Strict conservation measures are already in place for bass in an effort to stop the steep decline in this species. Grapevine information suggests that bass may be making a comeback in some parts of Ireland but many of the fish are small. This brings back memories of great bass fishing on the Boyne in 1964 when I caught 125 large bass in the month of August at the third island (‘bass island’) on the Rathmullen stretch. Not a single one was retained as I (and for that matter most other people) did not realise that they were excellent to eat.
Source – Thomas Ronan Gormley – Angling in Ireland: an enduring passion of more than 60 years
The fish that live on the Wexford coast are small in number and live in many disparate locations. Access to these populations of fish for the shore angler may begin as early as April and end usually in late October or early November. This is not always strictly the case as so many influences impact on the date range and the arrival or departure of fish. Fully mature bass undertake seasonal migrations from summer coastal feeding grounds to winter offshore spawning grounds (Pawson et al. 2007) coinciding with the decrease in coastal water temperature (Pawson & Pickett 1987) that generally occurs in late October.
As water temperature and light levels increase during Spring expect fish to arrive on shore, as water temperatures and light levels decrease, Autumn, expect fish to move away to deeper water to prepare for spawning. You can see more in relation to temperature here
There are four possible major ‘population bases’ that run to their shore foraging grounds and back to sea as the seasons and conditions dictate. These bigger populations reside in the following broadly defined areas
- The Bannow bay and Hook Peninsula region
- The Kilmore quay and Cullenstown region
- The Bing bay, Rosslare Hbr and Wexford Hbr region
- The North county of Wexford
Further along the Wexford coast if we look closer and we have had further angling experiences we can conclude that there are smaller ‘micro’ localised populations tied to specific circumstances and geography that offer the fish the environments and conditions that they need to survive.
These smaller ‘micro’ populations live in locations on the coast both North and South of the Slaney river.
I have no doubt that during the active shore period there may be a lot of travel, cross-over and mixing, say, of fish between the Bannow bay and Kilmore quay fish for instance, and indeed within these regions where smaller concentrations of fish are tied to specific micro’ locations, I also have a sense that fish from the Rosslare area move to Kilmore quay or to Bannow bay on a frequent basis. This is of course extremely likely, regular, and even necessary to find food from time to time. Wider ranging of ‘coastal’ fish is also very likely.
I have no real sense or evidence as to where the fish spend their time when they are not on the shore during the winter period. I have a feeling that its not too far offshore, presence of winter forage can keep bass populations much more ‘local’ than we think. But I also suspect that fish ‘tied’ to an open coast tend to range wider on a more nomadic lifestyle than say fish linked to a specific environment offering many optimal lies. There may be more or less location fidelity across different coastal environments.
There are many questions that remain unanswered and speculation without data can force us to ask with some positivity
- Do the fish move great distances to find cooler temperatures to prepare and indeed be ready to spawn?
- Do the fish during this period mix with the entire ‘Wexford’ population and then return to their known separate summer locations or are there Winter specific locations for suspension?
- Do the fish move along the coast to mix with other populations from other counties or indeed countries?
- Is the range of bass movement much wider along the coast than we think?
- What winter movements dictate and are exhibited by the Western Irish population of fish?
OR
- Do the fish remain closer to the Irish shoreline than we think for winter preparation for spawning?
- Do all the Irish southern counties bass population move to form one winter aggregation or are there separate aggregations per county in very specific geographic locations?
- Does spawning take place a lot closer to shore than we think?
- Is the Irish population separate from other international populations?
- Do county specific fish behave differently than other counties in respect of movement time, location habits and patterns, forage availability and destination spawning locations?
All of the above factors play a significant part in the possible conservation of the species. The fish are prone to over exploitation for many reasons especially according to where they are known to be present in numbers at any time during winter or summer.
Local geography, geology and other physical forces play a large part in the movement of fish during its time spent on the Wexford coasts and how and what it has learned to survive – some fish may live to be a more nomadic group of ‘free ranging’ type whilst others may ‘anchor’ themselves to locations. There is a greater sense of enhanced location fidelity where there is structure and circumstances (tides) that provide holding, protection and easy feeding lies with minimum energy expenditure. Fish may behave similarly from coast to coast but their is also some unique and specific location behavioral patterns demonstrated accordingly. This location specific behavior can also extend into things like fly and lure preferences for both colour, choice of size and profile. This of course varies too over the timing of the season and conditions at any particular time.
