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[b0ogaloo]

Wolf's thread interested me , although I could never get the time off work to do the whole round Ireland trip, the principle got me thinking

So yesterday I went for a bit of a walk , I decided to do a section of the Lecale way from Killief to Ardglass via the coastal paths

It being winter and getting dark at 5 now .. I opted to walk for four hours and then spend the rest of the daylight hours looking for food

I should add at this point that I am a very experienced angler .. I decided to bring along a fly rod . box of flies and some tippet

The forecast for Saturday wasn't great and when I arrived on the coast ..I knew there was no way I was going to be doing any fishing that day , the swell made it too dangerous, Luckily I packed a book and my fm radio 

So a few pictures from the coastal walk , the scenery is stunning

























The forecast gave rain for the afternoon, I'd just got the tent up when it started . Quite heavy showers and the wind was gusting to GF6 accordsing to the shipping forecast .>SO  I spent the rest of the day and night in the tent with my book and good old radio 4



As dawn broke the wind had swung round to a Northerly flattening the sea



 As I drank my coffee and sorted out my fishing gear i realized i'd forgotton my stripping basket ( for those not familiar with salt water fly fishing its a tray that hangs round your waist for stripping the fly line into as you retrieve the fly )   you can flyfish without one , but the line is prone to tangling , So there was plenty of flotsam and jetsam washed up on the shore and I soon found a suitable container that I was able to modify with my folding saw

A bit of paracord to attach it to my belt and job done


I made my way onto the rocks ,, Just a quick note here for Wolf, normally if im going fishing I would wear boots called wading boots, these have soles made of felt with titanium studs , their grip on wet and weedy rock is brilliant  , however i was wearing my Meindl Dovre extreme walking boots , and to say the rocks were treacherous underfoot would be an understatement ,, it might be an idea to bring a second pair of boots for rock hopping

I had brought a variety of flies with me .. i settled on this " jiggy " pattern tied by my own good hand



that fly is weighted so it sinks quickly .. the water was too shallow and it kept snagging So i changed to another pattern and had a fish on within minutes, this little coalfish .. I put him back. you always put the first fish back, in fact normally I put them all back , but I was getting hungry so the next one was for the pot



I had two more very quickly after that , both were dispatched humanely



Gets a bit graphic from here on in folks. so those of a squeamish nature might want to stop here


I gutted the fish at the waters edge , for those who dont know how .. insert the tip of your knife under its mouth and slice back towards the anal fin  ..  grab the intestines and pull em out .. wash out the cavity ,, job done



Back to the tent ... and prepare them for cooking

I used a bit of plywood as a chopping board



Head and tail off




wrapped in tin foil





Pan with sea water and two stones to hold the tinfoil package above the water






Put on the lid . place a rock on top and steam for 10 mins




the back bone just lifts out



Breakfast is served



Washed down with coffee . my price pocession my mini mocha cost me a whole £1 on flea bay





After that it was time to pack up and head back ..

Next time I'm not going to walk in from so far away . giving me more time to scavenge for wild food . with all the empty containers, wood, rope and nets that are washed up there are endless opportunity for making crab, lobster and shrimp traps 
I might make up a basic hobo fishing kit and see if I can catch a few more fish

One thing I did notice was the lack of winkles .. i had heard the area was " picked out " by the Chinese community it seems tht indeed this is true


Andy

[Hunter]

Hi Andy VERY VERY good post  i really enjoyed the pic's and story i like to do a bit of fishing myself and i found ur post very interesting.
Damien.

[RedLeader]

This is a awesome post and a great way to spend a weekend - I'm jealous... Not sure how long I could spend in a tent on my own though. Think I'd get bored.

[666_pack]

ahh dude that looks like the dogs balls...................I am a crap fisherman but would love to do a bit more of that coastal walk with you mate.

[pablo]

you kept that one quiet mate! lol

i was working anyway fs.

ps,nearly bought one of those coffee machines in tkmaxx at the weekens lol.obviously better than yours

hows the clipper cutting for ye?

[b0ogaloo]

you kept that one quiet mate! lol

i was working anyway fs.

ps,nearly bought one of those coffee machines in tkmaxx at the weekens lol.obviously better than yours

hows the clipper cutting for ye?

Mate ... there was nowhere to hang your hammock 


Andy

[kenbocbr]

Hi Andy brilliant post, I love to fish too but havent had a lot of time what with work
Ken

[RedLeader]

I got into (freshwater) fly fishing a few years back but tried it a good few times and was terrible at it. Have pike fishing gear too that has never even seen water

[kenbocbr]

I used to flyfish a lot in my younger days on the six mile river, both wet and dry fly, was a scout and done a lot of camping in the days when lighting fires wasnt a problem cooking over the open fire, sausages on a stick potatoes hollowed out and egg cracked inside and baked in the fire, to name a few, brilliant!!!! we also done a lot of bushcraft like making camp kitchens out of wood lashed together  gathered in the woods best days ever also canoeing in Lough Neagh. Hoping to build my own canoe next summer and get back to all that asap.
Ken

[b0ogaloo]

Firstly , thanks for all the kind comments

I am going to be doing it again soon,  next weekend or the one after

But i'll be concentrating more on the food gathering bit , than the walking

I have a few ideas in my head for lobster/ crab pots etc using rubbish washed up on the shoreline

If anyone wants to join me you're more than welcome .. I can teach you a bit of watercraft . even the basics of angling for food rather than for sport


Andy

[NeilB]

Where are u going ur next excursion mate?

There is bushcraft day on this weekend with niba guys when are u thinking of going?

[b0ogaloo]

Bollox ! did I miss a post ? is it one of the preparation days ? ..i was hoping to go on those myself


Andy

[kenbocbr]

When this weekend the only day I have free is Sundays would love to go then if its on
Ken

Where are u going ur next excursion mate?

There is bushcraft day on this weekend with niba guys when are u thinking of going?

[RedLeader]

I'd be up for something like this too

[Hunter]

Andy cud u recommend a book on sea fishing   

Thanks Damien.

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