LiamNE
Well-known member
Had my annual trip up to the Stranraer area with the old men 
and little brother Nathan from 3rd - 9th July.
Arrived on the Friday afternoon to glorious weather, dug some bait and got the shopping in. Weather came on the telly and it seemed the forecast from Saturday onwards was due to do a total 180 - typical
Our Nathan's body language summed it up
Sat 4th - Sure enough, weather was awful - what a difference a day makes! It was still warmish, but with a brisk wind and Sunday due to be a bit better - we decided to have a look on the old Cairnryan pier, get some macky and fish for doggies.
However...even the macky wernt there! me and our Nath walked the whole pier with not one in sight, but we tried anyway and made a day out of it. A few coley and pollock <0.5lbs brought in, which is still good sport on my Shimano Vengeance and 5lb line.
Highlight of the day was catching (again!) the impossible cod out of loch Ryan and predicting I would get it seconds beforehand. Anyone whos fished the pier knows that more collapses every year and its a bloody dangerous pier frankly - watch your step! A big section has fallen in since I was last on and with it a ton of rubble. I said to our Nathan - I bet theres a cod taken up residence in those boulders...changed to a rhubarb n custard jelly sidewinder and within seconds boom - a little cod.
- All fish returned
We had a ride over to Stranraer pier in the evening to find local anglers bringing in macky full houses and a local was kind enough to give me half a dozen for bait - thank you :thumbup:
Sunday 5th - Weather warm but windy with a bit rain, sea was lumpy with a canny swell. Me and Nath headed to the west coast rocks - a poor days fishing is still better than a day in the caravan I thought.
Turned out to be a cracker with PB pollock for us both, including a beauty for our Nathan and the biggest shore caught pollock I have seen with my own eyes.
I was bait fishing + float and bringing them in steady, but nothing over 2lb. Our Nathan pulled in a nice sand eel on the spinner which we kept as bait, chucked it on my float and the whole thing shot down instantly. The vengeance bent over double and a canny scrap in 15ft of water produced a pollock nudging 5lb, making it my PB pollock. Unfortunately for all the gear I brought - no scales! but it was certainly a safe 4.5lb
Nathan was using a 12ft rod for spinning with DustyBin spinner and I saw it bend over which brought him in a similar size pollock and his PB - chuffed to bits for him. 2 casts later soon as he dropped his rod doubled over and although I’d already seen the action and was on my way over to help his cries of "Liam! Liam!" confirmed it was a good one. After a good fight and me getting soaked it was well worth it and a privilege to land his lovely pollock, again no scales but an easy 6lb+ and new shore PB for Nathan.
A few nice size macky caught and a few little wrasse also thrown in, a doggie for me on bait too - what a day! 2 PB pollock and a new shore PB for our Nathan - brilliant, just brilliant
Monday 6th - With much worse weather today...well, we had to at least try again! So off me and our Nath went. We got a couple hours in until the point it just became unfishable. Float getting washed straight back in, far too windy to get the spinners/jelly out and generally just unpleasant so we went back.
A couple little pollock and wrasse caught, but nothing notable and all fish returned.
I know it doesn’t look so bad on here, but trust me - it was! and its a long way doooon
Tuesday 7th - Even worse today...had a shot right off the caravan site in shallow water for an hour before buckets of rain seemed to even seep through water proofs.
Wednesday 8th - EVEN worse weather today meant that despite being hard as f**k north east cod bashers there was no fishing to be done in winds averaging 30mph.
Thursday 9th - final day A lot better today and so we headed near to the MoG again and had a days fishing much similar to the brilliant first day but with no monsters. Unfortunately no camera today...but wrasse, pollock, macky and a few coley. Our Nathan on pretty much the final cast pulling in a nice pollock and best of the day around 3.5lb on the spinner.
So an unfortunate week weather wise but some nice fish caught with a couple PBs amongst our group of 5....back to reality and work now come Monday!
