Irish kayak angling Donegal meet part 2

Hi everyone.
With the last meet being so productive and we have had numerous mini meets in between there where quiet a few lads looking to come up for this meet. But with the weather being so changeable and a poor forecast it wasn't really viable for the lads down south to travel so far to take a chance on getting out.
But quiet a few lads still made the trip despite the poor fore cast.
The forecast was 14mph NW with a small sharp swell for Saturday and Sunday was to be around 5mph SE at 4am and to freshen at around 6pm to 35mph or more.

Friday night
The lads landed at Tullagh ahead of me on Friday night with the intension of getting an evening session but it was very breezy and they only got a short session in close but they had lots of mackerel and Pollack but I think there highlight was a large basking shark came in for swim with the lads. By the sounds of it they loved it.

Saturday 11am.
Saturday came and the rest of the lads where on the ball and at Tullagh at 11am and ready to fish but the weather was brutal, so we decided to hit the Lough Foyle.

We didn't hang around all hands where in Moville and ready for the off. It was great flat calm in the shelter from the wind. We paddled across and anchored in our usual mark and everyone had a tope line. But hopes where low as the news was that the tope had left the foyle for the season.
We fished away and new member John and I where sorting tying tandem when my tope rod screamed in to life.
Have to say I wasn't ready for him I had the rod sat behind, So I grabbed and struck hard twice and half connected to the tope and as he ran he dropped the hook. AGH I was gutted. But it was a good sign. Myself and John got set up and we all fished on from the low water slack up to about 3hrs into the flood. With no Joy. So the plan was to hit some rocky marks for some conger not far from Moville. The lads where first across the Foyle and myself and John soon followed.

The brother David was into the old hot spot like a shot with the rest of the lads close in behind. So myself and  John went to the other side of the pier.
Anchor in and myself and John got some squashed mackerel in to wake up the congers.
With that we sat for about 15mins when Johns rod got a nodding take and John struck into a feisty conger. I wasn't very happy and fought like a demon and dragged John all over the place. He was having a ball and all the while getting use to using a multiplier reel. After the good tussle he got the conger in for a few pics.

By now the lads had no joy and soon came around to fish our side after hearing the commotion with John's conger, Well done John on your first kayak caught conger.

Soon after that it was my turn and I landed a smaller conger but I was still delighted to see it.

 

As you can see had the lines in here now and Anto was next with a conger but the crafty bugger got into the rocks before he could get him clear.

But Anto was happy enough as he had had 2 new species a corkwing wrasse and a lesser weaver fish.

With that we headed ashore and head to Tullagh bay to set up camp for the night.

We met up with the rest of the lads at Tulagh and they had the camp fire and the bbq going fair play to them.

 

Beer  O'clock.                                                                                                                                            

With the bbq going banter flying I was happy to sit by the fire but Anto went out for a night session and he done rather well with lots of Pollack and mackerel.

But it wasn't long until we where all around the fire for some beer and banter.

 

The hunt for mini jaws continues

Hi all,
With the weather forecast to be brutal last week end, I decided to have a crack at a lull in the wind.
The tides where not great I would be fishing the ebb tide most of the time, but sure you just take what you get.
So it was out to my usual spot for a hunt for various species from tope, spurdogs to gurnard and scad.
With an outside chance of a porgbeagle, at this stage my nemesis. They are tormenting me at the moment lol.

6.30am at the launch site.
I landed at my mark near Malin head with very little breeze and fairly calm looking sea. I was delighted to see how good it was. In fact I was quiet surprised.
So kayak readied and I was away,
All was not as calm as it looked. There was a dirty chop that hits you from all side. We call it washing machine chop lol, As it knocks you all over the place. Definitly uncomfortable but fishable so on out I went.
I would have loved to head out to a mark about 3.5km out but with the forecast giving nasty wind for 4pm. I stayed about 2km from shore.
I headed out getting some bait along the way and it wasn't hard there where lots of mackerel about.

Anchors away.
I got to my mark anchor down and chum bucket deployed.
With a few reports of some nice sharking coming in I had high hopes of giving the 50lb class rod a work out. So bait was floated off down tide with a flapper and fillet for extra scent.
So with that out of the way the tope rod and spurdog/species rod was sent down to see what was about.

Not very much.
Well there wasn't very much about to be honest, lots of doggies and mackerel but that was it. It was desperately quiet. But really sharks where the main order of the day. I had a fine slick going from the chum bucket so I was staying put.
The doggies where keeping me busy and as I sat there I saw a few strong swirls in the chum line which turned out to be a garfish, A single hook was sent down the chum line and after a few minutes he hit it only to come off at the side of the kayak,
I think these 3 where over for a laugh.

