Pollack provide excellent sport on lures around Carrickaboys

Carrickaboys producing plenty of dogfish, pollack and coalfish

By Sea Angler

Fishery News

01 July 2009 15:21

Now is a great time to target the rocky coastline that edges around the south-western region of Scotland. One such mark is Carrickaboys, near the Isle of Whithorn, where float-fishing is a super tactic to catch many species.

The water is mostly gin-clear here ¬ which is exactly what you require for lure fishing to be at its best.

With the ground being rocky with some very deep gullies, you may
encounter some snags if you’re bottom fishing, but if you use more beefy tackle you should be able to overcome them easily.

The fish on offer include dogfish, pollack, coalfish, codling, conger eels, gurnards, wrasse, dabs and the occasional bull huss or thornback ray. If you’re floatfishing, then using ragworms or slivers of mackerel will work well, especially for pollack
and coalfish. Freelining ragworms and lures may just pick you up a bigger specimen.

Conger eels and bull huss can be targeted at the edge of the kelp beds, but be sure to use tackle that may have to cope with a 20lb plus fish.

Stick to a single hook ¬ usually a strong size 2/0 or 3/0 is best for
bigger fish ¬ and be prepared to try and bully the fish out of the kelp with a tough beachcaster and a reel holding 25lb mainline.

How to get there:

From Newton Stewart, take the A714 south through Wigtown and Whithorn, and the B7004 to Isle of Whithorn. Park in the car park next to the phone box and walk to the front of Laigh Isle chalets (private). Looking left along the shore you see Stein Head. Carrickaboys is a five-minute walk away.