Mull of gallaway

[clarky]

Well Rich n me fished Ardwell bay area on the fri afternoon and not a sniff, headed back to the camping site around 9pm ish and got set up for the night,
Sat - headed to flat rock on the sat morning but we should av got our backsides up earlier as it was chocker, well we managed to spot a space next to a couple of lads from newcastle area, they were getn doggies, flatties and had a couple of gurnards, we on the other hand only caught a pollack each, on the lures and nowt on the bait rod, the other lads moved on later in the day to fish one of the bays for bass so we moved onto their spot n first cast a doggie then a flattie then a double shot of doggies, it just shows you moving 10 yards can make all the difference, Rich had 5 or 6 macky on the spinners too, but when we looked around every one had gone home so we moved onto flat rock and put a big macky bait out incase sumit was trolling by, we left about 9pm and headed back to the site n threw the gear in and headed to the beach to try for some bass but no luck there either.
Sun morning we were gona hit some bass spots but it was torrential rain so we came home and will head back up another weekend.
We used mainly macky for bait but also tried blacks, razor, squid and prawns.

Brian

 

[SteveG]

Nice to see your still getting out Brian. Hope your well mate

 

[clarky]

Lol steve if you can call it that, think it was my first time out in over a year mate or it feels that long

 

[LiamNE]

Seems it has been poor up at the MoG this year, with all the negative reports I doubt I will go back up again this year.

 

[DaveyP]

I have fished the MoG for a lot of years but the last three have been dire, never bothered going this year looking for pastures new.

 

[LiamNE]

I have fished the MoG for a lot of years but the last three have been dire, never bothered going this year looking for pastures new.

Have to agree, it has been fished to death and tbh I feel it has been over rated for a long time now.

I go up every year just because I love the place itself but I would look elsewhere for fish now, it needs to recover I think!

 

[fish2704]

Mog

Mog

I have to agree that the fishing is dire at the MOG. Three of us fished Thursday at Port Gill and had seven Pollack between us, all around 1.5 lb. Friday we fished Port Gill again but in a different place and only two Pollack between us. Saturday we tried all over the place Port Gill, Ardwell Bay then back to Port Gill and not a fish between us.
Don't believe a word the tackle shop in Ardwell tells you as he claims there are fish all over. The board outside the shop has had the same story on it for the last four years.
I fear that the MOG is fished out and is not worth the hassle to get there.
The area is worth a visit and some good pubs but forget the fishing.

 

[clarky]

Aye lads its the first time I've fished it and was expecting more, we gona have a look back up in sept, if its no better al not be going back

 

[LiamNE]

Don't believe a word the tackle shop in Ardwell tells you as he claims there are fish all over. The board outside the shop has had the same story on it for the last four years.
I fear that the MOG is fished out and is not worth the hassle to get there.
The area is worth a visit and some good pubs but forget the fishing.

Spot on.

As I have been saying for a long time now not just about the Ardwell shop, but the locals up there are just ridiculos fibbers when it comes to fish.
The best one this year was the 6lb haddock out of Ryan bay (shore)

 

[Tom Stevo]

So sorry to hear the fishing was crap on your visit and the other lads.
But I am interested in what locals have been saying the fishing has been good, from the shore?
The marine shop at Ardwell sells boats and some tackle and with all due respect he is hardly likely to post on the board “ fishing crap, go some were else”
It has been going down hill for a long time, but then what can we really expect we have scallop dredgers in the winter and electro fishers all the time.
If you had gone into Erics in Stranraer you would have got a far truer picture of fishing in the area from someone who was born yds from Luce bay.
People like Ian Burrett who runs the charter business in the area has been saying this for years and has come under nothing but ridicule from a very small band of posters, who in general have commercial interests at heart.
I live for 9 months of the year 10 yds from the high tide and I agree with you the impact of the poor fishing is affecting local angling tourism, which plays a big part in the economy.
Marine Scotland are in the pockets of the CF, all you say has been said to the them by individuals and SSACN, some of the destructive practices are illegal but nothing gets done.
As I said earlier I would recommend anyone fishing the area, to visit Erics.

 

[Peever lad]

I think it's great fishing up there.

 

[Tom Stevo]

Yes it is good but it could be better and it was.
Just to give an example few weeks ago two lads were up fishing for the week, they good some advice from Eric were to go, when I seen them the next day they were very disappointed after a blank. They went to Erics... again it appears they were 100 yds from were they should have been, went back and bagged up, that's the difference.
Plus the small tides and very clear water has not helped.

 

[Peever lad]

That comes down to knowing ur marks.

