Reader's Stories

Deadly Dick Does the Trick by Ross Macklin
Great lure for catching lots of Sea Bass The more years that pass the more I learn about angling. This statement can be even truer said of lure angling which requires a lot of technical ability and practice. The action of a lure is most important, followed by shape, length and colour.   The key to fishing a lure outside of these characteristics is the retrieve or the extra action added by the angler which is of course, linked to the shape of the lure that dictates action. In this wa...

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Delphi Lodge, Connemara by Mark Corps
Delphi Lodge, Salmon Angling We live in a world that is continually changing. However when change touches us we always seem surprised. My fishing sits in a bit of a rut – but one that I am perfectly happy with. I tend to fish the same fisheries each year at the same time. However though everything else appears to be in continual change I do not expect the fisheries to – which of course they do.     The biggest change of recent times has been that of Jane and Peter Man...

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Water Safety on The River Bank by Mark Corps
Safety on the river bank   If you have a look at the statistics, angling is not a particularly dangerous activity. However as any activity carried out on or at the side of water it has the potential for serious and fatal accidents.   When introducing novices to any outdoor activity it has always been important to educate them about the potential dangers and importantly explain how to minimise or avoid these dangers (the concept of Duty of Care). Angling is no different!   &...

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The Mecca Of Irish Carp Fishing by Andrew Michaelides
The Mecca of Irish Carp fishing:   I think the title of this article does “The Lough” in cork justice. It was around 5 years ago when I was lucky enough to be taken down to the lough in Cork.  Ever since I have been dying to go back independently. So for me this was more than a fishing trip.     It was a journey, so many things had to fall into place for it to happen and they finally did! The driving test was passed, the tackle was eventually acquired, I fi...

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Mid-summer Tope by Anthony Byrne
Mid-summer Tope Since I had a Tope a number of weeks ago in Donegal, I was eager to get back up to see if they were still about. I made a quick call to Graham Smith in Donegal and we formulated a plan. That plan was to get a group of lads together and head to the North West of Donegal in search for that beautiful shark they call a Tope.   Myself and Macker shared a car and set off on our merry way at 7am on Saturday. The fishing stories were flying and we were eager to get on th...

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Annual Road Trip by Anthony Byrne
Annual Road Trip by Anthony Byrne It was that time of year again, the family trip to West Cork. The Trailer was dug out from the shed, axles greased, mud guards scraped clean and of course the kayaks loaded,  but sure enough I had a sneaky session to test my transducer (or so I told the wife) before we hit the road.     I headed to my local rock mark in Dublin and fished an evening session into darkness. Codling and Wrasse were the main species of the evening, and both were i...

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Shark Fishing, The Shine Way by Peter Foster
The legend of Jack Shine The greater majority of anglers can generally be summed up in just a few ways. There are those who have their favourite marks and stick to them religiously whatever the season or state of the tide, generally fishing with the same bait week in week out and then there are those who chase around following ghosts to fish the current in-form hot spot on the back of some angler who has had a red letter day.     Then comes the serious angler who will put in a fai...

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Thick-lipped Grey Mullet by Craig Murphy
Thick lipped Mullet  by Craig Murphy   Mullet are one of the most frustrating sea species you are likely to encounter in Irish waters, as you usually can see them plain as day ignoring your bait and swimming on by.   That's what has me hooked on fishing for them, as the saying goes " anything that comes easy isn't worth having ". Some people believe Mullet can't be caught due to their "soft mouths" which is totally untrue .   Despite what they say Mullet can be targeted ...

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Blue Shark Kayak by Graham Smith
Blue shark from a kayak.   Well this one is all about a very special trip that finally went ahead after many attempts to get it done. It started back last year when I tried to book a charter to take us out to the Blue Sharks, most said they would but then back tracked due to safety etc. But we are big enough to take responsibility for our own actions and I continued to try and get one booked, with not much luck.     However, last summer I met James Leahy, and dspi...

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Big game Kenya by Colin Martin
Colin in Kenya 2009 Our story begins in May 2006, with my then partner, now wife in hospital after a car accident, I suffered a heart attack. These events convinced us to get married which we did in Sept 2006. Doctors advised both of us against travel so the honeymoon was postponed.         Our planning began for our first trip to Kenya in January 2008 which would be our dream holiday and my chance to catch a Marlin. I was advised to contact Peter Petzer at Worldwide A...

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