Sea Angling Ireland SAC SPA Co. Kerry 10/05/14

People: Gar, JP, Gordy, JD, Al, Donal Domeney, Sean.

Duration: 11 – 4

Tide: High water 14.30Weather: Westerly Gales and passing showers

Bait: All sorts

Rigs: Varied

Results: Bass, Flounders, Dogs, Whiting, Freshwater and conger eels, Thornback and Undulate Rays.

:
1st John Diamond 12 Fish 416 points
2nd Sean Ivory 10 Fish 391 points
3rd JP Molloy 10 Fish 335 Points
4th Donal Domeney 5 Fish 203 Points
5th Gordan Hardman 3 Fish 136 Points
6th Al McGrane 5 Fish 133 Points
7th Gareth Flynn 6 Fish 127 Points

Report:
With high hopes, seven hardy SAI souls made our way onto the SPA beach in the beautiful kingdom of Kerry. The weather was far from ideal in fact shite would be a better description. Some of us had spent a little longer than we should have supping the night before and there was a few groggy looking heads amongst us.

The conditions weren’t going to put us off however and at 11am 7 hopeful casts were fired out into Tralee bay to varying distances in the hope of some obliging fish. It wasn’t long at all before the first spattering of flounders were being brought ashore. For most of the lads chucking in close was doing the business. Al had also found a few at distance and after the first hour or so was building up a healthy lead.

JD was tipping along nicely too with a few flounders and a Bass of 48cm to his name early doors. At this stage the lads were mostly flying. Mostly except me Gordy and JP who were blanking. Things were looking grim so the decision was made to try fishing in close. My first chuck in close resulted in a double of flounders. This was followed by a blank cast and then a treble flounder. I reckoned i was tipping along nicely in close until the dominator came up to me to measure his latest fish, a 76cm thornie.Change of plan was called for (any excuse not to fish for flounder) and I was back to lashing it out again. I was rewarded straight away with a double shot of dogs. JP was straight on to me and followed suit lashing it as far as the little lad could. JD however was consistently pulling in flounders in close and also to rub salt in our wounds got another Bass, same size as his first one. Such was his confidence he even allowed Gordy to reel it in for him. A touch of class from the wexford man.JP had been hard at work catching freshwater eels which don’t count in our club. This fact seemed to be lost on him however and he plugged away admirably, notching up 4 of the pointless rig wreckers. I then pulled in an eel myself which, after a quick consultation with my species identification guide(the dominator) was confirmed to be a conger. Needless to say JP was delighted for me.
Over high water the fishing slowed down considerably. Gordy managed a beautiful undulate ray in this quiet period giving us hope of a few more.It wasn’t to be however and apart from a few more single flounders it was an end to the fishing. Lines i were called at 4pm and it was back to the carpark for the scores.

JD had done enough to win it with his haul of 10 good flounders and 2 Bass. Tremendous fishing by him, consistently catching throughout the comp had done the damage. I was second with 3 dogs, a conger and 6 flounders and JP third with 7 flounders and 2 dogs.

Some nice fish were caught and the fishing was pretty good considering the conditions. It was great to be out fishing with all the lads again and the craic was top notch as always. Roll on the two day comp on Ballyreen in July.