It still fishes really well

 

[clarky]

The lass in the new england caravan park said their had been beam trawlers going up n down the beach for a few days, they vanished then the fisheries boat turned to stop them but a little late as they'd already been up n down the beaches day n night

 

[Joe-m]

Hi Tom it's Joe miss our little chats I agree with everything you said, a shadow of its former self, from when I started fishing up there in the 70's because of the reasons you have just described, my son David has fished up there since he could walk and returns every year at the right time with the right bait and fishes the right marks, and does reasonable, he pops in to see Eric and has a chat, used to make me laugh talking to anglers fishing on a bright sunny day flat calm conditions water gin clear with cod gear for bass because they had read loads of fish about, its not going to happen, its hard because of the pressure on the fish, I have had nights when its been a fish a chuck although a lot smaller than I would have liked, I know there were bass caught last week because I had a phone call, the Mull of Galloway is not the fishing Shangri-La it used to be but its the whole experience the unspoilt scenery and people, I meet people there when I was in my twenties and at over 60 still stop and chat when we are up there, it's a different way of life although like everywhere things change, my first Tope was caught there out with Steve Woods in his 20 ft open fisher off Drummore buoy and I was hooked, he then went on to buy a Aquastar and was successful at promoting Tope fishing in the SW of Scotland, my first bass and pollock caught on a plug, conger, smoothhounds, bullhuss, thornbacks, mullet, the list goes on, and it was a different type of fishing from cod fishing off the NE Coast it just seemed a magical place, but in recent years the summer fishing on the Ne Coast has improved whether through less commercial fishing inshore with gillnets or climate change, and the fishing has declined at the MOG but if you want a different experience give it a go, there is not many places you can park you car, dig bait, launch your boat for free

 

[loopy]

Giant razors

Giant razors

You will find that they are not trawling ,they are razor clam fishing. Illegally, Luce Bay is a Special Area of conservation and Marine Scotland have been chasing them for 2 years, the best bit is how they do it, Take one big diesel driven welder, wire's down to the sea bed and metal spike's put in the sand hit the switch, zap then put a diver down to pick up all the stunned razor fish. They have even had the light aircraft up. Big money for the giant clams abroad. Have a walk around the dunes past Sand of Luce and see what is hidden away. Just about to go back for my 6th & 7th week to NEB love the chip van. Nice to see you looking in Tom, see you next week.

 

[Tom Stevo]

Hi Tom it's Joe miss our little chats I agree with everything you said, a shadow of its former self, from when I started fishing up there in the 70's because of the reasons you have just described, my son David has fished up there since he could walk and returns every year at the right time with the right bait and fishes the right marks, and does reasonable, he pops in to see Eric and has a chat, used to make me laugh talking to anglers fishing on a bright sunny day flat calm conditions water gin clear with cod gear for bass because they had read loads of fish about, its not going to happen, its hard because of the pressure on the fish, I have had nights when its been a fish a chuck although a lot smaller than I would have liked, I know there were bass caught last week because I had a phone call, the Mull of Galloway is not the fishing Shangri-La it used to be but its the whole experience the unspoilt scenery and people, I meet people there when I was in my twenties and at over 60 still stop and chat when we are up there, it's a different way of life although like everywhere things change, my first Tope was caught there out with Steve Woods in his 20 ft open fisher off Drummore buoy and I was hooked, he then went on to buy a Aquastar and was successful at promoting Tope fishing in the SW of Scotland, my first bass and pollock caught on a plug, conger, smoothhounds, bullhuss, thornbacks, mullet, the list goes on, and it was a different type of fishing from cod fishing off the NE Coast it just seemed a magical place, but in recent years the summer fishing on the Ne Coast has improved whether through less commercial fishing inshore with gillnets or climate change, and the fishing has declined at the MOG but if you want a different experience give it a go, there is not many places you can park you car, dig bait, launch your boat for free

Hi Joe great to hear from you, a few have left the site because of the poor fishing this year, how can you have a beach like we have and not catch flatties?

 

[Joe-m]

great to hear from you Tom sorry to hear the the fishing is still on the decline it is such a shame, you have the perfect setup, crazy there's no flatties on that beach used to be, my son has been catching sized cod all summer here, he had a trip over the Solway catching rays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf88RgvUdo4&list=UUfWv9y5fK6rzWW5tTsDLsmg

David was up the mull a few weeks ago hammered the smoothies also had some wrasse and pollack during the day but it was just a 2 day bash.

 

[mallconpak]

You will find that they are not trawling ,they are razor clam fishing. Illegally, Luce Bay is a Special Area of conservation and Marine Scotland have been chasing them for 2 years, the best bit is how they do it, Take one big diesel driven welder, wire's down to the sea bed and metal spike's put in the sand hit the switch, zap then put a diver down to pick up all the stunned razor fish. They have even had the light aircraft up. Big money for the giant clams abroad. Have a walk around the dunes past Sand of Luce and see what is hidden away. Just about to go back for my 6th & 7th week to NEB love the chip van. Nice to see you looking in Tom, see you next week.

Going to New England bay from the 16th aug, taking kayak this time two weeks of bliss

 

[Tom Stevo]

Must run in the family Joe..topman.
Been over to Whithorn a lot with the boat, its fishing a lot better then the bay, the whole of the Solway seems to be on the up which is great news.