Some Wexford locations exhibit a greater frequency of both a particular size and number of fish. This also corresponds to particular times of year and indeed specific weather and tidal conditions at the locations at any time. I have experiences of catching more bigger fish more frequently at specific locations. This may mean for instance that, females which tend to be bigger than males, may be very location specific, whilst males perhaps are more free ranging. It could also mean that bigger fish exhibit different hunting strategies and timings to their smaller companions and may be more ‘learned’ in exploiting different opportunities for food at different times.
Simon Coveney secures catch and release for 2016 for recreational bass fishery after difficult and tough negotiations.
Many thanks for your continued help and support Simon.
Jim
I believe that saltwater fly-fishing for bass is about coastal experiences. So much of the fish is about the places where and when we find them. The things we see hear and smell on the way, there and back. The good moments, the fun, the challenges we face, the learning, the environments within which we find ourselves trying and reaching further, the weather and sometimes the company. All of these things creating the memories, inspiration the awareness and some of the understanding we now have that the fish and the pace of the coast has given us.
Transforming us in ways we could never anticipate.
Bass fishing in Ireland has given me many special moments, some of incredible and unforgettable shared miraculous grace, others that are both very personally remote and at times inexplicable.
For some time, since as early as 2003 in fact, I have been working as a Bass Fishing Guide on the Wexford and Irish coast. You can find some of those amazing years (archived from my old workhorse blog of ten years ) Here.
My name is Jim Hendrick and I have been lucky to have fished for bass since boyhood. It seems the fish have always moved into and out of my life in mysterious ways for more than forty years and looks like they will continue to do so, but recently I have had to change my life a little, again!
The change in my fishing life was borne of circumstances beyond my control and beyond the parameters of how I felt I could run my bass angling guiding business. I will no longer continue to guide for bass and seatrout fishing for many reasons but I am happy now to mostly spend my time on the coast with personal saltwater fly fishing in mind. This decision has not been easy, but at this time there are simply too many circumstances and aspects that currently exist in Irish bass fishing that make the change one that I am very happy to have made. This change has also allowed me time for considerable reflection.
After more than twelve years of freedom to personally build and evolve through something worthwhile as a bass fishing guide was given to me by two people at the center of my life. This freedom was way beyond any normal sense of ‘value’. I was free to contemplate the rise of a tide over a location, free to rise from a warm bed at 02:00 hrs to bring people from around the world onto the coast to fish for bass, free to watch a breeze arrive across a mirrored sea. Free from the constraints of 9 to 5, ‘time’, mostly had no consequence unless it was connected to a tide or arrival of weather fronts or departure of customer or season.
I have time now to contemplate the consequences and meaning of such generosity.
Today I don’t have that same freedom but my anticipation of being on the coast to fish when I can is even more heightened, more valuable, more significant. Time cannot be wasted and I am more eager, more interested more challenged by my personal fishing than I have been in a long time. I don’t regret not having that same freedom, I have been lucky beyond belief, worked hard, created luck,struggled, laughed, cried, failed, lost, learned, understood, witnessed and grew. I bring this with me now to my life, my family, my new work and more than anything to my new found re-discovered personal bass fishing.
The Irish coast, bass and bass fishing will always remain a large part of what I do and who I am.
My main interests in bass fishing (apart from actual fishing) now lie in working slowly on Thirtyards largely as an accompaniment to a plan for a book. A book based in the bass fishing that I have encountered on the coast of Ireland whilst both fly and lure fishing. Thirtyards is a personal project largely about bass fishing with the fly. It is still mostly a work in progress, a vehicle, a place, a companion perhaps. I anticipate the site coming slowly into existence over the next few years and it will include many things, a sense of some of my guiding days, the possible Tourism potential behind the development of a service like saltwater guiding in Ireland, the things I have seen and learned. There’s no doubt that the many customer interactions, fishing days and magic moments, especially those of the twelve years spent self-employed and working as a full time bass fishing guide have been tremendous. At times these days were beyond anything I could have ever imagined, both good and bad. They will find themselves on here too.
You may have already found some of these ramblings and extracts and perhaps the start of the coming together of the book here on the Coastal Blog page. Thirtyards is ultimately about a planned attempt to create something but its also about time and place rather than distance cast or numbers caught or a ‘how to’ or a barrage of gear… at this time an unmeasured bass fishing universe of experience exists inside my mind. I’m trying my best to get it down here! I do not have a ‘hard’ answer for everything and much of what I write is based loosely (open to discussion over a pint!) around a combination of years of past and current experiences, observations, chat, reading and interpretation of much material. Nowhere or at anytime would I lay claim to the bravado of exactitude in the face of the many mysteries to be found along the bass fishing coast.
I am consciously taking my time.
So thanks for stopping by on the odd occasion and perhaps we might meet someday, and who knows, it might be in the right place at the right time!
