Posts Tagged ‘Dick Hayes’

Pollack from the Black Rocks

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

Welsh anglers love coming to Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, some of the reasons for their repeated visits being a grand welcome, good fishing, familiarity and trust of the charter skippers ability, and craic in the pubs and restaurants of an evening. Centre stage in this appreciation is Alan Duthie, visionary chairman of the Welsh Pleasure Anglers and Kayakers Association, Alan has championed Kilmore Quay and Ireland since a presentation of tourism angling given by this writer in Burry Port, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire back in September 2009. Subsequently hundreds of sea angling trips by both groups and individuals have been taken, many by first timers based on recommendations, to not only south Wexford but also Cork Harbour and the Beara.

Alan Duthie, Chairman of the Welsh Pleasure Anglers and Kayakers Association.

Make no mistake, these guys love Ireland, a repeated comment being, “you live in a beautiful area”, indicating clearly that when hopping on the ferry at Pembroke its not just the fishing that attracts them. On this occasion, for the second time this summer Alan Duthie and a group of 15 anglers from the Swansea area descended on Kilmore Quay with intent to not only fish the reefs for pollack, wrasse and codling but also hopefully catch a few bass.

One happy Welsh angler off Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford.

Dick Hayes, amiable skipper of charter vessel “Enterprise” listened to the boys wishes for the day and worked out a plan, first catch some mackerel then head east to fish the reefs inside of Carnsore Point. Initially employing standard size feathers it became apparent that the mackerel were small and not taking, swapping to sadiki rigs solved the problem and enough bait was secured in jig time.

Catching mackerel is easy with old yellow.

The sea appeared chock full of herring fry evident by gannets dive bombing and occasional schools of mackerel driving myriad whitebait onto the local beaches only to be left hopping and gasping in a silver carpet as the waves receded.

Whitebait driven onto the beach east of Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, Ireland.

Was this the reason fishing was slow on that beautiful sunny day in a three month long summer of continuous gorgeous sunny days. Were the fish stuffed to the gills with food and not interested in our offerings, who knows? Dick tried everything as did the crew until eventually a few pollack and codling came aboard, then drifting close to the Black Rocks it kicked off.

Double headers of pollack for Welsh anglers Darren and Richard.

The boys, some gilling some using baited feathers, rods collectively heeled over as Enterprise drifted over a shoal of pollack swimming close to the rock pinnacle. Doubles and singles came aboard in a welter of scales, spray and good humoured banter. Whoops, laughing and smiley faces lit up the afternoon and then it was over. “Come on lads it has been a good day we’ll head for home”, said Dick. No bother skipper, a shower, meal and a few pints beckoned then tomorrow once more into the breach. Kilmore Quay, it’s a special place………..

Sun, Sea, It’s Kilmore Quay

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

The reefs off Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford provided top quality sport for nineteen members from the South West Wales Association of Sea Angling Clubs who were making their annual pilgrimage to this fishy corner of south east Ireland. Chartering “Autumn Dream” and “Enterprise”, skippered by Eamonn and Dick Hayes respectively the group landed ten species over their first day afloat to include; bass, codling, pollack, pouting, poor cod, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, ling, launce, and mackerel.

Ballan wrasse, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Azores style weather and a medium tide provided comfortable conditions to fish the rough ground south west of the Saltee Islands. Mackerel were scarce, the cold winter delaying their arrival, however fresh launce provided an ideal back up bait. Drift fishing being the order of the day various muppet, feather, and hokai rigs baited with ragworm, mackerel, launce, and squid combinations were lowered 80-100 foot down to be met with frequent bites so keeping the Welshmen busy.

Cuckoo wrasse, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Tropical coloured cuckoo wrasse, ballan wrasse to 3.lbs, codling to 4.5 lbs, ling to 6 lbs, and pollack in the 4-5 lb bracket were the order of the day. Not big fish but plentiful, the majority returned on a catch and release basis. A feature of the day was good numbers of two year old codling, if these are allowed grow bigger by commercial interests then there is a future. Rag tipped with squid was the successful combination for quantity with those using larger hooks and fish baits catching fewer but bigger fish.

Codling, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Each angler over the course of the day landed in the region of forty to fifty fish, good sport by any standards, 75%+ returned as stated. With two two more days of fine weather to come the plan is to fish for tope and hit the wrecks before heading home on Thursday. Shore fishing also comes into the equation and an evening foray to Forlan Point provided a welcome 5.5 lb bass taken on ledgered peeler crab, these Welshmen don’t waste any time.

Pollack, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

In June the sea fishing season is only getting into its stride off Kilmore with the best still to come. Fine settled weather allows access to the offshore wrecks while July sees the arrival of large tope many to specimen weight. Kilmore Quay is renowned for its general reef fishing but if anglers are prepared to be specific Kilmore will deliver. Tope, blue shark, large wreck pollack, ling, conger, and offshore bass are targeted by the charter fleet, just liaise with the skipper.

Ling, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

It was great to spend a day afloat with the men from SWWASAC. Jokes, banter, craic, and of course the fishing made the day go too quickly. In the evening after getting cleaned up the crew retired to Kehoe’s pub and parlour  for a fine meal and a few well earned pints to wash the salt away. The boys stayed in the Quay House bed and breakfast, http://www.kilmorequay.net/, and I would like to thank proprietors Pat and Siobhan McDonnell for the lovely pre fishing trip breakfast. Likewise special thanks to the men from SWWASAC for making me feel so welcome, in particular to Alan Duthie and Denis Davis. Roll on the Burry Port open where “Old Yeller” will once again reign supreme.

For Further Reading Click On: Reef Fishing off Kilmore Quay.