Caught two dogfish and had two large fish on but lost both on the retrieve!!!

This just made a miserable night complete.If Marty Rogan logs on check out my question on the tell me about a venue area of this site.This was my first time fishing here and would love more info.

P.S. one of the dogfish was absolutely jet black apart from its underside , is this a rareity or just a local variation due to seabed conditions.

Tom.

 

17 November 2002

About half six last night got a screaming take on a full squid fished on the bottom, caught a six and a half pound cod after a struggle. fish was returned unharmed, my nerves were shattered. Reckon theres bigger in Strangford Lough.yee ha!

Marty Rogan

 

9 November 2002

Fished along the Walter Shore Road with squid on the bottom, hooked a big bull huss had to be well over ten pounds, it got of at waters edge, and after that hooked another which I couldnt shift at all. Going back next week if my nerves will let me. Any one catching any good cod yet?

Marty Rogan

3 September 2002

Took the ferry over to Strangford, caught a conger at 10lb of the pier using mackeral flapper. At last the conger curse is broken! If mackeral logs on, where is Clonnmanny

Marty Rogan

23 June 2002  Time: Day

Catching  pollock and coalies along roadside. Fish up to 2lb but bigger expected. Great fishing on light spinning rod and 4 to 6lb line

Marty Rogan


9 September 2001 Time: Day

Fishing along shore road on a calm Sunday night. 3dogs and 2 codling and about 8.45 caught a bull huss estimated weight 6/7lbs.YESS!!!!


Portmuck Harbour

3 April 2003 Time: Day

SPENT 3HOURS FISHING NOT A NIBBLE TIDE FULL IN KNOW ANY OTHER GOOD SPOTS

KEITH MARSHALL

31 March 2003  Time: Day

Went out about 6 to 9 caught 2 dabs 1 wrasse my son caught 2 coalfish used rag worms not a bad evening.

Keith

10 February 2002

Terrible nights fishing here, fished the tide 3 hours in and out, produced 1 coalfish and 2 small pollack. Baits were squid, mackerel and sandeels (frozen), even tried ultrabite but 2 no avail!! Does this stuff work, or do my fingers stink for nothing ? hehe  Information on places fishing well around N Ireland would be grrreat !!

Ricky


Rathmullan Pier

7 December 2002

Fished a night session at Rathmullan Pier, very cold easterly wind blew most of the time. Used rag and squid close in to tempt a few coalies to about 1lb

Rick


Waterfoot

20 January 2004 

Lots of small whiting on mackerel strips, squid and sandeel.Poor cod on lug and squid no doggies showed odd pouting and some small coalies on all baits.Sport from this venue at the present is not great unless you like small whiting.Hopefully the onset of spring will bring in some ray, dogfish and mackerel.

Eamon Mc Erlean

 

7 January 2004

Fished the pier from 19.00 until 00.30. there was three other fishermen.Started using fresh mackeral with squid tip, catching small pollock with each cast.Changed the rig(1 up 1 down) and used either sandeel mackeral or squid as bait.(sand eel caught nothing) Was catching some good sized doggies,five in all.Changed to a two hook flapper rig mackeral strip bait,catching pollock again, best of the night was cloce on four pound.Given some rag from other fishermen as they were leaving,They had caught a small rochling some pollock and codling.I caught some codling with the rag to finish off good nights fishing,best was pound and half.  

Nat

13 August 2003 Time: Day

Fished the pier between 11.00 and 15.30 (high tide at 13.00). Caught plenty of small pollack, coalfish, dabs and the odd late whiting close in as the tide was flooding. Fired rig (2 hook paternoster baited with ragworm, size 4 hooks) out about 30yds. Caught 2 good plaice, about 12ozs each. Pier quite crowded, saw a guy catching two good pollack to about 3lbs, and a young guy catch a nice codling about 1lb close in. As tide went out, everything went quiet so I moved up the pier a bit and fished close in among weeds and rocks. Caught a few small wrasse that put up a fair scrap, and then a tiny grey gurnard, of all things. Just after releasing it, caught another one! Next cast, up came a slightly bigger red gurnard. Strange. Everything went quiet from about 14.45, but saw a guy catch a huge grey gurnard, probably upwards if 1lb!! Pretty incredible. Packed up at 15.30, as ragworms were all used up. Great day's fishing. Very enjoyable.

Kenneth

1 August 2003

Fished Waterfoot pier on Friday starting about 8:00pm untill 2:00am (the high tide was 1:30am. It was a lovely calm night with a slight ofshore breeze. All I caught was a small place and a rockling. There were 4 other people fishing the pier but they wer not doing any better with only a few small fish caught.

