Kirkcudbright sw scotland

[alcaucin]

have you tried loch ryan at stranrear? some big conger in there and flatties . If you can still dig the bait there the lug worm are as long as your arm. If I remember right there is a little sandy bay , called "lady bay" I was put onto it by a local and caught cod there as he said I would. Lovely part of the world up there.

[scotty73]

Hi Scotty,
excellent post !
Have you fished the area near Knockbrex?
I seen a few lads fishing, usually from the Ardwall island side.
Supposed to be good, with Bull Huss a possibility.
Looks bloody lovely, I have never seen so many Mussel & Crab shells on a beach, with plenty of live Mussel to be seen at low tide.
I haven't fished it yet, but it is on my to do list...maybe this winter for coddies ??

mel....

hi mel I have fished it a few times years ago I used to rent Knockbrex garden cottage or { the red houses } as sum people call it in the summer holidays before we got the caravan . good rag beds to the right hand side of island .left hand side good for razer fish. I used to fish the back left hand side near the old stone chapel had loads of fish there but nothing big . I sum times fish the first island barlocco I think its call good sport in summer months

[scotty73]

have you tried loch ryan at stranrear? some big conger in there and flatties . If you can still dig the bait there the lug worm are as long as your arm. If I remember right there is a little sandy bay , called "lady bay" I was put onto it by a local and caught cod there as he said I would. Lovely part of the world up there.

hi yes few years ago the old pier at Cairnryan . seen loads of big conger caught there but not by me . its a canny drive from were the caravan is. most of the time the wife n kids are up with me so I only go fishing for a few hours I would like to give it a go again for a full day sumtime

[InCodweTrust]

Cairnryan

hi yes few years ago the old pier at Cairnryan . seen loads of big conger caught there but not by me . its a canny drive from were the caravan is. most of the time the wife n kids are up with me so I only go fishing for a few hours I would like to give it a go again for a full day sumtime

Used to take the ferry out to Belfast, when the Iceland volcano was stopping flights. Quite often used to walk around the bit where the ferries come in, it looked very deep, and seriously fishy ?
Don't know if you can fish it, but was told it is good for rays around there?

The road to the port is a nightmare, did it in the early hours, in driving rain, wall to wall wagons, all going like lunatics !
Lad with me is nervous in cars, and I had to stop, and let him calm down, as he was Cr***ing himself .
It was one journey that put me off using the ferry again, so haven't been back. I was glad when we could fly again.

Mel....

[johnny h]

hi yes few years ago the old pier at Cairnryan . seen loads of big conger caught there but not by me . its a canny drive from were the caravan is. most of the time the wife n kids are up with me so I only go fishing for a few hours I would like to give it a go again for a full day sumtime

Used to LOVE fishing the old piers at Cairnryan. First went there in the 80's and just loved it. Was so sick of fishing the North East coast and catching nothing. When we first fished there the locals said there are some nice fish but the fishing is ruined by Doggies? Ruined??? I loved catching them (and eating them or Rock Salmon as they are known by their posh name).
The water was very shallow but there was very big Congers there. It used to be a ship breakers yard so there was a ton of metal down there where the Eels would hide, and there were some very big ones. I heard a lad from Jarrow nailed a 60lb one, my best was 28lb.
But then I discovered Pollack. Used to fish in Loch Ryan in a boat called the Orca captained by Mike Watson. Mike taught me how to floatfish Sandeels (previous to this i was a typical NE boat angler i.e. muppets and jiggers.)
Also because Loch Ryan was a main ferry terminal no trawlers were allowed so you could fish the sandbanks and catch Plaice, Dabs and yes Dogfish (all in good numbers).
As for bait (just dont get me started) well, me and EP from chopwell went there in 1990 to get permission to run our dogs (the amount of Ground Game is unreal, however this aspect of our holiday didn't go too well, but the Coppers are a bit soft, so) and we stayed on the campsite. In the next tent was a wrestler well known to those who used to watch Saturday TV, Kendo Nagasaki!!! and his lass showed us where she caught her Ragworm. They were HUGE! (she used to terrify me, proper hard)!

Dumfries and Galloway is the way to go!

[alcaucin]

another venue for congers that maybe nearer to where you are based is the Isle of Whithorn. I have fished all over the place in that part of Scotland. Particularly for Pike in the lochs.. There is Tope fishing in luce bay , My mates son used to cater for fishing parties and had two boats to do the tope fishing.

[scotty73]

Used to take the ferry out to Belfast, when the Iceland volcano was stopping flights. Quite often used to walk around the bit where the ferries come in, it looked very deep, and seriously fishy ?
Don't know if you can fish it, but was told it is good for rays around there?

The road to the port is a nightmare, did it in the early hours, in driving rain, wall to wall wagons, all going like lunatics !
Lad with me is nervous in cars, and I had to stop, and let him calm down, as he was Cr***ing himself .
It was one journey that put me off using the ferry again, so haven't been back. I was glad when we could fly again.

Mel....

[scotty73]

another venue for congers that maybe nearer to where you are based is the Isle of Whithorn. I have fished all over the place in that part of Scotland. Particularly for Pike in the lochs.. There is Tope fishing in luce bay , My mates son used to cater for fishing parties and had two boats to do the tope fishing.

ive fished the isle of whithorn a lot years ago but never landed a conger ive had a few top the top of the water but never land one . a lad I was taking to up that way a local lad hes give me a few marks to try for big conger so ill give that a go when I'm over next

[scotty73]

Used to LOVE fishing the old piers at Cairnryan. First went there in the 80's and just loved it. Was so sick of fishing the North East coast and catching nothing. When we first fished there the locals said there are some nice fish but the fishing is ruined by Doggies? Ruined??? I loved catching them (and eating them or Rock Salmon as they are known by their posh name).
The water was very shallow but there was very big Congers there. It used to be a ship breakers yard so there was a ton of metal down there where the Eels would hide, and there were some very big ones. I heard a lad from Jarrow nailed a 60lb one, my best was 28lb.
But then I discovered Pollack. Used to fish in Loch Ryan in a boat called the Orca captained by Mike Watson. Mike taught me how to floatfish Sandeels (previous to this i was a typical NE boat angler i.e. muppets and jiggers.)
Also because Loch Ryan was a main ferry terminal no trawlers were allowed so you could fish the sandbanks and catch Plaice, Dabs and yes Dogfish (all in good numbers).
As for bait (just dont get me started) well, me and EP from chopwell went there in 1990 to get permission to run our dogs (the amount of Ground Game is unreal, however this aspect of our holiday didn't go too well, but the Coppers are a bit soft, so) and we stayed on the campsite. In the next tent was a wrestler well known to those who used to watch Saturday TV, Kendo Nagasaki!!! and his lass showed us where she caught her Ragworm. They were HUGE! (she used to terrify me, proper hard)!

Dumfries and Galloway is the way to go!

[johnny h]

Conger (in my opinion) are very shy biters, they pull and pluck, so if you pull your rod back (and heave) you'll get nothing!
However,
When you're fishing an underwater scrapyard if you give them too much time you'll get snagged!
I know nothing!

I LOVE Dumfries and Galloway for its space and for a Gateshead lad its beauty, mainly Coarse fishing now, Coarse fishing in Scotland is a real, real 'dirty' word buts its the best.

J.

[alcaucin]

dumfries % galloway, yes I loved it up there too. Had many a good fishing holiday there with the wife. Good food and ale after fishing all day on a pike loch or shore fishing, fantastic! Very happy memories .