Tide on the turn.
I hoped as the tide turned that things would change and even though it was a big tide it took a long time to turn, must have been nearly an hour before the tide got up enough to turn the kayak against the slight breeze.
The tide had eventually got up to speed and my chum line had spread out a long way. I was still hope full of some action.
Soon after that I got a take on the tope rod and this time I had a slightly better fight and I had hoped it was a spurdog or huss, thankfully it was a nice little huss of only 58cm but nice to see him on a tough day.

I was sitting there with my balloon out about 40yards away and to my left what jumps, but a porbeagle shark, not a very big one, but a porgie of about 30 to 40lb. He came out of the and slumped down on his side. A nice site but be better if he had my hook in his mouth lol.
I was at the edge of my seat waiting for a hit. About 5 mins passed and not a nibble. So I got the feathers down for some live bait to see if that would tempt him.
I managed 3 very small mackerel so I lipped hooked him and floated him down the chum line on my lighter set up. It consisted of 50lb braid, 150lb wind on leader, and 400lb biting wire with an 8/0 Cox/Rawle meat hook.

He wasn't big but he was a lively fella.
Out he went down tide beside the other bait to see what would happen.
And with in 5 mins a rush of mackerel came across the water behind me, It actually made me jump. It sounds like a wave breaking lol, I also thought the porgie was after them but this happened for the rest of the day all around me. they seemed to be feeding on plankton and if a gull came near they would all charge off making a big rushing noise.

The wait.
Well the wait continued and that was the last I saw of the porgie, he didn't come up the chum line or circle around me , well if he did I didn't see him.
I fished on and the rod with the mickey fish rig on was catching away at doggies and I managed 1 scad compared to the previous outing where I had about 23. I also had a squid jig on the top which caught me 1 squid and I lost I did loose 2 squid but I think the doggies nailed them before I could get the off the bottom. Also this little sod came up twice each time I thought it was a squid so the 3rd time he was put in jail until I was going home lol.

As you can see the chum bucket had been emptied to try and tempt mini jaws in close so I was out of chum by now and with no sign of him , I decided to troll my shark bait along side the many shoals of mackerel charging around the place. I passed quiet a few with not joy so I set a short drift and fished the bottom with the mickeyfish rig. In no time I was hitting gurnards, red and grey and even hit a Pollack much to my surprise.

Nothing massive but nice to see when it's quiet.

Getting windy as predicted.

As predicted the wind was starting to kick up about 3.30pm so I trolled my big bait all the way in and some mackerel feathers picking up a few extra mackerel for bait on the way and hoping the mackerel action would bring the big fellas in for a look.

 

So no monsters this time, But I will be back and will try again.

So until next time tight lines and paddle safe.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

Two sessions brotherly rivelry and tope

 

It's that time of year and the brother David Smith was on his holidays so he was busting for a go at the tope or sharks.
Since the sharks where out of reach with the weather we had a bash at the tope in the Lough Foyle.
David had one earlier on in the year here at the Donegal meet and was itching to get another.

Take, take, take.
Our first chance came and out we went about a 1 hour before high water.
It was a handy paddle but bait again was very scarce.
I got 4 small whiting and 1 small mackerel on the way over and David also got 1 mackerel and 1 whiting. We split the bait and went over to our mark.
Anchors in and baits down.
Our lines where in only minutes when David's rod got a good take, then another. I was giving him some stick for missing the takes and I was shouting directions on how to hook them, just in time for his next hit. This time he done it to a tee and set the hook. The fight was on and as usual the tope was going ballistic, squeals of joy from David as the tope tested him and his gear, But pop the trace broke. The brotherly banter started and I asked him what he had on as a trace. When he replied he had a set of large home made rigs on tied with mono the banter was fierce lol,  and he was advised to stick to wire hook traces.

Mayhem.
No sooner had the slagging stopped my rods started to bob. Rod down and hook set I was in. He was fighting close to me and started to head across the other line before I could get it in. Then it also took off. I also hooked that one and mayhem ensued.
I had one rod going one way and the other going the other. They crossed the lines and one broke when they snagged on each other. So I still had one very lively tope on and he was going mad. A great fighter.
 I got my tope to the kayak and as I grabbed the rubbing leader the knot on the swivel parted, A certain swear word could be heard all around the foyle. I couldn't believe it. David couldn't help himself and had to ask what trace have you on lol, I couldn't write the reply he got lol, But sure no point dwelling on it.
I soon re-rigged.

