Angling/fishing summary of the 2005 season aboard TIGGER from Castletownbere

A Month by Month summary of the 2005 season aboard TIGGER, Castletownbere, Beara Peninsula, West Cork, South West Ireland

A BRIEF SUMMARY for those who find the month by month a bit tedious:-

B) A total of twenty two specimen fish including Ling to 35lb 12oz, Pollack to 16lb 1oz and a Spotted Ray of 5lb 8oz (twelve specimens in 2004).

C) Over 50 Ray and 2 Blue Shark tagged and released for the CFB Ireland (over 70 Ray in 2004 and 0 Blue Shark).

TIGGER out of the water on Bere Island. Launched at End of January, have a wrecking trip cancelled on the 30th due to a minor gearbox problem but manage to get out on the 1st February, all is quiet on the wrecks.

Out again at the end of February with a gang from Cork. Some good Pollack fishing on light tackle around the reefs at the end of the Peninsula and one specimen Pollack at just under 13lb.

March sees a slight improvement with another specimen Pollack at 12.6lb with several over 10lb and one at 11lb 9oz.

Attend the Irish Specimen awards in Dublin to pick up three personal awards for 2004 and also to meet with some Anglers to discuss the coming season.

After the middle of March the Pollack go very listless at the end of the spawning period. Towards the end of March some good light line fishing on the wrecks again with some good Pollack and Coalfish sport. First mackerel are caught at entrance to Castletownbere harbour.

April sees mixed weather and a handfull of trips with Mackerel increasing inshore and the Ling and Coalfish fishing producing well. Starting to catch some reasonable Conger and Ballan Wrasse as well.

The Haddock are starting to show in quite good numbers with some decent fish over 5lb being caught. Also some nice Cod appearing as well, nothing big but some nice fish in the 6-10lb bracket.

In June we start getting some 6lb plus haddock but alas no 7lb ers!! Big pouting at 2.91lb on the 11th June. 2 large whiting on 26th June at 2.84 and 2.96lb respectively (specimen is 3lb). A Megrim at 1lb 6oz caught at end of June on a day that saw 15 different species caught between four persons.

Some fishing for Rays at beginning of July with Spotted and Thornback rays the most common, a sprinkling of dabs and plaice also caught along with some grey and red gurnards.

Weather to bad too get out of harbour on the 2nd July so anchor up for some ray and Tag 31 for the central fisheries board.

A heatwave in the middle of July is very welcome with temperature inside my wheel house at sea on the 12th July being 97 degrees fahrenheit (about 33 degrees celcius). Some reasonable Ling fishing inshore now with some nice fish in the 12-20lb range.

Towards the end of July i do several trips with Anglers who want to catch Conger. On the 20th July we have 20 conger to about 30lb, on the 31st we have 27 Conger best 36lb and several Ling over 10lb. The Pollack and Codling still producing well pretty much every where. Lots of Common Dolphins around during July and August and a resident Pod of Bottlenosed Dolphins in Dursey sound for the last 4 months or so.

August sees more of the same really with reasonable Conger sport along with several nice double figure Ling thrown in. Anglers staying with us report loads of Trigger fish caught from the shore with 6 of them catching about forty in one session trying every bait imaginable including banana skin!!!!

My first trip for Blue shark on the 14th August produces one Blue of 85lb with two other runs not landed. This shark is tagged and released. Another shark trip on the 16th again produces one Blue shark at 63lb. This is also tagged and released. One of the other angling boats from Castletownbere lands a Blue at roughly 130lb on the same day.

Specimen conger caught on the 18th and then a specimen Spotted Ray on the 19th August along with a new mark for Red Bream with 3 caught this day.

Beginning of September sees us doing a few dolphin watching trips with our regular pod of Bottlenosed still playing and hundreds of Common dolphins all around the peninsula. Also a lot of Sunfish spotted in the last month or so.

On the 6th September a wreck trip produces four specimen Pollack, largest 15lb 12oz. Another trip on the 11th that started out as a hunt for Albacore Tuna became a wreck trip as we were assured that the Tuna weren't running close enough for us. This produced 7 specimen fish with a Coalie at 18lb 8oz, a Ling at 35lb 12oz and a Pollack of 12lb 14oz.

Sadly, due to a serious illness in my family , i was not able to fulfill many more trips in September or October, although one trip at beginning of October produced four more specimen Pollack largest at 16lb 1oz.

My last trip of the season saw some lovely haddock and whiting caught along with a reasonable dab at 1lb 3oz.

My first Bass from the shore of the winter season was caught at the beginning of November and from then to now there has been a nice number of Bass in the 2lb-5lb range being caught around the peninsula. I am looking forward to getting out and trying for them over the x-mas holidays.

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