Sam Craig

1 February 2003

Fished Waterfoot on Saturday night,again the weather was crap, strong wind with heavy rain showers.Unable to dig lug so had to make do with just squid.Caught 1 doggie,1 codling 1lb 9oz,1 coalie 1lb 3oz and 1 small dab.Nearly time to hang up the rods until May as codling seem to be disappearing quite quickly.

Tom.

28  January 2003

Last shore trip of the season to get rid of some bait. Mad Willy Wier and me headed to the big pier at Waterfoot and fished the tide in. Got doggies, coalies, small codling, rockling and a tiddly dab. Small stuff as usual but good craic. Time to oil the gear and hang em up til May!

Nev

 

18 January 2003

Me and Tony fished the rocks at Waterfoot on Saturday night from 6 to 11 on the flood tide.

Moderate southerly wind light rain and large swell

Between the two of us we caught 3 codling,2 dabs,

2rockling and 3 coalies.

Bait was lugworm.

Tom and Tony.

 

4 January 2003 

Fished a rock mark between Waterfoot and Cushendal. Weather very frosty and still, sea almost totally flat calm. Fishing excellent I had twelve codling and one coalie.The codling all averaged between 3/4lb and 2 1/4lb.Nothing very big but great sport. Bait used was lugworm.

Have not had this number of codling in one session for quite a few years from this venue.

Are things starting to pick up along this stretch of coastline at last?

Tom.

27 December 2002

Garron Point

Fished single hook size 3/0 Kamasan flapper with rotten bottoms using rag, lug and mackerel, first cast over the high point I caught a late Pollock just under size then Bobby Laughlin caught a strap conger followed by a cod 2lb weight, I latched into a good sized eel and tried for over 1 1/2hours to get it landed but the line parted, on my second rod I then lost a good codling possibly around 5lb plus however I lifted into two small strap congers at low tide, please note any one fishing at this venue at night  time must be careful as it is extremely dangerous

Stuart Langridge

18 December 2002

Fished the Pier, Again caught lots of small fish about 1 lb - 2 lb weight. Through in have a mackeral hoping for conger's, never got any, but it helped in keeping lots of fish around my hook. Have noticed that night time is better. Have realised that Waterfoot/Cusendall area is great because of the salmon cages situated 1/2 mile of shore. Don't bother travelling to spots where where bigger fish like bass,etc are supposed to be caught, fish where you are constantly catching reasonable sized fish alnight. It's only a matter of time when bigger ones will be caught. Go for a good night's fishing, don't go for expectations.

S Richmond

17 December 2002

Waterfoot pier is an excellant place to fish, catch lots of small flatties,coalies,cod about 1/2 lb - 1 lb and plenty of dogfish. I would recomend the lifeboat pier situated between Waterfoot and Cusendall as this is a good location for larger cod appox 1 lb - 3lb.

S Richmond

9 November 2002 Time:

My mate Tony and I fished the flood tide on the rocks near Waterfoot. Started off o.k. we had a couple of small codling,2 whiting and a tiny dab. Within 30 minutes the wind that had been light increased to near gale blowing from right to left making fishing too difficult. We packed up and moved back down the coast to Glenarm where we knew it would at least be sheltered. First cast I got a doggy and two minutes later tony also pulled in a woofer. We had a few more bites and W caught a codling about one pound. The rain started to get heavy and as we were running out of lug decided to call it a night. At least the small codling have appeared this year in reasonable numbers, not like last year when they were very scarce.

Tom and Tony

30 October 2002 Time: Day

Using a single hook paternoster rig, baited with squid and/or mackerel strips. Started fishing close in at 2pm. Caught numerous small coalies. Mullet and pollack/coalies shoaling near the surface. Some of them must have been at least 10lbs, but they weren't feeding and didn't respond. Cast further out using squid head, and caught a couple of nice coalies from 1lb to about 3 1/2lb. As the day progressed and the tide began to rise, pollock replaced the coalies and the big ones vanished. At about 4 30pm saw a HUGE doggie swim about 2ft out from the pier. It must have been at least 12lb. It returned 5 minutes later, and completely ignored the bait. At about 5 30pm it became freezing cold and I decided to pack up and head home. Last fish of the day was a tiny plaice, only about 6oz and the size of my hand.

Kenneth

12 October 2002 Time: Day

Went down to Waterfoot tried the pier first caught pollock, whitting and coalie's all small stuff. Then we tried the Beach caught plenty of flounder and a few plaice. Great day's fishing we were using rag. Fishing it on the up.

Craig Henderson

12 October 2002 Time: Day

Great day's fishing went to pier first caught a whitting,pollock and a coalie. Then went to beach caught 2 plaice and 5 flounder.Anyone who likes flattie fishing get yourself a pound of rag.fish the tide on the up.

Craig Henderson

 
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