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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
