Fishing Beaches South of Wexford Spot X

1 - Hook Head This is a popular match fishing location and the rocks are numbered for competitions - road access is directly down to the lighthouse and the paths to the various stations are obvious. The bottom ranges from sand and mud through to some very foul ground so the variety of fishing and species is excellent. People tend to fish the eastern side although there are excellent marks to the west, reputedly. Species & Techniques: Spinning or float fishing for Pollack, Coalfish and Mackerel in season is augmented by some excellent Wrasse fishing. Bottom fishing over rough ground will find Conger, Rockling and Dogfish, with the possibility of Flatfish and the odd Bass over the sandy areas. No reports on how it is fished in the winter...
9 - Dollar Beach On the road from Duncannon to Hook Head (Duncannon Beach is an excellent spot for digging blow and black lugworm, keep to the south end near the cliffs) several turnings will bring you down to Dollary Beach and Booley Strand. The roads are often only one car wide and will not bring you all the way down. If someone parks behind you it may prove difficult to get back out! A broad shallow beach faces into Waterford Harbour, almost directly west, hardly in a harsh easterly wind. Species & Techniques: Surf and bottom fishing (largely one and the same thing) will produce Dogfish, Bass, with the odd Codling possible in the winter. Curiously very few Flatfish are recorded at this venue. It can get busy with holiday makers during daylight in summer...
2 - Ballyteigue and Bannow There are effectively two estuaries here and fishing into the main river channels from the northern marks is well known and popular. Species & Techniques: Surf and bottom fishing will produce Flounder, Bass, with the odd Sea-Trout falling to spinning tackle - akin to Ballyquinn Strand in Co. Waterford, these twin marks are reknowned for the quality rather than quantity of fish caught by sea anglers.
3 - The Burrow Shore A well known mark, popular for competitions, best fished either side of low water, it features a mini-mark known locally as "the hole at the burrow". This is about 150 metres from the car park. Species & Techniques: To find Bass you need a good surf up. Whiting, Codling, Coalfish and flatfish (predominantly Flounder) are common catches here, with the odd Ray and Smoothhound in warm weather, especially after dark. Tope are also known to frequent the area in the summer. Dogfish were common also but catches have declined. Lugworm, crab and mackerel are the commonly used baits on this mark. October 2003.
5 - The Coombe To get lost in the warren of small roads around Tacumshin is a dangerous thing, and far too easy to do! Directly out from the big lake, Lady's Island, there is an excellent shore mark. This is another steep shingle and sand beach with dangerous swift currents that should preclude wading. The Tacumshin lake outflow is a good mark and there is another on the western side of the lake called Rostoonstown, a la jd. All the marks on the Coombe are best fished three hours either side of low water when the outflow is running to best effect. Species & Techniques: Bottom fishing finds Bass, Dogfish, Flounder and Codling in winter. Coalfish, Pollack and Whiting, along with Wrasse are reported regularly. A large Bull Huss was taken a few years ago if I recall... Warning: the best fishing is on the point however there is a severe current and rough ground here so pick a weak tide and bring lots of rotten bottom rigs with you! Not for the beginner. Ray, Tope and Mackerel all in summer, with some Sea-Trout available at the lake outflow... November 2003
8 - Wexford Harbour There is in fact umpteen marks in the harbour area - the new quay on the south side of the bridge (behind the Talbot Hotel car park) has become popular for autumn/winter Codling (with Peeler Crab and Lug cocktails working relatively close in, (thanks jd), the new bridge itself has been a popular mark at night and on incoming tides for local anglers seeking Bass and Flatfish (dropnet required) and behind the bridge, again on the north side there is the signposted Kaats Strand, often a venue for competitions. On the seaward side of the old Dublin bridge, you have Ardcavan which again also produces excellent Flounder. Behind the railway station on the southern side you have a rock promontary that produces Bass, as does the Ballast Bank fronting new the marina arm, and further seaward you have the derelict Modeltown section which also produces Bass.