Bait shortage,
The 2 rods set up again and the lack of bait was rearing its head.
I got 3 baits from 1 mack, 2 fillet baits and a head bait.
So I put 1 fillet and 1 whiting bait out.
Which left me with very little bait. So the light rod went out for what ever I could catch.
By now David had also hooked into a tope. It was a good fighter and going ballistic. It done every thing to get away. But in a short time he got his in, and it was in the 25lb to 30lb range.

Rods away,
Now only a few minutes had passed and my rod started to bob and bounce, very similar to a dogfish take. This was not good as bait was scarce. So I reeled down and struck, oh it wasn't a doggie lol, It was a tope a mad lively header of a tope and rather than running he shot up down and side to side. A very scrappy fight and very hard to second guess him, but dam it was fun.
I got him in and that brought it to 1 each thankfully lol.

Tide turning.
By now the tide had turned and we where having a ball. I had a missed run and he didn't come back for a second hit. Another bait knackered the last bait was already down. But hold on the light rod was rattling and up came a dab about the size of your hand. He was hooked as live bait and put down on a flowing trace and I left the raggy piece of mackerel on as well so if he dug into the sand the crabs would harass until he would move.
He didn't get a chance to settle when he was hit very hard and after a good scrap a nice 30lb tope came on to the kayak for a quick snap.

The score was 2 to me and 1 to David.
If you think I am competitive David is ten times worse lol.
David was busting for another and the tope where more than obliging and again nailed David's bait. A half hearted run followed, It was one of those runs that you know he's not properly hooked and soon he came off, much to Davids dismay.

Tide getting stronger.
The tide now was really flying now and we where thinking of home when my rod took off and boy did he take off using every bit of the tide to help him scream line off. As always a cracker of a fight and massively addictive type of fishing, the best of craic on light gear.

The score now  three, one  to me and only for the lack of bait I'd say David would have stayed on lol.

Session 2 tables turned.
The next day another short session was on the cards.
I was busting to hit a tope on the fly so that was my plan.
Again the bait fish where desperately scarce with myself only getting 1 sandeel and 2 small dabs and David getting 1 mackerel.
We set up on our mark had a good bucket of chum with me to bring the tope close for the fly.
Again it wasn't long for the tope to show up.
My bait rod was very close to my kayak and it got a hit, so I lifted it away from him quickly and began to draw the fly over him, but he didn't touch it.
David also got a hit and hooked up and was having a great scrap and he was having a ball.
This tope was mental going mad and at all sorts. He even jumped over the bow of his kayak at one stage lol. I think he thought he was a salmon lol.
Tope in and pic taken it was 1 nil to David,

Would I get a hit on the fly.
I wasn't worried as tope on the fly is something I'd love to do.
No time had passed and another tope had found my bait this happened 2 more times and the fly was drawn near them with no hits or follows.
I was assuming at this stage my fly was not deep enough and David was into tope 2. It was landed and gave him a battering while on his kayak lol. What happened was the tope was a tad lively and he tried to hold the tope by the tail and it reared up and head butted him lol. It  was comical. David didn't care he was having the time of his life.
Here's David sporting his shark wounds lol,
Getting shown  up lol.
The score was 2 nil to David and I had missed out on 3 tope by trying to get one on the fly.
Oh I would never live this down if he had 2 and I blanked lol.
I put the fly to one side and wanted to get at least 1. I had the 2 rods in now 1 with a dab and the other with a half sandeel.
By now David was grinning like a Cheshire cat and was delighted with himself.
Soon my sandeel got wholloped and a good run was had but while clearing the fly rod he got some slack line and dropped the hook.
 The tope seemed to be in packs as we both would get hit at a similar times.
David was hooked up as well and managed to land tope number 3.
I on the other hand was down to 1 dab and he wasn't on the hook to long when he was devoured by a tope. A great roaring run and half way through the fight bang my wire trace broke. Oh I was very disappointed. But sure these things happen from time to time, and it was time for home.
David was over the moon with his 3 tope and even more delighted since I blanked. So a bit of slagging and tough paddle home finished 2 good sessions for us.
So we had 6 tope over the 2 evenings and serious bit of craic. Well done David ya jammy bugger lol.

So until next time tight lines all, well except David lol, Only joking.
Thanks for reading.