Davyred
Well-known member
Got back yesterday from 4 days up at the Mull. Yet again, another great break and a new venue fished with decent results.
Tuesday
Travelled over in terrible conditions, it was like a 180 mile long thunderstorm. My mate living in Sandhead text me on the way to say it was exactly the same there - a great start. Anyway, by the time I got there about midday, it had cleared up. Luce bay look still and clear, so it was straight out to my favourite bass mark with the plugs. First fish I seen was this....
A small tope washed up. As I went along the shore, there were a few doggies there as well. Anyway, to the fishing. Within minutes of casting out, I could see a few fish rolling in the weed, together with some mullet closer in - things looked good. The first fish of the trip wasn't long in coming, a little schoolie.
This was closely followed by another slightly better fish, then a nice fish just over 3lb that gave me a really good fight on light gear....
As soon as the tide turned, the weed came and they were gone. Still, a great start to the break. One thing I noticed was there was a seal about 100yds offshore, but it didn't seem to affect the fish. This has happened in the past for me up there, a seal has put in an appearance but I've caught fish.
As Low water was in the evening, after I'd got sorted out with my digs, I went to try a Pollack spot I was told about a couple of years ago that fishes over low water. The weather by this time was lovely with hardly a breath of wind.
Fishing was slow to be honest, I managed just the one pollack on a savage gear eel with nothing coming to the float.
By this time, I was starting to flag, so it was off to the digs for a well earned pint and plans set in place for tomorrow.
Wednesday
Plan of the day was to fish upto top of the tide again for Bass, then head over the west side to fish a mark I'd found last year for Pollack. As I was walking up to the bays I fish, the southerly breeze was noticeably picking up and sure enough, as soon as I got there and had my first cast, it was all over the place - weed. I tried all three marks and all had the same problem, you just couldn't fish it. Disheartened, I walked back to the car and headed over to the west side. As I got to the top of the cliffs, there was a pretty big sea running.
It doesn't look too bad on this pic, but when I got down there, it was big enough. I had a few casts with frozen sandeel, redgills, jellyworms but never got a touch. I never tried the float as it would have been a waste of time. Back to the car it was then, this wasn't going to be a good day. On the way back to the digs, I stopped off at another mark on the east side that looked 'bassy'. No weed this time, just really good ground. Result after 2 hours -nothing. Was it because there was no seal there? With that, it was time to hatch the plan for Thursday back at the digs.
Thursday
All during my time up there, I'd been suffering from an abscess on one of my teeth. After intense pain on Wednesday night and waking up with the side of my face puffed up, I took a visit to the dentist in Stranraer to get it sorted, so fishing would have to wait until later.
By the time I got sorted out, the wind had dropped, the bay was flat calm so hopes were high. Walked to the marks just before high water and the stuff was still there. Weed. Lots of it. I tried moving but wherever I went, it was there. What I also noticed were the clouds rolling in over my shoulder on the west side. Totally cheesed off, I got my gear ready for a Pollack session over low water at another mark beside Portpatrick.
Arrived at Portpatrick and found it misty, damp and overcast.
Got to my mark at set out the float rod with Mackerel, while spinning with frozen Sandeel. After a slow start, I noticed my float shoot under, so grabbing the carp rod, I tried to stop the fish heading for the kelp. I failed. I gave it slack and 10 minutes and out she came. A nice fish just under 5lb. (You can see how swollen my face was in the pic
)
Fishing was steady until low water, getting 7 fish up to 4lb on spun frozen Sandeel - nothing more on the float. As time went on, it was getting darker and darker, so not wanting to climb the cliff in the dark, I packed up.
Friday
Last day. Given the success from the mark I fished last night, I went over to fish the morning low water. What a difference the day makes to the weather...
The marks a long way down....
Deciding just to spin rather than floatfish as well, I had jellies, redgills and frozen sandeel. After its success the previous night, I fished a frozen sandeel behind a 2oz Barrel lead on my Conoflex Assassin. Fishing was slow, a couple of tentative pulls, but I think the bright sunshine was putting the fish off. I did get one out of about 3lb which saved the blank. After fishing until half flood with no improvement fishing wise, it was back over to Luce Bay for one last go at the Bass.
Getting over there, things looked perfect.
First cast and I slowly started to retrieve....no weed! Over the moon, I set about my last session after the silver bars, fishing the three marks I'd had success from in the past. Nothing. Not a rise. Yet again though, no seal. Coincidence? I'm starting to wonder. I would have fished the evening low tide, but a few pints with my mate up there were in order, as we'd never had the chance to get out in his boat this year due to his work commitments. By the time I had a few pints in the Tigh na Mara, it was 2am.
