Dab Hand on the Beara.

Finally the strong winds of late abated and a period of calm frosty weather enabled a long since planned Beara Peninsula trip to take place. Primarily targeting winter species but with a view to gauging when the summer visitors finally depart, this early November visit would answer a number of questions while hopefully providing some quality fishing. Booking into Dromagowlane House the superb angler friendly B/B ran by Paul and Anne Harris, situated in Adrigole half way between Castletownbere and Glengarriff, my friend David and I were central to a variety of tried and tested marks which we couldn’t wait to get out on.

A dab double header from the Beara Peninsula, West Cork, Ireland.

First port of call was a specimen dab mark sheltered from the still big Atlantic swell and it did not disappoint. Clear skies indicated a frosty night to come, and a north west breeze made the afternoon progressively chilly as the sun went down. Fishing a falling tide David and I expected codling to show along with the dabs and so it transpired. Baiting up two hook paternosters with lug and ragworm we casted onto sandy ground 100 meters offshore. The first hour was quiet then a nod on my rod top followed by a purposeful thump produced a nice codling in the two/three pound bracket. Next cast a rattling bite translated into a fine dab, followed by a double dab header, and so it went on until night closed in.

A cracking beara codling which fell for lugworm.

Tired from our five hour journey we called it a day as darkness fell with five species (codling, pollack, plaice, dab, flounder) and at least one specimen dab under our collective belts. The next day fortified by a substantial Dromagowlane full Irish we headed to a favoured plaice mark. The day was a scorcher, hard to believe it was early November, hopefully the spotted beauties would still be in residence. Linking up with Mike Hennessy of Inland Fisheries Ireland we casted our lug, rag, and peeler baited hooks into a rising tide full in at midday. Bites commenced immediately with lugworm tempting a plump codling for yours truly.

Double flounder for David Murphy on his first Beara trip.

Things slowed up after that with dogfish predominating, that is unless you were David Murphy. On his first trip to this wonderful sea angling outpost he hit pay dirt with a succession of prime flounder, including a cracking double header all taken on lugworm. The plaice didn’t show but we weren’t short of flatties,  and with dogfish adding to our species tally we upped sticks around 15.30 pm with a view to targeting bass later that evening, of which more later…

For further reading, click on: Beara Bass.

See also: Beara Peninsula Guide.

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