Croshaven Charter boat Report.

The charter boat section’s trip to Crosshaven, Co Cork, is now just another fading memory! However, there were one or two memorable moments which are worth recalling. (I’ll come to these Later). Our car ferry, the Dublin Viking, left the river at around 10.00pm on Friday night 13th June. After a good scran, a couple of pints, and some telly, everyone went to bed.

We woke up next morning to find we were sailing up the River Liffey, coming into Dublin; after a great breakfast, we all set out for Crosshaven in three cars, with Les Clarke, John Errity and Eddie McQuaid driving. (4. ½ hour drive). We arrived in Crosshaven around lunchtime and just mooched about the village, exploring, that Saturday night, everyone went into the village for a bevy.

Sunday 15th June, our first days fishing arrived and we left Crosshaven around 9.30am heading out for a wreck, about 20 miles offshore. The fishing wasn’t bad, with plenty of Ling being caught, a few Pollack, and Codling to around four pounds, and Eddie McQuaid took a nice 12lb Ling. From that first day the weather started deteriorating, and the wind and rain set in. Some days the wind was gusting up to force 8, but the boat we fished from was a cracking vessel: a 43 foot catamaran, and very stable considering the wind strength. The weather for the rest of the week was Crap!

The Skipper was ex Lt Commander Joe Lynch, in the Irish navy for 23 years, so he knew his business, and local waters, well. During the week, we did some reef drifting, as well as the wrecks, with mixed bags of Ling, Pollack, Flatties, Codling, and Gurnard. An unusual catch of a nice Garfish came to Phil Ramsdale, and a takeable Haddock fell to Tony Nelson. On one particular day it absolutely peed down from early morning until we came back in again at 5.30pm. The following day we moved into the harbour and started catching some nice Blonde Ray’s. The best of which, 17lbs 11Ozs, fell to Phil Ramsdale, which beat the 11 pound plus Blonde that John Errity had caught earlier. Everone thought that Ray Bruchez had caught the biggest Blonde, in the pub the night before, it was estimated at over 12 stone, but Ray told us that it was a “Hybrid”, and was neither one thing nor the other!!!!

John Errity caught a nicely marked Plaice of around 1lb 8Ozs; and, he also emptied the pub that night when he dropped his guts ! We were all enjoying a couple of quiet pints, discussing the day, when John dropped his bombshell. The whole pub emptied as the foul smelling cloud crept across the floor, into every nook and cranny! There were doors opening and closing everywhere, strong men were reduced to tears, and men and women were seen rushing out into the street, eyes watering, and gasping for breath! Rumour has it that, at that precise moment, all the babies in the village woke up in their cots, crying their eyes out! We don’t know how much truth there is in that story though! Still, at around £3.60 a pint, John saved us all some money because we were all standing outside in the street, not drinking!

When we left Crosshaven to drive back to Dublin we heard on the car radios that there were floods in Cork City. At this point, I’d like to make it clear that any suggestion that the floods had anything to do with our party is a downright lie! Then, after driving through the Malahyde tunnel, heading the wrong way, for Belfast, we finally arrived in Dublin at around eight O’clock that night (I understand that someone might have a SatNav going cheaply, if anyone’s interested !) We arrived back in Birkenhead at around 6.00am Sunday 23rd June, after an enjoyable good week!
Best
Ian
PS: Jack assures us that he didn’t throw his rod over the side of the charter boat; intentionally someone said it was probably just a hormonal problem!

Excellent report!

best report yet, keep them coming aquarius