boat fishing ardglass

**fergal** · 24-06-2005, 19:41

i usually fish out of red bay, cushendall but i was gonna take the boat out of ardglass in the next few weeks. can anyone tell me what the tides are like around there, currents etc. and whats the launching like. ive fished the shore last year and had good results

**MarieK** · 27-06-2005, 10:53

You can launch at the marina even at low tide, its not a bad slip, pretty steep tho.

Predominant wind is a South Easterly which hits yuo in the face as you leave the harbour, what type boat are you in? I would adise to wait for light southerly winds or a westerly and stay close to the shore.

When you come out of the harbour you could turn to port and off phennick point you will get plenty of mackerel then head on up toward Cloughan head for some decent ling and codling.

If you fancy some pollack head on up toward Gunns Island and Killard PT run between Killard and St patricks rock for some decent pollack.

See the map.

Ryan

**fergal** · 27-06-2005, 14:06

im in a dell quay fisher fifteen. shes very stable and ive been out in up to 25mph wind but ive only a 6hp engine. i dont break any speed records but it gets me where i need to go.

**MarieK** · 27-06-2005, 20:44

has it got a yellow hull? and where you out this weekend?

**fergal** · 28-06-2005, 23:23

white hull and im taking her out of ardglass tommorrow(28 june), ill let you know how i get on

**fergal** · 29-06-2005, 23:37

caught around 20 mackeral and two pollock. we put the boat in at a slip at the main road, very steep. the sea was very rough once we headed outside the harbour. we werent drifting too fast, just a real big swell. met john smyth the harbour master when we were bringing the boat in and were gona try to hook up with him for some tope at strangford lough later in the year. got a puncher on the trailer as we were taking it up the slip and we had no spare so the people at the marina let us leave the boat there and were gona pick it up tomorrow. saw the boat with a yellow hull you mentioned, its not unlike my boat. plenty of seals about too and they came right up to the boat. well definatly be back and the harbour master said we can call him when were heading down and he'll tell us what the weathers doing. ps the mackeral were the biggest ive ever caught, a few over 2.5lbs but the pollock only went to about 1lb. tight lines

**raymondo** · 05-08-2005, 19:41

i have been trying unsucessfully for a strangford tope for a couple of years now so if you get any info fearghal perhaps you could go public!
i have a 20ft boat based in strangford lough but pale aroung the gills at the thought of taking out into the irish sea!

**fergal** · 07-08-2005, 18:19

will do ray. never caught one before but would love to give it a go. do you know of any charter boats round there that would take people out for the tope? i'm sure we could get a few forum members together if there was?

**MarieK** · 07-08-2005, 19:01

I hear there is a Tope mark at the mouth of strangford lough, if i manage to get the coords ill certainly post it.

I caught my best ever ardglass pollack yesterday, 13lb, was fishing off st johns point with a red gill lure, some nice codling and ling also.

**raymondo** · 08-08-2005, 16:39

fearghal i have emailed you so read BEFORE delete!
i have only taken my boat out of the lough once - i forgot the tide difference between killyleagh and the lough mouth its over 2hours!!!! the result was that i was comming in on an out going tide it took well over an hour and a full tank of petrol to get back. i ran out of petrol at castle ward - luckily out of the worst of the current and had to limp back to port on my put-put engine -it always has plenty of fuel. all that and no fish (or fishing).
i'm still not getting any numbers of mackeral in the lough plenty of small pollack and coalies 1 small cod and dozens of tiny whiting.
there were 10 seals hauled out on skate rock last night and there must be eating something!!!