Spur Dogs with Wicklow Charters

On the 16th March we finished school for St Patricks day and Easter.

I got in from school on the Wednesday night to find out that I would be fishing in Wicklow the next day. We left home at 5 am and headed North, to arrive at 8.30 am to meet Kit Dunne who was taking us out on his boat Wicklow Charters. It was cold but sunny and myself, Dad and our friend Evan along with some others set out for the day. When we got out of the bay the boat started swaying with the swell. We were hoping for Spur dogs, but the swell prevented us from reaching the mark, Kit made the decision to wait it out in hope that it would settle down, so we staying fishing for a while catching dog fish. Sure enough, he was right and in the afternoon it became calm and we were able to move. As soon as we got there we dropped a line and within seconds Evan was in with the first specimen Spur dog of the year. The fish was measured, weighed and released.

We continued to catch Spur dogs for the next hour and it was fast and furious with everyone on the boat catching at least one. There were 9 out of 12 fish caught were specimens. I didn't manage to get a specimen but thoroughly enjoyed catching what I did.

Kit is a great skipper and really tried his best to give us all a great day out, he went well over time while waiting for the weather to calm down and get us what we went out for.

Im hoping to go out with Kit again and would recommend anyone wanting a great day out to go out with him. Check out his facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/WicklowBoatCharters/?fref=ts click on this link for more information.

February Fishing Antics

The last few weeks have been hectic. It seems to have been a very bust year so far and I have been out fishing rather alot. 

FEBRUARY:

At the start of the month I went on a small midweek night session with a good friend of ours in Cork

we had lots of cod, no monsters but it was great to see the rod tap cast after cast. 

We had a Club comp mid Feb. It went ahead as an orange weather warning for wind approaching, it started off OK but as they first hour past, tripods were blowing over and it became very rough. Just as my favourite rod broke the comp was called off. 

At the end of the month, I was really looking forward to the The Irish Angling Show which I really enjoyed. There was lots to see and do with talks from some top anglers from Ireland and The UK. Jim Clohessey did a talk on Sea angling and species and at the end of the talk my friend Evan McGovern was awarded species hunter of the year for 2015, with an amazing 42 species. 

 At last I  got to meet up with a wonderful man known as Noel Griffith, he is one of the ADMIN team of Shore and Boat. 

 There were lots of fun things to do in the main hall where the shops and exhibitors were, including a family area where you were in with a chance to win some fantastic little bits and pieces. I thought there was more choice and better  than last year and there was a buzz going around the place. You can buy almost anything you could possibly need at the show, course, sea, fly and boat fishing. Many of the exhibitors were happy to advise and answer questions. 

At the show I Met lots of people I know, and people I didnt, but knew the names. One of those people was Kit Dunne, he runs a charter boat from Wicklow - Wicklow charter boats he has a very good reputation, and as it happens I am going up to Wicklow tomorrow to go out on his boat, what a great ST Patricks day for me. Watch this space.

On the 28th of February we had our first Munster qualifiers and probably our first sunny day of the year. It was an enjoyable day with the sun shining down, and I was happy to win the U16 s.

Last week we had a club comp at Rossbeigh, The sun was out again, but this time the fishing was slow. As the last fifteen minutes approached I thought I was going to blank. Thankfully I caught a flounder on the last cast, which actually put me in the lead with the youths. I couldn't believe I won with a 21 cm flounder...and YES the fishing was that bad. 

Early Start for me and here's wishing you all A Happy St Patrick's Day and I hope you get out for a few casts. 

Tight Lines 

Eoin Angler 

Co Kerry