Trip to Ireland - Day 1 Wrasse & Bass

My October trip to Ireland was problematic to say the least. This started with my original visit to Wexford being cancelled due to the forecasted easterly winds and poor conditions. With a few days to sketch out an alternative I put a trip together to Kerry with the intention of fishing four days. This too was cut short due to Kevin over in Kerry getting the flu. When I ended up in Cobh fishing Cork Harbour on Tuesday I had lost a day’s fishing and was truly on plan Z. Not one to be put off with a few setbacks I caught fish every day and had a great time. The Guinness was good and the breakfast’s full so I’ll be cutting back over the next week or two….

Day 1

The late morning session was uneventful with a cloudless sky and gin clear water with a cool NE wind blowing I fished an estuary for Bass. I rolled some Wave Worms, SG Slugs and a tried a variety of lures and had one offer. There was a slight break with some surf running from the beach into the channel of the estuary. With the sun shining through the waves I watched shoals of Mullet and probably some Bass using them to their advantage and dropping down into the channel as the waves broke down. Time for change, when the sun shines its Wrasse time.

My first fish in Kerry, not a place for vertigo

This mark was 30 ft high at the point we were standing on and into 60 ft of water. It was a nice platform to fish from and take some pcitures( unless it had been wet) Strangely not much weed but stepped rock ledges. I was standing on a major overhang and passed Kevin the rod as I handlined the fish up, some nice braid cuts for my troubles.

Wrasse heaven

Double hook ups

Kevin stuck with bait but after watching me catch on SP's tried a firetail and also had a couple of fish

I dont know how long these Lunker City Ribsters will last ?

A stray Pollack

My best Wrasse on plastic so far.It took what was left of a Ribster.

No doubt the best Wrasse session I've had. I can see why Henry Gilbey fished here to film an episode of Wild Fishing.

After some food I fished with Noel from Dublin who picked me up late on when I should have been thinking about having a kip. He has a place down there and despite asking around his mates nobody would try for Bass on lures at night with him. On our second mark I had this small Bass on my first cast after we moved. It was good to see that the same approach works over in Ireland and was the first of three fish.

My first Kerry Bass on a lure at night