Regards, and keep casting – Jim Hendrick
I’m overwhelmed at this time. The response to this Workshop has been and continues to be phenomenal, so much so that rather than disappoint people I now find myself having to consider a new plan and a re-org. A big thank you to everyone it has really surprised me. After the first of these events which I ran back in May 2013 in Co.Cork, details of which can be seen here I didn’t believe that another would prove to be as popular.
I am sorry to say the Saltwater Fly fishing week is now full and all places have been filled, whilst you may be disappointed not being able to attend the 3-Day please do not hesitate to contact me for further possible be-spoke solutions during 2016
Please find below summary details about the event including the schedule of workshop details in Wexford 2016 as they are at this time – there is a strong emphasis on a Leave No Trace ethos throughout the workshops – a little more on this over the next few weeks.
Thank you – Jim
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Wexford is synonymous with bass fishing. Kilmore quay on the southern coast of the county holds a special place in my heart for it was here at the end of the forlorn point that I caught my first bass whilst fishing with my grandfather.
Now nearly forty five years later I’m happy to work again with some of the best saltwater fly tiers and fly casting instructors currently working in this country, indeed the world. Such was the demand for the initial workshop that what I have now decided, and what I am delighted to do, is to hold two 3-Day workshops back to back over the period of a week – either during the first or third week of October 2016 – tba
Because the entire week consists of good bass fishing tides there are lots of options in respect of either extending or starting your stay…who knows, with 22 attendees captured over a period of seven days to work with three Tutors, concentrating on saltwater fly fishing techniques – the opportunities abound really.
Bass angling on a measured scale in coastal communities is both economically sustainable and significantly socio contributory.
Who are our instructors?
Saltwater Casting disciplines SH and DH
It doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner, intermediate or an advanced angler with a fly rod. The most important thing to 
Gary Bell is that you the customer, gains from the experience and has FUN all at the same time. Whatever you choose to do, be it a casting lesson with either a Double-Handed or Single-Handed rod, Gary will be able to offer you the very best Professional service available. You can find more details here at www.gbflyfish.com
Fly Fishing Experience
Gary was born in Lisburn County Antrim in 1968 and started Fly fishing at the age of 7 and tying flies at the age of 10. He has been a full time Professional Game Angling Instructor since he obtained his entry level qualifications and 3 months later his APGAI qualifications in 1998. Gary is well known throughout Great Britain and Ireland for his Instruction, Demonstrations, Guiding and also his Flies, which he ties to order.
Fly Casting and Fly Dressing Qualifications
Gary is well qualified in Game Angling as he is a member of the Game Anglers Instructors Association (GAIA) and holds the Game Anglers Instructors Certificate (GAIC), Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructor (APGAI), Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructor – Ireland (APGAI-Ireland) and Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors (AAPGAI) qualifications in all of the 3 disciplines, which are Salmon (Double-Handed), Trout (Single-Handed) and Fly Dressing with all of the above organisations.
Angling Show Demonstrations
Gary has Demonstrated Fly Casting and Fly Dressing for many years at various Angling shows and Game Fairs, both in Great Britain and Ireland, some of which include; CLA, Chatsworth Angling Fair, All Ireland Game Fair, Angling Ireland show, Loughs Agency Fair, Irish International Fly Fair, Irish Fly Fair and many, many others.
Saltwater Fly tying disciplines
If you have been a visitor to www.probassfisher.ie then you will be no stranger to Andy Elliott and his famous flies. It is beyond doubt that his tying of the sloopy droopy fly (J.Manette) and many others had serious consequences for my bass fishing and in particular the pursuit of bigger individual fish. Outspoken strong willed and determined Andy’s personality finds its way into his flies. You can find more details here at www.chasingsilver.com and www.chasingsilver.org
Andy has been a devoted fly-fisher and a fly tier for many years now, through fishing rivers and lakes all over Ireland and along the eastern coast and shoreline Andy has gained extensive knowledge in this ever developing field of the sport. Co-Presenting and tying with Andy is Paula Smyth. Paula is a dynamic and highly skilled fly tier adding her unique take, design and energy to this. See her work demonstrated here https://twitter.com/paulasmyth11
Andy and Paula have demonstrated Fly Tying for many years at various Angling shows and Game Fairs, both in Great Britain and Ireland, some of which include; CLA, Chatsworth Angling Fair, All Ireland Game Fair, Angling Ireland show, Loughs Agency Fair, Irish International Fly Fair, and the Irish Fly Fair. At the 3-day Andy will reveal some of his secrets for tying a range of successful saltwater flies.
