Kerry by Kayak

At start of my holiday I managed a couple of trips, but I felt I needed a few days away to reset the clock, so to speak. The forecast for the remainder of my time off was looking grim, there was little prospect of getting afloat anywhere that interested me. I had a look on Windguru and XC Weather and set off for Co Kerry at 24-hour notice.

It was a fair old road trip, a ferry, three countries and three tolls roads. I actually arrived in Ballinskelligs at 5pm after a few comfort breaks.

 I stayed at the Skellig Lodge, hosted by Freda. I can recommend the lodge for budget accommodation and location, as well as Freda’s hospitality. It’s a great spot to explore the area and it suited me for the coming and going at the hours an angler keeps on these kinds of trips. If you book, try and do this with her directly, the cost will be less than using a booking platform.If you are a Star Wars fan you will probably recognise the rock which sits imposingly just off shore. Another time, I would liked to have made that trip.

I had a cracking view across the bay. After a couple of glasses of wine and a social with a few of the other residents, it didn’t take long before I was ready for bed. I could hear the waves on the beach about 500 yards away and I was glad I had made the effort to get away.

I had three days fishing planned with the option of a fourth if I decided to arrive home and go straight back to work the next day. I knew next to nothing about the area, but I had fished the wider bay area for two days a few years back. To be fair, I was relaxed about the prospects. I opted for here for a chance of some Bass and Pollack, but as much as anything, just to get away from it all.

Day one was forecast to be bright and flat calm. I opted to launch at the castle beach area in Ballinskelligs, about 500 yards from my bedroom. That certainly beat my normal two- hour drive, this put a smile on face from the get-go as I got my gear ready. I was straight in to fish, albeit just small Pollack, on the weed line across towards the pier and I managed a 40cm Bass before the tide bottomed out and the sun hit the water fully. The fishing wasn’t great, but it was a good day to get around and have a look at various spots. I didn’t look at my mileage log when I was on the water but by the end of the session, I had done 12.9 miles! In hindsight, I should have spent less time trying for Bass at the head of Waterville Bay, towards the abandoned hotel. I chased Gannets and Terns, trolled and drifted in the tide and threw every lure in the box. I was also out in the centre of the bay, by mid-afternoon I was at Horse Island looking for Pollack. Even on a calm day the swell was a challenge at that spot. I spent the last few hours between Horse Island and the main harbour. There was a stack of bait and I took countless Pollack to about 40cms. The interesting thing for me was how fussy they were. 

Poor conditions for Kerry Bass. Right about here, the little Pollack were smacking the SP's in 5-10ft of water, good fun.

The FBM’s that had worked in the morning were totally redundant, in any colour. The only thing that would work were soft plastics in natural sandeel or pearl, with a thin profile and fished on the lightest jig head I had, which was about 8 grams.  Not the worst start on a new venue and an enjoyable day afloat. I was asleep by 9.30pm.

Day two saw me launching on the opposite side of the bay. I took a wrong turn while exiting Waterville, but I had fantastic view of the bay from the high road that heads south.

There was an increase in wind strength and the slip had a slight swell landing on it, but the direction was fine being from the SW. This was good news, more movement as well as some cloud cover improved my prospects for Bass. I had some fantastic drifts along the shoreline where I expected to get hit on every cast. I started to pick up the small Pollack but nothing of any note. As the tide turned, the wind increased, as did the swell, my legs were over the side constantly while on the drift. I was travelling across a rocky point in 10ft of water when my rod bent over, it was heavy with slow, solid head shakes, it felt like a Bass and a good one at that. On the previous drift I had caught a few small Pollack, pretty much what I was expecting again, but this felt odd. It was coming in like a heavy wet sack. Despite me thinking it was a Bass I still surprised when a lovely fish of 7/8 pounds appeared.The drag was clamped down tight as I was in Pollack territory, I backed this off a bit and grabbed the net, as I did this, the fish at last realised what was going on. It made it’s one and only run and kelped me. Normally backing off with slack I would be getting the fish to swim out, but the drift had taken me around it and it felt like I had put a further loop of braid around the kelp. I waited ten minutes, when I came tight, I could feel the fish occasionally lunging and the braid slipping against the kelp, a horrible feeling. The fluro eventually broke. I pedalled off swearing and cut off 20ft of braid and tied a new leader.

I started to pick up the odd Wrasse, about the only things there were interested in the FBM's. This one darted out from below my boat following the lure, which I  duly dropped down again. It then rearranged my deck space, FBM and put my reel in the water. Aggressive Irish Wrasse indeed!

About an hour, later I was drifting about 80 yards off the surf line, 12ft of water and was just thinking how good it looked, yet again…. As I tapped my lure along the bottom, I had a solid take and a nice couple of runs, thank goodness. As I was netting the fish, I backed out with the 180 drive, took a few quick snaps and set myself up for the next drift, bang! It felt like I had found them, maybe they found me? With four fish in 30 mins, it was done. I fished hard for a good while but couldn’t locate them again, tired, it was time to hit the beach.

The camera gremlins were back, this pissed me off, my fault entirely . I had the sun slightly behind me.The Revo is a long unit to manoeuvre so I paid the price and lost the quality of the images.

 My final day, the wind 15-20mph, rain, a good day for Bass in these here parts I’m told. Due to the swell, I didn’t fancy yesterday’s launch site, possibly a mistake on my part. Despite a hardcore 5 hours constant effort all I had were Mackerel. I hit the areas at the head of the bay hard where terns and gannets were at it constantly. I did some chasing, but there was one area that had almost constant activity, absolutely nada, Ready for a change I headed off to a spot I had marked on the plotter on the way out. I put away the light rod, picked up the Morethan and tightened the drag down as much as I dared, I needed to. 

This went home to Freda.

Great fun, with the reel only giving the slightest of ground in very heavy cover, the curve of the rod was alarming. Just what you need on a dour day. I was wishing I had done more of this, it was feet over the sides job in the choppy waves and swell. It looks OK in the images, but it took some attention.

The average stamp of fish was good, mid 60’s and a few that were probably over 70cm. 

The forecast was good for Monday and I could have stayed another day. Having clocked up 26 miles in 3 days I was feeling a little jaded. I did however think about it when I woke up to another Kerry sunrise. I really enjoyed this trip, I'll be back here at some point.