Good morning from a damp Foxford, dark clouds and heavy showers. Overall it has been a nice week and we have been fishing on a few occasions. I managed to get a reminder that Pike have sharp teeth and know how to use them…
Hook, Line, and Sinker: A Rookie’s Day at the Connacht Open
They say every angler remembers their first proper competition. The anticipation, the preparation, the hope of a personal best. For me, last Saturday’s Connacht Open Shore Gold Medal competition on Enniscrone beach will be remembered for all that… and for a spectacular F… Up with a very fancy reel.
As I have probably mentioned in the past, I am amateur shore angler. I would consider myself capable of catching mackerel and Pollock from the rocks when there are plenty about and I would go as far as to say I know a bit about catching sea trout. That is about the height of my ability but as a willing member of the Killala Boat and Shore Club, I decided to dive in headfirst, a shore angling match. The Connacht Open Gold Medal, no less. This was different. This was the big league. Well, in reality I knew I hadn’t a chance and I was slightly cajoled into it before fully thinking about what I had committed too.
(In the right hands)
It was two days after I agreed to take part that it hit me. I was travelling with two other anglers and as normal we were discussing fishing. I suddenly shook myself and thought, “Did I actually say id fish that competition, WTF was I thinking”. There was less than a week to go and a lot of learning to be done. Again, I knew I wasn’t going to learn that much in a few days. I would however be well equipped and look the part.
The day arrived and it turned out beautiful on the beach, with the sun glinting off the Atlantic. The only small hurdle, a cheeky south-easterly wind that, I was assured, was about as helpful for fishing this particular beach as a chocolate teapot. The seasoned pros on the beach nodded knowingly; it was going to be a tough day. I, however, was armed to the teeth. In my hands was a piece of engineering marvel, an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur CT Mag multiplier reel. This reel has a pedigree! It’s the workhorse of the shore angling world, beloved for its powerful drag, incredible casting distance (in the right hands!), casting records have been made and broke with this reel, It’s a reel built for legends. I, however, am not yet a legend.
Earlier in the week while preparing my equipment, I had a couple of test casts along the river bank. This in itself was a spectacle, a guy with a beach caster on the banks of the Moy in October. The first casts were taken with great care and in fairness went OK. However, I wasn’t achieving the distance, more power was required. Not a good idea. The reel made a sound like a race car engine as the line exploded into a birds nest causing what’s known in the trade as a snap off. Yeah, you guessed, my two-ounce lead became a bullet, last known trajectory the main street of Foxford. A sheepish but hasty retreat to the house.
I don’t give up easily and with the reel respooled with better quality nylon I was now on the Beach with 25 experienced shore anglers one of whom I was told was “Just back from the world competition”.
After several attempts that probably provided great entertainment for my neighbours, despite my best efforts, my relationship with the multiplier did not improve. Finally what should have been a smooth, long cast ended in another professional-grade bird’s nest of tangled line, a mess so intricate I think a spider would have been impressed. It seems there’s a fine art to thumbing the spool that I have yet to master. I did what any sensible amateur would do, I gently placed the expensive ‘mag’ back in my rucksack and reverted to my old, faithful fixed spool reel. Sometimes, you just can’t beat simplicity!
This is where the true spirit of the day shone through. The camaraderie within the Killala club is simply fantastic. Before I’d even untangled my first mess, help was at hand. Club chairman, Brian, had kindly pre-made a selection of competition rigs for us. These weren’t just any rigs; they were beautifully crafted paternosters, perfect for targeting the flatfish that call the sandy bottom home.
A paternoster rig is elegantly simple for flatfish: a lead weight at the bottom, and one or two hooks on short snoods(bits of line) tied above it. This presents the bait right on the seabed, right in the face of a hungry flounder or dab. Brians were professional, to the untrained eye they were like “Shop bought” rigs. The differences were subtle but important, longer snoods made of Fluorocarbon, smaller hooks, and a lot less “Bling.” These rigs were made to catch fish not fishermen, the fish were been offered bait, and speaking of bait…
I was introduced to a whole new world of wriggly wonders. Gone were the shiny lures for mackerel, in came the specialist baits –Fresh and juicy Lugworm, Maddies, and Ragworm. These are the caviar of the flatfish world, and fellow members generously shared their precious supplies. It was a real lesson in what the pros use and how they present them.
We were fishing the coming tide and It was a four-hour session, time passed quickly. As predicted, the fishing was slow. Very few fish were caught across the entire competition, which made the winner’s haul of five flounder a truly astonishing feat. Whispers of what was he using and had he a magic “Cocktail” were widespread at the prize giving. To me, he was a deserving champion, no question.
So, did I catch a fish? Not a one. But I didn’t really mind. I spent a glorious day on a beautiful beach, learned a huge amount about rigs, baits, and the humility required to deal with a temperamental reel. I was made to feel completely welcome by a fantastic group of anglers. I have said I through this blog while in fact P.J was there too, he managed to catch a fish and i’m sure I will hear about that fact for a while ..
If you have even a passing interest in sea angling, I cannot recommend enough joining a club like Killala Boat and shore. The expertise is vast, and the willingness to share it is even greater. As for me and the Ambassadeur, We’re taking a brief time-out. But I’ll be studying the YouTube tutorials, and I will, one day, conquer that reel.
Brian contacted me to tell me that there is another competition on November 1st, I have a feeling I have something else on that day, I must check the diary. I will be back though.
