Help needed badly

moan 77 · 03-09-2012 3:03pm #1

Hi all fellow boarders,

I need your help very badly, you see I have a 9 year old boy who has got to thinking that he likes fishing, which is no problem cause I also think I like to fish but this is where the problems start. We have a small river( it's about 20 ft wide) near our house and its tidal from the river Suir. We have seen trout jumping for fly on many an evening, we've also seen either sea trout or salmon last week, what ever it was it was big about 2 ft long and silver. Back to the problem we have spent hours from full tide to low tide without any success, we've tried garden worms, bread, cheese, trout spinners, real dead minnow fish bought from a tackle shop in jars. To say its heart breaking to see his face after another session of no fish caught is an under statement and to hear him say are we the worst fishermen in the world. We have tried every thing from sinking the bait to the bottom and leaving it there, we also tried floating it down the river, when I was a lot younger we did catch trout up to 1&1/2 pound, so what am I doing wrong. Can anyone out there help me as i'm starting to look like a fool in front of my son, but more importantly i don't want to turn him off a pastime and he can have all through his life.

We also tried sea fishing for two days with no luck, but were going to wait till later in the year to do some beach fishing locally any help or advise on this would be a great help.

Thanking all boarders in advance.

fenris · 03-09-2012 5:45pm

When we go through a blank patch I take my son and daughter to a fishery where they will almost certainly get something. It can cost a few bob but it gets the enthusiasm up like nothing else.

I am not sure what is in your area but there is a place near Mooncoin, a couple of lakes out just over the river near Kilmeaden (check in the Centra in Kilmeaden for permits).

For a bit of sea fishing check out David in the Passage East Angling Centre (Google/Facebook is your friend), he runs fishing camps for kids. My eldest went on one during the summer when we were visiting Granny and he had a ball. They mostly caught various flatties, eels, even the occasional bass.
Depending on the state of the tide they dig their own bait and as the day progresses they do more and more of the fishing themselves. i.e. Dave baits the hooks and everything for them at the start of the day and by the end they are tying their rigs themselves.

There is a decent size fishing shop on the Tramore road opposite Lidl where you will get lots of more local advice.

flounder · 03-09-2012 7:30pm

As already said go to a fishery just to get him started, he will lose interest if he never catches anything, adaire springs in mooncoin is a bit costly 20euro for 4 hours but has some big trout over there and ned will help you if ya get stuck, oaklands in newross is only 10euro for the day and is packed with fish you wont have any problems catching plenty of rudd, carp and tench.

danbrosnan · 03-09-2012 7:30pm

moan 77 wrote: »

Hi all fellow boarders,

I need your help very badly, you see I have a 9 year old boy who has got to thinking that he likes fishing, which is no problem cause I also think I like to fish but this is where the problems start. We have a small river( it's about 20 ft wide) near our house and its tidal from the river Suir. We have seen trout jumping for fly on many an evening, we've also seen either sea trout or salmon last week, what ever it was it was big about 2 ft long and silver. Back to the problem we have spent hours from full tide to low tide without any success, we've tried garden worms, bread, cheese, trout spinners, real dead minnow fish bought from a tackle shop in jars. To say its heart breaking to see his face after another session of no fish caught is an under statement and to hear him say are we the worst fishermen in the world. We have tried every thing from sinking the bait to the bottom and leaving it there, we also tried floating it down the river, when I was a lot younger we did catch trout up to 1&1/2 pound, so what am I doing wrong. Can anyone out there help me as i'm starting to look like a fool in front of my son, but more importantly i don't want to turn him off a pastime and he can have all through his life.

We also tried sea fishing for two days with no luck, but were going to wait till later in the year to do some beach fishing locally any help or advise on this would be a great help.

Thanking all boarders in advance.

First off, you are fishing the river in the wrong place, in my experience salmon and sea trout wont take in river estuaries, i have no doubt that there is salmon and sea trout in the river as its a tributary of the river suir which is full of salmon and sea trout. You need to travel up stream where the river is running fresh water. Go up river a couple of miles and find some good pools and fish them after the tide. Also try and fish after a couple of days rain when the river is on the drop rather then rising.

