ANGLINGIRELAND

b0ogaloo · Joined: 24 Aug 2008 Posts: 71 Location: Belfast

Normally i'd try and make 3-4 trips a year to Wexford, Waterford and Cork chasing the Bass , this year however with a new job it hasn't been so easy to get away. I'd booked this trip with a few friends at the start of the year and boy was I looking forward to it .. 3 days in bass heaven with my good friend and guide Jim Hendrick of SEAi

Finally, August 3rd 2008 saw us arrive in Wexford to a warm welcome from Jim who promptly got us installed in his excellent accomodation which was thoughtfully provisioned with the makings of tea, coffee, breakfast cereals, fruit and other stuff.
Also provided were a selection of books, DVDs and magazines - in short, all your angling comforts provided for.

The weather in the preceeding days had not been great but seemed to be offering slightly better prospects for the coming days. Jim had given me a buzz
before we came down and said he was off for a drive checking out marks and called again later to say it looked like we might scrape through. A relaxed Sunday
evening was spent reviewing the plan for the following day and possibly drinking (responsibly - if responsibly means drinking what looked like the contents of a snow-globe from a bottle labelled in Cyrillic script and which refused to solidify in a deep-freeze) and 7am saw three possibly slightly bleary-eyed anglers head for mark number one. Jim drives you to the marks as a matter of course and he'd wisely avoided drinking what was probably Bulgarian anti-freeze the night before.

The first morning session was tough going, with both Gerry blanking on surface plugs while Pat and I blanked on the fly. Not an auspicious beginning but it
cleared the cobwebs. Theres's not a lot to say about a blank, except that things can only get better and that faith has it's rewards - in time.

The afternoon session was at another mark, having returned to base for lunch and an hours sleep. Believe me, there seemed to be a lot of hiking being doneand rest was badly needed. As the week sped by in a blur, sleep and food became ever more important. If you fish with Jim,believe me, it'll test you. The afternoon ended with me racking up five bass to five pounds on my own flies, Gerry with two bass to eight pounds on
surface lures (personal best for him, to my knowledge) and Pat with two bass to six pounds (a new personal best), again on surface lures. At one point, I saw a bass leap like a salmon clear of the water in a perfect arc not twenty yards from where I stood. It was one of those moments where you blink and go to yourself 'did I really just see that?' That's one moment that wasn't captured on camera but will be indellibly imprinted on my memory for life.

Back you go .. see ya next year

Tuesday morning proved another tough session, with only me taking two bass to the fly.

The Tuesday evening session was one that'll stay with me for the rest of my life ...

I was fishing the mouth of a small bay in the classic fish searching fan pattern, I had one hit but no hook up. Moving with the tide to the next rocky point , I noticed a boulder with waves breaking over it maybe 40 yds out, there's no way I could have got near it from where I was standing. .. but... the next fishing point along would allow me to get close to it. I continued fishing where I was again in the classic fish searching pattern, but I had no hits, so I moved to the next mark. I have to
admit I was knackered and before I started to fish I sat down and had a smoke, watching the waves breaking over the boulder. Don't ask me how but I knew there was a fish behind that rock as it was probably a 30 yd cast to get the fly out there and my casting had gone to hell, maybe because I was tired, maybe because of the excitement of finally getting a chance to fish bass country with the fly - I dunno. I had a few casts out towards it probably landing 5-6 yds
shy of the rock. What I wanted was to get behind it and allow the fly to be carried in on the waves then strip like hell, thus allowing the fly to swim around the back of the boulder.

Now you don't need strength to cast a fly - you need technique and timing. Mine had left me, so I waited for a lull in the wind and used brute force and
ignorance (something I'm good at) to get the fly out. I think the Bass Gods were looking down 'cause it went and went and went and landed - perfectly. I watched the waves carry it in close and then stripped - it came round the rock and bang! Fish on.

I've caught a double figure bass before on bait and I have to say it wasn't a great scrap, more like hauling a big lump of weed through the surf. This, however, was different, the rod bent over the drag screaming in protest as the fish ran, straight out to sea. Really theres not a lot you can do when a big fish takes your fly but praying it doesn't throw the hook is a good plan. I think I sold my soul several times during that scrap. I was in awe at the power of this fish - I couldn't hold him. Bear in mind during this fight I'm also trying to attract the attention of Olympic rock-hurdling gold medalist Mr. Hendrick, so I'm whistling, shouting, swearing (as in terminal Tourettes), waving, etc, etc, trying to get their attention, and trying to land this bloody fish at the same time.
Finally, I don't know if it was Pat or Jim but someone saw me and an arm went up to acknowledge me.

Back to the fish, I got it turned and was reeling like mad as it was now swimming towards me when I saw it was heading straight back to the bloody rock. I had visions of the leader getting snagged or abraded etc and losing it. I stepped a few paces to my right and applied pressure but he kept going I couldn't get him away from it and behind the rock he went. Further panic and swearing, possibly - but what to do?

Keeping the rod as high as I could I applied pressure. He came up and up and then a wave carried him over the rock (at this stage I found religion, and can be found every Sunday in my local tabernacle singing praise to the Lord). He fought tooth and nail every inch of the way in, but in he came and as I let a wave take him up onto the rock where I was standing and I looked down on this magnificent creature,

I was speechless (makes a change).

We did the photograph thing and returned him to the depths. What else can I say ... it was an awesome experience. something I'll never forget. Its been a few weeks now since our trip and looking at the photographs all I can do is smile and wonder what next years trip will bring

Gerry also got a specimen fish of 13lb 8ozs on lures and Pats biggest was 8lb on lures as well

Both the sessions on Wednesday ended in blanks , although in fairness to Jim the weather had truned to complete shite and the water clarity was terrible .

I stayed on an extra night and the wind dropped over night .. by thursday evening the water clarity had improved and I had a great session , accounting for 20 odd fish.. all in the 2-5lb bracket , but what an end to a fantastic trip

Andy

harry_lfc · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:01 am Post subject:

really nice fish would love to catch big bass like those
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its not the flies its how u use them

Watty's Rock · Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 324 Location: Co. Antrim

Super report and pics there boogaloo. Cool

fossil-fish · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 668 Location: Carrickfergus

Amazing report and absolutely stunning fish.

Brilliant, thanks for that.

I have never caught a bass (except for american large mouths), but those photographs are fantastic, obviously wonderful specimens. Well done.

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"The world and the universe is an extremely beautiful place, and the more we understand about it the more beautiful does it appear."
Richard Dawkins