So another year gone. Not too many fish this year, but the place has a magic that you just don't know what you're going to hook into.
Tuesday
Travelled over in terrible conditions, it was like a 180 mile long thunderstorm. My mate living in Sandhead text me on the way to say it was exactly the same there - a great start. Anyway, by the time I got there about midday, it had cleared up. Luce bay look still and clear, so it was straight out to my favourite bass mark with the plugs. First fish I seen was this....
A small tope washed up. As I went along the shore, there were a few doggies there as well. Anyway, to the fishing. Within minutes of casting out, I could see a few fish rolling in the weed, together with some mullet closer in - things looked good. The first fish of the trip wasn't long in coming, a little schoolie.
This was closely followed by another slightly better fish, then a nice fish just over 3lb that gave me a really good fight on light gear....
As soon as the tide turned, the weed came and they were gone. Still, a great start to the break. One thing I noticed was there was a seal about 100yds offshore, but it didn't seem to affect the fish. This has happened in the past for me up there, a seal has put in an appearance but I've caught fish.
As Low water was in the evening, after I'd got sorted out with my digs, I went to try a Pollack spot I was told about a couple of years ago that fishes over low water. The weather by this time was lovely with hardly a breath of wind.
Fishing was slow to be honest, I managed just the one pollack on a savage gear eel with nothing coming to the float.
By this time, I was starting to flag, so it was off to the digs for a well earned pint and plans set in place for tomorrow.
Wednesday
Plan of the day was to fish upto top of the tide again for Bass, then head over the west side to fish a mark I'd found last year for Pollack. As I was walking up to the bays I fish, the southerly breeze was noticeably picking up and sure enough, as soon as I got there and had my first cast, it was all over the place - weed. I tried all three marks and all had the same problem, you just couldn't fish it. Disheartened, I walked back to the car and headed over to the west side. As I got to the top of the cliffs, there was a pretty big sea running.
It doesn't look too bad on this pic, but when I got down there, it was big enough. I had a few casts with frozen sandeel, redgills, jellyworms but never got a touch. I never tried the float as it would have been a waste of time. Back to the car it was then, this wasn't going to be a good day. On the way back to the digs, I stopped off at another mark on the east side that looked 'bassy'. No weed this time, just really good ground. Result after 2 hours -nothing. Was it because there was no seal there? With that, it was time to hatch the plan for Thursday back at the digs.
Thursday
All during my time up there, I'd been suffering from an abscess on one of my teeth. After intense pain on Wednesday night and waking up with the side of my face puffed up, I took a visit to the dentist in Stranraer to get it sorted, so fishing would have to wait until later.
By the time I got sorted out, the wind had dropped, the bay was flat calm so hopes were high. Walked to the marks just before high water and the stuff was still there. Weed. Lots of it. I tried moving but wherever I went, it was there. What I also noticed were the clouds rolling in over my shoulder on the west side. Totally cheesed off, I got my gear ready for a Pollack session over low water at another mark beside Portpatrick.
Arrived at Portpatrick and found it misty, damp and overcast.
Got to my mark at set out the float rod with Mackerel, while spinning with frozen Sandeel. After a slow start, I noticed my float shoot under, so grabbing the carp rod, I tried to stop the fish heading for the kelp. I failed. I gave it slack and 10 minutes and out she came. A nice fish just under 5lb. (You can see how swollen my face was in the pic
)
Fishing was steady until low water, getting 7 fish up to 4lb on spun frozen Sandeel - nothing more on the float. As time went on, it was getting darker and darker, so not wanting to climb the cliff in the dark, I packed up.
Friday
Last day. Given the success from the mark I fished last night, I went over to fish the morning low water. What a difference the day makes to the weather...
The marks a long way down....
Deciding just to spin rather than floatfish as well, I had jellies, redgills and frozen sandeel. After its success the previous night, I fished a frozen sandeel behind a 2oz Barrel lead on my Conoflex Assassin. Fishing was slow, a couple of tentative pulls, but I think the bright sunshine was putting the fish off. I did get one out of about 3lb which saved the blank. After fishing until half flood with no improvement fishing wise, it was back over to Luce Bay for one last go at the Bass.
Getting over there, things looked perfect.
First cast and I slowly started to retrieve....no weed! Over the moon, I set about my last session after the silver bars, fishing the three marks I'd had success from in the past. Nothing. Not a rise. Yet again though, no seal. Coincidence? I'm starting to wonder. I would have fished the evening low tide, but a few pints with my mate up there were in order, as we'd never had the chance to get out in his boat this year due to his work commitments. By the time I had a few pints in the Tigh na Mara, it was 2am.
So another year gone. Not too many fish this year, but the place has a magic that you just don't know what you're going to hook into.