Ordinary earth worms from your garden are good for salmon but big blueheads are best, also i always use two worms for salmon and one for worm for sea trout. Spinning is also good for rivers. Remember game fishing for salmon and sea trout is quite difficult they are purely wild fish and i believe those days and nights are actually good for your youngfella because catching fish all the time is not good for kids. If he keeps asking to go then his obviously very interested and when he does land a fish and he will catch one it will be a memory of a life time. I remember when i caught my first salmon at 13, and i will never forget it and it has shaped my life for the good up to today.

Another point is the sliver fish you might have seen in the estuary could have been mullet. Another very hard fish to catch. Ragworm or pre baiting with bread is good for this species.

Sea fishing is another days work!!!

Super-Rush · 03-09-2012 8:12pm

There is a fishery on the outskirts of Kilkenny city called Wallslough, about three miles out the Bennettsbridge road.

Its full of carp and teeming with rudd that literally crawl up the line. A tin of sweetcorn and a box of maggots is all you need and i can guarantee you will catch fish. Make sure you have a landing net with you in case you hook one of the big carp.

moan 77 · 03-09-2012 10:03pm

Thanks for all the info boarders but just to clear up something we are not fishing for Salmon or Sea Trout but we are fishing for edible fish like river trout. Do these type of fish live in tidal water??, also any advise on bait??.

flounder · 04-09-2012 12:22am

you could try a bubble float , put some water in the float to add weight to it, use light line, small hook and small worm or maggots,

oldat31 · 04-09-2012 1:10am

You might do better fly fishing on the river?

danbrosnan · 04-09-2012 2:36am

moan 77 wrote: »

Thanks for all the info boarders but just to clear up something we are not fishing for Salmon or Sea Trout but we are fishing for edible fish like river trout. Do these type of fish live in tidal water??, also any advise on bait??.

Well what you mean be river trout is Brown trout which don't live in the tidal part they cant oxygenate the sea water. Sea trout and salmon are the only fish which can oxygenate sea water. The best methods for tidal water would be to dig either lug or rag worm, collect mussels or crab and fish with any of them on the bottom. You have a very good chance of catching flat fish, Bass or Mullet....

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4 · 04-09-2012 12:00pm

OP, I hate to be a buzz killer, But you need a game licence to fish for salmon and sea trout, you may be hit with a fine if you are caught without one.

+1 on the fishery, or a good natural lake with lots of roach. all you need is a few maggots to get them feeding.

flounder wrote: »

As already said go to a fishery just to get him started, he will lose interest if he never catches anything, adaire springs in mooncoin is a bit costly 20euro for 4 hours but has some big trout over there and ned will help you if ya get stuck, oaklands in newross is only 10euro for the day and is packed with fish you wont have any problems catching plenty of rudd, carp and tench.

20 for 4 hours! thats very expensive. My local stocked rainbow lake is 40 euro for the whole season 1st May - 31st Oct

Evac101 · 04-09-2012 1:35pm

The Dawn River runs alongside the old Dungarvan/Cork road all the way through from Haughtons Pub near Carroll's Cross to the Carrick on Suir road out of Kilmeaden. Last time I visited the river when I was down home there were literally hundreds of little brownies (probably too many for large fish numbers) rising up and down that stretch and my parents informed me that, to their knowledge, I was the last one who had regularly fished it - stopping in the late 80's. They shouldn't be that crafty at this point I suspect

flounder · 04-09-2012 1:51pm

20 for 4 hours! thats very expensive. My local stocked rainbow lake is 40 euro for the whole season 1st May - 31st Oct[/QUOTE]

ye its a bit costly, and you can only keep 1 trout to 2kg, nice place do and sound people working there,

dbrock · 05-09-2012 9:17pm

if you ever want to get out sea fishing out the dub, wick way you can tag along with me no probs, be great to see the wee lad catch a few fish, it can be a demeaning sport when you blank alot

syboit · 05-09-2012 9:37pm

When I bring my lads to a local river to try for some brownies, I just a worm on a hook (size 4) and let it sit on the bottom, give them a few seconds to nibble on it before you strike. As I always tell my lads, is to keep quite and not try to spook fish that are around.

As said above, mullet would be seen jumping aswell, and yes a lot of work in catching them.

For the beach, I usually use some ragworm, crab or razor. You don't need to be casting miles , just out beyond the rolling surf. 2-3 hook flapper tied down by a 4-6oz grip lead, should be good for some flats and if your lucky bass.

Help needed badly

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