birchy

As per title. My first ever trip to Ireland was last September (2009) in a long wheel based Transit ex-minibus that my mate has tarted up as a camper. We went on the ferry (i spewed everywhere) and then drove to Banagher and camped up on the banks of the River Shannon for 4 or 5 days. River was at least 10ft over "normal" level and the fishing was a crock o' shyte in all fairness. We did have a few hours on the roach and landed a couple of pike but that was as good as it got. This year, my mate (who's an experienced coarse fisherman and has been to Ireland a couple of times "years ago") says we should try the lakes at County Clare. Dunno if that's good advice or not, but it seems logical as no matter how much rain they've had, we won't need 6oz of lead to hold bottom... Anyway, reason for this post is basically to gather some advice from anyone that fishes Ireland regularly. What's the best area to head for as campers? We might even consider "poshing" it and having a cottage or B&B or whatever at the right price. Any other areas of Ireland that might suit our requirements? All advice much appreciated.

So many replies, so not sure where to start! As Anderoo says, i'd like an "all rounder" Carp and Pike rod so was thinking more like 2.5 - 3lb T/C. There are reports of both Carp and Pike 30lb+ in some local waters, however i've never had anything over 14lb. I quite like the look of THESE Leeda rods, particularly the XGT and Assassin Feeder rods. Anyone tried them? Failing that, i'm gonna fork out on a Greys.

More info: I mostly float fish and occasionally leger local pools which have nothing bigger than 20lb. Sometimes do a bit of piking, so a decent rod could handle that too. I never fish beyond about 20yards, don't need to on my local waters. Ermm, not much else really? As you all know, there are 1000's of rods available but the cork handles seem quite rare nowadays. Although i did see a few "custom build" sites, i can't really justify the expenditure and will probably end up buying a £30 touch from my local tackle shop unless something of a corky nature turns up.... EDIT: Are Leeda rods any good nowadays?

Hey guys. About 12 months ago, i decided to try a "cheapy" rod off Ebay. You may have seen the big trader Fishing Tackle Direct on there who sells about 4 basic models. I opted for the 12' feeder rod and in all fairness i was mighty impressed with the carbon blank, screw reel fittings, lined rings and full cork handle for a mere sum of £15. The T/C is only 2lb but i used it to catch a lot of carp until recently when i had a double on and snapped the rod at the top spigot where the quiver tip pushed in. To be fair, i had the rod doubled over and was still pulling so it was the ultimate test. Superglue and some whipping sorted that problem and i'm definately buying another one which i'll use with less brute force. So now i'm looking for a sturdy carping rod. It's a bit of a minefield and having spent several hours searching the net, it seems that almost every rod for sale is "fantastic". But which ones are the most fantastic? Like every fisherman, i have my preferences, so i'm after a lightweight rod with at least 2.5 T/C, solid reel fixings (pref screw), lined rings (pref fuji) and a cork handle. I dunno what it is about cork handles, but i really love them, although they don't seem as common as they used to be. Pricewise, i'm not on a big budget although i don't mind forking out upto £100. If i can find something cheaper, then i'll probably buy a pair and get another Okuma Epix off eBay at the fantastic price of £35. All recommendations are welcome.

Thanks for all the responses! Cyranne12: Yes, i'll be asking Woody next time i'm in there although i'm fully kitted at the moment - so only chance is if i'm getting maggots. Anthony78: Yes mate, i used to fish the H&DAA water when i was 14 (16yrs ago) but i've only restarted fishing this season. If i remember rightly, the H&DAA club card runs January to January??

Thanks gentlemen, those links have pinpointed a few new fishing spots i didn't know existed. Mind you, i've only been fishing 6 months! [ 05. October 2005, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: birchy ]

Does anyone know of a good source of information where i can locate available fishing within various areas of the UK? I've been searching the 'net for some kind of "fisherman's map" but drawn a blank so far. Daft thing is, i'm searching for fishing within my locality as there are many small farm built pools scattered around. I hear stories of "free" fishing but the few anglers i've asked either didn't know anything about it or they were cagey as if it was a closely guarded secret! Any websites/books/etc greatly appreciated as i'm sure there's some kind of fishing guide(s) available somewhere.

I had a cracking day on the Roach last week at a local pond with a fish every cast and quite a few around the 1lb mark. What really got them feeding was my homemade groundbait - nothing more than dog biscuits run through a liquidiser/coffee grinder. I usually sieve the powder and re-grind any lumpy bits. Mix the powder with very small amounts of water until you can just squeeze it into a ball. Cast out 3 or 4 maggots on a size 14 hook, lob a small egg-size ball of groundbait right at your float and watch the Roach go crazy! I was getting a bite in less than 1min after the groundbait hit the water. With a large bag of dog biscuits costing a few quid, this is a cheap but devastating bait.