Cheers
- Liam
and little brother Nathan from 3rd - 9th July.Arrived on the Friday afternoon to glorious weather, dug some bait and got the shopping in. Weather came on the telly and it seemed the forecast from Saturday onwards was due to do a total 180 - typical
Our Nathan's body language summed it up
Sat 4th - Sure enough, weather was awful - what a difference a day makes! It was still warmish, but with a brisk wind and Sunday due to be a bit better - we decided to have a look on the old Cairnryan pier, get some macky and fish for doggies.
However...even the macky wernt there! me and our Nath walked the whole pier with not one in sight, but we tried anyway and made a day out of it. A few coley and pollock <0.5lbs brought in, which is still good sport on my Shimano Vengeance and 5lb line.
Highlight of the day was catching (again!) the impossible cod out of loch Ryan and predicting I would get it seconds beforehand. Anyone whos fished the pier knows that more collapses every year and its a bloody dangerous pier frankly - watch your step! A big section has fallen in since I was last on and with it a ton of rubble. I said to our Nathan - I bet theres a cod taken up residence in those boulders...changed to a rhubarb n custard jelly sidewinder and within seconds boom - a little cod.
- All fish returned 
We had a ride over to Stranraer pier in the evening to find local anglers bringing in macky full houses and a local was kind enough to give me half a dozen for bait - thank you :thumbup:
Sunday 5th - Weather warm but windy with a bit rain, sea was lumpy with a canny swell. Me and Nath headed to the west coast rocks - a poor days fishing is still better than a day in the caravan I thought.
Turned out to be a cracker with PB pollock for us both, including a beauty for our Nathan and the biggest shore caught pollock I have seen with my own eyes.
I was bait fishing + float and bringing them in steady, but nothing over 2lb. Our Nathan pulled in a nice sand eel on the spinner which we kept as bait, chucked it on my float and the whole thing shot down instantly. The vengeance bent over double and a canny scrap in 15ft of water produced a pollock nudging 5lb, making it my PB pollock. Unfortunately for all the gear I brought - no scales! but it was certainly a safe 4.5lb
Nathan was using a 12ft rod for spinning with DustyBin spinner and I saw it bend over which brought him in a similar size pollock and his PB - chuffed to bits for him. 2 casts later soon as he dropped his rod doubled over and although I’d already seen the action and was on my way over to help his cries of "Liam! Liam!" confirmed it was a good one. After a good fight and me getting soaked it was well worth it and a privilege to land his lovely pollock, again no scales but an easy 6lb+ and new shore PB for Nathan.
A few nice size macky caught and a few little wrasse also thrown in, a doggie for me on bait too - what a day! 2 PB pollock and a new shore PB for our Nathan - brilliant, just brilliant
Monday 6th - With much worse weather today...well, we had to at least try again! So off me and our Nath went. We got a couple hours in until the point it just became unfishable. Float getting washed straight back in, far too windy to get the spinners/jelly out and generally just unpleasant so we went back.
A couple little pollock and wrasse caught, but nothing notable and all fish returned.
I know it doesn’t look so bad on here, but trust me - it was! and its a long way doooon
Tuesday 7th - Even worse today...had a shot right off the caravan site in shallow water for an hour before buckets of rain seemed to even seep through water proofs.
Wednesday 8th - EVEN worse weather today meant that despite being hard as f**k north east cod bashers
there was no fishing to be done in winds averaging 30mph.Thursday 9th - final day A lot better today and so we headed near to the MoG again and had a days fishing much similar to the brilliant first day but with no monsters. Unfortunately no camera today...but wrasse, pollock, macky and a few coley. Our Nathan on pretty much the final cast pulling in a nice pollock and best of the day around 3.5lb on the spinner.
So an unfortunate week weather wise but some nice fish caught with a couple PBs amongst our group of 5....back to reality and work now come Monday!
Cheers
- Liam
