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Print versionCobh Sea Angling Festival 2007
We get regular e-mails from readers asking us to recommend week long competitions where a group of anglers can get some competitive fishing in, have a few beers and a good night out, and generally have a fun week away. Well last year the WSF team dropped in to take a look at the Cobh International Sea Angling Festival held in Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland and it fits that criteria to a T!
This prestigious event is one of Ireland’s premier boat angling competitions and is, and has been, fished by anglers from all over Ireland, the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, to name just a few. This years event will be the 41st consecutive year with a bigger than ever turnout expected.
With instant access to the sheltered waters inside Cork Harbour, which is one of the world’s deepest natural harbours and the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic, fishing is possible pretty much whatever the weather. The fleet of charter boats used for the competition is drawn from the surrounding area with all the skippers having good local knowledge of all the ground available.
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The quality of the fishing both inside and outside Cork Harbour is excellent, but the events long term success draws not just on the great fishing, but for the friendliness of the event with anglers repeatedly returning to fish the competition year on year, also for its extensive prize list and for the skills of the organising committee that make the event run so efficiently.
Conservation is uppermost in the organisers thoughts too, with a points system in operation for the match and most fish being returned alive to the water.
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The fishing is varied to say the least. Boats can choose to vary tactics on the day between clean ground drift fishing targeting dabs, gurnards, thornback, blonde, small-eyed and spotted rays, plaice, turbot, whiting, tope and megrim, but then anchor up over rough ground to sample pollack, wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, huss, ling and cod, plus what can only be described as exceptional conger fishing.
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Mackerel and launce sandeel are usually abundant in these waters and the first job of the day will be stop and fill the box with bait. It doesn’t take long!
Looking back at the 2006 event we watched the top rods target the conger mainly with some quality fish taken around 30lbs, and these were taken relatively close inshore around the mouth of the harbour due to difficult sea conditions.
Pollack featured heavily in catches, falling mainly to flying collar rigs and Firetail worms, with the best topping out close on 12lbs. Ling to 20lbs were also caught, as were cod to nearly 10lbs and wrasse over 4lbs.
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Although not involved in the competition ourselves we did get a bit of fishing in with Donal Geary who runs “John Boy”, a Lochin 33 out of Cobh, with Mike Jr accounting for a conger pushing 30lbs and Mike Snr bagging one in the high 20lb bracket. We also caught ling, cod, pollack, wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, coalfish, huss, dabs and whiting.
To cap a great week there’s a final night presentation, dinner and dance that trust us goes on well in to the early hours and is not to be missed.
TACKLE
Consider taking a 15lb class rod and reel loaded with 15lb mono for the general drift fishing and for the pollack, though for the drift fishing I’d also suggest having a reel with 20lb braid on to better highlight bites and limit the need for heavy weights if you’re looking to build up a good species count.
A 7ft 6in 20lb class rod is ideal for general ground fishing with either 20lb mono or 30lb braid loaded on the reel. If you’re going for the conger, then a 30lb class rod is best with either 30lb mono on the reel or 40 to 50lb braid.
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Take plenty of two-hook drift rigs armed with both size 2 and size 1/0 Aberdeen’s, some muppet rigs for the cod and ling, pink muppets are good here, plus loads of conger rigs made from 200lb mono ending in a size 8/0 or 10/0 Partridge Sea Beast hook. I’m giving the game away here, but one of the best rigs for conger here uses a pirk on the bottom with the hook baited, and a short flowing trace above. This was the top rig by far last year and will do well again this year.
Another good tip is to carry luminous shrimp rigs with you with hooks in sizes 4 and 6. These not only catch you live launce and mackerel for bait, but when baited with tiny slivers of mackerel and fished over the rough ground at anchor, you’ll catch cuckoo wrasse, pout, good cod, gurnards and much more. This especially applies if bites are slow in flat calm sunny conditions.
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Carry lead weights between 2ozs and 1lb, though 10oz leads or less will cover most inshore fishing situations.
TRAVEL
Most anglers drive via the Fishguard/Rosslare ferry. When you come off the ferry just follow the N25 signposted for Cork all the way to Midleton. Just after Midleton take the left turn signposted for Cobh. It’s an easy 3-hour drive.
Contact Stena Line Ferries by accessing http://www.stenaline.co.uk/stena_line/gb/stena_line_uk.html . Click on Ferries To Ireland and you can book online.
You could also fly in to Cork Airport which is less than half an hour away, though this would limit the amount of tackle you can carry.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s a host of good B&B houses in Cobh, plus good hotels. On numerous visits to Cobh we’ve stayed at the WatersEdge Hotel and at a couple of the B&B’s and all have been excellent.
Contact WatersEdge Hotel, Yacht Club Quay, Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland. Tel: 00 353 21 4815566. E-mail: info@watersedgehotel.ie .
We’d suggest you alternatively check out …www.tourismireland.com or request information from info@tourismireland.com . Also www.ireland.ie . These all carry masses of information on a wide selection of accommodation.
CONTACTS
The 2007 Cobh International Sea Angling Festival has been scheduled to run from the 3rd September until the 7th September.
Contact Mary Geary at: seaangling@esatclear.ie
BOAT CONTACT
Donal Geary, “John Boy”, Tel: 00 353 21 481267. E-mail: seaangling@esatclear.ie . Website: www.seafishing.irl.com .
TACKLE SHOP
Donal Geary also runs Cobh Fishing Tackle Shop, Sycamore House, Ballynoe, Cobh, Co Cork. Tel: 00 35321 4812167. The shop is well stocked carrying everything you’ll need, plus has a good stock of fresh and frozen bait.
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