beeroll Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Hi there, first post which comes with the world's crookest photo, so don't be too harsh... Am staying in Clontarf at the moment, and have recently started fishing again for the first time in probably twenty years. Didn't have high hopes last night, as the only bites I'd had around here had been toads, and plenty of them. But on the spur of the moment, worked out that the tides would be running out, the weather was crappy enough that I'd probably have the place to myself (yes), and had some chicken "on the cusp" in the fridge , so I loaded up a couple of rods and headed down around 9:30 or so. First the first hour, had a few tentative hits, was working the drop off near the channel on the beach, but nothing much seemed too interested. So I headed back to the little netted area and tried a couple of casts around the outside of that. Within moments, started getting serious interest, and after a couple of near misses, beached a 48cm flattie, which I managed to hang onto despite not having a net with me. I was so underwhelmed by my chances that I hadn't actually taken down anything to keep a fish either alive or cold - no cooler, no bucket, nothing. But I was going to eat that deliciously ugly little fella, so with the tide running out, I built a little pool in the sand, just deep enough to have some water in it, and in he went... I was running out of chicken, plus which, flattie number 1 was not really enjoying his stay at the Clontarf Sand Spa Resort, so I cast the last of the strips, and promised myself I'd give my packet of Gulps 5 casts to prove they were as effective as slightly rancid chicken - seriously, they're like $100 a kilo, for that price, the fish should jump up on the beach and perform tricks to get them! (I'd suggest "Play dead" would be a good one...) I'd tried them a few times before, only to have their tails munched off by the toads, meaning you effectively were trying to attract fish with a small orange ball of plastic. So I wasn't optimistic. First cast, BANG! another flattie jumps it, is landed, and I'd guesstimate his size at maybe 35cms, but I couldn't be sure whether he'd crack the 36cm mark, so back he went. Trickier getting them back in when you don't have anything to hold them with, either - no glove, no love, as they say... Had a couple more major strikes, and noticed a few squid cruising around the place, but after another 15 minutes or so, the bites started to disappear, so I packed it in around midnight and headed home with my new PB flathead. I didn't get to take a photo until this morning, and it's of the filleted carcass, not the whole fish, and it's with the world's worst phone camera, but I'll upload it for fun's sake anyway. Very happy to be able to bring back a feed to the girlfriend, she's a magic cook, and will do something amazing with it, PLUS stop giving me that slightly pitying look when I tell her I'm going fishing. All in all, top night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james7 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Great first post beeroll! Keep 'em coming! Cheers Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsparky77 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Good stuff there matey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slicendice Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Nice catch mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpreston55 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Excellent first post. Great fish which I'm sure will taste terrific. I'll bet it won't be another 20 years before you go fishing again! All the best - Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moro Mou Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Good work and nice ingenuity with the sand pool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmachar Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Nice work Beeroll! This is my first post too. I fished down at Clontarf recently too. I was there in the middle of the day...just as the tide started running out. I had been out on a friend's boat and we didn't really pick up anything except for a few small flatties on the drift across the heads. I had a few pilchards left so I decided to throw a line in from the shore when we pulled the boat up. I cast into the main channel and picked up a decent-sized Salmon (which put on a good show for everyone on the beach) and a beautiful little bream. I put both back but it was a fun little session on light gear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeroll Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 Thanks for the feedback everyone! Excellent news, D-Mac, I'll look forward to getting down there during the day over the weekend - I don't think there will be too many swimmers, given that it will be 19 degrees and, um, shark-infested... Great work on the salmon, that's a nice looking fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tide'n'knots Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 beerroll and Dmac, congatulations on your first post and well done both of you! hey Dmac thats a small kingie you have there mate not a salmon, well done from the beach!! Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmachar Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I'm pretty sure it was a salmon. Was great fun to catch. See the additional attached pic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim77 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Nice work guys. That is definitely a Salmon D-Mac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 great surprise catch there, salmon look very healthy and clean. well done mate, Cheers Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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