Saltwater Guiding and fly fishing
More details of the guiding later this month as I lay out the plans for different species and we meet (Paula, Andy, Gary and Jim) as a group early in the new year –
A catch and release ethos runs through the week and combined with good fishing techniques we will contribute as best we can to the conservation of bass as a species. On our guided trips we will encounter lots of local biodiversity and cultural heritage, and as is normal we will ensure to minimise our operations impacts on local nature and culture.
Our guiding will be carried out in small groups and will tend to be focused not only on the fishing but on the wider aspects of enjoying the best nature experiences available in the Wexford coastal area, meeting local people, enjoying local food and gaining real insights into the locations where fish can be found.
Where will it happen?
We will base ourselves in the picturesque village of Kilmore at Quay House in the centre of the village.
Quay House Bed and Breakfast is a family run B&B in the centre of the picturesque fishing village of Kilmore Quay. The B&B is only a short stroll away from all the local amenities, providing us with the ideal place to stay and work while exploring the saltwater fly fishing options in the South East of Ireland. As a family run business , Quay House pride themselves in maintaining excellent standards at the B+B. All rooms are spacious, comfortable and clean. Breakfast is freshly cooked, using locally-sourced Irish products wherever possible. There are also excellent angler facilities provided.
Across the way white-washed thatched houses line the main street leading down to the harbour area. Some of these are the original cottages built in the 1800s. Kilmore quay, naturally, offers seafood as a speciality in local eateries. You will find the best quality local seafood on offer at the takeaways, bars and restaurants in the area. There are of course also plenty of excellent alternatives to seafood served in all of the establishments.
One of the first features to strike anyone visiting the village for the first time is the number of thatched cottages lining the village street. Most of these cottages date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and are of significant national importance.Wandering down the village street will bring you to the harbour and fishing fleet. A recent addition to the old harbour is a state-of-the-art 55-berth marina, which has added a new dimension to boating along the south coast of the country. The commercial facilities, combined with the safe berthage and on-shore facilities ensure have made the harbour in Kilmore Quay a busy and popular facility for both leisure and commercial mariners.
How will it happen?
Visit the link below for a review of the Workshop Plan.
3-Day Saltwater Fly Fishing Workshop – October – On the Wexford Coast
Kilmore Quay
The Silver Fox
The Silver Fox Seafood Restaurant established in 1991 has built up and enviable reputation for the quality of their culinary delights and hospitality. Located in the centre of the village, the extensive A La Carte menu specialises on locally caught seafood and also offer a wide range of dishes catering for all tastes and dietary requirements.
Your host’s of The Silver Fox Seafood Restaurant are Shane Carroll & Gopal Kawander
Kehoes Pub and Parlour
Kehoe’s Pub and Parlour is a family run business situated in the heart of Kilmore Quay. A warm welcome awaits you at Kehoe’s where character and tradition abound in the unique ambience of a Maritime Heritage Centre.
Kehoe’s Pub and Parlour serves local fresh seafood, menu may vary from day to day depending on what fish is available locally,and specials are chalked up on a blackboard. Sample the delights of Kilmore Quay’s finest seafood and take time to peruse our complimentary guide to a fascinating collection of nautical artefacts
Kehoes Pub also presents a unique Maritime heritage Centre in Kilmore Quay. James Kehoe spent nearly 30 years diving on and retrieving artefacts from wrecks in the waters around Wexford. Where possible, the artefacts have been fully restored and all are on display in the pub.
Mary Barrys
Mary Barry’s Bar, with their much loved head chef Nicky Cullen, is renowned for it’s extensive menu and especially their selection of sea food landed locally in Kilmore Quay. In addition to a fantastic á la carte menu Mary Barrys have daily specials and have recently introduced an evening SET MENU which is available Monday to Thursday from 5:30pm – two course plus tea/coffee only €16.95 and three course plus tea/coffee €19.95.
Freshly brewed Bewley’s coffees and teas are available throughout the day and MB’s new WINE MENU (including wine by the glass) is a real favourite.
So I guess we will be popping in to eat and no doubt chat over a pint or two!
More details during the next few months have a happy Christmas…Jim
‘I wonder sometimes that maybe as a result of my new found stability perhaps the words above or indeed similar thoughts are written too easily, without significance and perhaps they are not that important now. Are they too casually constructed in the new found comfort of a more stable and ‘normal’ lifestyle? Jim has come to his senses!
Do not be fooled into thinking that those ten years were not valid, not worthwhile, a meaningless exercise in fishing futility because believe me, no matter how I feel right now there is no ‘time’ and no ‘where’ I would rather be other than arriving to my home of a summer evening with my customers having spent a rewarding day attempting to catch bass on the Wexford coast’
THIRTYARDS 
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